Moving On

Since Chick was seven a couple of weeks ago she is now old enough to move up to the next group in the Guiding movement so is now a Brownie instead of a Rainbow. I finally got around to getting her new uniform in time for her session today:



She is so cute but so grown up at the same time. Today they made Christmas presents for their Mum's at Brownies but Chick wants to give hers to her Teacher instead. I don't know whether to be sad that she doesn't want me to have it or grateful that she gets on with the Teacher so well!!!! She can also start working towards all her Brownie badges now for being kind and helpful. I'm really looking forward to helping old ladies cross the road and packing shopping bags with her!!!!

I can't believe how quickly her childhood seems to be disappearing so I'm trying to make the most of it and join in with the things she wants to do as much as possible while she still wants me there. She already has the attitude of a 17 year old most days so I'm guessing it won't be too long until she doesn't want me around at all!!!! Until then you can find me watching her help old ladies cross the road!!!!!!

Friday Foto

In 4 weeks and 1 day we'll all be together again and I cannot wait:

Giving Thanks

Today is Thanksgiving in America and seeing as I’m kind of an Adopted American I thought that I’d join in the celebrations!!!! Not by eating Turkey or Pumpkin Pie (urrggghh!!) but by giving thanks for all the amazing things in my life:

- Family and friends near and far. From my home town to London to New Zealand and California I’m grateful for all the wonderful people that I’m lucky enough to have in my life.

- A steady job. That may sound kind of cheesy but with the way the world is now it’s a weight off my mind that my job is secure and not under any threat of redundancy like many people I know.

- Enough money to pay the bills. Kinda related to the point above but if I have enough money to pay the bills and to keep the roof over our heads then I can generally work the other stuff out.

- The Internet. Yes I could live without it but it makes keeping in touch and up to date so much easier and what would I do each evening without my little blog to write???

- Christmas songs - will soon be gone again for another year. Don’t misunderstand me I DO like Christmas just not the songs that start in October.

- Health. Ok so I may not be the healthiest person in the world with my liver stuff still ongoing but at least I and my family are not in pain or suffering. Prayers to the Mayhew family that Anissa keeps improving.

- Love. I may not have found THE one yet but I have plenty of love in my life from aforementioned friends and family as well as JoJo & Mikes beautiful beach wedding to look forward to. It constantly amazes me the unconditional love that I receive from a certain 7 year old no matter how cranky I’m feeling and she of course is my number one reason to be grateful:


Happy Thanksgiving to all xx

Twilight Obsessed.....Who me???

So occasionally something happens and I forget how old I am until someone makes a comment and it reminds me that I’m not 18 I am actually 30-something!! Take the whole Twilight obsession. It took me a while but as most of you know I hate to feel like I’m missing out on anything and seeing as the whole world was talking about it I figured I’d better read the books. I bought Twilight and before you could say ‘Edward’ I was hooked. I bought and read the remaining three books in the series within a week and have read them a few times since.

I’m not sure what it is that appeals to me. I would guess the love story side of it but I’m not sure how well I would deal with someone in real life that is as obsessive as Edward (Actually I do know.....I would avoid them like the plague and drink massive amounts of vodka until they left me alone!!!) I don’t deal with the whole commitment thing so well......but that’s probably a story for another day. Maybe it’s the whole teenage angst, abstinence and first love thing. I imagine we all remember those days with a sense of nostalgia. Then of course I had to see the movie, which is beginning to grow on me but still doesn’t fill me with joy like the books. One of the best things about the movie is Robert Pattinson.

Now I understand that I’m maybe a little older than his 20 years but as a Vampire he’s like 110 or something so that balances it all out!!! Taylor Lautner who plays Jacob is however completely off limits because hot as hell body or not I am so totally old enough to be his Mother (Sorry Sarah but I am!!!!) (A quick Wikipedia search tells me that he is younger than my youngest brother.....wrong on so many levels!!!) On Saturday night I get to go and see New Moon with someone else my age who is also Twilight obsessed but is pretending she’s too cool and doesn’t know what all the fuss is about (you know who you are woman!!) I may be the slightest bit excited about it!!!!

