Introducing Callie - the newest member of the clan

On November 5th, my son Joe and his wife Jade (from Late For Reality) made Ian and I proud grandparents for the second time with the birth of their beautiful daughter Callie.

Weighing in at just 6 lb 14 oz, Callie is an adorably tiny little girl with a spattering of dark hair and the longest toes I have ever seen on a newborn. She is content, alert and so very snuggly. Just perfect.

We couldn't be prouder of Jade and Joe and are so grateful to them both for giving us the honour of being Nana Wendy and Guitar Grandad again. Jade did an amazing job making sure that she had the birth that she wanted, showing a real strength and determination. We are equally proud of our grandson Ted who has taken his new role as big brother in his stride. He is a credit to his mummy and daddy.

Family really is everything to me, and I adore each and every one of our ever growing clan!

Freddy is 7 Today

My son. My beautiful boy.

7 years of love, pride and joy.

Happy Birthday Freddy.

This year, Freddy loves:

DanTDM

Harry Potter

YouTube

Quorn 'Gammon' steaks

FAB lollies

the whites of eggs

gymnastics

Diary of a Wimpy Kid books

his family

my made up bedtime stories

dancing in the shower after his swimming lessons

superheroes

going to the cinema on a Sunday morning

playing XBox sports games

cartwheels

mozzarella and sun dried tomato panninis in Costa

the colour purple

toffee yumyums from Lidl

That's my boy xxx

My Son's Wedding - What a Wonderful Day!

Never have I cried so much, laughed so hard, danced so madly or felt so proud. So many emotions. So much love. So much fun. Such a wonderful day. Surrounded by most of my favourite people in the world.

My brave, amazing son defeated the odds to be on his feet at his wedding. His strength and determination allowing him to stand, to declare his love for his beautiful bride in front of family and friends,  just three weeks after major surgery to remove the cancer that had turned all of our lives upside down. Supported by a crutch and with support from his wife to be, Joe said his vows and married his soulmate, his rock and his first love Jade.

With my gorgeous grandson Ted stealing the show, and with my five beautiful children making me the proudest I have ever been, this wedding gave us all a chance to celebrate something joyous together. After so many months of uncertainty, we were able to simply focus on the positives. Something we all very much needed. 

Joe and Jade have become the new Mr and Mrs McDonald. I hope that they are going to enjoy the title and their married life as much as Ian and I have over the years. With all they have been through together already, I know their relationship is solid and their love for each other is strong.

The security, the companionship, the love, the support, the feeling of being a part of something greater than the sum of its parts - a good, strong, happy marriage is truly a blessing.  I wish my son and my new daughter-in-law a long, healthy and happy life together.

Life is a Rollercoaster - a birthday trip to Alton Towers

This weekend it was my 47th birthday and I was delighted to have my girls come down from Manchester to spend a few days at home to help me celebrate. We took a trip to Alton Towers on the Sunday, which was enjoyed by us all. The girls went on Galactica, the new ride for this year, and loved the fusion of a rollercoaster ride with space age virtual reality. Oblivion, The Smiler, Duel and Thirteen were all revisited on our first Alton Towers trip of the year.

Freddy had his first big coaster experience on Thirteen, as he has now exceeded 1.2m tall. He was so brave and proudly announced that he only screamed twice! Although he is growing up fast, he still loves the rides and shows for little ones in CBeebies Land too. He's at that perfect age where everything is wonderful and exciting and there is so much to discover and learn. I love sharing all of this with him.

The weather wasn't great, but we had a lovely day together. Who needs sunshine when you've got family and love? A box of freshly made donuts doubled up as the perfect birthday cake to accompany an impromptu chorus of "Happy Birthday to You", while we warmed ourselves up in the Corner Cafe.

We had a lovely weekend and for a short while we were able to put our worries to one side and just enjoy living in the moment. Sadly though, life has a way of knocking you back down to reality with a bump, and on Monday it did just that.

Despite our attempt at being optimistic, some bad news was confirmed. But as usual, I scraped myself off the floor and popped my brave face back on. As a mum, you need to stay strong for everyone and that is exactly what I intend to do. I will protect my family with every breath in my body. But with the bad news, also came knowledge. Knowledge is empowering and gives us an opportunity to name our demons and face them full on. Knowing what you are up against helps you to fight back. So we are now forearmed and along with the strength and love we have as a family, plus the support of dear friends and loved ones, we are ready to ride this rollercoaster of life together. Powering through the ups and downs, taking pleasure from the thrills and taking comfort in the knowledge that the lows are always temporary.

