On Top of the World

This is the gang and I walking the dog while the SE wind does its thing.

Our anniversary

Well, this is a picture from 14 years ago.
Best Man= Dr Nicola Deans (now Walton). Bridesmaids = Ruth & Bex Richardson (now Dr Bentley and PC Chumbley) and Ushers = Ian & Simon Clayton.
I loved my wedding. I'd do it again in a flash.
I am enjoying my marriage.
Cheers!

Reasons to be cheerful

A tough one today as my family are on the boat tonight leaving me alone for over a week.
So I am cheerful because:

The family are SO excited about the boat, the train(s) the car rides, the wider families being in England - the whole thing!

The house will be really, truly clean and tidy and will stay that way all week

The oven and the lights are cleaned. Walls next??

I will get to jog when I like and as long as I like and not feel guilty about being alone so long.

I will have no reason at all to put off appraisal paper work.

There: some pretty good things!!

Listography - 5 celebrities I would like to have a beer with

I am slow to add my list and that is because while there are loads I would love, on having to pin it down to names, I am suddenly struck mentally dumb. So here are 5 folk I think I would like to know more about/chat to:
1. Rolf Harris.
A good egg and interesting chap. I would love to be acquainted with Rolf.

2. Emmeline Pankhurst.
What a person to know better! I would very much like to know what she would make of womens rights now.

3. King Edward the 1st of England (and Scotland).
Thinking outside my station in life here. But would be fascinated to know more about this warmonger who loved his first wife so very dearly. True love in very strong/powerful men is a very attractive phenomenon

4. Eleanor of Aquitaine
I figure if I can put a King, why not a queen of France and England? A very strong woman with spirit and passion.

5. Bill Bryson
Anglophile and all round clever chap. As with Rolf, there is something wonderful about people from palpably better countries who like our pokey has been one. I think he would be the best of my choice to enjoy the pint with.

Cheers!!

Reasons to be cheerful

Mum has made it out to South Africa to be with her family. This has been a goal of hers for some years as she has battled her illness. The battle is not won but she has triumphed on this front.

It is my eldest sons birthday tomorrow. He is very excited and has reminded us of the days approach often. We have bought a present we are pretty confident he will love. So we are really excited too!

I have been for a jog of 3 miles before 8.30am. The weather is still and cool. My home is beautiful and the air clear. The jog was good in so many ways.
My kids are going to have a busy day (Saturday) and their enjoyment is ours (see above).


Have a look at other folks Reasons to be cheerful

Some good, some not so good

Just a general blog to my self this time.
Good things: made some sharp diagnosis this week.
Did some good work on the maty department.
Zach is walking
We are making crafty things for Christmas, and this is going well
Matt is swimming well
Ben has turned a corner with his reading
Cesca & Tim are enjoying being read to again

Not so good (though not bad)
I am dog tired and noise is wearing at the mo - a problem with 5 young kids!
It is getting cold & dark
Cesca growing up is causing everyone to loose their communication skills as she 'ugs' up puberty style, even Zach whinges
I have just paid on line a bill hubby paid 2 hours ago.

Listography - games I used to play

Another fun thing to list!!

1. Laggie.
This involved a large loop of knicker elastic that was hooked over 2 players ankles while a third jumped from one side of elasti to the other in a precise manner in a precise order. Errors meant you were 'out' and you swapped with one of the girls holding the elastic with their ankles. start pointfor the elastic: at ease position(normalzise), around ankles. progression was: same stance at knee height, legs wide (widezes) apart around ankles - then at knee height, then ankles together (thinsizes) ankle height then knee height, then all over again but moving! Hardest was thinsizes around ankles.

2.Skipping rope.

I became excellent at skipping solo or in group. Loved the games for 3 or more and jumping in and out of the routine with the rope swinging!

3.What time is it Mr Wolf?

A stealth game with chasing in, so this one attracted some of the boys into the game. Basically kids call out 'what time is it Mr wolf?' at one end of play ground while the 'wolf' would have her back to the rest of the players and call out O'clocks - the players would then aim to take massive strides in the number called. Mr Wold would randomly call out 'dinner time!' when he perceived a player was close (or cheated and looked back) - the aim being to catch a player. If some one touched the wolfs wall they won and the wolf had to have another go. If the wolf caught someone (ie they were close and easy to catch but at the wolfs wall yet) then they would have to be wolf next time.


4. The big Ship sailed down the Ally-Ally-O/Farmers in his den/Hoke Cokey
The group singing and action games. There were only 6 girls to 26 boys in my class, so these game were played with the whole schools girls. Loved them.

