Something To Look Forward To..

I'm quite excited this evening as tomorrow my son comes home from Dubai. He will be in UK for only just over 12 hours before flying off to Brazil for a week or so. When he returns from there he will spend a week with us before returning back to Dubai again!

He's become quite a jetsetter in recent years and I'm so pleased for him having the opportunity before he gets tied down maybe with wife and kids. He really does work and play hard!

It will be lovely to see him again and I'm hoping my girls can find some time to be here for that week, it's been well over a year since the three of them have been together at the same time.

The only annoying bit is that I have holiday from work next week, that's the week of his Brazil trip, and not the week he will be here, but if he's the same as he was then he will be in bed till at least noon everyday!

Happy Jumping Days

My daughter found some oldish photos of herself taken whilst jumping on a bed - not sure where they were taken but they showed she was having fun.

We thought they'd look good all combined as an animation - so my partner did the clever bit and here we have it!

The Not So Good, Good Friday

Here I am moaning again... today certainly has had it's ups and downs..

My oldest daughter has been suffering with severe earache, which she's pretty much stuck with until Tuesday unless it clears up by itself, as the Dr's are closed for Easter. Regular paracetamol is helping though. It's not an infection but more of a slight damage caused by sticking a cotton bud in too far! Be warned! I just hope she's not done anything serious.

My youngest daughter left late afternoon to drive back down to Brighton as she has a part time job (as well as uni) and is on the rota for tomorrow. However after she'd been gone for about 40 minutes she called saying she was broken down.. she rang RAC and they said there would be a 2 and half hour wait for someone to come and rescue her, she was very upset and crying which was difficult to listen too as I felt totally useless.

Amazingly, the RAC guy turned up after about 35 minutes, checked her car over and got her started, advising her to get some work done on it as soon as possible, so she drove back home to us instead of her original destination of Brighton as it was the nearer. Just hope her manager will understand when she calls to say she wont be in tomorrow!

Neither of these things are really "my problem" and the girls are no longer babies - 20 and 24, but it's amazing how whatever happens to them has such an upsetting affect on me..

Anyway, hoping the rest of the weekend will be a little less fraught!

Happy 20th Birthday Baby!

My youngest daughter is 20 today.

I sent her a text to wish her a Happy Birthday and she texted back to let me know she was in the queue for the Empire State Building, and that she was having a wonderful time over in New York.

I find it hard to believe her birth was 20 years ago, where oh where has all that time gone....

Anyway, although we can't be together I'm so happy she's having such a great time - and wish her a truly wonderful day from afar!

The Happy Couple

My daughter and her boyfriend. I forgot I had this photo of them, taken in London when they were last together in December 2007..

Watch Out New York! Here She Comes!!

As I write this my youngest daughter is on her way to New York. She arrives tonight at JFK around 10pm (NY time) So, I'm expecting a text sometime around 2am to let me know she's arrived safely, late I know but worth it..

She spent last night at home here with us as it's easier to get to Heathrow Airport from here than it is from Brighton.

Her boyfriend is currently in USA on a sports scholarship and as it's her 20th birthday on Tuesday she decided it would be fun to meet up as she's never been to USA before - neither have I come to that!

She will be staying with his father and grandmother and is to say the least a little nervous about meeting them, but I'm sure that once they all meet up she will be fine.

She won't be back until Thursday evening, so I will miss having her here for her birthday but I'm sure she will have a wonderful time over there - I've given her boyfriend strict instructions to take good care of her!!!

Thinking Of My Kids

It's almost a year since this photo was taken on my youngest daughters 19th birthday. We had all been out for a dinner to celebrate this and also as a farewell to my son who was about to go off to Dubai.

For some reason they were, all three of them at the front of my mind all day today. Since this pic they have not all been together. I have seen all of them and they have all seen each other but not all together and that made me sad. They are all busy in their own separate places, all away from home and sometimes I just flippin well miss them!

I have no idea when we'll all be together again, but I suppose as long as I know they are happy and well, and that I can pick up the phone and have a chat now and then, it's OK.

Being a Mum is so difficult.. from the moment you're pregnant (morning sickness etc) through all the terrible twos, the constant changes as they grow into sometimes quite challenging teens, and then when they are just about all grown up and leave home, you never ever stop worrying!!

I'm used to being the empty nester now, and it's not all bad.. I do enjoy the quiet, the extra time for myself.. but as I said before, I do sometimes miss them - A LOT!