Dark clouds, sunshine and birthday wishes

The past few months have been a rollercoaster of emotions with some of the most heart crushing lows I have ever experienced. I have felt tested to my limits, but know that going through these tough times is only making us stronger and closer as a family. When life is this hard, it opens your eyes to the people who really care about you. The people who have rallied round providing emotional and physical support have been amazing. The people who have shown a genuine concern in our situation have made me appreciate the kindness of fellow humans. The love that has been extended has made a world of difference to us as a family and I shall be forever thankful. The past few months have changed me as a person and as a mother.

Through all our recent trials, one thing has been a constant. The love of my children and my absolutely unconditional, neverending love for them. My children really are everything to me. Being their mother defines me. Their pain is my pain. When they hurt, I hurt. I know this for a fact. They bring so much love, pride and joy into my life. They give me strength and give me reason. Five rocks in the sea of my life, anchoring me when I fear being swept away.

But life carries on even when you feel that reality is crashing down around you. There are still special days that beg and deserve to be celebrated. We have so much to look forward to. Wonderful times lie just ahead on the horizon like beacons of hope. I know we are getting closer, just a little bit farther to go and we'll be there. Smiling. Happy. We just need to stay strong.

This weekend we will be celebrating my daughter Ella's and my birthdays. Ella is turning twenty but she is still my baby girl. It's unbelievable to think that my tiny, beautiful little girl is getting so grown up. She is an incredible young woman. She is thriving at university and is using her natural empathy and desire to make a difference to help people, through volunteering and mentoring. I am so proud of her achievements and the direction her life is going in. She is so kind, loving and thoughtful. She gives me so many reasons to feel proud.

So today, I say Happy Birthday to my gorgeous girl. You are a shining light. You give me so many reasons to smile and I adore you for it. You've also wept with me, and I adore you for that too. You care so much about your family and give so much love and joy to us all, even in our darkest hours. I love you to the moon and back.

For my birthday this year, I am wishing that we get through these crazy times to a place where we can look back and laugh. I know that as a family, we can get through anything. We've got each others' backs and we will power through together. Because together we are stronger.

Things will get better and I know we will get closure on this dark chapter in our lives. But I shall be taking all the lessons learned with me, making me a better person, mum, wife, nana and daughter. I won't forget the way I have felt. I won't forget the people who have cared. I won't ever take my family for granted. I promise that I will appreciate every single day that I am blessed with these wonderful people who I love so much.

Even when bad times cast a shadow over us, I know we will be stepping out into the sunlight again soon.

A Silly Family Photo and a Wonderful Celebratory Weekend

Four generations of the Jones-McDonald family gathered together to celebrate my parents' sixtieth wedding anniversary this weekend. We were joined by my sister, who has recently relocated down south, who returned along with her husband and two little ones, and her four grown-up daughters with assorted fiances, who helped make a day that my mum and dad will remember forever. There were 22 of us in all, including eleven grandchildren and one great grandchild. Unfortunately, my niece Kate and her little boy couldn't make it and my nephew Tom lives in America - but it was almost a full house! A wonderful time was had by all, including a lovely three course Sunday lunch at The Hind's Head, a gastro-pub in a village three miles away from my home. It was so nice to catch up with everyone, and Freddy was overjoyed to be reunited with his cousins Addy and Dylan again.

I took a lot of photos as it is quite a rarity to have all five of my children home at once, and to get all four generations of our family together. I was pleased to get some new family pictures, but my favourite of the day was this one of my family, (soon to be) daughter-in-law, grandson and parents pulling silly faces...you can only stay serious for so long!

Days spent like this, surrounded by loved ones, laughing, chatting and having fun, makes me realise just how blessed I am. I've got a family that brings me love and joy and makes me so very proud everyday. I couldn't really wish for more.

How can my oldest child be 27?

Twenty seven years ago I had my first child. Twenty seven years? How is that even possible?

I remember being 27 myself. It doesn't seem that long ago and yet now my son Joe is that age. 27? That is nearly 30. If my baby boy is nearly 30 then I must be pushing 50! Half a century! How has that come around so fast? Surely 1988 wasn't that long ago?

I remember becoming a mum to Joe like it was yesterday. A terrified teenager. A baby that changed everything for the better. We embarked on an adventure together. Just me and him. The two of us. Mother and son against the world. We did OK!

Time kept creeping on. Birthdays were celebrated, years passed by.

Along the way, our lives were blessed with the arrival of our knight in shining armour, Ian who made everything complete, safe, secure and happier than we could ever have imagined, and with four further beautiful babies to add to the brood. Our little tiny family of two swelled to become a family of seven. A fabulous, loud, proud, chaotic, slightly bonkers and absolutely perfect family.

Tick tock. Time continued to pass. My babies grew up under my watchful eye, surrounded by my constant love. Little boys grow into men. They get tall, they start to shave, they get a job, they spread their wings.

