Mummyfried

It's come around so quickly. The end of yet another year. I have been blogging for nearly a year, averaging on one blog a week. Not bad for a newbie. Sure the content has been snooze-worthy at times (ok most times). On a rare occasion I have managed to crack a smile from some readers, and some comments! This year has been the toughest yet greatest year of my life. My immediate family has bought me joy and laughter. I treasure them each and every second of the day. I wake up each morning and can't wait to see the smile, giggle and scream with laughter. I have been met with challenges I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Challenges that have changed the way I view people and relationships and life in general. I have fought battles I never imagined possible. I haven't won.  I have come out wounded but hopefully wiser. The sort of wars I have had to take part in never result in a winner. I have said goodbye to people, hello to new friends and family and have p

Last week I was at my local supermarket, a well known Greek chain.  I picked up a few items that were discounted if I produced my loyalty card. I had left my card at home. The sales person promptly asked the lady behind me for her card. She used her card to give me the discount, and handed the card back. Other than  'Oh, I don't have my card' I uttered no other words, and the above transaction took place in a matter of moments. Gobsmacked, I turned and thanked the behind me, and also the sales assistant, They both looked at me as though I was thanking them for jumping on my feet. I left feeling as though I lived in a nice area. Mr. Lucky came home yesterday with an extra carton of milk.  He explained that the day before he forget to pack the milk when he picked up an armload of groceries. The sales assistant remembered him, and told him when he was at the checkout.  She left the till, got the carton of milk, and packed it for him explaining why. Today, aft

Last week we flew from Thessaloniki to Athens. It is a one hour flight. We thought it would be a good way to see if Little Miss had overcome her inability to fly with ease. A short trial flight would be ok. Well. We are optimists afterall. It was on hour of hell for all the surrounding passengers. Fortunately it was ten minutes of sheer terror for Little Miss. So, while we didn't win any prizes in the fabulous family stakes, I was somewhat relieved that she freaked out for only ten minutes, rather than the entire flight. Little Miss has largely lost her ' Port a Volcano ' status. It has been replaced with a 'Meltdown on anything that moves' title. We sat her in her own seat near the window. She turned pale and started hyperventilating. We hadn't yet put on our belts so we swapped seats thinking she would be happier between mum and dad. This made it worse. She absolutely freaked out. The air hostess came over to help. I asked if she could sit on my la

Bedtime. We three pile into Little Miss' single bed. I pull out three stories. We argue over which to read first. At the end of story time, it's lights out. No moving The Baby into her cot. No, mama does not give her cherubs a kiss goodnight, and confidently walks out the door. Mama balances on the edge of the single bed until Little Miss and The Baby fall asleep. The trundle is pulled out. There is a good chance Little Miss or The Baby will end up sleeping on it at some point in the night. Little Miss and The Baby insist on sleeping together. They hold hands until they fall asleep.  It's lovely. What isn't lovely is that they want me to lie with them and cuddle both of them equally. If I so much as move, they stir. At any time of the night.   A toilet break is a luxury.  A good night's sleep is a dream. Last night both fell asleep quickly.  I moved The Baby to the trundle successfully and tip toed out. I was so ecstatic that I went to bed, my bed, imm

As a child, I don 't remember being scared of my toys. Except the time my aunt gave me a clown, and my sisters and cousins would dangle it in front of my face when I slept - reenacting a scene from Poltergeist the movie. Their giggling would wake me up and I would scream in terror as the clown grinned at me. It wasn't an evil looking clown. It was kind of cute.  But the movie, and my sisters actions made me hide it in the cupboard and one day, I threw it out. Nobody noticed the clown went missing. As I often lie awake in my daughters' room, I look around and watch as dusk turns to dawn my daughters toys gradually morph in my mind from innocent dolls to a gang of undesirables. There are three dolls I  pay attention to. They are on my watch. They are like the rough kids in the playground.  I stare, I watch, I wait, I observe. I am ready. If they make one wrong move and even hint at hurting my cherubs, like a panther I am ready to attack. One is a Minstrel doll,