Last week I was maybe a little bit tipsy and decided to pledge my allegiance to Team Edward or Team Jacob before we go to the cinema. I randomly Googled each Team and was swamped by choices of crap to buy to support both Teams. I considered buying a Team Edward t-shirt and texted a certain friend to ask what she thought. The conversation went like this:

Me: Would it be really tragic for a rather large, 33 year old Mother to buy a Team Edward t-shirt???

Her: Honestly? Yep!

Ok....so that was kinda the answer that I was expecting!!! I decided instead that maybe I’ll go for one of these badges....all of which made me giggle when I was a bit drunk:

And this is my absolute favourite:Then I thought actually seeing as I'm soooo old I'll wear what I damn well choose even if people think I look ridiculous, so now I'm torn between these t-shirts:


I think it may have to be this one though:

Just take a minute to imagine that.................I know, I know I am a brazen hussy (Sorry Mom!!)....but there is nothing wrong with a girl keeping her options open or joining them together!!!! So, I guess this is my confession to my obsession...I’m a 33 year old Mother who is obsessed with a 17 year old Vampire and a 16 year old Werewolf. You can find me on Saturday night at the cinema drooling over Edward alongside all the other (17) 33 year old women in my threesome t-shirt!!!!

Countdown

Sooooooooooo in exactly four weeks and three days Chick and I will be on one of these:
To here:

That right 4 weeks and 3 days.......It’s just so soon and I'm nowhere near ready:

1. I haven’t started my Christmas shopping yet
2. I can fit into my dress but I’m not looking as great as I want to
3. I may have omitted to tell the school that I’m taking Chick out
4. The car hire is getting all booked up and I don’t have the Finance to book it....I’m gonna end up with some massive Jeep that only does 10 miles to the gallon!!!
5. We only have 4 nights of hotels booked out of all the weeks we are there.

On the flipside of that:

1. We aren’t doing Christmas anyway
2. Hell, I can fit into the dress the photographer can ignore me if he needs too
3. What are they going to do about it???? Probably a slap on the wrist!!
4. At least we’ll have a car and if we only get a Jeep they’ll be room for more shopping.
5. We’re adventurers and if needs be we’ll buy a tent and camp every night. I'm sure I can avoid spiders and snakes whilst camping right?

The absolute best thing about it???? In 4 weeks and 3 days I get to be with my best friend in the whole wide world. Everything else I can figure out.

Anissa

This post has taken me a few days to compose as I’m not really sure how to put together what I feel and all the bloggers that I read have been so much more eloquent!!! I think I have mentioned previously that the blogging community is a little like my home town in the fact that everyone seems to know each other and are all inter-connected in some way. Now I know that I’m fairly new to this blogging thing but as you know there are several blogs that I read every day, most of which I never comment on as I don’t really know the people involved and I guess I feel like some weirdo voyeur!!!

Earlier this week though something happened that affected me far more profoundly than I ever would’ve guessed. An amazing lady called Anissa who you can find at Free Anissa and at Aiming Low suffered a stroke. I cannot even begin to describe how terribly sad this made me feel, not just for her family and friends but also on a personal level.....I actually cried with shock when I read the news. I read Aiming Low Monday-Friday and also check in at Free Anissa pretty much daily as well as following her on Twitter. I understand that we don’t have a friendship or know each other at all but also I feel that in some small way I do know Anissa just through her writing and she seems pretty cool even with her @RalphMacchio obsession ;-) (for those of you that don’t know he is Anissa’s teenage crush and the original Karate Kid!!!).

