Hello, is there anybody out there....?

Wow, 299 views of my blog to date (that can't just be me looking at it) not bad since I a) only have 2 followers and b) am a bit too shy to tell my friends where I have hidden this away!  

So I am trying to be brave and have gradually started telling people that I am writing, am just a little scardy of it, you know, being out there (so no posts on Facebook about it yet).

So whoever is reading this, hello and welcome.  You never know the more people follow the braver I may become...

Starter for 10

Quiz night at the school tonight.  Am not expecting to win (my secret weapon - friend who was once on 'Eggheads' is unavailable) but it's a night out with friends so should be fun.  Mr DOMADQ is even coming too on a rare night out together - hoorah.

Reminds me that we met at a pub quiz when I was at university, being a friend of friends he was on our team.  Despite all his declaring 'I know this one, I know this one!' he knew none of the answers but was very endearing and flirty.  The only thing I won that night was a future husband but it was highly amusing skipping out of the bar with a new boy in tow.

Am not convinced that we'll be winning any prizes tonight but I do have a bottle of wine chilling to take with us (should I be concerned that so many of my posts involve wine?) and  fish & chips for dinner means no cooking tonight so for me it's a win win.  And I get to take my boy home with me again...

The Forbidden Fruit Tastes the Sweetest

Mr DOMADQ is out tonight & I am planning a quiet night in.  Wanting to avoid 'Children in Need' (a really really great cause but really don't think I'd be able to withstand the cringe factor of watching the cast from Eastenders singing a Queen medley), I have other plans.  There is an open bottle of wine in the fridge & a very good friend of mine has leant me the 2nd Twilight film, 'New Moon' and it will be all mine to watch once 2 x small girls are in bed.  A complete guilty pleasure.  

RPattz is very easy on the eye & although I am old enough to be his *cough* older sister, I may allow myself a swoon or two.

I have only read / watched the 1st film in the 'Saga' and despite being incredibly flawed I can see the appeal to young girls and middle aged women alike.  My sister surmised that girls yearn for what they are yet to experience and woman are yearning for what they will never have again, first love.

Tosh it may yet turn out to be, but I cannot wait. 

grumpy mama

I wonder what my children will remember about me when they are older.  Will it be the stories I read, songs I have sung, games we have played or cakes we have baked together....or will it be when I have to get the shouty voice out  in the mornings attempting to get them to school on time, when I bellow at them to go to bed or the stand up arguments about doing homework?

In a perfect world I would always be there to listen, to play, would want to hear about Moshi Monsters in minute detail.  I would WANT to read all of the Rainbow Fairy books, want to sing the same songs over and over and over again.  There would be no shouting and more listening.

But I'm tired and it's hard work isn't it, life.  Tomorrow I will be better.

The A - Z of me

(Ok so I stole this idea from Faith, Hope & Charity Shopping but thought it might help Little Dotty Bird with the Xmas Swap...)

A-Age:

38 (gulp) but in my head I'm about 23

B-Bed size:

Super King Size (she boasts)

C-Chore that you hate:

I hate ALL chores.  If being a housewife was my actual paid job I would be sacked, I am dreadful.  I particularly hate ironing.

D-Dogs:

They're OK, but I can get a bit nervous if they bark alot (I was bitten in the mouth when I was about 10 so I guess that's understandable).  I am more of a cat person really.

E-Essential start to your day: 

Shower followed by coffee.  I cannot function without caffeine.

F-Favourite Colour:

Blue, most shades of.  The general consensus is that kind of greeny blue colour is 'my colour'

G-Gold or silver:

Silver, with a doubt.  I love rings, big chunky rings.  I'm not a dainty jewellery kind of girl

H-Height:

5'4" ish

I-Instruments you play:

I started piano lessons when I was about 7 but stopped before taking any exams.  Played the recorder at school, does that count?

J-Job title:

Full time mum, part time book keeper, freelance Production Manager (for TV) - not that I do that much these days as unfortunately TV is not very family friendly, Transcriber (for TV).  Anything that really fits in around the children really.

K-Kids:

2 girls aged 6 (very nearly 7) and 3 (nearly 4)

L-Live:

S E London but dream of living at the sea side one day.

M-Mother's name:

Sue.

N- Nickname

Honeybunch, Han, Hanbean (don't ask), Wellie (from my maiden name), Tits (you don't need to ask).

