Today we went to the seaside at Hythe. It was a glorious sunny day and we had a picnic by the sea. William paddled his feet in the water for the first time and loved it. As soon as he … Continue reading
In just 5 months David and I will be getting married. To help us prepare for the day and be with us on the day we have carefully chosen our wedding party.
Today I would like to introduce you to the bridesmaids.
I have chosen five bridesmaids, two flower girls and two page boys. They were all very easy decisions as I would not want to have our big day without one of them there.
Firstly my little sister, Julie.
Julie will be almost 32 by the time we get married but she is still my baby sister, my wee sis. I love her dearly and miss her very much when she is away, which is most of the time as she lives in Australia, with her husband, Hugh. Julie and I are close sisters and good friends. We are very similar in lots of ways and strikingly different in others. Julie is a Vet Nurse and an animal lover. She is always adopting waifs and strays into her home, cats mostly. Really though we are dog people and have both wept buckets reading and watching Marley and Me. Julie makes me laugh more than any other person I know, apart from David actually, and apart from David she is the person in the world I can most totally be myself with, and she loves me no matter what. Just as I love her. She is also a fabulous aunty to Esther and William and is always in our thoughts every day. I really am very lucky and I know that I would not want to have anyone else standing with me on my wedding day. My beautiful wee sis.
Next is Michele.
Michele I have known now for about 6 years and she has played a huge role in my life during those years particularly since meeting David and the birth of Esther and William, her Godchildren. Michele is my rock. She is who I turn to in a crisis knowing that no matter what she will be there. Michele is like the big sister I never had with a bit of motherliness thrown in. I know I can write that and it be okay as I have tried to explain all of this to Michele in the past. She is everything that a person looks for in a friend and more. I cannot imagine my life without her now. She helps me make decisions and advises me on all manner of things. I tell her all my thoughts and ideas, my insecurities and worrries, my hopes and dreams. I cannot find words enough to say how much she means to me and how I would not be where I am today without her constant friendship and support. She is someone else who makes me laugh and can brighten up my day by knowing exactly what to say and when to say it. My friendship with Michele started when she was my Teaching Assistant at Kings Hill. She looked after me in the classroom and then took me in when I had nowhere else to go. She made me believe in myself and helped me to discover the parts of me that David fell in love with. For that I will always be grateful and that is one of the many reasons why our wedding day would not be complete without Michele. And why she was chosen to be Esther and William’s Godmother. Thank you, Michele x
Petra.
Petra and I have been friends since first we met in 1987. We were at school together for the final year of primary and right through to GCSEs. We did everything together for many years and got into all sorts of scrapes and bother. We also had the most wonderful times and made magical memories that we cherish to this day. I am now very proud to call Petra’s daughter, Maia, my Goddaughter and cannot believe that we have changed from little Girl Guides to fully grown up responsible mothers. In what seems like no time at all. I am so so glad that we have stayed friends for over 20 years.
Hannah
Hannah and I started out as colleagues and soon became friends but it was not until leaving the school where we worked that our friendship really began to blossom and grow. Hannah is great to talk to, she is very funny and she has a good heart. Hannah will go out of her way to do things for others and she made sure that after I left Frittenden I was not forgotten and still involved in school and social events. Since the arrival of Esther and William she has been wonderful visiting us in hospital and at home. She is the making of my social calendar!! Hannah is so good with Esther and William, they really do love it when she comes to play. We are hoping to spend lots more time with her in the holidays now we are able to get out and about more.
Francoise
Francoise lives in Grenoble with our best man, Mr Rew. Together they have a beautiful baby boy, Mael, who will be Esther’s and William’s playmate, penpal and friend in the years to come. It is such a shame that this family live so far away as we enjoy their company very much. Francoise is my bridesmaid because she is someone who I can always rely on, day or night, to say something to make me feel better. She is kind, caring and compassionate. She is funny and calming to be around. She is a great friend because she is so thoughtful and very naturally makes you feel at ease. She is creative and we share a passion for theatre and books. And now babies!!! I know that she will make valuable, memorable contributions to our special day.
I am so excited about our wedding, it has already been postponed once when Esther and William came so early, I am so looking forward to our day.
Girls; Let the countdown begin!
Walking in the Weather What a glorious week of sunshine! It is hard not to be cheered by the weather alone. I have been out in it every day, walking with our giant double buggy. The babies get two walks … Continue reading
This Friday I have chosen to reflect on my acting career – amateur dramatics that is.
I started performing when I was 6 years old in school nativities and local pantomimes and I continued into my thirties playing lots of fantastic roles, mostly in musicals and one act plays.
I studied drama at school to GCSE level and also completed A-Level Theatre Studies.
I share my love of theatre and acting with many of my friends and my fiance David.
I really do love acting and singing and directing and hope that at least one of my children will inherit the theatre bug from me.
Today I have been remembering good times and good friends made in theatres across Europe.