Now my son has his own life. A life he has created for himself. A life that makes me so proud of him. He is a wonderful daddy to my gorgeous grandson Ted. I'm not just mum anymore - I'm Nana Wendy now too. Joe gave me that gift.

We've grown older alongside each other for 27 years. Things have changed but the love I felt for that tiny baby I delivered all those years ago has not diminished one little bit. He's always my baby boy - but my baby boy is now a man. A 27 year old man. I'm a much older woman than I was 27 years ago, but my life has been made richer every single day since becoming a mother. 27 years of unconditional love has made me who I am today. Shaped me into someone I am proud to be. And it all started with the birth of my son. My son who is 27 today.

 Happy birthday son xxx

The Evolution of Nana Wendy

If I'm honest, I've never been much of a baby person. Yes I admit, cuddling a newborn baby is a precious experience and they do smell delicious, but they also seem so fragile and they basically sleep for most of the time. If they are not sleeping, they are feeding or pooping or crying. There may be a few magical moments in between but mostly a little baby does what little babies do 24/7. I've always preferred the toddler stage. Toddlers are feisty, interactive, robust, cheeky and full of fun. They can chatter to you, understand you and they choose if they want to spend their time with you or not! You get to see their developing personalities and build a genuine relationship with them, where love and trust will be nurtured and grown into something genuine and beautiful.

My grandson Ted is getting close to his third birthday. He is now at the age where I can really enjoy him as a little person in his own right, and not just as an extension of his mum and dad. As a baby, I saw him as my son's child, delighting in the new role my son Joe was embarking on, which filled me with such immense pride. My own connection with Ted was through Joe, and amazing as that was, I felt slightly on the periphery, looking in on this miracle unfolding in my son's life. We live too far away to have been able to be a permanent feature in Ted's early days, so my grandparenting was done remotely rather than being hands on. Every time we visited, I'd look for a sign that he remembered me or knew who I was, forever hoping that the family bond would grow even in my absence.

I spent this weekend with my son Joe, his fiance Jade and my grandson Ted. We visited Alton Towers and had a fab time. Our favourite ride was the River Rapids, with all us in one of the round boats getting splashed and squirted as we whizzed through the water. It was so much fun watching Ted experience these things for the first time. On the Sunday morning I was woken up by Freddy and Ted bashing me with foam swords (little monkeys were being egged on by Joe of course!). Then at lunchtime, we all sat around the table to enjoy a family roast dinner together.

These are the days I have been waiting for, ever since the day I found out that I was going to be a gran. Ted is full on, energetic, boisterous and funny. He makes me laugh with his antics and leaves a trail of toddler-made destruction in his wake as he runs around, a little boy on a mission to explore, learn and play. He is everything I imagined and hoped my grandson could be. He may look just like his mum, but his personality is so much like his dad's in so many ways!

When he squeezes his chubby little hand into mine so we can walk along together, or when his little voice calls me Nana Wendy or he calls Ian 'Guitar Grandad', or when he says 'I love you', I just melt. He knows exactly who we all are. He enjoys being with us and his laughter and smiles are infectious. Ted told me stories, played lots of fighting games with his Daddy and his Uncle Freddy, enjoyed dressing up and having his face painted as a skeleton and generally made himself completely at home with us. He is comfortable here and he understands that we are family and we love him. This is how I dreamed grantparenthood would be and for Ted, he now knows and understands his place in our family, and realises just how adored he is.

I am honoured to be his Nana Wendy.

Twenty Years of Change

Twenty years is a long time.

So many things have happened.

So much has changed.

My three youngest children were born, and along with their two older siblings, have become the wonderful people they are today.

Ian and I got married, cementing a relationship that began when we were still in school.

Princess Diana died in that terrible Paris car crash. The princes have grown into fine men breathing new life into the royal family and a new generation of baby royals have now taken their place in the monarchy.

The Spice Girls formed and split up. Take That split up and then reformed. The Rolling Stones and Meatloaf are still going strong.

Hollywood lost Heath Ledger, River Phoenix, Christopher Reeve and Patrick Swayze way too soon.

We've seen the meteoric rise of the internet, WiFi, smartphones, smart TVs, laptops, smart watches, iPods and iPads.

Our entertainment has been dominated by Minecraft, PS3s and PS4s,World of Warcraft, X Boxes, Netflix, Sky TV, X factor, Big Brother, Pixar and GTA.

We've watched The Matrix, Avatar, Minions, Frozen, Wreck it Ralph, Twilight, The Avengers, Monsters Inc, Jurassic World - all in glorious high definition.

The Simpsons, Eastenders, Casualty and Corrie are still running, but we have said farewell to Top of the Pops, Friends and ER.

Binge watching box sets has become the thing to do. Breaking Bad, Scandal, The Walking Dead, House of Cards, Once Upon a Time and Dexter - how I have enjoyed you!