You know the saddest thing about the whole situation is that the family have already been through so much. On 12th November Anissa and Peter’s daughter Peyton celebrated her one year anniversary of her last dose of Chemo and now this. I’m sure that they don’t need or want my sympathy but it just makes me want to rage at the universe....how much crap can one family take???

So I got to thinking about this whole thing (sensibly when I was done raging at God and the universe) and I guess even though it’s just through a computer the connection I feel shouldn’t be and isn’t any less real. I read about Anissa’s life and family at least on a weekly basis so I think it’s reasonable that I should feel a personal sadness.

Anissa, I’m hoping and praying that you keep taking small steps to improving and that you hurry on back to your family. I wish I could say more or offer more to help but for now I guess my prayers will have to do.

Kasabian

Last night we went to see Kasabian as one of Chick's birthday presents. They are an awesome band that I got into after Sarah and I went to see them back in May. It was possibly one of the best gigs I've ever been to.....I couldn't get over how fantabulous they were live. We also followed them to Wembley where they were supporting Oasis and they were once again unbelieveably outstanding. I enjoyed it sooooo much even though I was so sick I could barely bounce!!!

Obviously since May I've had the cd on in the car non-stop which is why Chick was desperate to go and see them. So we fought through the howling wind and miserableness that is a cold November night in England, paid (through the nose) for car parking, t-shirts and food and got ridiculously excited. This is Chick waiting for Kasabian to come on stage:


Originally the Lead Singer Tom was the object of my affections but since he had his hair cut he looks like every other chav in our home town (albeit a bit cuter) so I've had to switch loyalties and go with Serge:


Crap picture I know but we were sitting at a funny angle. It was pretty cool but nowhere near as good as the other two times I've seen them. I can't put my finger on what the problem was. I don't know if it was the atmosphere or the fact that I had Chick with me so was on best Mummy behaviour instead of drunken jumping around Kasabian behaviour or if it was them playing soooooo many slow songs??? Chick really enjoyed it until about half way through and then once they had played her favourite song she was all for going home as she was tired. Because I'm a mean Mummy (and I wanted to stare at Serge) I made her stay pretty much to the end. This is her tired face as we were leaving, very unimpressed that I was taking a picture of her with them in the background:


I wonder if she'll want to stay to the end when I sell my soul to buy Miley Cyrus tickets for her for Christmas???? ;-)

Birthday Fun

So, some of you may have noticed that my little Chick was 7 on Saturday and that she also has a bit of a Hannah Montana obsession. With that in mind I'm pretty sure that you can guess what kind of party she had.....we kinda made it a Rock Star party too so that the boys she'd invited would want to come. We had some lovely party food:

Some gorgeous fairy cakes made by my delightful Apprentice and decorated by Chick and I:

A Hannah Montana Rock Star cake:

All the kids came dressed up and this is Chick as Hannah Montana:

Chick had some amazing presents from everybody mainly Hannah Montana obviously, but lots of other cool stuff. She had some tickets to see Kasabian tomorrow night (yay!!!I'm excited) and a new bedroom from me but I think her favourite present was this:

Yep that's right my seven year old has her very own laptop. It's my Mum's old one and before anyone gets their knickers in a twist about it Chick isn't allowed on it unless I'm around and watching, it has very strong parental locks and she isn't allowed on it every day!!!

Think it's safe to say she had a fabulous birthday.......a million thanks to everyone for their presents and birthday wishes. The only problem now is where the heck to put all this lovely stuff!!

Seven

Dear Chick

I cannot believe that you are already seven...I don’t understand where the time has gone. I always knew in my heart that my first child would never be with a man I was married to. I don’t know if I had some weird premonition or if my lifestyle at the time made it more than likely but it was always the way I thought things would work. If I’m honest I hated being pregnant. It didn’t suit me in the slightest. I got sick from about 3 and a half months when I was travelling in Vietnam and the sickness didn’t stop until I was 8 months gone. However, everything changed from the second you were born. When Nana cut the cord and they laid you on my tummy I just knew that you’d always been my girl.

