A Mother's Ramblings

Following on from yesterdays Wordless Wednesday Post of 2009 in Photos , I thought that today I would do it in words. I have gone back through the posts from the start of the year and here are the posts that I think best sum up each month for me! January: Baby Boy Giggles - Insult or compliment? I choose this because it was showing how much Baby Boy was developing and understanding everything around him. February: Top Ender Giggles - They make it difficult I choose this because it is just so much like Top Ender that she wants everything to be straight forward. March: Top Ender Giggles - Buts its free! I choose this because Top Ender may be the most frugal of us all! April: Baby Boy Walking I choose this because Baby Boy walked!!! May: Top Ender Giggles - At least she didn't get out any vinegar and brown paper! I choose this because this shows that Top Ender really does have my sense of humour even when not trying! June: Daddy Giggles - Why wasn't he using the Zebra crossin

Whilst I was talking to my Mum on the phone she mentioned that she had taken down her Christmas tree as she was feeling sad. Top Ender overheard this and asked "Why is Granny feeling sad?" "Why do you think Top Ender?" I asked Top Ender thought for a second and answered "Was it because she didn't get lots and lots of Christmas gifts from Santa?" she questioned "No, it wasn't that Top Ender!" I answered

The scales are the one thing in my life that tell me the truth week in and week out. I trust them, I understand them. I know that they want what is best for me. I know that even if I look like I have lost weight, but I haven't that they won't tell me that I have. I know that my scales won't look at old photos of me from the last few years and tell me that I look like I have lost a lot of weight (Thank you though Daddy it was very kind of you) even though I don't think that I have. So when I got on the scales this morning and saw that my weight had increased by 1lb from last week I was happy. My scales are telling me that despite all the indulgences of the past week my plan to try to keep on track and to try to exercise as much possible is actually working. I worked out my calorie in-take and I know that without my conscious efforts to exercise more that I should of put on a lot more than 1lb. And so I look forward to next year knowing that I can lose weight, kee

Well Christmas is over and not quite forgotten even though all the toys have been unwrapped and played with and are currently scattered across most of our living room and bedrooms and the landing and bathroom... Daddy and I are fighting a losing battle against an ever increasing Toy Army! We had a really great day and saw most of our family on Christmas Day and even with Daddy needing to leave to go to work in the early evening, we spent a lot of quality time together and even managed to keep the Kitchen fairly tidy! We were so on the ball this year that we have stripped the Turkey, used up all the left over Veg (Baby Boy and I had Bubble and Squeak for Breakfast on Boxing Day and I had what was left in an omlette today!), made stock from the Turkey Carcass and I have a a few meals for the left over Turkey planned. We are thinking about changing a few things next year and we are also going to need to think about what can be done about the number of toys that are gifted to Top Ende

The 3rd of January is Top Enders birthday, but this year when she turned five my Gran died. Now this day has two events linked to it with conflicting emotions. I decided that Top Enders Birthday can be a day that we remember my Gran but not her death, after all it was Top Enders day first and so should be a happy day. We will remember all the fun times that we had with my Gran and all the silly and wonderful times that we had with her but today, the day that she was admitted to Hospital after collapsing in her home is the day that we can remember that she isn't with us anymore. Dear Maw, One year has past since you went to hospital and I still think about you everyday, I try calling you every once in a while and realise before the phone connects through that you can't answer anymore. I don't drive past where you use to live because it is too painful to think that I can't visit you anymore. It makes me so sad to know that you are gone and that I can't hea

We have several webcams in our house and Top Ender decided that this year she would like to try and catch Santa on them, when he came to deliver gifts to our house. I thought this was an excellent idea as we wouldn't be breaking any rules as we would still be asleep in our beds and so we arranged for the webcams to record during the night. Santa has an easy job here as he only brings the gifts that are left in our Stockings and so other than eating the snacks we leave out for him, taking the carrot for one of his reindeer (Think about it if every house in the land left out multiple carrots for the Santa's reindeer it would mean fat reindeers who are then to heavy to fly and the end of Christmas) and reading the note we leave he doesn't have to stay long, but even I was surprised that he got our house done in 96 seconds! Merry Christmas Everyone!

Welcome to Top Enders Christmas Speech... short and sweet! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

"If you had a Baby in your tummy, I would stroke you like this" said Top Ender whilst we were cuddled up on the sofa and Baby Boy was having some Boob. "Like you did when Baby Boy was in my Tummy?" I asked "Yes, just like that" said Top Ender "Do you know what Baby Boy?" asked Top Ender Baby Boy sat up and looked at his sister giving her a milky grin "You are the luckiest Boy in the whole wide world to have me as your Sister!" she cooed. "Is that right?" I asked "Yes! And I am the Luckiest Girl in the whole wide world to have him as my Brother!" she added "Well I guess that it's true then" I said "And we are both the Luckiest in the whole wide world to have you and Daddy as our Mummy and Daddy" she grinned "Not as lucky as we are to have you two. Not as lucky as we are at all." I whispered whilst kissing them

