Happy Birthday Miss La!

My youngest belle is 15 today and has a chemistry GCSE exam on her birthday!

Chugging along

Eldest, middle and youngest
It's too early in the New year for me to think about the usual goals for the year. I never attempt my getting fitter, maintaining/losing weight until the middle of the month. That gives time for the goodies to go and life to settle down. This year is extra slow as my eldest belle will be 18 on Wednesday!
I can't quite believe the years have gone by so swiftly. She arrived by C section on a cold January day - overdue and breech, her hips stuck firmly in my pelvis so her hips were dislocated. She spent the first six months of her life encased in double nappies and a huge plastic casing to hold her joints in place.
It certainly surprised the vicar at her christening when I handed her over and instead of a squishly little baby he encountered the huge plastic splint. People were very weird when I was out with her too - one woman followed me all around the supermarket one day and threatened me with social services as eldest had been crying and the woman could see the splint. I swear she took my car reg as I pulled away.
Now she's all grown up, learning to drive, taking her A levels and planning her university course.
Happy Birthday, eldest!

Christmas is coming

And today is Mr Nell's birthday!

Wednesday already?

I seem to be losing days. I blame the Hadron collider or the new Dr Who, well, someone has to be responsible. Tomorrow is a very important day. At least this is what Miss La keeps telling me, something about it being her birthday and she'll be twelve. She's now taller than both her sisters, much to my eldest dd's disgust. Her birthday present request list is almost as tall as she is so I fear she's doomed to disappointment no matter what she gets.
The day job is still crazy busy and the uncertainty over funding is an ongoing issue. Still we'll keep plugging away and hope for the best. Me, You and Him is coming along nicely and I'm expecting the proofs to land for Just Look at Me Now any time soon. I love seeing proofs and seeing the book set out as it's going to be. Welcome to all my new Indonesian and Spanish visitors who've been popping by here lately. I'm looking forward to the German release of Blue Remembered Heels in a month or so.

Getting ready

to pahtay! Tomorrow is my birthday so I decided to combine it with an official launch party for Crystal Clear. I'm giving stuff away, sharing some of the scenes behind the book, my playlist that I create for every book I write including the song that for me becomes 'the' song that resonates when I'm writing. So make sure you stop by and say hello for a chance to win and share some fun.

Happy Birthday La

My youngest belle, Miss La, is 11 today. In September she starts senior school and I can't quite believe she's that old already. When she was born I already had two children under four years of age, one of whom was a prem baby with health issues. Mr Nell was seriously ill with a longterm medical complaint that was still being stabilised. We had a business to run and I was working as a health visitor in a very demanding post.
Fortunately I managed to carry her to term although she was my third caesarian birth but she was actually quite a good baby. Now she's getting all grown up and ready to take on a whole new set of things that will be very different from the sheltered environment of her tiny village school. One things for sure though, she'll always be my baby.

Birthday!

Today is my birthday and I've been lucky enough to get lots of bunches of these - daffodils, my favourite flower. I've had lots of lovely flowers, money, perfume, book vouchers, socks and some wonderful cards and messages. I'm very lucky to have such great friends and family.

My baby

This is Miss La, my youngest belle. Tomorrow she hits double figures - the big 10. I feel old all of a sudden and a bit sad that these kind of days are disappearing as the teen years get closer.
(Note Pudding - the dog in her bag - he's the reason she has no clothes in her wardrobe as she's turned it into his house)

Birthday!

Yep, today's my birthday and I'll be (mumble-mumble) years old. What was that? Oh, you didn't catch my age - eighteen - yep, that's what I am in my head anyway.
So, what wild excitement do I have planned for today I hear you ask?
Um, nothing. The eldest belle is off to the theatre tonight to see Stomp with her school and since my leg feels like it's going to fall off still I'm going to be at home. Feeling old.
Hopefully, we're going out for a meal with friends tomorrow, we have a pub very close to my house so if it's too much I can come home. Maybe I should be eighty eight instead?
I've had some gorgeous flowers - I LOVE flowers and some of my youngest belles favourite kind of presents (flat ones bearing the queens head) Yummy choccys from the belgian choccy shop and some glittery socks. I LOVE socks, wierd of me I know but I seriously do love socks. So it's a nice quiet day for me - but it'll be a nice one. Money, flowers, chocolate and socks - bring on a book and a glass of wine and I'm a happy bunny.

Lazy Sunday

I wish - today is La's birthday. Miss, now 9 years old, had us all up early to open her presents. She then dragged her Dad off to Merry Hell to spend her money on a DS Lite. We go on holiday Friday with friends so this weekend has been a whirl of cleaning, sorting out stuff, birthday and paperwork.
Blue Remembered Heels is still going really well but I need to do a little research before I can finish my current chapter. The agent emailed me Friday to say she had my package - so more nail-biting. I know it's going to kill me if I don't hear from M&B this week as once we're away my email access will be very limited and I'm one of those few people who doesn't use a mobile phone. I do have one but it's never turned on and only about five people have the number. Oh well, I suppose news keeps - good or bad.
I'm looking forward to my holiday, we're off to Wales to Keeston, which is a small village between Haverfordwest and St Davids. The Belles are really excited as our friends daughters are going too. Yes, this is the girlfest holiday. So beach, shopping, barbecues and castles here we come. Can't wait!