Manchester, Shoutbox and Sofa's

I feel so tired this evening, a kind of dull slightly miserable tiredness. Must be that time of the month again... sigh..

Just had a call from my daughter, she's stuck up in Manchester as the car she's in (her friends car) is having problems and can't be driven. Manchester is about 205 miles from London and 266 from Brighton where she is currently living. She was up there attending a Kanye West concert, shame she didn't manage to get tickets for his Brighton concert, but she was a tad too late. So now she and her friend have to stay another night up there, and hopefully will be able to get the car fixed in the morning.

This morning before work I added yet another thingy in my right hand sidebar. It's a shoutbox. I know I have the plugoo which connects to my msn, but I do like trying out new stuff, so it's there for now. See what happens and then I'll decide which one to keep, or not. So, don't hesitate to leave a message!

At last, I am now sitting pretty, on one of the beautiful new sofas. We got a 3 seater and a 2 seater and they look lovely, made the place look so nice and cosy, won't want to go out anymore!

Out For The Day

Just a quick posting this morning as I eat my cereal.

I'm off to catch a coach to Leicester today to visit my daughter. It's only a short visit but it will be nice to see her, her accommodation and maybe meet her new friends.

It's at times like this I wish I could drive - oh well never mind. National Express, here I come!

Keeping Myself Occupied

Today both my son and daughter went back to their respective parts of the planet... Leaving me feeling once again rather odd, sad but not sad, wanting to cry but not cry.. ohh it's difficult to describe, but if you have kids who don't live at home I'm sure you kind of know what I mean..

Anyway I've been doing something that I like doing, playing with my photos. This time using Picnik which I blogged about a few days ago..

Also I have spent some time removing a few of the widgets, in the hope the loading time for this blog will get better. I don't want visitors giving up because it's all so sluggish.

I'd be grateful for any comments letting me know how slow (or fast..lol) this page was for you.. and any suggestions for making it better..

The (almost) Empty Nest

It's Saturday evening although it doesn't feel like any particular day to me right now.

This is the big weekend where both my daughters leave for uni.

One went this morning to Leicester, she went by coach with her boyfriend (her choice) and we have spoken twice by phone so I know she's safely arrived. Due to a few problems here she was unable to get driven up there (I don't drive) so was unable to take the majority of her big stuff, such as TV and stereo.. So she will probably be back within the next 2 weeks, when her Dad is available to drive it all up for her.

Tomorrow my youngest daughter will return back to Brighton for her second year. She's just about packed and is now spending the evening downloading just about every film she can get her hands on! She will have internet when she gets there but I think it's a tad faster here!

So, I'm feeling very odd... a total mix of emotions. Happy they are both doing something good with their lives, that they have what it takes to have gotten this far, that they are both beautiful, wonderful young women and also perhaps if I'm honest, a little happy the home will become a bit quieter and tidier...

Then I'm sad as I am going to miss them so much, miss their funny personalities, miss knowing each night they are safely in bed, sad I won't be such an integral part of their lives ever ever again - is that selfish? I'm not sure..

My son left home for uni back in 2000 and since then only came back to live at home for about 6 months, he's now in Dubai...

So, what to do in this empty nest now...

The Comings And Goings

The last couple of days have been rather hectic in a motherly sort of way. It hasn't been me exactly that's been running around but me who has been affected by everyone around me.

My youngest daughter went for 2 weeks holiday in Zante, Greece and came back yesterday, with her friend who was not feeling too well at all. A good meal soon sorted that though, I was amazed at the power my food had on this young lady, was quite remarkable, in minutes she had lit up like a light, was lovely. I think the reason for this "unwellness" was probably a 2 week diet of chips and alcohol!

So tonight, well tomorrow morning really, my older daughter is off on her travels for a week in Mykonos, Greece. Now this holiday has been booked all very last minute so she is currently packing... Now that stresses me a bit as I'm not really quite that spontaneous. I like to book several weeks in advance, make lists, plan and worry, worry and plan before I go away.

My son, who lives in Dubai, spent last weekend in Bombay (Mumbai) and has since spent the rest of the week in the toilet with a kind of Bombay Belly.. I didn't find this out until this morning. He said he hadn't let me know as I would worry! But at least he seems to be on the mend now, which is good news.

Worry? Me? Hmmmmmm....

Whose Job?

