Mummy at the School Gate

Ma and Pa are funny folk.  Not funny weird, but funny, funny, if you know what I mean! They have spent their lives getting into situations no normal, sane or sensible person would even attempt.  They take risks, some of them sound and calculated, but some are just plain funny. Most people would quake with fear, suffer from PTS after the event and probably never leave the house at the thought of finding themselves in the same situations....but Ma and Pa laugh in the face of it all! Ma and Pa live abroad some of the year.  They're retired now, so are trying to enjoy each others company...24 hours a day!  Seeing as though I could never live with them longer than a week (they so exhaust me!), I think they're doing pretty well. Last night I had a call from Ma and she recounted this little story that made me laugh out loud and giggle every time I think of it, but it's so typical of them I have no idea why I'm surprised. They'd gone into the next town for their weekl

Change I may have an opportunity to start anew.  Well, in reality it's always been there but I've lacked the gumption to do anything about it. Not that I'm a coward, but it's been safe in my little world and stepping outside of it has often left me thinking "Naahh, it's easier to just stick with what I have".  But things could be changing and I feel a positive vibe in the air.  Changes are afoot, and when something rocks your world you look at things in a different way.  Nothing is forever, and the only certainty in life is taxes and death. Looking at the kids, I know that they deserve more than I'm giving them now.  I've been away for most of their little lives, relying on the support of my (sometimes) fabulous aupairs, family and friends. I've missed birthdays, sports days, plays, parents evenings....and no-one blames me for it, except myself! I burnt Mimi on the arm the other day, whilst we were baking cookies (out of a packet...shame

I'm a bit bored of the fluffy posts I normally write...not that anyone ever finds them riveting reads! Tomorrow, thousands of teachers from the UK will withdraw their labour. The streets will be awash with mums and their kids. The parks will be packed to the gunnel's, and the whole of society will crumble for one day. It doesn't matter that the weather is blissful, or that life is sweet...someone, somewhere will moan. For many this will make uncomfortable reading and I don't apologise for my thoughts. The NUT state: Teachers will loose on average £250,000 over the length of their retirement Teachers will be expected to work until they are 68 Teachers will be expected to contribute at least a further £100 each month to cover shortfalls The impact of this on our childrens future is in the hands of the people we have elected into power.  Summer of discontent? I don't think so, I think it will be a decade of discontent.  Money is in short for many except the ub

God, wasn't yesterday hot?  The most skin I was prepared to bare was an sliver of an ankle. I find the fashion of longskirts and maxi dresses very useful for disguising lumps and bumps, especially the empire lines which fall straight from the bust.  However, mine was topped off with a cardi to disguise the fat.  Bart was surprised when he saw me.  The combats and the T-shirts replaced with a lovely flowing (black) boob tube dress....could I really go through the day without  my uniform and still get "down and dirty"? "Mummy, you look nice" he said  "Are you wearing makeup? You normally look like a boy". BH countered it with  "Woah, where are YOU going, hot lady! " I must say, I felt nice.  It felt good to wear a dress and feel feminine for once. It wasn't restrictive and I could move quickly even if the flip flops kept flipping off in my haste to get somewhere fast. I was able mow the lawn, do the washing, and walk the dogs.  I co

Now Mimi is a beautiful child. She's the kind of child that people come up to in the street and exclaim "Oh my goodness, isn't she pretty!" It's not a question but a statement of fact. When she was a baby, she wasn't so pretty...in fact she was a bit ugly, looking back. But as my ma-in-law would say, she's grown into her face. To look at her one would think that butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. Her curly hair and her chocolate brown eyes melt many hearts and she's going to be absolutely stunning. Mimi can do no wrong. She's also a "mean table layer!" She does it properly; making sure the knives and forks are placed correctly.  Unlike her brothers she clears the table of the debris before laying.....and puts it away.  Her bothers just slide stuff to one side or lay the places on top of the piles of papers.  But she's more than just her face.  She has a personality. She's feisty. She's funny, and she has a great turn of ph

It's nice to know that there are some things that will make me happy no matter what.  Some things can change from week to week, but there are somethings that make me sigh with utter contentment. The static things that will always be there gives me  the greatest sense of peace. I puff up with pure joy when I visualise them in my minds eye. I guess these are the same for most people. Beach at West Wittering For me they are: My familyThe sea A blue sky A great book. On any given day there might be any number of things that brings me joy. Today my reasons to be joyful, thankful or just plain grateful are: Any coffee chain where I can go and drink my coffee in peace and read the papers without a child asking me questions. Guilt free me time!  I jump on the Internet and check my mail...for free!  I used to be a Starbucks freak, but have since decided that their ethical stance is not as ethical as I once thought..plus their coffee in the UK has gone right down the pan!! U

You may have noticed (or not) that I have a sidebar on my page which indicates weight that I will/have lost in preparation for the next few weeks. I have been preparing myself for the inevitability that my clothes no longer fit and that it's cheaper to lose the weight than it is to buy new clothes. We've had BB (nephew) staying with us for some time and he has been extolling the virtues of eating properly, organically and with lots of protein.  As an ex vegetarian, my diet is pretty awful.  Hangups from a bygone era still play a major part in my choice of food, but after listening to BB for the past few months and watching him pop his supplements with regularity I became interested.  He was healthy (OK...so he's young) fit (he's young) and has so much energy (he's young) that I wondered whether I was ever like that.  BB showed me some stuff from the legendary Charles Poliquin, and to be honest, I have taken it all on board.  BB didn't want to train or coach

OK, I promised that I would do a book review in return for the book!  Well, I couldn't really do a book review without it could I? It's taken me an age, as I really needed some time to sit down and take it seriously...and I'm so glad that I did.  Normally, I just plough through them, with no thought to the work and effort that has gone into writing, but wishing I could write as well and wondering how I could fit in the time between the shopping, cooking and cleaning, to write my best seller.. ..not a chance!!  The Making of Us by Lisa Jewell .  Thought provoking in the main, Lisa Jewell's portrayal of a children alone, reuniting and  forming their own nucleus. A reality that many will face now and in the future. Lydia, Dean, Robyn and Daniel all joined in a search, to find the truth, themselves and each other. Each of them are told of the circumstances surrounding their births, and each of them have walked a separate and traumatic path to adulthood.  The story