I have been recalling Little Shop of Horrors and playing Audrey, Dulcie in The Boyfriend, Mrs Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank, many principle boy and girl parts in panto and much more.
I have been reliving my roles and singing all the songs for I still know all the words.
There is no business like show business even when the show is an amateur one!
I love Christmas, and Christmas would not be Christmas without snuggling up under a blanket with the ones you love to watch Frank Capra’s It’s A Wonderful Life. It is such a magical festive film and a firm family favourite. I love it. It makes me feel all warm inside, and for me does not work digitally remastered in colour. It has to be, as it is meant to be, in black and white.
James Stewart and Donna Reed form a formidable team in this festive fantasy. I always find myself singing ‘Buffalo Girl Won’t You Come Out Tonight’ long after the film is over. I love that song and that moment in the film. Just beautiful! George volunteers to lasso the moon for Mary. A lovely love story!
The most famous moment and quote from the film is near the end as the family are reunited by the Christmas tree.
“Every Time a Bell Rings, an Angel Gets Its Wings”
This is a feel good comedy drama about hopes and dreams and love, families and friendships. It is about loyalty and faith. It is about Christmas, and it features the song that marks the end and beginning of every year, Auld Lang Syne.
One for the family to start the festivities and to make you want to snuggle up close to the ones that you love.
A beauty in black and white.
Why not hop on over to Metal Mummy’s blog to share your favourite black and white movie?
Mummy Beadzoid has tagged me and asked me to ‘Fill in the Blanks’ and explain a little about who I am.
So here goes …
I am a worrier. I have always been a worrier for as long as I can remember. And the thing that I worry about most is what other people think about me. Pathetic, I know. I worry about what people think about what I wear, what I do and how I do things. I worry about what kind of teacher I am, what kind of parent I am, what kind of blogger I am! I let these worries impact on what I do. It leads to a lot of loneliness actually and to an inability to really be myself in front of others. Very few people know the real me, I do not let people close. A fear of ridicule, a fear of rejection. I can come across as rude to some people, I know, but it is not rudeness, it is shyness. People find this hard to believe as I am confident on a stage or when teaching a group of children but among a group of my peers this confidence leaves me. Deserts me and lets me down. This worry is quite a handicap for me. It leads to irrational thinking and over reactions to silly situations. Sometimes it is like an out of body experience as I emotionally react to a situation I am telling myself to stop. But I can’t! This worry causes me stress but I cannot stop it. I should be able to but I can’t. I am a worrier and it is something about myself that I hate.
The bravest thing I have ever done is have abdominal surgery whilst 26 weeks pregnant with my twins. Although this is not something that I chose to do, I had no choice, I have never been so scared in all my life. David and I had tried for so long to get pregnant, we had come so far in this twin pregnancy and we were about to lose everything because of me, because of my body. I was letting him down. I was letting his parents down, my parents. I was letting down our children, before they had even been born. From being admitted to hospital to being cut open took 3 days. 3 days of tests and assessments, pain killers, blood, vomit and terror. David was far braver than me, he did not know if any of us were going to survive, no one seemed to know what was wrong or what should be done. I told him that if it was a choice between me and the babies then I wanted to be the one to die. It was awful but worse for David as my recollection of those days is blurred and I know for him the memories are still very clear. After the operation I was in hospital for 7 days recovering. I was heavily pregnant. My bump had been cut from top to bottom to allow the surgeon to save my twisted bowel without disturbing the babies. I could not eat, I was on oxygen. David had to help me in a way a husband should never have to help his wife, let alone fiance to fiancee. I was so swollen with water retention I could barely sit, stand or walk. I had to fight on to get fit and well for the babies. When I was discharged on the 21st July I did not expect to go to hospital again until October but in spite of my best efforts and those of all the doctors the babies were born on the 24th July 2010 at 27 weeks plus 3. I am so sorry babies that I was not able to keep you safe inside me for longer x I will always feel sad about that.
I feel prettiest when I forget to worry about what other people think.
Something that keeps me awake at night is my son, William. Bless him. Born at 27 weeks, now 7 months, there is nothing my little man likes more than Mummy’s milk. Every 2 – 3 hours right around the clock. I always complain about this but actually I love feeding him and will miss it so much when this special time is gone. But it does mean a severe and prolonged lack of sleep.
My favourite meal is fajitas. David and I started eating fajitas regulalrly when we started IVF as a good way of eating lots of vegetables. When I make fajitas they are filled to bursting with veg – peppers, onions, mushrooms, chillies, tomatoes, spinach. We have lots of different varieties of mushroom and they are really filling and flavoursome. We started IVF in January 2009 and we still eat fajitas at least once a week even now. Yum – Yum!
