The musings of a maturing, manic mum

I have been to the opticians today and am told that there is a slight improvement in my eyesight.  The younger man in the opticians advised me that this is due to... maturing.  Excellent news!  No, it doesn't mean that I am finally acting like a grown adult but it does mean that my eyes are showing signs of age.  It's a catch-22 situation: great to have improved vision but not so great because I have middle-aged eyes. 

Before anyone says it... I did go to Specsavers and I have to say they are very good although last time the optician asked me, when looking through the eye checking machine, if I had done my makeup in a hurry that morning!

As if accepting advancing years wasn't avoidable enough with a landmark birthday approaching I now have parts of my body making sure I don't forget the upcoming birthday that won't go unmissed! 

The younger man and I proceeded to choose some new frames that he described as 'youthful'.  When did this all begin to change?  One minute I was on the right side of a decade and now I am sliding off the other end. 

Since having children I have definitely aged outwardly.  Unavoidable with all those months of sleepless nights and the stresses and worries that come as part of the 'becoming a mum' package I guess.  But I wonder at what point did it all change.  It's like my body is on a timer to ensure it accurately reflects the age it is.

A strange end to my week which has been an up and down sort.  It's been 4 months since we lost Dad and that's hard.  I spent yesterday feeling very irritable and couldn't figure out why then I realised it was 19th April and 4 months have passed in a blink it seems.  Small steps...

I began the potty training deed that all parents must endure and after having a difficult time with my first daughter I braced myself for a very stressful week.  To my amazement and total pleasure my youngest took to the potty like a duck to water.  She essentially does it all herself and I clean up - and what's great is that she does it all in the right place!  As all parents who have had nightmarish, potty training experiences will know, that is a total bonus.

I ran a free promotion of the latest Larry the Liger story for three days and marketed it around childcare including emptying potties, swimming lessons, playgroups and school runs.  I somehow ended up in twitter jail... twice... while tweeting on laptop, kindle fire and smart phone.  I got in a right muddle at times, I must admit, in my attempts to keep up while on the move.

So how did it go?  Well it depends on how you look at things.  I have three, new, great reviews so that is good news indeed.  They are all on Amazon.com so will await reviews from other Amazon territories.  I had the highest number of Japanese downloads than I ever have for one of my books; clearly more children with ereaders over there which makes sense as they are the technology leaders.  The best thing to come out of it is the increased awareness of Larry the Liger.  I adore writing about him and love to share him with you all.

I will add the reviews below as they are worth the share.  I'd best be off now to take my maturing eyes to watch the next generation having fun in the spring sunshine.  Happy sunny weekend everyone :)

 

"5.0 out of 5 stars Great Story for Children to Realize Friendship often Needs Help 20 April 2013

By loves a great read -

I enjoyed this story. Great one to share with children struggling with understanding friendship is something they need to work at. It dealt with understanding you can be a friend to someone who has not shown friendship yet to you. It also had the idea of understanding appreciation for differences. The owl, the snake and a "Liger" all have different strengths and could work together for an unappreciative friend, the cat. Larry the Liger is certainly lovable and I look forward to his next adventure."

 

"4.0 out of 5 stars Larry the Liger - The Lost Friend (Larry the Liger Series) 19 April 2013

By A. K. -

"Be careful what you wish for" boy how many times have I heard that in my life. This is a magnificent story to teach a lesson on the value of friendships. I highly recommend it. The only reason I gave it a 4 star is I wish there had been more illustrations but loved it just the same."

 

"5.0 out of 5 stars Super Cute With a Good Lesson 18 April 2013

By J. Paetsch -

This is an adorable story for young readers about anger and forgiveness sure to warm even the coldest heart. Little Larry the liger is tired of being teased by the mean cat Chloe--who ends up missing. It is up to Larry and his friends to find her. A sweeter story was never written to teach children how to be kind. This book takes place in Prague and in the Prague Zoo, where I have recently spent the day. It's a wonderful zoo where families can have a great time, and I was surprised and pleased to find it was the setting for the story. Authors Phillips and Wilson do a great job of reflecting the happy atmosphere of the zoo. I highly recommend this book."