5. Wonder woman.

A game that I happily played by myself but more often than not played with a boy called James. We were both Wonder woman. We would dash about with a headband around our foreheads and a cloak about our shoulders singing the theme tune to this fabulous TV program. I seriously hoped and prayed even, to grow up to be Wonder woman, or at least look like her.

Listography - 5 things I did this summer

A brief thing the Shetland summer, so I shall define summer more as the kids summer holidays:

1. Watched my brother get married.



A beautiful couple and a fabulous day

2. Had a week of only 3 children, all 5 or under. This was like a step back to a simpler time of life, as the older two were away on a residential Christian youth camp. We got to have the house back from 7pm. We didn't have back chat and shouting to get kids out of bed in the morning - the 3 little ones woke themselves from 5.30am anyway!!

3. I learned that what I thought of as fringe Christian radical dogma, used to jeer at Christian belief, is not at all on the fringes. My oldest 2 kids came back from camp with some radical, unpleasant and in my opinion wrong ideas of what it means to be Christian. This was an interdenominational youth camp and hugely enjoyed by the kids. School allowed distribution of leaflets advertising it. It is fully booked with waiting lists.
BUT - they were kept up until 11pm to contemplate bible readings in solitude, a well used form of brain washing.
-they were encouraged to draw conclusions from the bible that are anti Semitic. -they were taught science is wrong and faith means believing unquestioningly creation as set out in the bible.
So 3.5 I did a lot of bible discussion with the kids!

4. DLRP We drove from Shetland to DLRP taking our time and visiting friends and relatives. I did Space Mountain loads of times with Tim!! Good fun and the whole family had a blast.


5. Appeared live on national TV.
This is not as exciting as it sounds and I looked a prat as did the cloud appreciation society I was on TV representing. A mean move by the BBC but I can't say I was harmed, just belittled. I did very much enjoy the build up and the sense of 'talking' to media types though.

Moving on

September already and it feel there has been a change. Not the weather - it changed beginning August. Zach walking is a big thing and so I post one of his efforts today. But there is more to it than that.
The year is now getting old.
Work is changing its style and computer system.
I am contemplating another qualification and not another baby.
My family are entering new phases each one.

The Gallery - animals

Look closely and you will see a fish in the rock pool. Found by my daughter!!

The Gallery - world photography day

Not sure this actually fits the brief, but here are my justifications for choosing this photo:
* It has my family in it and they are my world
* It shows our "US Pentagon" in the sand-castle media
* We won a prize for the sand-castle!!

Silent Sunday

Mum

We have been visited by my mother this week. This is an outstanding achievement as she has not been well for some time. Despite this she booked herself through to our Island and made it to our door step under her own steam.
My boys crowded round shouting to all the world their pleasure in seeing her. I know it lifted every-ones spirits in our household! This crying out of joy is what her effort was about.
We had a lovely visit with her and even the youngest, who at 1 years old can be suspicious of new folk was pleased to see and and be played with.
I envy my siblings of whom 2 live within 5 miles of mum for all the time with her they get. However I counter this with the moments of pure gold we have had, and because mum has come here is just for us. That and I have the oldest children who have therefor had the privilege of really knowing their gran.
Now she is safely away and at her home greeting grand kids all over again- and doubtless getting the same joyful response mine gave.
I am now happy that she has been, and sad that her visit is over.

Guilty pleasures

Hmm. Pleasures I should feel guilt about...

1. Eating until I am really, really full- well beyond what I need to eat. Definitely a pleasure. Definitely feel guilty after..

2. Black humour. Not in and of its self a bad thing, especially in my profession - but I do sometimes enjoy spreading black humour when I know my audience don't get it. I feel guilt about this later. Much later, sometimes months later.

3. Sitting on this computer pseudo- analysing myself instead of doing the active work of parenting.

4. When one of my kid decks another - especially when I know the other kids has been harassing mine for a while. Guilt comes from the 'good' job my angry kids can do and from teachers response.

There are of course many subsections to this list.

The Gallery. Water

Water is very much on the minds of Islanders. I have put up a photo of outside our house. Same stuff, same location. Amazing.

Listography - 5 things I would change about myself

My first official listography! I don't come out of this well. Here goes:

1. Envy. I'd get rid of that. I find I envy anything that someone else is really happy with for example : appearance, house, gadgets. I suddenly want it or dislike myself for not having it. I can talk myself out of this and can list the gazilion things I am lucky to have, but the envy is always quick to come.

