Christmas Been And Gone

Yes, Christmas has been and gone. A few pound's lost from the bank account, another few pound's gained around the waistline. Hark! The herald angels have sang, and Santa very nearly almost, got stuck up the chimney! So ding dong merrily on high, I have to say I have enjoyed myself thoroughly! I'm sat here typing on my new tablet eating copious amounts of Thornton's chocolate, wishing I didn't have to go back to Slimming world next week. Because I know after this, my second full box of chocolate's in as many days, the scales will not be my friend! This is the price one must pay for a bout of festive gluttony.
Another major downside to eating massive amounts of anything is that my family appears to have turned into a mass collection of trumpet trouser's. Sprout's, cabbage, parsnips, carrot and swede, roast and mashed spuds, peas, turkey, stuffing, pigs in blankets and of course, a few Yorkshire puds. Goodness me, no wonder we were all stuffed after reading that list of ingredients, and is it indeed any wonder that our carol singing has been purely consistent of flatulance! At least we can blame the smell on the veg and my daughter's disgusting smelly scratch and sniff book! (I actually borked!)
None of us even got dressed on Christmas day, we were having far too much fun opening pressies, following ridiculous construction instructions, hunting down lost bones, (Buster the dog game's, not mine) and generally having a blast!
Just put the kids to bed and feeling extremely tired myself I will very shortly be following suit. I've had another lovely Christmas with my less than perfect but highly awesome family, and I'm hoping that the new year will see more of the same. I love my less than perfect but highly awesome life! (Most of the time anyway 😂)

Good Clean Fun

 After functioning on very minimal sleep yesterday, I'm actually quite proud of myself. I managed to get nothing done which is what I set out to do.
 I nearly had a parental blip though. I bathed and dressed my little girl, dried and plaited her hair, breakfast ready then remembered that she needed to be wearing black. Queue massive hunt for some form of mini goth clothing. Fortunately my mother had just brought her a black top the other day, and girls of all ages own a pair of black leggings, especially a girl like mine who happens to be a dirt magnet. So after a mild panic we still managed to get fed, watered and changed, ready and out of the house on time. Hooray! Other than the mini 'drama noir' nothing at all eventful occured.

 Today after I took my girl to nursery, I had a big ol' ring round to see who will be paying my maternity pay. I read a work letter through only to find out that I'm earning £7.00 less than I should be in order to get SMP but I'll still be entitled to maternity allowance, I know I'll be getting paid just not who by just yet. Midwife appointment has been booked to obtain the wondrous form that everyone seems to need a copy of, my stomach is in a mini knot and will be until I've got it in black and white exactly how much I'm entitled too, and who I shall be receiving it from. I felt very grown up researching on the net and making phone calls to my firm with my special new laptop in front of me.

I realise this is the wrong angle.
Does it make the pile smaller?

 After doing all my business like grown up stuff, I had to face up to another grown up task...... the dreaded CLEAN! I've been so good today you wouldn't believe.
 I went for a wander up town to get some money, and formulated a plan of action. I was probably talking to myself in the process. After i went to the bank, i trotted off to Wilko's to get myself a new mop and bucket, I'm just thoroughly spoilt aren't I?! Now my bump is getting bigger I just can't face getting on my hands and knees to scrub my laminate throughout the whole bottom floor so a mop and bucket is definitely the way forward. My bottom floor is now tidy, extra clean and smells absolutely wonderful. I even bleached my kitchen bin. Next step.....ironing. (yawn.)

 Back to work tomorrow boo hoo. Still it's only for a couple of weeks then I'm off again. I've got loads of hols booked for this time of year which is brill because it's my fave. Autumn walks in the forest, finding leaves and doing sticking with my girl, visiting Blackpool lights and getting chips on the prom, Halloween, Guy Fawkes Night and finally Christmas. You're off your rocker if you don't love this time of year, even the air smells better. It's just the best.

 Well, I'm off to bed shortly as I'm up at the crack of dawn. My husband has gone out for the evening and so he shall find a wonderful surprise in his side of the bed upon his return, in the shape of a 3 year old girl. Sleep tight one and all.

Long Time No See....

Well I can honestly say that's it's been a long time since I last blogged and I apologise to anyone who gives a monkey's. Nearly 3 months have passed and so much has happened and yet I can think of nothing to type! I'm gonna carry on and see if anything comes to me.

Not my husbands best swimmers, but you get the picture.

 First thing's first. I'm PREGNANT! Woo hoo! That happened shortly after the last blog entry actually. (Not the conception, but the finding out.) So that took up a lot of my thought for the first few weeks of July and pretty much the rest of the time too, apart from the time my daughter commandeers. (I'm gonna go 80% daughter, 20% baby at the moment.) 

 

 After I found out I had been impregnated, I then had a  bleed, I wasn't too worried as it wasn't heavy and the same thing had happened with my little girl, still, I obviously had it checked out, went for an early scan and saw the wee flicker of life that my womb held within. It was so cute. The 16 week scan followed, we got a couple of pics, only two mind at £2.50 each!!! No, I'm not a cheapskate, just skint. If I had cash I'd buy more. The husband and the daughter came to the midwife at 18 weeks and we all heard the heartbeat. I cried like a baby myself, my daughter told it promptly to "shut up, it's making too much noise!" (she's in for a rude awakening, and NOT just metaphorically!) and my husband just sat there looking slightly bewildered. The midwives smiles at me and passed me a tissue as I took full responsibility for being an emotional female, it was all very action packed.