You were the best baby in the entire world. From four weeks old you slept from 10pm until 5am, had a feed and then went back to sleep until 9am and everyone in my Mother & Baby group hated me because of it!!! I wish you were still as good at sleeping now!!! I also had the added bonus of Uncle Nick helping us out. He used to call home every afternoon to see if I needed him to come home and take care of you or to see if he could do anything to help. I don’t think that I ever said yes but the fact that I knew I could made the world of difference to me and my mental state. We also had the great help of Auntie JoJo and Auntie Red when you were little and I’m not sure they realise what a godsend they were.

We were always so busy even in those days. From about 8 weeks old we already had a schedule of music group, swimming lessons, as well as mother and baby group. You’ve been the first from that group to do everything from walking and talking to losing your baby teeth. I used to feel a massive pressure in those days to prove what a good Mum I am and to try and lose the ‘Single Mum’ tag so you were generally in ridiculously expensive clothes that I’ve only just finished paying off. It took me a long time to realise that it didn’t matter how other people categorized us and that all that matters is that you are a happy, (generally) polite child and that you realise how loved you are.

The hardest years for me I think were from 18 months to 3 and a half mainly because you were never still for a second but also because that’s when I felt I was losing myself so I rebelled against being a Mother by spending too much time out getting drunk with my friends and kissing inappropriate boys. I kinda regret now losing that time but looking back I needed to go through that to become the Mum (I hope) I am now.

Since you started school the time has flown by even more quickly. I remember your first day at school and having to leave you there in a class of 20 kids you didn’t know with 2 grown-ups you’d never met before. I only just managed to keep it together to get through the door and then went and had a good cry in the car for 10 minutes before I went back to work!!

Now look at you!! You love school and cannot wait to be there every day. You also love the clubs that you are involved in and are so committed for a 7 year old it just blows my mind. Normally it’s me saying ‘Do you really need to go to Rainbows/Gymnastics etc tonight? Can’t we just get a dvd and chill’ and you are all ‘No I want to go and do the activities’. Which brings me to another thing.....you really need to stop arguing with me kid. When I say stop arguing what I really mean is ‘Shut Up’. Stop your back chat.........you will learn in time that I am ALWAYS right (at least until you leave home).

Most people discover that about their parents once they are in their late Teens or early Twenties but I’m trying to give you a heads up now and you need to listen to me....contrary to popular opinion I am not interested in the sound of my own voice I am trying to teach you stuff!!!! On the other side of that I’m sorry that I shout so much in the Morning but again if you listened to me the first time, I wouldn’t get so irate by the fifth time of telling you and need to shout. As I’ve explained time and again I still love you very much, I just need to shout to get your attention and to shift your ass!!!!

You are always very helpful...not just to me but to the other kids that you know. If someone has forgotten their coat you give them yours and you go cold, if someone falls over in the playground it’s you that picks them up and takes them to Medical.....I hope that you don’t lose this quality as you grow but learn to balance it with keeping some of yourself back. You adore younger children and I’m sure that being an only child is occasionally lonely but I try hard to make sure it isn’t!!!

Which brings me back again to you being 7. I’m not sure what most 7 year olds want for their birthday but I’m guessing they don’t want Ponies, laptops or tickets to see Kasabian but then I guess most 7 year olds don’t have kick ass taste in music (Miley Cyrus obsession aside ;-) You won’t know it yet but tickets to Kasabian is exactly what I have bought you. As much as I love you I’m not exactly sure WTF we would do with a Pony so have refrained from buying one.

Have an awesome 7th birthday baby. I hope your Hannah Montana/Rock Star party is an absolute blast and you have the best time in the world. I also hope that you get everything your heart desires (apart from a goddamn pony).

Love you to Jupiter and back.
Mummy xxx

Friday Foto - Happy 30th Birthday!!