2. Quick tongue. I am quick to judge and like many a Yorkshire lass, quick to dole out that judgment. I need to slow down and think: was this judgment invited? Can I phrase this better, or even not at all? Success on this is mediocre at best.

3. Evil days. Every now and then I get a day when I actually want to hurt things. Why? I don't know. But these days are best spent alone. I generally am quieter than normal on these days, lest temptation turn into act.

4. Sense of proportion. This is some times out of order. It is NOT a big deal if the loo seat is up. again. I need to react consistently to the little irritations and not treat them as big deals.

5. Sense of smell. I have a smelly house. 5 male humans. 2 male cats. I would go to sleep easier if I wasn't thinking - what is that smell?

Acts of kindnesses

I thought I would make a list of 5 kindnesses that I have benefited from and enjoyed that I remember and ponder on still...
I wonder if I have played a part in other people lives in this way?

1. When I was student studying medicine my little sister, Bex bought me a tea caddy. She had no particular reason to be so unselfishly generous with her meager means, especially as I was relatively comfortable as a student in my own flat, living with my boyfriend (now hubby) John. She bought other little useful and lovely gifts over the years of studenthood. They have meant a lot to me. She helped me feel loved and cherished at a time when we were far apart.
2. Towards the end of my 1st pregnancy I was bored at home, too huge to take up a new hobby and generally pretty isolated. Nicky (the English one!) came over to my house, kept me company and took me out to the cinema. She didn't take my prevaricating about the bush for an answer, or wait for me to call. She also kept this up during my maternity leave with new baby! I deeply appreciate this work of true friendship and am humbled by what a lovely person she is.
3. When John moved to Kent to take up a job in the civil service I still had 2 years of med school in Edinburgh to finish. To keep the relationship going meant using a big chunk of wage traveling North, and a bigger chunk saving for us to be together for my elective abroad. 1 year in and I went South for interviews, so that I could do my house jobs in Kent. While he was at work I found a LOT of expensive role playing games and further evidence he was not saving for our future. I went home to Edinburgh knowing he did not value our relationship, it was de facto over. Nicky (Scottish one!) was my true friend I turned too. She was there for me at my lowest ebb. She sympathised, we got drunk, we talked. Pivotal bit of caring for me.
4.When my 3rd child was born he had persistent hypoglycaemia and needed admission to special baby unit in Aberdeen - a problem when you are on Shetland! My hubby had to stay on the Island to look after the oldest 2, leaving me to travel alone with our son. I phoned my sister, Ruth, in tears as you can imagine and she dropped everything and came North to Aberdeen to be with me. She took me out from the hospital and helped me buy clothes (Hubby had packed for me, and while I had loads of baby clothes I had been given no knickers and no change of clothes!) and to even laugh while my son recovered in hospital.
5. When I was a fairly new medical student I became unwell with flu like symptoms that went on for a few weeks. I presented myself to my GP who suggested bed rest, paracetamol, fluids and it would pass. It didn't and so I presented again. This time, after a brief examination he asked me if I was OK in my studies, could my symptoms be unhappiness? I was appalled and quite angry at this suggestion - I thought I was doing OK keeping to the routines of anatomy, physiology and biochem quite well. He asked to think about it and promised blood tests if I felt I needed to return. I thought about it. I talked to Mum about it. I realised when I started crying that the GP had been spot on. This gave me the courage to ignore the lies my mind was feeding my body was feeding my mind and get on with the business of being a first year student. His straight talking helped me immeasurably. I rank his act of kindness as highly as the ones above.

Summer Holiday 2011!!

What a great holiday we have just had. The first week was spent in England split between my mum and Johns folks. We started with selling Johns car. Then hired a car and journeyed in that. In Corbridge we immersed ourselves in all things Roman - a pleasant break from Vikkings!

I stayed at Mums and did the 'Great British Weather Show' live on Wed evening, with my brother in law, Tom. For the previous 2 weeks, e mails had come from and to the production team, as I am a member of the Cloud Appreciation Society - we had specifically been invited to the show all about clouds. I was a person of interest being from Shetland. We turned up at 6pm and it rained and rained. It was clear I was not a person of interest. At 7pm the crowd (and surprisingly there was a crowd) moved to the filming area. There the society was called for and 10 of us presented ourselves. it was nice when the team put my face to the emails - but non personage confirmed. was just interesting hat wearing cloud appreciation member. I did however get to be filmed - but with a 'cloud spotting frame' on my face making look a freak in a freaks society with a duck look about it. Good lessons learned all round and it was fun.

