Sixteen Years Ago Today

I started "going out" with Mike. Well, by that, I mean we got together at a college party, spent the night together (no, we did not have sex!) and parted on excellent terms. It was the 4th March when we finally began to officially be "boyfriend/girlfriend". But, we like to think of the 29th February as our actual anniversary, partly becuse it's a more interesting date to have as an anniversary. When we got married, we married on the closest Saturday to the 29th February, four years later. We wanted to get married on the 29th, but it was a Thursday. So, Sunday is our twelth wedding anniversary. Two years ago, we had a party for our tenth anniversary at a bar in town. Last year I was pregnant, and we agreed not to have presents. It was miserable, and I never want to have that again.

So, this year, we are going out to dinner, and I have bought Mike a nice present (it's a bag, a Kickers one, so he can put his lunch, iPod, papers and everything he needs for work or if he goes for an overnight) and a card. It's also Mothers Day on Sunday, so I hope that he has made an effort.

I had such a nice week off with my boys last week. I really still don't know what I'm going to do about working - I like it and Ted's happy enough, but it's not all that's important.

I'm thinking of starting another blog, a project one, like "what I wore everyday" or ate every day or similar. Not sure which

Feeling a bit better

Thanks Beckie...

The sun is shining and I've had a talk with my husband, because I started writing something in my Valentine to him and once I started I couldn't stop... anyway it was cathartic, it's half term, we've got quite a bit planned and I'm just generally feeling better. There are people I am fed up with but heigh ho.

It's Sunday morning, we're all in our PJs watching Primeval, there are friends coming for dinner later, and I feel more in control of things. Good.

To celebrate: a meme ;)

What were you doing 10 years ago?
Ten years ago, I was 26, about to celebrate my 2nd wedding anniversary. We had gone to London for my first one, but I can't remember what we did for the second. Probably went out for a meal. We were living in Knutsford, and getting ready to move into this house in the April. We had my friend living with us. I was working at the Doctors' practice and we were building new premises, which was really stressful. I was also wondering what was going to happen to my job under the new political regime.

What were you doing 1 year ago?
Being pregnant, counting the days until maternity leave started at Easter, feeling fed up and poorly. I had had a horrible January, been ill with the flu and Mike had worked away for the whole month as he had just started at Microsoft. I had just interviewed for my management job and been appointed to it. I was panicking that I wasn't in any way shape or form ready for having another baby.

Five snacks you enjoy:

Crisps - either salt and vinegar or ready salted
crackers and cheese
flapjacks
toast with butter
eat natural apricot and almond bars

Five songs that you know all the lyrics to:
- I know loads!
Wonderwall - Oasis
Yes- McAlmont and Butler
Groovejet - Spiller
Diamonds and Rust - Joan Baez
Your love alone is not enough - Manic Street Preachers

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:

Pay off mortgage
Pay off Mum's mortgage so she can stay in her house
Take the children to Eurodisney
Invest enough to give up work
Get a personal trsiner to MAKE me exercise
Have the house remodelled

Five bad habits:

Eating when not hungry
biting nails
Putting pens in my hair
Losing things and not looking in the obvious places for them
Mindlessly watching TV

Five things you like doing:

Spending time with my boys
Reading
Hanging out with good friends
Shopping
Listening to music

Five things you would never wear again:

Leggings
Jogging bottoms or sportswear in general
a Bouffant hairdo
a non-underwired bra
thongs


Five favorite toys:

Computer
Interactive Whiteboard at work
iPod
Alfie
Ted ;)

I think I might be hitting a wall. There's nothing huge, but I'm at a bit of a place where I feel excessively tired, somewhat PMT-y, a bit cross with my friends and family because I feel a bit unsupported... and none of it is really very justified. I've been here before, about 8 months after Alfie was born. Bingo.

There's something about going back to work and all that that entails. In actual fact, it's been okay - I like being myself for a while, Ted is happy at nursery (when he's not picking up a bug) I'm popular at work and good at my job - it's the whole just not feeling like I'm doing anything properly - being a mum, a teacher, a friend... and I am a dreadful wife. It's like that Kirsty MaColl song: "I've been an awful woman all my life/A dreadful daughter and a hopeless wife" - I KNOW that I'm not an awful woman - I just FEEL like one.

A Year Of Non-Extraneous Spending

One thing I haven't mentioned is that 2008 is supposed to be my year of not buying anything extraneous. Reason: well, going back to work four days clearly means that I will have less money - plus, the money we need to spend on nursery means I have even less (see: was it worth it? above) and also, because I think that I have a tendency to spend a bit recklessly at times - not huge amounts of money, but even so...

So, as January is over, I can report that I have purchased nothing but a tube of Benefit ThatGal! which I did think about really hard before I bought, and wasn't extraneous. However, the tube I bought has all gone, so I won't be buying it again, because it doesn't last long enough. I have clothes coming out of my ears and a load of maternity stuff I need to put on ebay, because I really fancy getting myself a pair of TummyTuck jeans (£80!! - but if I'm not buying anything else...) It really hasn't been that hard - I haven't really been anywhere to buy anything, although I did go to the Trafford Centre on Friday and bought my goddaughter Emily books for her birthday (not extraneous - a gift) and books for the boys, and trousers for them both as they are both growing hugely (also necessities). I've only bought one lunch at work. I needed a tub of moisturiser and actually USED one of those £5 off coupons you incessantly get in Boots. I have bought two magazines, but have completley avoided the Now/Closer/First (who have helped me immensely in my quest to buy no more celeb mags by employing Ulrika Jonsson as their agony aunt - I mean as IF!!!)