I'm going to be published!

In The Guardian no less - the Families section on Saturday. They ask people to send in things like recipes, snapshots and song memories about childhood. And they pay £75 if you're published.

I sent this photo


and wrote this...

This is a photo of me (in the trendy brown dungarees) and my sister (in our Dad's crash helmet) when I must have been 2 in 1974. I remember her dress as it was made of some sort of red fake leatherette - like a sofa! I'm screaming at her as I believe it was MY turn on the prized bike - and I do just love my physical position - real hand on hip beligerent "OI!!!".

My mother told me tales of my tantrums as a child - how I was stubborn, angry, fighting everyone and everything, and I never believed a 2 year old was capable of all that. I am now "blessed" with children of my own and my 18 month old son is me reincarnated, even down to the ginger sticky up hair. He's a holy terror - beating up his older brother, shouting at the top of his voice, screaming if he doesn't get his way, climbing onto furniture and constantly trying to escape out of the front door to play in the traffic.

All those stories have come back to haunt me....I now know that toddlers can be beelzebub incarnate one minute and a bundle of cuddlesome sweetness the next. This picture always reminds me that karma does exist - I tormented my mother and now I'm the tormented one. But I wouldn't have it any other way and I think she'd agree!

I never thought they'd publish it! But I got an email today saying it will be in this weekend - what a nice birthday present! So those few in the UK buy it! And those abroad there is a link here but the photos don't seem to be there - the rest of the part of the paper where they are is - but you never know - check on Saturday.

Now what shall I spend my money on....hmmmmm (it'll probably pay the gas bill.... )

We love Hastings

Last week Oz's pre-school took a trip to Hastings. Even though the weather had been good, the day we went it was cold, grey and blustery. But we still had a brilliant time.

Rob had a day off today (before he goes to America AGAIN next week) so we decided to go back....

What a difference a week makes! As you can see.....
LAST WEEK:
TODAY!
We played on the beach, ate fish and chips, paddled....buried Oscar in the stones....(How couth is my boy?)

Toby and I look a bit grumpy here - we're just pondering the endless blue sea...honest...Toby enjoyed throwing stones down his own back....and collected quite a few in his vest as you can see.....


Oz discovered Crazy Golf and loved it - he's better than his Dad (though that seriously isn't saying much).

All in all a perfect British seaside summer day. We'll probably be back again very soon when K is over at the end of August......

I love flair

If you don't know what it is you should be on Facebook...

Time goes so fast....

When you have children it seems to fly. I can't believe Oz will be 4 soon. And Toby is one and a half. I saw Mamma Mia the movie last night and it was fab - Meryl Streep is totally amazing for a woman of her age - looks and moves like a 20 year old. Pierce Brosnan is the cheesiest thing ever - thoroughly enjoyable though. I saw the original cast on the West End and it wasn't quite as good as that but I do recommend it as a good girly night out.

One of the songs I'd forgotten from the show is this one - Slipping Through My Fingers. I think it was an original for Mamma Mia (correct me if I'm wrong any Abba fans) and it spoke to me of how time is going so fast and soon the boys will be grown without me even realising.....



And Meryl sings it beautifully. Made a tear come to my eye. Go see and enjoy

The film I did a while ago....

I think I may have alluded to it but never mentioned what it was. I can now as it's up on the web. I have a VERY small role in Jane Campion's amazing film Bright Star. It's about John Keats and his love for Fanny Brawne. It's poetic, beautiful and wonderful and I have one line! And Toby is in it too - on my hip.

The website is up here and my name is on the cast list here!

I'm quite proud to have been part of it. Jane Campion is an amazing director and I cherish the few hours I got to spend working with her and seeing her process and vision. It won't be out till next year I'm sure but still - nice to have had an amazing job as my first one back since Toby. And nice that he got to be in it too - can't wait to see him....

I wordled again...

This could get addictive...

Do you Wordle?

I wordled my blog! (Stolen from Clare)


You can see it better here

And another thing...

....my I am posting like mad tonight......Kirsti put up her photos of my trip on Facebook...So I'm sharing a couple....

This is my favourite photo of my Stonecutter (get a tattoo) weekend - me and my tat sisters outside the parlour post-tat...

and I like these ones too....


This is me and Kara on the beach at the bottom of our cottage...on the banks of Lake Huron....

And finally....in this photo highlight of my Stonecutter weekend....this was one of my favourite meals - Red Lobster (I had lobster) and a bloody big Mango Daiquiri....

Another quick thought...

While I wait for my potstickers to cook and the kids to go to bed....

Why has Nicole Kidman called her daughter Sunday Roast?

I do so love Juno

This song is in it - Tire Swing by Kimya Dawson with the immortal line "I've never met a Toby that I didn't like". Love it.



And I think I'm going to practice parenting skills so I can be just like Juno's Dad...I love him....



One of the other perks of my holiday - finally got to watch a whole film without either falling asleep/being interrupted/having to change channels back to Cbeebies...

I just bought the album - that's what prompted this post....I know - you probably saw it MONTHS ago....

Yay! Rob is home....

Been quite a bonkers week. Got home from Americaland on Thursday morning....Rob flew out on Friday. So I was on my own with the boys all week. Which, considering I was tired, went fine - must have been because I was so well rested from my holiday!

Glad my man is home though. He's just putting Oz to bed then he'll be glued to Dr Who (which I don't really watch so am not that bothered!).

Other news....erm....got a new SatNav which is fab.....got my car fixed (£400!!!) which was fab and expensive at the same time......tattoo is looking mighty fine - no scabbing - had a bath last night and it survived so that's cool (someone told me not to bathe it for a couple of weeks).

Had a bit of post-holiday blues this week though - lonely too - ate a lot of Ben and Jerry's (frozen yogurt not the ice cream so not too ruinous). But now Rob is home I'll cheer up a bit and get on with things. It's birthday season at the moment - had a party last weekend which was fab though I was a bit zombified with jet lag - and another one today which was lovely - catching up with people I haven't seen for ages.

So a bit boring really....but I wanted to post - am going to try and post more as I just haven't been and it's crap.

Should tell some Toby stories since this blog used to be all about Oz....Toby is saying a few more words - "bubble", "door", "no", "nose", "Whaddat?", "bye bye" and everytime he sees a teletubby "Lala!!!" irrespective of which tubby it is. He loves em. He's still climbing everything and wrecking everything.....Will try and get some pics/vid up soon.

Yawn. I'm boring myself now.......