Great family re-union in Northallerton - where we celebrated with lunch at Bettys. Back to Ripon to johns folks and a great play in the local play park. Just fantastic whole family fun!

The journey to Disney in Paris started next day, with a trip to Kent and a night with Simone and Bernard Borchardt. Lovely people, with lovely home. They gave us a great end to the travel. And so onto through the Chunnel and down to DLRP. It went smoothly and we ended by playing in the park at the ranch.
The next 4 days were spent with mornings packed full of Disney Studios and Park. The afternoons swimming, tree top adventuring and sleeping!! We did all we could want and I think all our family had a fantastic time.
The journey home started with a drive to Surrey and a night with the excellent Nicky and Charlie. Again a lovely time with generous folk. The next day was traveling to Northumberland - and a night with mum. Then lastly a drive to Aberdeen and the ferry home.

Phew!! What a great time.

Struggling

I have been given the opportunity to forgive.
I feel aggrieved that my husband could not get over himself and ask me to dance at my brothers wedding. I felt belittled by this and ugly in his eyes.
This is a problem. I need to feel attractive generally and to my husband especially. So this has been a mental blow that I did not need, and that I told him he was inflicting on me at the time. It made no difference we did not dance.
Reading up on the process of forgiveness I understand that I am hurting myself in not doing the work of forgiveness. It certainly feels miserable, and everything is tinged with a sadness to me. Jogging was like being 10kg heavier. So I am fed up of being cross. But how to forgive??
1. Must stop rehearsing my grievance
2. See it from his point of view. OK, lets try that:
Disco dancing makes me feel scared and embarrassed. This process makes me feel ill and exposed. I understand my wife wants to dance but it just makes me feel unwell and scared. I have a long journey to make at an early hour of the morning and I really just want to get back to the hotel and sleep. Dancing will not make this goal happen, instead I will be stuck until after midnight because if I dance once she will expect me to dance more - this I know from past experience. I can hear she is hurt and wants to dance and she is angry - this is just making me more determined not to dance - how much fun can it be when she is in this mood?
*OK I am done with that. As I write it I just shoot down his side of the argument as miserable excuses- NOT helping.
3. Think of positive things that have come out of the negative experience. Here goes
- he got his sleep, which he is not good without and was needed for the journey
- we safely made it to Wales, including getting lost.
-we picked up a new cat!
-we traveled safely onwards home.
- Husband has been contrite and done little tasks without the usual prompting
- Husband played with children in a manner he usually wouldn't due to his self consciousness, because of his contriteness - to the utter delight of the children.
4. If amends are made - I MUST move on
5. If amends are not made - I MUST move on - but not repeat the same exposure to vulnerability. I see this as not inviting him to be with me on any future occasions that may involve dancing. This is deeply sad - but probably a huge relief to him. In this way I will be able to dance (assuming I have got myself into a situation where it is inevitable eg: Up Helly Aa) without all his transference baggage.
6. Accidentally while writing this I have realised part of why I have felt SO awful and angry about what is really small beef. I said it just above - transference. He's given me all his emotional baggage and I have amplified it. I certainly was not looking unattractive - that must have been him feeling like that.

So moving on.

My beautiful feline soul mate, Raja, died today. He was 1 years old. He was the most beautiful cat in looks and temperament. Unfortunately he became very ill, loosing a lot of blood. Steroids and antibiotics were not enough to save him. My grief is intense and is shared by John who was with him in his last minutes.
I hope the life spark that was in my cat moves on to some stronger vessel that can enjoy life for longer.

oh so tired

Dear diary, for that is what this blog is - an occasional diary for me. Today has been a sod of a day. 80+ folk in the triage slots for 30 appointments there abouts. I am exhausted by the demands the nit picking and the all round barrage that is triage and duty days at the health center. I generally like triage - as there are a lot of folk I can help quickly or get an appropriate appointment for. But today sucked. Very few appointments and high demand.
What are my colleagues all doing and why are we stuck with the promise of contacting all patients - when with the demand is way out stripping the docs ability to provide. I feel I am being harmed through this and the fire fighting is demoralizing - no head way and only abuse as a rewards for trying t your hardest.
Today one of our most experienced lovely receptionists had a torrent of angry groundless anger flung at her. The git then complained to the board and they had a go at her too. So groundless was this gits complaint that he spontaneously phoned and appologised. But the harm had been done - both with his shitty actions against a lovely lady who works for the public good and by the members of the health board undermining my friends confidence in herself and her superiors with their high handed support of the complainant.

