In recovery....

Back from youth camp and recuperating! I loved it, and loved getting to know the kids better, but i was so happy to come home to my memory foam bed and my shower!

Anthony was with the boys the first half of the week, then came home, and i left, leaving him with William for four days(Anthony certainly appreciates what i do a lot more and I'm milkin' the recognition!).

It was fun doing something different from being William's mum......tiring in a different way but i did accidentally have a 3 hour nap!! absolute magic it was! I went to the car to call Anthony and charge my phone, telling friends id be back in a minute.....waiting for Anthony to return the call i wound the chair back, closed my eyes and BAM 3 hours disappeared! That's probably what got me through the rest of the camp. That and about 10 cups of hot choc a day! (addicted).

I slept in a 2 man tent which was realistically a one man. I was offered a cabin but preferred the option of sleeping on my own to guarantee a better nights sleep. I had it cosy in my tent and slept pretty good but one thing i did not think about was trying to change in such a confined space whilst 7 months pregnant. Their where some interesting noises coming from my tent during those times Ha!

The boys and girls overlapped their camps for two nights so they could have a day together. I was landed with he job of organising their joint activity day (60 kids),and that was a feat and a half!

But i really did love being with the youth. Anthony always comes back from youth camp on a high, he LOVES it, and i get why now....But as much as i loved it, i also LOVED coming home.

Unfortunately I forgot to charge my camera and took no photos...but heres one from facebook. You cant miss supersize me!

I Pledge to Blog!

I Know, I know, I know i need to Blog, but not this week. This week I'm off to youth camp 7 months pregnant. Wish me luck!

But i Promise to do serious Blog catch up in September! It will be my form of 'nesting',
hopefully I'll be fully up to date by October, in time for the little miss whose arriving then!

[HD] - The BRIT Awards 2011 - Adele sings Someone Like You

Just caught up on The Brits, didn't get a chance to watch it last week but soooooo glad i recorded it!

So many BRILLIANT performances this year. Adele was magnificent and stole the show.

Plan B was superb.

Always gunna have a soft spot for Take That because of my history with them and their journey, Howard you don't sing or write, and hardly even dance these 'man band' days but you're still lookin good. Robbie still got the swag...but Robbie 'shabba' really? do you have to be so intent to act like a total tool just when we are starting to love you again?!

Other faves inc. Mumford and Sons, Arcade Fire and Cee lo's and Paloma Faiths collab. Finale!

Rihanna...seriously can you have a bit of class and leave your clothes on for once??? But did enjoy James cordons sly, maybe unintentional, dig comparing her dress to his cousins bridesmaid dress' in Swindon! heha.

ZUMBA

Just back from a trip to my liverpool home. Always LOVE going back home to liverpool. Found some new trendy cafes in city centre and ate at one of Jamies Italians, that was delish, proper flavours! caught up with some girlfriends but mostly hung out with my mum and sis and had some quality family time with the kiddiwinkles.

When i arrived i was greeted by my mum excitedly proclaiming, "I'm all over you tube and in the news paper with my Zumba class raising money for charity"

So i said "lets see". she handed me the news paper. "mum where are ya?". "that's my arm there" she says! And here is that proud moment for my mother ha ha. She is the one on the front, far right side, dressed in black and all you can see is her arm and leg! Well done mum, you make us so proud!! Oh and trust me the you tube part isn't worth posting!

But if you haven't tried Zumba yet, i highly recommend it as a fun exercise class.....especially the scouse version -A room full of scouse ladies shouting out banter through out the class! I especially loved the bollywood part, love a bit of Bangra me! Get me one of those Bollywood waists, yes please...or a Shakira bod!

Getting rather excited for an actual real grown up style valentines date....haven't had a date like this for a looooooooooooooooooooong time.

We have wanted to eat at The Dove for a while, (river side pub a mere five minute walk) and we will on Monday, cant wait to tuck into this menu

Valentines Day Menu

14th February 2011

Starters

Seared diver-caught scallops w/ West country black pudding, sweetcorn puree and crispy pancetta

Tea-smoked beetroot, mascarpone and tarragon salad

Pea, ham and mint soup w/ Gloucester Old Spot ham hock tortellini

Mains

Eywe valley rump of lamb w/ dauphinois potato, parsnip crisps and a port and shiraz reduction

Roast monkfish w/ herb puree, saffron-glazed fondant potatoes and a wholegrain mustard beurre

blanc sauce

Aubergine charlotte w/ a spiced ratatouille dressing

Desserts

Dark Vahlrona chocolate and kirsch cherry torte with Cornish clotted cream

Baileys crème brulee w/ roasted hazelnut puffs

Peanut mousse and brittle w/ rum-flambéed banana and salted caramel ice cream

Filter coffee and petit fours

hmmmmm just got to decide what to have??????? i want it all! I'm thinking the monk fish since iv never had that very expensive ugly fish......but i always love a good bit of lamb.......well i have a few days to think about this tasty food before deciding!