 The summer holiday's have also happened and thankfully, Cumbria has had some warm but wet weather, but as my daughter and I are firm belivers in walking in the rain, we donned our waterproofs and away we went to the park, to the Nanny's, to the forest, to the Great Nanny's, and even just playing with the snails in the garden. Plenty of fresh air for us girlies.

 

 And that just about brings us to now. The Autumn has just about kicked in, time for making stew's, hot puddings, forraging for berries, making jam's etc. (I'm not of course talking about me.) I've had the heating on twice, but I'm not quite at the stew and dumpling phase yet. I'm gonna get the knitting needles out soon though, I'm certainly not about to go out drinking so I'm gonna try my hand at a little cardigan for my unborn. I shall certainly let you know how that goes, or not, this is me I'm talking about, Goddess of the unfinished task. I'm off now to not finish something else.

Clinging to My Youth!

What a blow! Tomorrow I reach the big 30! No grey hairs yet but the wrinkles are etching their way onto my forhead, around my eyes and on my filtrum believe it or not. I haven't stooped to buying any "miracle" creams yet, and I'm far to fraidy cat for botox. I'm doomed to grow old gracefully and look whatever age I look.

My husband and I have decided to try for another baby, 30 is still a good age, still got a good bit of spring in my step. My Mum was popping out children until she was 45 (I think) and she's still coping. I think 2 is going to be my limit though. I come from a massive family myself, I'm the eldest of 8. I have 4 sisters and 3 brothers and there is never a dull moment! I have to say I love it. I was thinking the other day how nice it is just having my girl but then my head clouded and i got a bit deep. I started asking myself questions like "When I die who will help her with the funeral?" and "Who will she talk to? I can't let her do that all on her own!" Good God, parenting can be so morbid at times. Obviously I don't think she's going to grow up a total loner recluse, my Dad's an only child and he's the worlds best host, he has loads of friends and will laugh and joke with whoever but I just don't know what I'd do without my brothers and sisters. If I have problem's, need a baby sitter or just want a good gossip, there's always one available on the end of the phone. I need to give her somebody to grow up with I think, it'll be good for her. Oooo! Is this my wisdom coming to me because I'm closing my 30th year?

Another celebration subject..... Christmas! Yes I realize it's only July, (I know that because it's my birthday tomorrow whoop whoop!) but I'm going for an amazing fully hand crafted room this year, and I need to plan early if I'm going to get all the tinsel, card and sticky backed plastic that I'm going to need for this seasonal wonderment! I can't wait for me, my girl and my husband (under protest) toget stuck into salt dough stars, popcorn garlands and gingerbread angels all on the tree. Been looking at some lovely retro Christmas books from the library with things in it like sewing your own stocking, making dried fruit baubles and things, really lovely. I now the net is a fountain of information, but sometimes a book is just.... better. The Ultimate Christmas by Jane Newdick has some lovely ideas. My head is obviously seasonally pickled. All this weird weather has my inner calendar confused. OR IS IT MY AGE??!! Well, at least I'll be full of idea's for Yule and if I find some crafty bargains, I'll be sure to let you know. If I get around to doing any of these things is a story for another day.

Piggy Goes Pop!

Oh dear! I think I spoke too soon when I put 'working' in the title. Just had a rather unexpected call from my manager telling me that there will be some major hours cut at work! I have to tell you that I'm slightly worried about the whole ordeal. I'm only a cleaner at Asda, but that job keeps budget meals on my family's table! (Well, laps on the sofa, we're not at all conservative.) I'm having a one to one meeting in the morning so I'll find out more then. Fingers crossed for me not getting too many hours knocked off. 

On a slightly more uplifting note, my husband has just whipped off for some ear bleeding doom guitar practice and despite me spending 2 hours playing buckaroo, frustration and piggy goes pop, (which looks remarkably like myself upon entering a restaurant of any kind,) my daughter still cries for her daddy. She's such a daddy's girl bless her, it's really quite heart warming.

The Beginning For You.... Not For Me.

Hello and welcome to my wonderful blogging experience. To the left you have a daughter of three years old, cheeky, blonde, and full of attitude. To the right you have a husband. Long haired, guitarist of a signed doom band and seriously grumpy due to giving up smoking, and then there's me. (Pause for dramatic inhalation...... go!) I am a woman with;

• a thousand idea's but no drive to follow them through.
• a house with loads of potential but no money with which to fulfil it.
• a great mind full of stories untold but no attention span to sit and write greatest novel ever! (I feel confident in saying this as I know it will never be written.)
• a reasonable talent for baking, yet I'm too lazy to get round to doing it.
• a desire to be self employed, yet undecided as to how I should employ myself.

As you can see, I'm like a (nearly) 30 year old teenager who still has no idea what she wants to do when she's all grown up.

There is one thing I am confident in however, and thats that I am a good Mum. My imagination is great, so me and my daughter have a wonderful time making up games in the tunnel and tent in her room, or playing pirates on the ship down at the local playground.  I realize that I'm tooting my own horn about this but hey, you've just got to sometimes. As my girl is only three, I'm making the most of her enjoying my company. I'm under no dillusion at all that she'll think I'm a 'cool' mum when she gets older, I think all parents realize that title is completely unattainable. If not, then it must be a hard lesson to learn.

As the title suggests this is the beginning of the blog, not of my life and so I may revert back to past events from time to time, or if nothing interesting has happened in a while, I'll just dig up some history. And so, if you care to stay with me on this un-magical flight that is my life, please feel free to take a seat in 'economy.' If not, exits are here, here and here for you, but I'm stuck here! And you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way.