We get 80-150 contacts a day demanding attention to their results and discussion about them, about meds, about family members, needing appointments as we have 2 docs to field this demand. 1 is triage and 1 is duty, so sometimes duty calls one away. The docs also have to support the nurses and will be called away from the monstrous waiting list of callers to see just one case. Or the receptionist will but-in with pharmacy updates, hospital colleague calls or even just to nag on behalf of some waiting patient - NO I will NOT speak to them right now, I tired 30mins ago and now it is another persons turn for me to try.

Well thats me fed up and tired. No lunch, 3 urinations no break. More tomorrow with duty doc Monday. I can't escape this is my life. One day the demand will be too much for even the superhuman effort we routinely get asked to make and something clinically indefensible will happen - with the only defense being i could not get time to attend to this problem!!!

Northumberland

With Matt & Zach I set off to visit Mum. John dropped us off at the airport, which was nice. The trip down went well - I have done it before so knew what to expect. Mum picked us up from Hexham and we went home to her house (not shopping, which I had expected/dreaded).
The boys and I had a lovely time relaxing, talking, watching TV.
The weather on the Sunday was especially good and we went for a river side stroll playing "trolls". Matt would run around avoiding & running into Mum & I who were designated trolls. Much fun and Mum did alot of catching and spinning Matt. Exhausting but therapeutic I think. Fantastic slow roast lamb - yum!!
Spent a nice bit of time with Rupe & Bex playing at their house - again exhausting Matt and even Zach!! Really good to see them sleep so quickly and deeply.
All too soon Mum headed off to clinic and Bex dropped us off to the station. It was a dreadful journey back - but we 3 managed in fairly good humour I think. John, Ben & Tim greeted us at the airport.
The family is together again! Wednesday spent buying Johns birthday presents and avoiding thinking of returning to work the next day.

Home!

At home for a day. Cleaned the house, delivered and collected boys from school/nursery and generally set myself to the next task - heading off to Northumberland to visit mum who had bad news about her lymphoma.
This one day was relaxing - I baked, mothered and felt good.

Egypt

Been a while since I was last on my blog. At the end of Feb Cesca and i went to Egypt to bond and become more tolerant of each other. The plan being to learn to dive together. We flew to Edinburgh, then trained to Northallerton (having missed a connection). Spent a lovely evening with Beryl & Tony. Are fish and chips (yum!) and had too much gin. Johns folks are moving soon, so there was a lot fo stuff in boxes.
Up early next morning. Toni drove us to Manchester airport where we had no queuing at all to check in and none through security! Hung around the airport from 7am untill 10.45 when we took off. Bought Cesca a Meg Cabot double book for us to read together. She was very skeptical. Quite a long but confortable flight later we arrived in Taba. We both finished our first diving self assessment . Taba has not changed. We were the only ones heading to Coral Hilton at Nuweiba. Due to the political unrest and the throwing out of their president all other nations cancelled their citizens holidays, except the British. So we are the only holidaying nation - and the hotels are closed or on hugely reduced capacity.
Straightforward check in. Nice clean rooms. Went to dinner.
The next day saw us start our diving. We went through the videos along with the learning modules. We learned our equipment and how to put it on etc. We di our first set of exam questions. We went diving! In the sea! We did confined water drills followed by an open water dive. Was really getting the hang of buoyancy and was specifically praised for this. Very tired and hungry at the end of the day! Fell asleep shortly after reading for a bit.
Next day I had an ear ache so we did a confined water dive and class work in the morning. I spent lunch time looking for pain killers to help versus the rapidly increasing pain and mounting fever. The afternoon was spent on lessons as diving was clearly off for me!
That evening - had to seek medical help as I had pain and swelling behind my ear, couldn't close my jaw and was getting rigors. Mastoiditis the daddy of ear infections! Antibiotic injections & tablets later went to bed exhausted. In the night the pain went and the ear burst forth with pus.