Now gotta go tidy up the bedroom - all my clothes are off the hangers all over the floor after i dragged them all out in an excited frenzy trying them all on shouting 'THEY FIT, THEY FIT'.....It seems I'm finally back in my pre-preggers clothes...'hard core February' is paying off already...still got a bit to loose still though so come on!

Just back from a date out to cinema (courtesy of baby sitting brother here this week).

Been dying to see 'The Kings Speech'. Lived up to all iv heard about it and hoped it would be. It was absolutely 'SPLENDID'! I love a good British film. Our Colin definately deserves that Oscar, still hav'nt bumped into Colin yet, he lives down the road from me, just the other side ofChiswick high st. I'm fed up of hearing my friends say they saw Jude Law, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant (not fussed about the latter!)on Chiswick high st....Need to spend more time aroundChiswick high st me thinks!!

So far iv only bumped into these measly TV faces.......

Above, Adrian Chiles was playing ball with his son in st peters gardens across the road from my house.

Below, James May lives across the road, his local even closer.....

Iv spotted Nigel Havers a couple of times running along the river behind my house....and this lady (below) from Eastenders...don't know her name just know i recognise her from Eastenders! she too was running along the river.

Anthony saw Graham Norton attending a funeral across the road in st peters church....but that's all we got so far in our little neighbourhood.

I shall do a 'star spot' feature when ever i see one. When i first lived in London, i was attending the theatre a lot and saw a TON of them then, goodens too. When I tempt in Harrods I had A-list customers daily.....But these days i don't get out to those kinda places so much...even with Hammersmith Apollo just 5 min's walk from my house! Think of all the famous faces id see if i hung out there more! I guess you have to care......and well I dont.

Happy Birthday William!

You can just about make out 'William' in dried fruit. That's all William would eat off his birthday cake! we haven't given him cake yet so he was a little cautious!

Last Sunday he turned 1. A WHOLE YEAR OLD.

He is strong willed and independent. I worry for the future how many battles we will have....and how many he'll win!!

He often wont let you hold his hand when walking, he wont let you feed him unless he is holding a spoon also within reach of the bowl so he can try and feed himself (very messy). He would rather walk up the stairs with out me behind him, but there is no compromise with this one! He persists until he gets the shape in right with those shape jigsaw things. He (and this one hurts) pushes away from me to get into his cot, no longer will he get sleepy in my arms and let me cuddle him for a bit longer! He shouts with his hands in the air when he wants something and knows things from packets are more exciting food! He fights me off when ever i try to change his nappy...i always win this battle but usually through creative means!

more things he does:

holds the phone up to his ear and pretends to talk,

turns the pages of the book and pretends to read,

copies me when i do my work out DVD- bounces during the squats, lies down with his legs in the air during the floor work, picks up his blocks when i am using the weights!! i love this!

He loves helping us do the laundry, especially shutting the doors, draws and knows what buttons to press on washer/dryer's.He also helps empty the dishwasher and puts things in the bin.

If he finds a cloth he wipes it around.

He sits on his bus and indicates for us to push him...and as we do he goes 'oooh ooooh' like choochoo (train) or 'eeeeeee' like weeeeeeeee!

He plays 'peek-a-boo' when he comes across a curtain or anything that he can hold over his face, is VERY ticklish and loves anything which appears like a game of chase! even if its not he turns it into one!

He loves escaping and going to visit Daddy in his office/shed.

He pushes his cars around the floor, he LOVES music and musical instruments,

He's starting to follow directions quite well and when i dress him, he goes and picks out a pair of socks with out me even telling him to now!.......i ought to nip this in the bud because I'm guessing this is getting boringly long for anyone outside of the family.

What he says:

'wa wa wa' = quack quack quack

'duck' =duck

'duck' = book

'ar' = car

'mumma' = muma

'dada'= dada.

BUT he will not perform on demand! he wont do it if you tell him too!

Iv also started taking him to sing and sign and he's starting to use some of the signs. Its helping with that intense, 'incredible hulk' style, shout he does!