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Saturday, January 1, 2011

Happy New Year

The New Year has been ushered in with a blaze of noise and colour and it was lovely to watch the fireworks in London on the TV, even if the ones locally did wake Matthew and ensured he saw the New Year in with us. I can't help thinking back 11 years to a flat in Pimlico, where I had just been to a party, one that would change my life as I had just met my future husband. We had stayed up talking most of the night after sharing a snog under the fireworks and a rather large amount of fireworks. I had insisted after he asked for my number that he had to ask in the morning when we were both more soer and he did.

What followed was a few months of late night phone calls, often resulting in banging on the wall from my family who weren't as interested in my new romance as I was. What with teacher training and working at the weekends I don't know how I even fitted it in but by Easter I was living with James and the following Christmas he proposed. I had never really believed in fate before but the randomness of me going to the party, ending up walking with James to watch the fireworks after getting separated from my other friends and us clicking so well seems like it was meant to be.

Three kids and a lot of ups and downs later we are still together and preparing to move our family to a bigger house in the New Year, fingers crossed. Lucy will start going to nursery school in September and Heather will be in Year 3 not forgetting Matthew will turn 5, a lot of big events to look forward to already.

This brings us to the resolution list but this year I am not making any, I always try to be the best wife, mum and friend to those around me. I have given up calorie counting, I am happy with my weight and even if I did lose any I can't afford to replace my wardrobe and we can't all be super models, I always bemoan the fact that I don't read, write or study enough and aim to do better and I still want to learn to play the piano as the two tunes I know don't even impress the kids any more as Heather now has a bigger repertoire.

As we are due to move I am not writing seriously until then as I will be busy packing and unpacking, in the mean time with the help of James I am trying to re-vamp my website as I want to include this blog, samples of my writing for both adults and children and so on in one place. I am also aiming to complete a few cross stitch projects as the children want Princess Belle, Marie the cat and Lightening MCQueen for their new rooms when we move so that will take a fair bit of time as well as the OU courses I am still studying, not a lot then!

What I have resolved though is to make the most of what I have, have fun with my family and give them a wealth of experiences and happy memories. I am not going to keep setting goals but rather get on with scoring them! Enjoy 2011 everyone and I hope your wishes come true.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Christmas 2010

So the big man has been for another year. Boxes, the odd bit of wrapping paper and this highly irritating silver coloured ties used to secure toys into boxes adorn the living room showing the signs of three happy children. The Tv is on but no-one is watching it. Noise indicates they are playing with their new toys and the constant question;

'can you open this?' is repeated as they move from one new toy to another eager to explore their new things. They were fairly restrained getting up at 630 is not uncommon. They had their stockings and then the special golden boxes Santa had left for them. These had been provided by a special friend and the kids were enchanted, not only were their names embossed on the boxes but on the silver train inside along with the dare we had travelled on the Santa special. The ticket with believe on made the image complete as they rang the bells to show they did believe. that moment captured what it was about, the magic and innocence of childhood, the ability to believe in a fantastic story and allow yourself to be carried away by it.

As we sat down to dinner and surveyed the toy shop our living room had become it struck me how lucky we are. The children had been lucky enough to receive a vast array of gifts from friends and family, they have no idea that some children would give anything to receive just a fraction of what they had. A lot of people we know have not had such a good year and it made me think about how lucky we are to have three healthy children, friends and family around us and with luck a new home in the new year. Without doubt for me has to be the best Christmas present if them all.