Cesca and I continued our lessons in the class room reviewing the book, the videos and doing the exams. Cesca would then dive both befor and after lunch. She was getting more confident in front of my eyes and needing me, her buddy, less. In the afternoons, once she was finished for the day I would read her book to her. She enjoyed this and would encourage me to get on and read when we were getting near the climax.
I spent my days reading and sunning myself. I did not dare swim, and paddling is not what the Red sea is about. I did get brave enough to enjoy the odd afternoon beer - and discovered my one bit of arabic meant "3 beers please", not "one beer please!!"
Cesca and I sat and passed the exam and Cescas last day of the course was good fun for her - no drills. I booked another fun dive for her the following day - which she loved. On the last 2 days I was well enough to dare to swim - so I snorkeled on the top of the water while Cesca skin dived around the jetty.
Going home worked well, with no hitches. Tony greeted us and we had a quick drive to his house. The following day Cesca and I had the dream trip home.
Good time had (despite illness) and I think we bonded

Feburary

The pic is me enjoying my birthday. I ate too much having cooked too much. Had jerk chicken, rice and sweet corn. Then profiteroles with creme patisserie - lot of them. I had my first drink of the year as well.
Generous presents - a clever scanner from Mum, clothes from the sisters and a digital polaroid camera from John.
Pleased with that.

Prior to the birthday splurge I had been continuing to slim and John & I have both had to tighten our belts and then get new trousers!

Sadly Mum was not at my birthday as her mantle cell lymphoma is back and she is starting treatment straight away. It also meant that she canceled her already delayed South Africa visit. Mum was not alone through this dark time - Ruth & Bex supported her through the tests and Rod & Tori have been with her for the results. I will be spending a long weekend with her in March - otherwise my contribution is pretty remote.

Ben has re-started swimming - what a relief. He has so much pizazz and needs to have the talent! Pleasingly friends have kids swimming at the same time so both of us are enjoying the lessons. Tim has continued violin despite John & I getting fed up with his lack of drive. Cesca is doing well with her violin and could be very good if there was more practice. Zach is registered now with the nursery and has had his first intro session. He cried a lot. Hey ho. Thankfully Matt will help him when it is the real deal.


Raja the cat tried to die yesterday - bleeding all over the place. It settled with the vet and he is back to his normal self. Mystifying what caused it all.

Good weather

Well this is the end of January and it has got to be one of the nicest on record. Currently blue sky and no wind to speak of. New month coming up, so I am expecting change soon!
I am now at the weight I was when I fell pregnant in Sept '09 and feeling pretty good about it. Am jogging and using the rowing machine. Unfortunately I have Achilles tendonitis threatening , and a bit of knee pain. The joy of being older, I guess. However Rod has given some useful advise on keeping the running going but not worsening the tendonitis - which is brilliant as I don't want to rest it!
I have ordered 900 photo prints from snap fish, and while not great quality, they have arrived fast. I am now making albums of all that we have done in the last 2.5 years since I last did photo albums. Turns out we have done quite a lot! It is exhausting and rewarding to do this. I have resolved (again!) to keep more up to date with my album making.
Up Helly Aa happened this past week and it was Matthews first at nursery. He was so cute and just like the 3 befor him VERY excited at being a Viking! I took the older 4 to the parade and we all came back smelling of the torches. The following day we made axes, whcih are very good if I do say so myself. Ben took his to talk about at school!
The diving manual has arrived for me and I have given it to Cesca. Not sure what has happened to hers. Egypt is a seething mass of rebellion at the moment - so I am a bit concerned for this holiday of ours. I have bought additional insurance, as the annual insurance we have does not have a phone number to call when you need either medical assistance or to make a claim. Everything is done by fax. We are not having a happy time with companies that only deal with faxes (cause they don't bother to deal with them!) - so I have specific insurance for our trip and they DO have a phone line dedicated to medical needs. A lesson learned there.

A few things planned

This week has been an odd one. Beryl - my mother in law- has been here. She came up in order to look after Zach if I was called to attend court again (I was in Aberdeen for 2 days last week, which John covered using annual leave). We get on well but it was still a bit odd, as we carried on doing our normal thing as opposed to special activities such a visit usually causes.
I am pleased to report the exercise and weight loss continue. I have lost 7kg so far, but have a long way to go yet - and now my body is fighting back.
Our holiday dates are booked and our main family holiday is as well. We are going to Disney Land Paris! Very exciting for everyone. We are driving there so we get to see friends and our old haunts around Ashford. This is were we were last time I had to diet like now -feels apt. Now we are booked it is amazing just how many Islanders are going either to DLP or DLF this year!!
I have booked Sumburgh lighthouse for my family to use in June when Zachs Christening is planned. And that is exciting too - should be spectacular for them and right about Simmer Dim. Bird spotting made easy. Fingers crossed for whales too.
As a happy co-incidence timing wise, Al Murray is preforming to the Clickimin right here in Shetland while my family are here for the Christening. So we have taken the opportunity and have booked our selves tickets. Leaving my family to baby sit!! John & I have not been out by ourselves for5 years - by choice mostly- but this will be exciting for us!
On a less exciting note, but important to me, renewed the house and car insurance and used on line brokers. Saved £350 in total from renewal cost!!

