Once again it's my favourite time of year, September and the beginning of Autumn. And once again it's been months since I last wrote anything.

I do have a good excuse this time though, honest!! Back in June one of the children knocked a glass of water over on the coffee table on which was sitting my laptop. No prizes for guessing what happened next!! Fortunately I'm covered on my house insurance for accidental damage so my laptop went off to be looked at, was declared to be FUBAR and for the cost of my excess I have got a new laptop. Eventually. I was told it would arrive within 7-10 days but 4 weeks later I still hadn't received it. Turned out the courier had lost it so another one was despatched and it finally arrived on Thursday.

I used to spend an inordinate amount of time on my laptop, checking facebook, reading the many blogs I followed, on eBay etc etc but nearly 3 months without has meant I've kind of done cold turkey and I have hardly touched the new one. I can't remember the names of most of the blogs I followed either. I also have a bit of a problem typing. I've got so used to using the keypad on my BlackBerry (and the way it auto corrects my words and adds commas and full stops for me automatically) I'm struggling slightly to get used to proper typing again, lol

I'm still loving my "new" car. Every time I look out of the window at it I feel a real sense of pride about it.

I've been in the house for over a year now. I still love it here, although I kind of wish I owned it so I could decorate it and make a few changes to it.

I've taken up a new hobby as well. As a child I always wanted to learn to horse ride and to have my own horse. About 13 years ago I finally started having riding lessons and really enjoyed it until one day the horse I was on was spooked by something and took off down the sand school at a gallop with me hanging on for dear life. I was still trying to master canter at that stage so galloping was a bit too fast. I had one more lesson after that but hated it so much I never went back.

Ellie has always had a love of horses (she was a few months old when I had those lessons back then) and always wanted to learn to ride. She'd had a couple of lessons on holiday at Center Parcs and had done an "own a pony" day at a local riding school but her dream of having regular lessons didn't come true until last year when her school started up a riding club on a Monday night at a local equestrian centre. She's loved it and got several rosettes and a certificate for being the most improved rider in the club.

I've been a bit jealous, wishing I could have some lessons again too. Back in April or May I promised her and Sophie riding lessons in the summer holidays. A couple of weeks ago I realised that the holidays were nearly over and I couldn't break my promise so I got them booked in. Ellie said she was scared about having a lesson all by herself so I said I'd do it with her....

I've had two lessons and absolutely loved it!! It was so good to be back on a horse again after all that time. I wasn't at all nervous about it either. So we're going to have regular lessons. Sadly because of the cost they wont be as regular as we would like but anything is better than nothing. Sophie had never been on a horse before but was declared a natural and has spoken about nothing else since. So that's three of us that are now horse mad!!

One of our neighbours has some stables being built on part of their land behind my house and I asked if they would be renting any of them out when they are finished. She said they may do.... To get to the stables you have to go through our garden so it wouldn't be far to go. At the moment it's just a dream but one that could possibly come true.

I've also got something very exciting happening in November. I start an OU course in History! I really can't wait, I want to get started right now. It's given me a boost to start reading again which is good as I do miss reading. To further help this I've joined a local book club as well - it's a good way of meeting new people and getting me out of the house.

Another bit of news, and good news at that, is that we finally, after so many years of fighting, have got a diagnosis for Millie. It's not autism or aspergers which in some ways is a relief, it's attachment disorder. Are you asking yourself "what's attachment disorder?" That is possibly going to be a problem when it comes to getting her further help at school. The psychologist said that Millie needs to be statemented asap and she needs to have a one to one assistant with her all day at school. I just hope we don't have to fight too hard to get it for her (I know, I know, with budgets the way they are it's unlikely it's going to be easy or even possible). Attachment disorder doesn't sound very serious does it? But when you have to live with it you realise it actually is.

So, that's my quick update.