Today is a Friday Foto with a difference. Today my little brother turns 30 so I thought we’d have a little trip through the photo albums of yore. Happy 30th Birthday Christoph. I’m not going to get all soppy because he knows exactly how much I love him.......I’m just gonna embarrass him by pictures:

All the fun of the fair!!

Every year since 1221 a street fair has been held in my home town. I’m not entirely sure how it all started but I’m thinking it’s maybe changed a bit!! All the roads through the centre of Town are shut down and the fair rides and stalls set up in every tiny bit of space possible. On some of the rides you feel as though you may fly through a shop window at any second.....apparently it all adds to the excitement???

I very rarely go on the rides anymore but I still get excited like a child when it comes to fair time. Growing up in this town it’s one of the highlights of the year. A few days before the fair starts setting up the lorries park outside the town waiting to move in and that’s when the excitement begins. The whole school is talking about what might be there this year, will there be anything new, who will you go with, how much money will you get out of your Parent’s......so yeah it’s a big thing as a kid and I guess that’s why I still get excited is because it’s so ingrained into my brain.

Chick has been suitably excited all week exacerbated by the fact that it’s also her birthday week. (I honestly think she’s going to be sick by her birthday she’s been soooo over-excited all week!!) The good things about the fair:

- You see everyone you’ve ever known. Old school friends, people that are on your Christmas card list, everyone you can think of.

- The food. Hot dogs, burger, candy floss, toffee apple....yum!!

- The excitement. It’s a good vibe and generally people are happy.

- The lights....the best time to go is at night...all the lights are on, the music is blaring...it’s fab!



As with all things there is also a downside. So here goes with the bad things about the fair that you tend to forget until the second you start walking around:

- You see everyone you’ve ever known. Every boy you’ve ever dated, the people from school you’ve lost touch with on purpose, people you avoid at all other times!

- The common people.....unfortunately I live in a town of Chavs and the fair brings them out in force....booooo!

- The busyness.....OMG you cannot move. Shops either side with a huge fair ride and a town of 57,000 trying to squeeze through.....it's about as much fun as it sounds!!! Also no-one seems to notice kids, so Chick gets trodden on or hit with handbags quite a lot. Think of the busiest festival you’ve ever been too? Now put all those people into an English street at the same time? Yep that’s how busy it is.

- The weather. It doesn’t matter how good the weather is before and after but for the four days of the fair it is freezing cold and usually raining and makes me want to move to California more than ever!!!

- The teddy bears. See this one I just don’t understand but the aim of the game is to win the biggest bear possible which I’ve never managed until this year and then this happened:




Yes that's right it's almost as big as Chick!! Oh the fun of the fair I love it!!

Remembrance Day

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month we shall remember them.

Rupert Brooke - The Soldier

If I should die, think only this of me:
That there's some corner of a foreign field
That is forever England. There shall be
In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;
A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,
Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,
A body of England's, breathing English air,
Washed by the rivers, blest by the suns of home.

And think, this heart, all evil shed away,
A pulse in the eternal mind, no less
Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;
Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;
And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,
In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.

We Will Remember Them

Yesterday was Remembrance Sunday and I along with two other generations of my family went to the Remembrance service and then watched the parade through Town afterwards. I take Chick every year as I think it’s important for her to acknowledge the sacrifice of previous generations and to realise how damn lucky she actually is. I’ve been attending various services ever since I was in my late Teens and today was the busiest that I’ve ever seen it. Some of my friends don’t agree with my point of view on this subject which is absolutely fine. I have no intention of upsetting anyone with my point of view and I’m not about to argue with anyone who doesn’t think the Remembrance is worthwhile but I have several reasons for wanting to remember.

