Belated Christmas wishes

Hi, hope you all had a good Christmas, we were lucky we did and were healthy too, a lot of
friends and relatives were not so lucky.

We had our usual Christmas, of sharing my parents with my sister, it was our turn to have them for lunch, (hers for tea), it was nice but have decided that next year when it's just 3 or 4 of us (if Sam is still around) going to go without Christmas lunch till Boxing Day, and have croissants, danish pastry's for mid morning then buffet tea, Why I hear you ask, well.....

....our Christmas usually goes round Steven, because when he is up, it means that so are we, and from then till he goes to bed one of us has to stay with him, which means that while Clive is cooking lunch (he always has done the roast dinners since we've been married) I look after Steven, then after lunch while I clear away, Clive is with Steven. It's like it every Sunday, always the same, even with my parents here, my mum always falls asleep and my dad moans he cannot use teletext as Steven is watching his Something Special DVDs.

Also Steven has to have breakfast, (the rest of us goes without, as we cannot eat both breakfast and lunch, but as Steven does it means feeding him early) so it's fitting that in, with the present opening and starting getting lunch ready. So I thought wouldn't it be nice to chill out opening presents, then mid morning have a croissants breakfast all together, then a early buffet tea, sounds great to us, also am getting fed up with the same routine.

OR both Clive and I quite fancy the idea of going away for Christmas, with Steven of course.....

A very proud wife

I'm very proud of my hubby, as he has lost 14lbs in weight in 5 1/2 weeks, I've always have been worried about his weight, as over the years he has been putting it on quite bad and was worried about his health, he already suffers with his back, (his weight probably does not help with that problem), but his job is driving to a office, sitting at a desk and for 11 years living in hotels Mon-Fri.

Last month I made him go to the Doctors as it looked like he had an infection in his leg, which we think was through a bite from when we were in the Everglades, while he was there the Doctor asked him when was the last time he was weighed, he could not remember so out came the scales and was told that he ought to do something about it. The good thing was he came home and told me, so I said I would try and think of ways to cut his food down, anyway that was it.

Then a few weeks later, I made another appointment for him, for some lumps under his arms, (I did ask him why he did not mention it to the the Doctor when he was last there, but said the appointment was not made for that). I thought it would have saved time if he had mentioned it then, than take up another appointment, BUT then my daughter pipes up that dad did right thing, as it really annoys them at the dentist where she works, when a patient reels off a long list of moans in their 10 minute appointment, so I shut up, and for the people that know me, would know how hard that was for me.

So 2nd appointment was made, when he came home said the lumps were OK. (think I'm just being paranoid due to us still sorting out our wills, and life is going along quite nicely at the moment, and I'm frightened something is going to go wrong).
He also said it was a different Doctor and again was asked when was the last time he was weighed. LOL he said a few weeks earlier and was asked what had he done about it, well he had starting walking up 3 flights of stairs to the office, (with his laptop, which he has to take in every day) instead of using the lift, must admit was shocked over this, I would never have thought about using the lift in the first place, that is where Clive and I are totally opposite.

Well Clive then said to me that was the 2nd opinion, so we ought to do something about it, so the next day got in some weight watchers recipe books, and worked out his points, and went for it, and this is only the start.

Not only I'm proud of him for sticking to it, as there has been cream cakes in the office for 2 Birthdays and 1 leaving do, and he did not have a bite, but when I phoned him yesterday, he was doing laps of the car park, the only exercise he has done these last few years is to walk to the home Pompey game which it not that often.

I had to go out today and buy him a size smaller in jeans, and guess what, they are a bit big for him too, but kept them as with Christmas coming up, might put a little back on..

Emotional Day

Oh the 29th of October, I went through another of those days with my son, I let him go to school on transport, I know some of you might think, 'so whats the big deal', but to me it was.

Here is a boy that I have been taking to/from school, every day since he started at the age of 4, and now 12 1/2 years later, I stopped, why you might ask, well for a few reasons...

Firstly is, I felt as he is getting older, think it will do him some good to have more Independence, as he only has 2 1/2 years left at school, before venturing into that BIG wide world.

Secondly.. felt he ought to be doing things more with his friends, one of his close friend also goes on the same mini bus.

Thirdly... I need to start letting go, as I am not going to be round forever, and feel maybe I 'mummy cuddle' him a bit too much, then again with the way the world is, I can understand myself for doing it.

Fourthly... the school has change, think I might have said in another post, that 2 special schools merged into 1 last year, well we moved into the new building in Feb this year, and I can say it is not a homely atmosphere like the other 2 schools were.
I knew things would change, but it seems when you talked to a member of staff you had one of the assistant heads hovering, the staff were looking over their shoulders in case someone was there. Not sure why, maybe the 'top brass' have secrets that us mere parents are not allowed to know, LOL.
It hurt as I've know most of these people for 12 years or more, and we have come close together as a family, also some even went to school with my daughter, so we had other things to talk about like, how are they, how's their partners, how did the flat move go etc.

Shame but I felt I had to move on, for both mine and Stevens sakes, it was hard, it felt that Steven was starting school for the very first time, when I waved him off on the bus. Felt very tearful, then to top it all, at lunch time had a text from my nephew to say they just had a baby boy, so I was a great aunt again, (got 2 great niece's in Bristol). His name is Alfie Zac and weighted in at 8lbs and ozs, and he is sooo cute :-)


When it came to picking Steven up off of the bus, (we have a bus stop at the end of the road both sides which is our pick up/drop off points) Steven was so happy, saying goodbye to the driver and escort, who we had known for years as she was an escort at our old school and we use to chat while waiting for the children.

Anyway, back to the story, we walked up the road a bit to cross at the crossing, and when we got across, had some secondary boys the other side of the road, mimicking Steven. I stopped they just laughed and turned away, so we started to walk again, the boys started again, so I asked them what their problem was, (OK rather loudly, as they were the other side of the road, noticed they waited until we crossed before starting), they just laughed at me, so I made to go back across the road to them, they went to jump on their bikes, so I called them cowards and starting walking home again.
They got off their bikes and carried on at Steven, so I took out my phone and took a picture of them, they were still laughing saying that I had not taken their best side, but I said that the police and their school, will not care if it was their best side or not, they quickly took to their bikes, (not laughing now) and rode away.

But as I walked back down my road with tears coming down my face, thinking now I know why I take Steven everywhere, felt like phoning Stevens school and saying that I would be taking and picking him up again from now on, but like Clive said, Steven did not realise they were taking the mickey out of him, it did hurt though, big style, but touch wood have not seen them since.


OH yes, note to myself, I really must learn HOW to take a photo with my phone, just in case I need to, LOL