This is the story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody.

There was an important job to be done and Everybody thought that Somebody would do it.

Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.

Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody's job.

Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it.

It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done!

~~~~~~~~~~

Not come across that one before but I think it's brilliant, it happens in my house all the time!

It's probably quite well known but as it was new to me I thought it would be nice to add it here.. I found it on a tea towel at National Eczema Society's Gift Pages

Two of my children have in the past suffered from several years of severe eczema and at one time I did some voluntary work with this charity. It's a very devastating condition and a worthy cause to support for their efforts in finding not only a cure but relief from the dreadful symptoms.

Watch Out Zante, Here They Come

My youngest daughter and her friend have today left for the beautiful Greek Island of Zante. They are meeting 2 other friends there to make up a dangerous foursome!

They will, I'm sure have a wonderful time for the next 2 weeks but being a Mum I just hope they take care of themselves, don't get too drunk, eat properly and don't get taken in by too many boys declaring love in order for a quick holiday grope, or worse.

But they are madly excited by what lays ahead of them in the next 14 days!

At least these days we have the wonders of mobile phones/texting so they have not just disappeared entirely for the 2 weeks as I used to do as a teenager.. makes me think how on earth our parents must have worried about us!! Or was the world just a less dangerous place so they didn't have to worry as much?

What Do Your Kids Do Around The House?

I just came in from work after an extremely busy and full day to find the kitchen sink full of dirty dishes and the place looking like a bit of a tip. Now this is not an isolated occurrence, it's just about every day! I need to do a major cleaning up before I can even begin to the evening meal. (Just have to sit down for 10 mins first and thought I'd write this post)

I live with my 2 daughters who are both also working so would it not seem fair to share the housework? Well I think so, but they apparently do not... When asked to do something I get in reply moans and groans and excuses that you'd never imagine! One excuse was "My time for housework will come when I'm a Mum" and the funniest was "Mum, don't you remember what it was like to be a teenager?" I replied, " Well, do you??" The daughter in question is 24!!!


The sheer laziness of them goes even deeper than that and I don't really understand why, it's not like I always give in and do it for them. For instance I stopped doing the laundry for them about 18 months ago and now we have several months of dirty clothes in 2 very very large bags. The minimum is done very occasionally. Whereas I do a load just about every other day, either before or after work. So why can't they?

I could go on for ever on this topic and I'm not asking for solutions as I don't think there are any left that I haven't already tried!

Just be interesting if anyone cares to comment on what their grown up kids do around the house.

Reconnect With Your Kids!

The start of this video made me think of my son who is in Dubai.. I don't get to talk to him very often, but I think a MaternaCord is going a little too far!

Made me laugh though!

Off Work With A Cold...

I rarely take time off work but I have such a horrible achey type of coldy thing.. So have a bit of time to be lazy indoors and spend time (waste time?? ) online doing nothing in particular.

I also feel a bit lost today as my 3 kids are on their way to Ghana for a holiday, first time all 3 have been out of the country at the same time! Just hope all goes to plan for them and that they have a wonderful time. Oh and they bring me back something nice :)

Off to Brighton Tomorrow :)

Really looking forward to seeing my daughter tomorrow in Brighton. I know she's only been away for a week but it will be wonderful so see her again and to see the house she's renting with her new uni mates. Will also be great to finally be able to put faces to the names of those new mates!

Brighton has a new Star

Yesterday my youngest daughter left home for uni in Brighton... Its wonderful, she worked hard for her A Levels and is growing up beautifully. She is about to study Psychology and Criminology. However I feel so lost without her here, I miss her terribly! Brighton is only about 56 miles away, its a great town by the sea so I can easily go visit, but I still feel its such a big thing. I dont quite have an empty nest yet as I do have another lovely daughter here at home (I also have a son who moved out a couple of years ago) but I still feel really sad. So much goes through my mind from worrying about her and how she will cope not only with uni but with dealing with life as an independant young adult right through to feeling less and less needed and more and more old... Its hard to get to grips with the fact that I have done so much, raising 3 kids to adulthood and I still feel about 22 myself (mentally anway!) And some say I'm not too bad on the outside either, 3 months ago I was called a MILF by one of my sons friends, but thats another story!! However thats the way life goes, we have the kids and all too soon they are grown and gone.. So I guess I had better get on and get used to it... Still doesn't make it any easier, at the moment though - I miss her soooo much!!