Reward

Well a week in and we have not cheated on the diet and have remained steadfast. The reward is a return to what I deem my normal over-weight (as opposed to fat). Trousers fit better. Just in time to appear in court - I will respect myself and hopefully that will encourage the court too as well.
Now dreaming of being 'ideal' weight - but this is an expensive dream as I have bought a dress already. Must stay off ebay!!

New Year

I am a shameful weight (not been this heavy and not pregnant since 2000) and have turned over a new leaf. No alcohol, little food. Took a fair bit of time prepping Cesca for the change in our eating - as the last thing I want is for her to feel she needs to diet. So far, so hungry!
Exercise has been recommenced and I am attempting to bully my stomach muscles into existing again. Ouchio! so far.
On the plus side the endorphins have lifted the depression of Christmas ending and we have a fairly ordered house with new presents all pressed into action. This is a good reminder of Christmas and of course what the presents were for.
Better than exercise, 'cause it doesn't hurt, is planning a holiday. I have chosen my leave days today and sent an email requesting the dates to my boss. An advert for DisneyLandParis quoted lots of discounts and the word family a lot - that got me thinking. A few hours used on searching their website and blow me if we can't have a holiday there for 5 days, all of us at not-unreasonable cost!!
Having the pleasure of thinking around the 'hows' of the holiday has me excited that we can say hello to our Southern friends!! If we are really lucky they won't mind us cadging the floor to kip on and that will help keep our costs down. Another form of excitement!
On the down side: I am trying to convert Zach to the bottle. He resists which is sad and painful to watch his frustration. My milk has already started to change with the radical reduction in food and taking the combined contraceptive pill, so even when I let him snuggle he gets no satisfaction. I hope he converts soon!

Big family Christmas 2010 *the departure

Up fairly late for me to find Bex foraging for Ruperts breakfast. The weather had continued to change and there was sever weather warning of high winds. The ferry was still going but would likely dock late - meaning a rough and long crossing faced everyone at the end of the day. With this knowledge the decision was made by those of a delicate stomach to eat fully in the morning and sparingly in the evening. Left over sticky toffee pudding was dispatched, as were salmon bagels, Ham & cheese bagels etc.
With so many strong hands about we removed the 2 mattresses from our bedroom that were for chucking, and moved the 2 mattresses that were new onto the small boys bed frames. The mattresses already on the bed frames were bagged and put up in the garage roof. Rods room saw the double futon mattress removed and bagged - also put into the roof. The kids reclaimed their rooms with their bedding. Much hoovering was done. Everyone helping to put the house back into order. It felt a good way to fill the day that was being overshadowed by the journey ahead.
Dinner was ham and pasta.
Medications to help versus travel sickness were dispensed and cars loaded. I escorted Bexs family to the ferry and said good bye to everyone going as foot passengers (Rod & Tom I had said my goodbyes to were the drivers onto the ferry) and had a lonely drive home.
John & I both flushed with the fun that had been had but also feeling a real wrench that it was now over and not recoverable.
What a remarkable family time.


The 29th saw us taking the kitchen tables and chairs back to Johns work where we had borrowed them from. It was a sad day and John & I both very down. We opened the presents that had arrived from family not present on the days its self. This acted as a bit of a lift to us - but worked magic on the kids! The kids were troopers and played very happily. The postie came late (5.30) with 2 further sets of presents and the day ended quietly and happily. The traveling family had a good journey South - but all suffered with prolonged nausea on the journey ending - 'land sickness'.

Big family Christmas 2010 *Happy Birthday Ruth!!

Ruths birthday on this day and the ladies had a day of pampering planned over on Bressay. Breakfast of what could be found and various shifts as folk woke more gently than previous mornings. None the less our schedule meant folk did concentrate on Ruth in the morning opening her birthday presents. I think she liked them, though Guy did not - crying and getting stroppy at the song 'Happy Birthday.'
We left the men to look after the house and dinner preparations for jerk chicken. This would involve shopping.
We set off way too early and consequently had a pleasant chat in the car awaiting the ferry and guessing how the chaps would fair during the day. It is telling we never took our mobile phones!!
We had a lovely morning of sauna, steam rooms and hot tub. Followed by a wonderful lunch. The Northern Lights spa is really pretty special and it was really good being ladies together - we are quite a bunch!
Home again for 3pm (ish) saw the men doing well and about to have a(nother?)beer. Chicken had been prepped and put into the oven to do its magic. Jerk chicken, pasta and salad followed by sticky toffee pudding (and lots of it!!). Once the kids were in bed we played the Kill Dr lucky & Save Dr Lucky - John winning each game and each time before 3 players had even made a move. None the less a good evening had at the end of a fine day. Happy Birthday Ruth!