The way to my heart is to surprise me. Tell me something nice, make me laugh, write me a story, cook me a meal. Be thoughtful and kind and spontaneous. Treat me in some way, make me smile. Show that you have been thinking about me enough to plan a surprise no matter how small. Do this and my heart will be yours x
I would like to be thinner. Since starting IVF and being pregnant I have gained over a stone in weight. It is coming off slowly but I still have a way to go before our wedding in September. I am struggling to lose weight and tone my stomach because of the scars from surgery. I will keep working at it and hope that by September I will be somewhere near to where I used to be in tone and weight. If not, well, I have two beautiful babies to show for it, and at the end of the day, I am alive.
This is me, I am what I am.
Thank you Mummy Beadzoid for the questions x
This week I am joining Metal Mummy in her Movie MeMe. She has asked us what is our film of the 21st century, our film of the decade?
For me, there can only be one!
There are a few 21st century films that I have enjoyed but for me none come close to The Lord of the Rings as I mentioned in my Listography post last week.
My favourite of all the films, to David’s dismay, is The Fellowship of the Ring. I know that it has the least action and the least effects but it tells the story so well and introduces each of the characters in detail. I think that the film is so well cast and the actors really complement each other particularly those playing Frodo and Sam. This is a tale of friendship, of courage, of determination and strength, of loyalty, of love.
This is a film with it all. Magic, humour, romance, intrigue and great one liners! I love the script, the language from the book is just beautiful. The sets and scenery are breathtaking and the music tells a story all of its own whilst perfectly blending with the words and actions.
I am not a great film buff or reviewer. I do not watch a lot of television or many movies but I do read a lot of books and for me what makes a great film is where the translation from the page to the screen is true and meaningfuk. It has to work on a personal level for me and this film really does.
And being a Mummy of premature twins, this film of the 21st century provides the best quote of all time:
Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.
Why not pop over to Metal Mummy’s Movie MeMe for some passionate beautifully written movie recommendations. Popcorn at the ready!
I am so thankful to have this to do today as I am having the worst few days ever with Esther and William, well William really. He is teething with a temperature and refusing to eat or sleep. I love him with all my heart but he is exhausting at the moment as he is often inconsolable. David works from home and is getting increasingly stressed that he is needed to help with the babies rather than focus all his attentions on his work. I think we are both nearing breaking point, so taking 5 minutes (albeit with William in my arms!) to ponder on what would be a perfect day for me right now is a really rather nice thing to do.
What would make my perfect day right now?
1 – I would wake up to a warm, sunny morning. The babies would wake smiling in their cot and we would go downstairs where I would put them down to play on the lawn whilst I got a breakfast of coffee, orange juice, fruit and croissants. I would sit in the warmth of the sun and watch my children playing happily together. It would be quiet apart from their beautiful coos and babbles. There would be periods of warm hazy silence.
2 – The postman would deliver a letter from my sister telling me that she is pregnant and that she is moving home from Australia not just to the UK but to Kent where we will be sisters, friends and neighbours and our children will grow up knowing each other like cousins should.
3 – I would have lunch in a cafe courtyard in the sun and enjoy drinking wine and eating finger foods with good adult conversation with a group of friends. We would laugh and joke and be playful. We would discuss and debate. We would not notice the sun beginning to set and day turning to night. It would be wonderful.
4 – I would go to a salon and have a relaxing back massage, facial with Indian head massage and have my hair cut and styled. I would take a lovely outfit with me to the salon and would dress there ready for an evening out.
5 – The evening would be with all my family and friends together at a function rather like a wedding reception with good music and good food. There would be dancing to cheesy music. There would be fun and frolicks and laughter. Lots of laughter. Everyone would be loving the company of everyone else. It would be riotous and yet so peaceful. Like being home!
And if there were just one impossible thing that I could make happen right now, I would like to go to 167 Grange Road for a cup of tea, a game of scrabble and a cuddle with my Nan. Because I miss her so much even now, everyday. That would be a perfect day.
For the first ever Flashback Friday I am exploring Februarys past.
FEBRUARY 2011
This February has been all about my sister’s wedding. My wee sis got married to her lovely man, Hugh. They are now in the US on honeymoon before they return to Oz where they live. Well done again, wee sis. So, so proud x
FEBRUARY 2010
February 2010 featured another wedding. On a beautiful winter day David and I went to our dear friends Rich and Lex’s wedding. I was about 5 weeks pregnant in this picture and we were not sure yet if it would be twins or not!!
FEBRUARY 2009
February 2009 is when we moved into our house. It has snowed a lot since we started living here. It is a perfect house for snow and Christmas. More about that next Friday as I plan to feature the house again in my Friday Flashback post.
FEBRUARY 2008
This was the month that my parents left for Spain but here I am with my Dad on his February birthday before they left. It his birthday on Sunday actually, so …
Happy Birthday Dad!!
So there you have it, a little flash through my februarys past. What will you choose to reminisce about? What have others chosen to share? Why not hop on over to Cafe Bebe and begin your own trip down memory lane.
Thank you for a fun Friday meme x x
10.11.11 So many babies I know are affected by RSV at the moment. Some are having to use inhalers, some need home oxygen support and others have been admitted to hospital and in severe cases ventilated. Please take a moment … Continue reading