Both my Grandfathers were in the Army during the years of National Service that followed WW2. My Great Uncle fought in World War Two and My American Dad was in the Air Force. For three years in my early Twenties I worked alongside the British Army in Germany and I’m proud to be friends still with some of these guys. Part of my reason for the Remembrance is because of the guys and gals above. I want them to know that I’m grateful that they are prepared to lay down their lives for us, even for wars or causes that they don’t believe in and that some of us in England do care and do appreciate that they are stuck in hellish conditions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It bothers me that the government has got us into these wars and cannot even afford to send the Troops out with the proper military kit to help them survive. Sub standard boots, trucks that are neither use nor ornament and not enough air support as the helicopters we need are stuck in a hangar somewhere. Two years ago a charity was set up by Bryn and Emma Parry called ‘Help for Heroes’ to help wounded Personnel get the support that they need. It’s quite well supported in England but we shouldn’t fu**ing need it. The government should be providing the wounded with all the help they need not leaving it to the fundraising abilities of the good British people. (As a side note I’ll be climbing Kilimanjaro in January 2011 for Help for Heroes....more details to follow if I can ever afford to get myself registered on the climb!!!!)

When I first moved back to England from Germany, I went back to school and did a History course. As part of that course we visited the Battlefields of the First World War. Before we left I read everything that I could get my hands on relating to the war. I cannot even begin to describe how heart wrenching the trip was. At all the (huge) memorials there is just row upon row upon row of names of the dead. We visited the Town of Ypres and the Menin Gate Memorial where each night at 8pm the last post is played and you can’t help but be moved, in fact it just sends a shiver down my spine!! It’s only in recent years that I can bear to read anything about the conditions they fought in, so profound was the trip.

This year for the first time World War One has gone from living memory to history after our last surviving soldiers from WW1 Henry Allingham and Harry Patch died. We may have none of them left but I will always remember them and the guys that they had to leave behind buried in mud on Flanders fields and I want to part of the movement that keeps their memory alive.

So this is why I want to remember and why Chick and I both bought poppies on the day the campaign started. Each time I open a paper and read about more deaths I’m always half expecting it to be someone I knew in the past and for this reason we will be wearing our poppies until Wednesday when I’ll probably post a poem or something in Remembrance. If you don’t want to remember that’s fine.......I won’t be offended if you give me a miss on Wednesday.

"When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say,
For Their Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today"
John Maxwell Edmonds

Fireworks...ooohhh....aaahhh!!!

I know that Bonfire Night was actually on Thursday but there didn't seem to be too much happening and to be honest Thursday is the day when Chick and I crash in front of the t.v. because we are too shattered to do anything else! We had thought about going along to the biggest display in the Area but then we got invited to a small fireworks party and thought we'd go with that instead even though the fireworks may not be quite as grand.

I absolutely adore fireworks. My favourite in the world are the 4th July fireworks at Lake Tahoe followed closely by the ones in London on New Years Eve so these didn't really compare but we had a lot of fun even if my pictures are slightly pathetic!!! (I may have been too busy gossiping to catch the good ones!!!)

Friday Foto - Me & My Girl

I feel a bout of hypocondria coming on!!!!

On Monday night Chick came home from After School Club with her face painted as a Dalmation. On Tuesday night she came home painted as a Pumpkin. Last night she came home looking a little bit red and blotchy and by this morning she looked like this:





I'm not sure how well you can see it on the pictures but no I haven't been beating the girl!!!! She is covered in red spots and her eyes are swollen. I put my excellent powers of deduction to good work and came to the conclusion that she must've had a reaction to the face paint which seems a bit odd as she's used it so many times before with no problems. Being the overprotective Mother that I am, I thought we ought to go to the Docs and get it checked out. Normally we see our own Doc but seeing as it was no big deal we took the new guy.

Oh My Goodness.....can anyone say McDreamy. I was standing talking to the Receptionist about my blood results when this vision of loveliness called my Daughters name. I was rather devastated that I hadn't take a lot more time getting ready this morning, putting more make up on and cursing my insomnia for only letting me get three hours sleep. So we followed this vision of loveliness to his office and got Chick all checked out and sure enough just as I thought she has had an allergic reaction to the face paints.

