I HAVE A VERY NICE HUSBAND

This weekend my very nice husband has bought me 2 top tickets for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone next July - and it wasn't even my birthday! (that just so happens to be next Wednesday 26th if any one's interested)!

We went this year and had general admission tickets (get there very early, find a good spot & don't move), we managed to get a very good spot at Club Corner but had to sit on the floor. Next year I will be in the Platinum Grandstand (not any of your gold grandstand rubbish for me - they will be sat behind me). I'll be right on the start/finish line! I could even get there just before the race starts and go straight to the front - how wonderful!

As I said, I have a very nice husband - now just to decided who can take me......

SORRY - NOTHING DOING

I really wanted to put a new post on this morning, but after looking at a blank new post screen for ages, I realized nothing has actually happened worthy of a post! How dull.

This week has been quite plain - highlights were:
Alice went back to pre-school.
I got in touch with an old friend from 10 years ago on facebook.
I made and ate(with girlfriends) a very good chocolate cake.
Christian's stepbrother Greg & his wife Ruth had a bouncing baby boy (as yet unnamed) - mother & baby both doing well.
Our baby wriggled a lot.

I'm obviously having an excitement lull, oh well life would be boring if it was nonstop everyday!

NOT SO GREEN ALICE

On the way to Sainsbury's bottle bank this morning, Alice asked "What are those bottles for?" "We're taking them to be recycled" I told her. "Why?" she asked. "Because it helps to save the environment" I replied. "Oh good" she said, "I like to save the fire engine". What!? you can imagine my general day...

FAMILY SUNDAY LUNCH

Yesterday we had the family (Mum, Dianne, David, Joyce, Eric, Justin, Ethan & Lucas) round for Sunday lunch, and a very good time was had by all - even if I do say so myself. We had Nigella's ham in coca-cola. Although this sounds weird, this is actually the best way to cook ham in the whole world and has to be tried to be believed.

2kg gammon (serves 8) in a large pan with an onion and a 2l bottle of coke (must be full fat).
Bring to boil, simmer for 2 1/4 hours (or 1 hour per kg plus 15 mins).
Cut off rind, leaving a layer of fat, score with diamond shapes and stud with cloves.
Smear with 1 tbsp black treacle, sprinkle with 2 tsp mustard powder and 1 tbsp demarera sugar.
Blast for 10mins in oven at gm9.

The rest of the lunch was as follows,

Canapes:
Smoked Salmon Pinwheel Pancakes, Red Pepper & Chilli Bruschetta, Kalamata Olive Tapenade Bruschetta & Spiced Bar Nuts.

Main Course:
Coca-Cola Ham, Roast Potatoes, Coleslaw, Green Bean & Red Onion Salad, Bazargan (bulgar wheat salad with pomegranate molasses, nuts & spices - yummy) & Braised Lettuce (not so good!).

Pudding:
Cherry Cheesecake, Chocolate & Ice-Cream Cake and Carrot Cake (Dianne made the carrot cake for the dairy free weirdos!).

And as usual vast amounts of wine was drunk by those not pregnant or underage. That all made for a lovely family day.

I'M GETTING TOO OLD

Yesterday, after the scan, Christian and I went to Uncle Sam's for a cheeseburger - as you do. I was sat facing Champs (dodgy sports bar opposite the restaurant) and was reading to signs in the window. I read - "Friday night, live music, starting at 9:30" "Ooh" I said to Christian, "That's a bit late to start, it's nearly bedtime." Thankfully he agreed! What a pair of sad old farts. What happened to the days of getting home at 3am and getting up for work at 7am 2 or 3 nights a week, before you even start on the weekends?

20 WEEKS DOWN, 20 WEEKS TO GO

Today, Christian and I have been for my 20 week scan. I am very pleased to announce that all appears to be well inside my very large tum. We saw almost everything in quite good detail, fingers, toes, arms, legs, brain, heart and a spine covered with skin! I say almost everything because the first thing I said to the sonographer was "we don't want to know the sex!" - you have to leave some surprise for the day.

It was wonderful to see my little baby wriggling away. As she was lying on her tummy for quite a while, we were sent out to have a walk around for 15 mins to see if she would turn over so they could check her heart- she did and it was OK - ahh!

This evening she hasn't stopped moving, which is typical - this week I was worrying there was a problem as I didn't feel her move. Now we've seen everything is fine, she doesn't stop fidgeting!

I keep saying "she" - but I'm not 100% sure anymore, maybe Picard is on his way after all!

HOW DOLLS HAVE CHANGED

Today I have bought Alice her first Barbie doll. I'm not sure what to make of her. She is very tall and skinny and to be honest she looks like a bit of a slag! - she hasn't even got any knickers on! I don't remember Sindy being like that at all when I was little, she always seemed to be quite respectable, the kind of girl you would want to grow up like! Alice loves her though. So maybe I have too much time to think about the morals of cheap doll (£1.99 Tesco clearance line!). But lets hope Alice doesn't want to grow up to be a knickerless lap dancing whore in pink plastic stilettos!

A QUICK BABY UPDATE

I am now 18 weeks pregnant and time is flying by, as I saw the midwife yesterday I thought it was time for a quick update.

My ever expanding waistline has now reached 40 inches - it's officially bigger than Christian's!
I have put on 8 pounds and still can't get my head round this being a good thing.
I can quite happily stay up until 10pm.
I can drink tea again.
I have started to feel a few little movements, which feels like someone running a feather across my tummy (mind you the other night it felt like she was looking for something in there!).
And the best thing so far, was hearing her heartbeat at the midwife's yesterday - I told Christian there was nothing to worry about and that she was ok!

That's it for now, we have the 20 week scan 2 weeks today so there will be another picture of her then.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALISON

Today is my sister, Alison's 37th birthday. Unfortunately as she died 10 years ago from breast cancer, she isn't here to celebrate so Mum, Christian, Alice and I have just been to the Dore Grill for lunch in honour of her day.

We always go to the Dore Grill as it was one of Alison's favourite restaurants, it's owned by a Spanish family that our family has known for years and the food is very lovely (& very filling) home cooking. It was also where Alison had her last proper meal before she went into Western Park Hospital.

Happy Birthday Alison, miss you loads.

OUR NEW CLEANER

As I'm a bit out of action this week (pulled back & now a funny tummy - ain't pregnancy grand!), my housework has gone to the bottom of my list, until yesterday when I enlisted some help in the form of Alice. She has an abundance of energy and is more than happy to do things for you, so I put a clean duster on the Swiffer mop and set her on her way! She did a great job! All of our downstairs is open plan and all the floors are laminate, so I sat watching the tv giving her the occasional pointer and of course lots of encouragement and praise!

Today, the first thing she asked was "What can I dust now Mummy?", fantastic - so I have given her a hand duster and she's off again! Child labour is the way to go! If only we had an open chimney....