I can feel another very lazy Sunday coming on. We spent a very enjoyable evening at the sailing club and although I disappeared to bed about 1.30a.m, after making hot chocolate and toast for eight. (pictured are L-R: Stuart, Jan, Steve, Brian, Elaine and i on our trip last year to Spain). Steve didn't come to bed until 4.00 am. he is still asleep. Jan & Stu who stayed over are also still in bed. It was another fun evening amongst friends. I'm still amazed how good life is! I never imagined that post kids our lives would be so enjoyable.

Work has been especially good this week. I had a little thank you note from a young Mother, it doesn't happen very often, but wow, when it does it means such a lot!

Talking about Mothers, I must pop up and see mine today. On Wednesday night I took her and her friend Beryl out to Southsea to the Kashmir restaurant. My parents had been going there since it first opened in the very early 60's and Mum was saying how she really fancied a curry and only the Kashmir's would do. It still seems a little strained between Mum and I, we certainly have something in between us now. Tomorrow I'm meeting Annie for lunch and I feel I have to skulk off secretly!

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek! I thought that once my youngest son reached the ripe old age of 22 he might have had a little maturity! But NO! Matt has finished his short relationship with the tatooist/bodypiercer, although its not a exactly permenant he has had an awful piercing in his ear lobe! its one of the awful sort that you can stretch until you are left with bloody great hole. I'm devastated that my boy can mutilate himself in this way!

This week has been quite a busy one. Yesterday along with a colleague we went shopping for toys. I had managed to get £100 from a charity for some toys for our two baby clinics. There was no way the PCT would pay for new toys and the ones we had were very old, dirty and passed their sale by date. February is a really good time to go toy shopping as both the Early learning Centre and Woolworth's had discounts, so we mangaged to make the money go a very long way.

As were short staffed I have agreed to do a few more hours, a half day on a Wednesday. Steve is awaiting some changes at work and may go back to travelling with the company. We will have managed about a year with one car. but will probably have to get another:(

I saw Annie this week. It was quite difficult as she obviously doesn't have any qualms about upsetting my Mother and why should she!

Were out to a party this evening. Its our friend Elaine's birthday and were having an American supper at the home of Stewart & Jan. I have been asked to take cheese and salad, so thats easy.

On Sunday were having eight friends here for lunch. Were having Turkey and all the trimmings. Our Friends had teased me merclessely for making my own christmas puddings which take 10 hours to steam. It probably does seem pointless when you can buy some very nice ones in any of the supermarkets, but I really enjoy some traditions and thats just one of them! So I thought I'd invite them to try mine and thought I might as well do the whole thing. Good old Waitrose were able to get me the Turkey and there are plenty of sprouts in the local green grocers!
A question Janis I seem to have inadvertently turned off my spell check, do you know how to turn it back on? Than you x

Spring seems to have come really early, this weekend we have been bathed in glorious sunshine. My plan for yesterday changed on Friday night when I was invited along by my friends Elaine & Sandy on a trip to Lymington. Steve offerred to be around for the Tesco delivery and this also allowed him to stay in doors and watch the rugby!

Lymington is a lovely little Georgian market town, it has mostly small independant and designer shops. I particuarly liked the Cath Kidson shop. I wouldn't buy a lot of things in the shop as most of the stuff is sold at an astronomical price. I think what appealed to me was that a lot of the things they sold were very nostalgic. Particuarly the talcumn powder sold in tins, but at £8.00 a tin it stayed on the shelf. I did buy some long handled coloured sundae spoons, not sure why but I just liked them. www.CathKidston.co.uk Saturday is market day and the crowds were out. We had plenty of refreshment and had lunch in a pub overlooking the harbour. I did buy a photo frame as Elaine had given me a photo taken by her husband Brian ,of Steve & I taken at the Burns night dinner.

Sunday started early as I awoke as at 6.00am, managed to stay in bed untill just before 7.00 am and then got up and started the day. I spent most of the morning cleaning, until Ian phoned and we had a long chat, by then the urge to do housework had passed and as Steve was out I decided to call on my Mother. I took her to the garden centre, it was lovely to wander around in the sunshine. Things between us are still a bit strained, but the chat with Jan last week and Ian's wise words this morning are a great help. ( How did my first born turn into such an amazing young man!).

This afternoon Steve has been cutting the grass, can you believe it in early February! I have spent a couple of hours reading and am feeling really relaxed.

The weekend is nearly upon us, I don't have very much planned apart from awaiting a delivery in the morning from Tesco. How I love online shopping and the fact that I haven't had to trail around the supermarket to get my groceries. We are lucky here because we have good local shops, a great green grocers, a butchers and a recent addition of a fish shop. From the big supermarket I buy the bulky stuff, the loo rolls, the washing liquid and the packets and tins!

At work were busy, which isn't surprising as one of our team was moved recently to a team that was short staffed, now we too are short staffed as well. Extra hours which has been widely talked about, but as yet haven't been agreed upon.

I do enjoy my job and this morning I was running a session for Mums with young babies, teaching them about weaning. Ten mums and their infants attended.

We travelled back yesterday afternoon in to evening from Leigh On Sea where we had been to meet our new nephew Vincent. He is a beautiful baby, his parents are delighted with their son. His big sister at 14 months old is happy to smother him with kisses and gets in the occaisional swipe!

We enjoyed our weekend, but as with all trips away its nice to come home again. The children are lovely, Simon is a devoted hands on Daddy, but oh I'm so glad that we were able to have our children at an earlier age. I can't imagine having teenagers when you are nearly 60.
We had to come through London last night as part of the M25 was closed, I didn't mind as I quite like passing through busy places, peering into lit rooms and getting a fleeting glimpse of the people living along the route of the south circular. It was a bit drawn out for Steve, but he did turn down my offer to swap drivers.
It was nice to talk online to Janis last night, thank you jan you were a big help x