A Reflection On The Last 18 Months



I haven't written anything here for a long time. There's been many reasons why. We moved into a house that required an enormous amount of work and had to live it in while undertaking that work. It turned out to be more unpredictable and mentally strenuous than I ever anticipated. We moved house so we had more room for a new baby. We lost that baby and I never physically recovered. I was ill for a long time before it was discovered that I had been living with undiagnosed coeliac disease for potentially years. I was diagnosed 2 months ago following a positive blood test and a gastroscopy and biopsy. I am currently malnourished, anemic and losing my hair. I am tired beyond anything I have ever experienced before and no amount of rest seems to help. It's been a long and tiring 18 months but the most significant reason why i've stopped writing has been the death of a dear friend.

Living Arrows | Bright Sunshine-y Days...

Katrina Fox UK Family, Parenting, Autism and Mental Health Blogger What The Redhead Said Living Arrows UK Parenting Blog Link Up Khalil Gibran Quote


'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.

Thankfully the weather has drastically improved and we've been spending every spare second outside, playing and sorting out the garden borders. 

Living Arrows | Rain Does Not Stop Play

What The Redhead Said Living Arrows UK Parenting Blog Link Up Khalil Gibran Quote

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.  

It's been 3 months since my last Living Arrows post and I can't quite believe the difference in Iris. She seems to have grown so much both physically and mentally. She's no longer a baby and is now a fully fledged toddler. She's learning to speak with such ease and clarity it really does amaze me. My favourite words this week have been dinosaur and mammoth. Like most people the weather has kept us indoors this last week so we've been doing a lot of indoor play and I've discovered some amazing play accounts on Instagram

Living Arrows | Freedom

Living Arrows | Freedom What The Redhead Said Living Arrows UK Parenting Blog Link Up Khalil Gibran Quote

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran

When it comes to children I think freedom can be a confusing thing. Does too much freedom create unruly children? Does too little create timid children afraid to reach out? I don't have the answer but I know that throughout my childhood my mother managed to achieve a near perfect balance of freedom.

Living Arrows | Blood Isn't Always Thicker Than Water

What The Redhead Said Living Arrows UK Parenting Blog Link Up Khalil Gibran Quote

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.

This is Iris with my mum and my mum's husband. He's been in our lives for about 7 years now. I was an adult when he entered my life and because of that I feel like I can't refer to him as 'my dad' but in all the ways a girl could need her dad this man has stepped up. He's been there for me through thick and thin. He's held my hand throughout a fair few mental health challenges, he's listened, he's talked and he's understood but most importantly he has embraced my daughter with a love that goes beyond the boundaries of 'mum's husband'. He's her Papa...he's our Papa and we'd be lost without him.

Living Arrows | Fun With Ben and Holly

Living Arrows | Fun With Ben and Holly What The Redhead Said Living Arrows UK Parenting Blog Link Up Khalil Gibran Quote

Fun with Ben and Holly? An interesting title considering the look on Iris's face. She doesn't exactly look like she's having fun! This is one of my favourite ever pictures of my daughter purely because her grandparents had been telling me for weeks how much she enjoys 'the ride outside Iceland' and when I finally got round to seeing it myself this is what I was met with.

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