He was so good with Chick asking her lots of questions and making her feel comfortable whilst giving me enough time to check him out and the whole time I was thinking 'Gosh, I bet he has a good bedside manner!!!!!' Chick has some cream for her face so we'll see how she goes. Thankfully she isn't feeling any discomfort she just looks terrible and is fed up of being asked if she has Chicken Pox!!!!! I can feel a few trips to the Docs coming on just to ogle my own McDreamy!!!

Truly International

This new blog comes with lots of lovely behind the scenes stuff that I haven't really been too interested in.....mainly because I don't have a clue how it works or what the hell to do with the information!!! As long as I can see how many visitors I've had to re-assure myself that it isn't only my American Mum, Jolene and Sarah reading (Hey Ladies...love you!!) then I'm happy.

Today however when I was supposed to be working I kinda got distracted by my Google Ananlytics information. I don't know if any of you have heard of it but basically it tracks all the visitors to your blog, how long they stay on the site for, your Bounce rate (nope, no idea what it actually means) and other (non) exciting bits. Once I drilled down a little into the reports though I found this:

A map of the world showing me where all my lovely readers live. Now you know I'm a bit of a geek but to me this is the coolest thing ever!!! When I was trying to copy and paste this into the blog (didn't work....I had to take a photo!!!) I also discovered that I can even see which Cities you all live in. Yeah didn't get too much work done this afternoon once I found the (stalking) fun I could have.

Some of you I know in the States, some of England and New Zealand. You guys in Brazil, France, Holland, Turkey and Norway....Helloooooo, Welcome along it's nice to meet you!!! I'm off to play with my Analytics some more and see what other interesting facts I can find out!!!

I’m not entirely sure what’s wrong with me this week. I don’t know if I still have a metaphorical hangover from the baby news last week or if I still have an actual hangover from all the Halloween parties at the weekend but I’m feeling out of sorts for no apparent reason.

I’ve been having terrible nightmares for the last couple of nights that included trying to decapitate one of my brothers with a chainsaw and my Mum stealing Chick. I’m sure a Therapist would have a field day on what that actually means but in real life all it means is that I’m extra grumpy and emotional through lack of sleep.

Chick’s Dad is here for his visitation as I’m typing and I can’t even bring myself to go make conversation with him and have made some flimsy excuse about having to work shut away in the kitchen. Although Chick seems to be enjoying the visit from the sound of all the giggling floating through!!!! Talking of which work has been a barrel of laughs too with 3 people having been off sick and the rest of us so busy I could scream!!

Maybe it’s the stress of organising a Hannah Montana party or the fact that Christmas and our Australia trip are only 7 weeks away (OMG 7 weeks.....I’ll never be ready!! I still need to shop and lose a dress size....pressure much?????)(And yes I’m quite aware I could’ve started losing weight/shopping before) Gee, I bet y’all are glad you came over here today huh???? Maybe it’s the changing of the clocks that’s making me all out of whack. Maybe once Chick is asleep I need to put on some sad music like this, have a cry and get my normal, happy brain back into gear:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o22eIJDtKho

Such a sad song. Wow....I've used a lot of maybes!!! Any ideas for cheering me up my lovely readers?????

Halloween

Because I'm so organised and not a lazy ass (honest!!) we didn't even get around to putting up the Halloween decorations but I did put together both of our costumes...neither of which was hugely original. Here's my 'Little Devil':


I was trying to stay away from (slutty) store bought costumes this year apart from a couple of (non-slutty) items from the pound shop. This is Chick and I:


I thought that we looked ok until I got to the party and everyone was like 'What are you supposed to be?' I presumed I was an obvious Witch even though my broom disappeared in about 10 seconds flat.....One of these two looks like a likely candidate for the theft:



Happy 'belated' Halloween to all!!!

Apologies for the delay but my internet connection was down ALL weekend!!!