Hi all well we are into the first week of the summer holidays here been very busy with work and the kids.

Still writing my little updates to advertise the book. and although it is primarily a Christmas book and it is still summer, getting copies out there so we can get some reviews for the publishers sites and the many sites that are selling will help with sales in the run up to christmas.

I am a very proud hard working mum, I love everything about being a mother, I love everything about being a carer for my work.

It is hard on both counts but a blessing and very rewarding, there are many little fantasic elf stories that come out around December time with many parents themselves now getting very inthusiastic and creative with there own elf ideas.

I love reading all of them, they make me laugh and smile. I love seeing my news feeds filled with families having fun and actually spending time together .I think elves and fairies and many of these grate little things brought to life by parents, and children of all ages.

Our Emo as you can tell has followed us passed christmas and helped us carry on bring fun, laughter and a spirit to face the challenges and difficult days.

Niki and Jake have been AWSOME as usual. Jake has been staying with his nanny who he wants to help and has been washing floors for her, he has also helped with the dogs, we are trying to let him do new things lately now he is thirteen he wants to show he is responsible little challenges like walking up the road to shops that one he has mastered very quickly although I think he runs all the way there and back so quickly, we had a miner anxiety and panic attack from him today as he asked nan if he could walk the dogs he took the first one put and got back with no issues, so many said he could take the other dog, poor Jake got a little lost ,.and had anxiety, but managed to knock and tell someone he was lost and could he use there phone. He wouldn’t go in there house as he knows that’s not allowed so he waited outside with the dog while they phone our house I was not there but thankfully his dad was and he asked them to watch him till I got there.he spoke to Jake and told him I was on my way which helped Jake alot.

It was not far for where he was staying with his nan just round the corner, the relief on his face when I got there said it all. I thought he might want to come home but no he wanted to stay another night with his nan.

I think it may be a while before he wants to go out for a walk on his own again but will try again. Things you fear when you have anxiety, are difficult to overcome sometimes.

Jake did the right thing he got so much praise and hugs, I hope it will not be such a bad memory for him and maybe we can turn it into a positive thing that he faced a challenge and found the correct solution and he was ok, he was safe.

Times are difficult for parents now to let kids be as free as we were growing up, I guess it is why sometimes we get a little over protective, but I was calm maybe a year ago I would have been crying wreck at the though my kids had got lost, but I actually have alot of faith in my son, he also had a dog with him who I know would protect him if need be, so I wasn’t as paniked this time.

I know when you have children with anxiety disorders like my kids have and social anxiety. We think things will be hard so we act like they can’t or we shouldn’t let them do things, to prevent the anxiety happening it just doesn’t work like that anxiety is something that is just there hightend or lowered at different times .many times a week a day a month.

Niki has been awesome she has been getting ready for going away with her boyfriend and his parents on Saturday

She has been stressing a little, but now she has organised her bag and we shopped for things she needs to take with her.she is relaxed again.

I am working on the first ideas for the next Emo book all ready have a title,

Emo the Emotional Elf beyond Christmas. That will be showing what happens in our every day life. How we deal with the anxiety and the challenges and also to share our fun times.

Being able to pass on a little hope and reasurrance to parents to keep up the good job.also for the children to feel the Sence of achievment when facing a a difficult They do so with Thier anxious brain says they can’t.

So my words press is a mixture of photos and written word because it needs to be as real as possible to our journey

Have a beautiful day

Best wishes Faye