Big family Christmas 2010 *Boxing day

Boxing day and a day with little in the way of goals - just to have fun. Breakfast and lunch were left overs - from Christmas day and eve. Yum!! Sledging happened - our last chance as the weather had changed and it was a balmy 4'C. Bex & Adam went to have a swim in the sea!!! Yes, a SWIM in the SEA. Rod photographed the whole thing, and they did exactly what they said they would do. Zach was with me for sledging as he made it clear he would cry remorselessly if I left him with his young cousin, Tori and Mum. Sadly he wasn't a happy critter and I never sledged, nor joined sister for sea madness.
After the sledging Ruth & Tom headed for a SWIM in the SEA. All this unseasonal swimming was Toms idea! Again Rod recorded the whole thing for posterity. Tom ran home after his swim! The Bentley family warmed up (eventually) in the sauna - which Guy took to well - with an exclamation of "its like Spain!"
In the afternoon Adam helped me prepare turkey rissoles that saw the rest of the bird used up completely, as well as left over roast potatoes. John& Rod wrestled with the boys with Bea joining in when she could. At one point they had John pinned down and Guy stood onto his thigh and did a jig. Ruth & I just stared as John took the pain, then laughed - of course!
Dinner was chips & rissoles with gravy from Christmas - yum. Again chatting and games followed.

Big family Christmas 2010 *the big day

Went to bed 1am and was up again at 3 to assure Cesca the presents in her Santa sack would still be there if she went to sleep again. 5.30 Cesca up again prodding Tim as she went and so the day began.
The kids enjoyed their Santa sack presents very much and they all noticed how they got the present they had been shown on Portable North Pole. Inside my Santa sack was a book of medical humour 'Dr Copperfield' & Country File Calender - both being used now as I write this on New Years day.
Down stairs and sorted cats and tea. The other families awake now (7.30 ish) and everyone enjoying their Santa sacks. Breakfast of kippers and toast.
Into the sitting room and we each over saw a child and opened presents. As you will see in the picture it was a merry occasion and much wrapping rubbish was generated!
I am very pleased with some Per Uno clothes, a bed side lamp and bedside radio alarm clock. Some spinning shoes remind me I need to loose weight. John & I received a beautiful Nepalese rug - it is now on the sitting room wall adoring it. My kids got Didi cars and pedal walkers. Instant hit especially the didi cars and & Bea. Good to have got the presents correct. Matt became a bit obsessed with making mechano and I was not going to help him with so much wrapping around. Gran stepped in and took him to her room and made him feel special making a helicopter.
Bex, Rupe, Ruth, Guy, Bea and Gran joined us in heading to church where we all sang good and loud - celebrating Christmas properly. While we were busy with that Tom was starting the Turkey off in the oven. I gather the plans altered slightly as he apologised on our return, but i could not tell you what he thought he did wrong!
We found our selves with a sledging opportunity which Mum, Rod, Adam and I took up. Mum sledged!!!! What fun. She and I also had a go together. A priceless moment at the end of what has been a fairly hard year for mum.
Back home and kids playing and food cooking. Sprouts, parsnips, bread sauce all sorted by other folk! I made my rum sauce for the pudding, can say I did very much beyond that. Crackers for the kids started things off. The dinner was fantastic if a bit chaotic as there were such big numbers and some hungry folk. The turkey was really moist and and totally worth his price tag as a happy turkey. Cesca did her best to eat the sprouts single handed, much to the pleasure of Bex & Rod the sprout haters. The main meal was cleared, dish washer set off and much chat had, while the pudding was microwaved and space for pudding was made. 2 puddings this year - Ruths home made pudding with brandy set alight and rum sauce, and the panatoni icecream pudding that i had made with a caramel sauce. Both were very popular despite how well fed we already were. At the end of the meal the 'center table' presents were distributed and opened. This is the past present of the day, and the adults had done a secret Santa for this one. I did well with a Jami Oliver recipe book - which Radio 4 tells me is the fastest selling recipe book of all time, so Santa did well.
We watched a bit of TV and played games - but early to bed for those with kids as we were exhausted!! A very full and happy Christmas.