Sitting with Daddy at Top Enders School Nativity ( see pictures of Top Ender here ) it occurred to us that there are always types of children that you can find in any School Nativity in the UK. In fact you could probably take this worldwide and go back and forwards in time and still find the same types of children. So here is my brief description of some of the children that were present at Top Enders School Nativity. If you want to take this time to regress back to when you were at school and in the School Nativity and you are sure that none of your fellow classmates was *one* of the following particular types then it was probably you.... How many of the following types can you spot in this photo? The Nose Picker As the category type suggests they are the one with one finger digging away inside their nose. For some reason they are always in the front row of the Nativity and so you can't help but seem them. You can't help but be impressed with the depth they can get

And so the week before Christmas has started and already I have seen enough food and chocolate (two seperate food groups) to last me all week. When we did the Christmas Grocery shop at the weekend we decided that it would be a proper treat week with some of out favourite foods being added to the trolley... Smoked Salmon, Prawns, nuts, fruit and Pringles! Obviously this isn't going to all be eaten in one week, but I have a feeling that I shan't be losing any weight next week and thats with me saying very loudly and very clearly that I am on a diet! Anyway to this week and the scales see a lost of 1lb which leaves me a happy bunny!

Its here!!!! Today marks the start of the Holiday Grand Plans Celebrate week  and the start of a week long celebration for Top Ender, Baby Boy and I (Daddy is at work for a lot of the week). We start today with the celebration of Baby Cousins First Birthday, then this afternoon Top Ender and I are going to bake when we get back and then this evening we will light our last advent candle and sit as a family watching our last weekly Christmas film. I think that we are going to watch Barbie's The Christmas Carol, but if Daddy gets his way it will be The Muppets Christmas Carol! Tomorrow Top Ender, Baby Boy and I will make some cake balls and possibly a yule log... depends if I think Top Ender can handle it! We will then go and visit with my Mum again as she will have some old and very close family friends coming over (weather permitting). Daddy isn't keen on me driving in the current weather conditions (apparently it isn't my driving but everybody else that makes him wor

The Worse Christmas gift I can remember being given is also the funniest Christmas gift I can remember ever given, but I need to set the scene for you. My MIL and her husband are what one might call old fashioned. My MIL seems to be oblivious to a lot of the world, or at least the bit where slang terms originate from. I can not say I possess that quality myself and I have taken much delight in the past from being very naughty whilst in her home and using some phrases that may or may not have a double meaning... so far I haven't been caught by anyone other than my BIL who quietly smirked whilst sitting on the sofa and indeed joined in with this new game. Now the year before last we went round to her home early on Christmas morning, (she goes to Church with her husband for the Christmas Day Morning Service and so we need to be there pre 8:30am). It isn't a pretty sight. I need breakfast and some time to wake up so I can be on top form mentally to think up my double entendres

The last Saturday before Christmas is spent by hundreds of people buying gifts at the last minute, but that isn't how we spent ours. I spent a lot of today reflecting on the past year because tomorrow it is Baby Cousins First Birthday and we get to celebrate with her and our family. There is an unwritten rule in our family that first birthdays are celebrated at my Mums and so that's where we will be. Today we had a family day, we went and did the big Christmas food shop together and then mainly because of the snow in our area we stayed in and played or in my case wrapped gifts! It was really lovely because spending time together isn't something we get to do a lot of as a family with our conflicting work schedules! This week with Top Ender being on Christmas break we are going to try and cram as much as possible in before the big day . I have so much planned for us to do that I think Top Ender will be quite pleased to get back to school! So I had better go now to get some sl

Its happened the wiggly tooth is wiggly no longer. This evening Top Ender was sitting on the sofa before she started running towards me with a look that was a mixture of glee, shock and anticipation in equal measure. "Mummy, Mummy, Mummy!" she babbled "My tooth has come out!" In her fingers she held the tooth, a tiny little thing and in her mouth a gap from where the tooth had once nestled. In two weeks and two days Top Ender will be six years old and yet I will always remember the day that Top Ender was Five years old and three hundred and forty-nine days as it was the day that she lost her first tooth.

A few months ago I was doing my usual blog hopping and came across a great blog called It's a Wonderful Life. I added it to my blog roll and it was a few weeks after, that I discovered Val was hosting a Secret Christmas Ornament Swap. After a couple of swapped emails about the possiblity of a British paticipation I signed up! I sent my ornaments to the wonderful Pennie at Mom Thoughts which you can see in her post if you want to. I think that you can really hear the excitement in her post, plus I love the title of the post Yippee for Pippa!!!! Anyway my ornaments came through in the post this week from a wonderful lady called Caitlin at  Chaotic Creation  (and she is getting married next October to her sweetheart Ryan so I want to say here that I wish them a long and happy life together because they look so cute together!) and wow were we impressed. Top Ender and Baby Boy started working their way into the box and started pulling out packages before I even had the camera