Musings on a Life Quite Ordinary

The other night my husband showed me a video on YouTube of a lovely young girl, singing a beautiful song on this years’ X Factor.   It was fabulous, she was amazing and the audience rose up to roar their appreciation for her talent.   I was really enjoying it too until I saw Gary Barlow’s face.   I have been a fan of X Factor for years, but this year, I cannot watch it.   Every time I see his face, I remember that the day his youngest child died was the day my youngest child turned eight months old and my heart breaks for him and his wife. I also cannot watch the news this week, because April Jones mother’s face shows everything I dread most in life.   It was the same for me when Madeleine McCann disappeared. I am now a mother for over seven years; it is what defines me more than anything else as a person.    There are times when I cannot remember my life before my children.   I know I worked and played hard, got to see some of the w...

Up until three years ago we as a family, were honestly quite blasé about our insurance overall. Whether it was home, car, contents, health etc., we generally went with the cheapest deal, not giving much thought to the cover that came with it.   I guess somewhere deep down inside, we thought we were made of iron. That was until someone virtually parked in the boot of my other half’s car and our lives took a very different path as we discovered that not only the car but his spine were a lot more fragile than we could have ever believed. The world of insurance cover and its importance took on a major role in our lives.   Thankfully for us, it has all worked out well, but it could have been a very different story. I am, by nature, a frugal person.   No, that does not mean cheap, it means I’m sensible with my money, which with three kids has become even more important over the years. Like everyone else we have being going down the long slippery slope of thi...

At first I was afraid, I was petrified. Kept thinkin' I could never live with you by my side; But then I spent so many nights Just feeling sorry for myself, And I grew strong and I learned how to glue you on, And I looked good, ten talons long, French manicured, no chips or breaks, I showed you off all day long. I’d never been a dollybird, Hardly got nails manicured, But if I’d have known for just one second you would break right off on me, I would have bought, extra strength glue, I would have burned my cuticles just to look good with you. Weren’t you the ones who tried to dazzle with your shine, Did you think I’d crumble, Did you think I’d lay down and die – Oh no not I! I will survive. As long as I’ve got marigolds I know my nails with thrive. I've got all my nails but one, Learned how to polish on my own, I’ll survive, I will survive, Hey Hey …….

I’ve been somewhat absent from the world of blogging for the last few months.   I’ve been swaddled in the wonderful world of a new baby.    My cuddly little bundle is doing great and routine is settling back in nicely with a bit more sleep too. One thing this time has reminded me of is that my kids are absolutely hilarious. I cannot count how many times I’ve said to myself I should write down their little nuggets of wisdom, mispronunciations or a misinterpretation of something they’ve heard. Here’s a selection of some of the more recent favourites in our household and if you’ve got any please send them to me.   It would make my day. What Daughter Says – “Could I have ornage and lemon please?” What she means – “Could I have orange and melon please?” Son – “Mummy, why are faces always in their nude?” Me – “because they couldn't breathe if you covered them up.” Son – “Mummy, you so silly, it's freezin on faces.” Daughter’s favourite number – “Vin Vin I...

This morning at 7.30am as I cleaned vomit from the bathroom floor, I thought to myself what an unexpected start to my Mother’s Day. That’s the thing about being a Mum though; you can’t pick and choose when you’re on duty.   From their first breath, things in your life are never the same again. Our baby cried all night, our eldest has a tummy bug and our middle child has headache inducing verbal diarrhoea.   He’s the entertainer in the family. What made things a tad more difficult this morning was that my husband took me out to dinner last night, which was lovely.   We talked about grown up stuff and got to eat all our own food with little or no stains on our clothes.   We also had a couple of drinks and as all parents out there know, hangover + kids = hell on earth. So my bleary eyed husband took the boys to his parents’ house, while I stayed home to nurse our daughter. My little girl is so sick that she and I have spent most of the day on the couch together....