O-Overnight hospital stays:

Once when I was 5 to have cyst removed from my foot (it turned out to be a veruca and got a Tiny Tears for being a brave girl).  Several overnight stays after having a C Section with girl 1 and maybe 2 nights after girl 2 as I was horribly anemic)

P-Pet peeves:

Many of these.  People that drop rubbish.  People who brake for no reason.  People who stop dead in front of you on the pavement (used to get serious pedestrian rage when I had to commute up to London). People that whistle aimlessly (ie no tune in particular).  Cashiers in shops or banks who chat too much & hold up the queue (don't they know I have a tiny window to get these things done?!).  Sales people who phone up and launch into a spiel without introducing themselves first.  In fact any cold caller on the phone or at the front door (why do they always knock when it's children's meal /bath/bed/story time?)  and probably many many more things - sorry grumpy old woman)

Q-Quote from a film:

'You're so money and you don't even know it'  Swingers

'What about Prom, Blaine?' Pretty in Pink

'How dare you call me inhumane!' Withnail & I

'I carried a watermelon?' Dirty Dancing (guilty pleasure)

R-Right or left handed:

Right handed

S-Siblings:

Two sisters.  My older sister is 5 & a half years older.  She works in TV & has 3 children (2 girls and a boy).  My twin sister is the same age as me (!) and has a girl. 

I say my twin sister is the same age as me as my mother has been known to introduce me to people as her middle child!  During a conversation with her about middle child syndrome she honest to god said to me 'I never had any of those problems with you'...THAT'S BECAUSE I AM THE JOINT YOUNGEST!!

T-Time you wake up:

Usually about 6.30am (whenever the small girl alarm goes off really)

U-Underwear:

Being 'overly blessed' it's underwired all the way. 

V-Vegetable you hate:

I'm not sure about this as I really like vegetables.  I don't really like cooked celery but like it raw (particularly as someone once told me you burn more calories eating it than are in it!) and I have to be the right mood to eat tomato (but that's a fruit anyway)

W-What makes you run late:

Small children & trying to do too much.  If I have 20 minutes to be somewhere I will be on time.  Give me an hour and 20 and I will ALWAYS be late as I'll probably try & squeeze in putting another wash on.

X-X rays you've had:

Little finger on my left hand which I broke when I was about 7 (hair line fracture) I remember having it strapped up & trying to do my piano lesson. 

Thumb on my left hand which I shut in a door at my 18th birthday party (didn't break it but it absolutely killed). 

My teeth at the dentist?  Does that count?

Y-Yummy food that you make
Roast Lamb with sweet spices (my Dad's recipe, it's gorgeous)

Chicken pesto nuggets which adults & children both loves

I love baking so many many sweet things, melt in the middle truflfes which I will probably make again for Christmas. 

Sweet Onion Jam, another Christmas make. 

Chocolate & Banana loaf, new recipe & recent obsession.

Z-Zoo animal:

Elephants.  I love them.  I used to collect them (not real ones obviously) when I was younger and I still fascinated by them.  I think they are beautiful.

You're my obsession....

I was chatting with my mother yesterday who declared, that me & my sister B both 'have quite obsessive personalities'. 

OBJECTION! 

I can see it in my sister who has just purchased a 3rd outfit from ebay for a wedding at the weekend and is fixated by the Slimming World diet, just 2 of her current obsessions.  When we were younger she became fixated on the whole MADchester scene & would be 'listen to this, listen to this' all the time.  Me, being a whole hearted irritated by it all declared I hated it & wouldn't listen (despite secretly quite liking The Happy Mondays).

I'm NOTHING like that I argued (whilst sorting through my sewing bag), and happened upon the 13 odd sock monkeys I sewed earlier this year - erm....I should probably try & sell these or something, several half sewn ones and about another 15 pairs of socks...In my defence, I argued I did sell some of these & I was trying to generate some income from them, at one point I looked into setting up a website to sell them.  See, I had good reason to spend any spare moment with socks & needle and thread in hand...

And then I came across my button collection....ah, I said maybe you have a point

Is it too early for wine?

Mr DOMADQ is away.  ALL WEEKEND.  I have spent  the last couple of days 'dealing' with nits, juggling 2 small girls, diffusing tantrums, rushing around trying to making arrangements for Mr D's looming birthday celebrations, buying presents, wrangle children in shopping centres, encouraging small girls to paint a lovely canvas for Daddy, making pizza dough, assuring my smallest girl that indeed she will get to 'decorate' the pizza as soon as the dough is proved.  Nothing unusual really, just without the grown up chatting really.

Still pizza decorating, cooking & eating to be done, along with bath time and bed  before I can even think about that bottle of wine in the fridge & brain rotting X Factor.  Tunnel vision till then.