We read Kindles instead of books. Harry Potter brought magic in to the muggles' world. Fifty Shades of Grey brought erotica (albeit poorly written erotica) into the mainstream.

We have YouTube, digital photography, Google, Facebook, Instagram, Skype, Pinterest and Twitter. We are connected 24/7.

Starbucks and Costa serve us skinny decaff pumpkin spiced lattes and double shot caramel macchiatos.

The 2012 Olympics saw Team GB win golds galore as London became the place to be.

We fell in love with the Blade Runner Oscar Pistorious and were left shocked and disgusted by his violent fall from grace.

My family all became vegetarian and we've witnessed Quorn become a staple product in supermarkets. All but one of us remain true to our plant based diet.

There have been terrible wars and natural disasters, which have shaken our world to its core.

We've witnessed examples of humanity and inhumanity in equal measure.

I have become a very proud Nana and Grauntie as new babies are born into our family.

Our family has evolved as wings have been spread and good-byes have been said, but home is always where the heart is.

So much has happened. So much has changed.

And it's all gone on without you here to see it or be a part of it.

Twenty years without you.

It still hurts.

It always will.

I miss you Carol.

Freddy's 6th Birthday Minecraft Party

Freddy turned six on July 9th and although we celebrated his birthday with a pizza party complete with pinata, presents and family fun, we couldn't have his official birthday celebrations until July 18th. His big sister Megan was away in Bali and we needed her back in the UK in order to have a proper McDonald family do. An erupting Indonesian volcano almost threatened her return home in time for the party, but thankfully the ash cloud blew south and my girl was able to return to Manchester. Joe and Jade were able to come up for the weekend, and as Ella is home from uni I had a full set of children home under the same roof. Perfect.

. 

So on the 18th, we hosted a Minecraft themed party for my little lad. Almost all the home baked food was vegan including five different traybake cakes (coffee, strawberries & cream, iced vanilla, chocolate with vanilla frosting and chocolate & coconut) and two types of cookie (choc chip and oat, cranberry & sunflower seed). We also served up a veggie barbecue with an assortment of homemade salads and sides. I enjoy the challenge of making a party spread that all my guests can enjoy without worrying about what they are eating. I printed off some Minecraft food labels, banners and posters from the internet to decorate the room and we made plain green balloons and cups into Creepers using black tape. A grass green tablecloth and square green paper plates completed the Minecraft theme.

Ian made an Enderman pinata, which was filled with sweets and toys that the kids thoroughly enjoyed hitting with a stick (the grown up kids joined in to with head butts, karate chops and drop kicks aimed at the very tough, extremely well made pinata!) until it gave up its load of goodies on to the grass.

There was plenty of fun and games and lots of laughter as my five kids, my sister and four of her children plus assorted partners, my mum and dad and my gorgeous little grandson Ted, enjoyed the much appreciated sunshine. For the first time ever Ted told us that he loved us...hearing "I yuv you Nana Wendy and Guitar Grandad" was heartwarmingly wonderful.

Freddy had a wonderful day with his siblings, cousins and his little nephew. The trampoline and sandpit were well used and we lost about six footballs into the next door neighbour's garden due to over zealous football and baseball games. I really enjoyed seeing everyone have a good time together. It was a lovely opportunity for my parents to get to see nine out of their thirteen grandchildren and one of their great grandchildren. Family time is particularly precious right now as my sister will be moving away shortly, meaning we won't be seeing her or her two little ones very often any more. We will miss them lots

It was a great day celebrating Freddy's special day (albeit a bit late). He had a lovely time and for me, my birthday party planning and birthday cake baking is finished until next time!

For Freddy - Now You are Six

I have a boy.
A loving boy.
A caring boy.
A boy that loves Minecraft, Harry Potter, video games, bubbles and swords.
A boy who loves singing and knows how to dance.
A boy who likes being a vegetarian because no animals die.
A boy with so much love in his heart for his family and friends.

I have a boy who says he doesn't like reading - but tries to read every word he sees.
A funny boy.
A clever boy.
A boy who doesn't run fast but won his skipping and egg and spoon races on sports day.
A boy who can hula hoop with three hoops!
A boy who can build tall towers - then gleefully smash them down.

I have a boy that has brought so much love, fun and laughter into our home.
A good boy.
A happy boy.
A boy who is a gift to his '40 something' mum and dad.
A boy that gives hugs, kisses, high fives and fist bumps.
A boy that tells silly Knock Knock jokes that make perfect sense to him.
A boy who loves Alton Towers, Trentham Gardens and Jurassic Golf at the garden centre.

I have a boy who loves play areas but is oh so scared of heights.
An extremely sensitive boy.
A deep thinking boy.
A boy who hates burping and obsesses about his health.
A boy who feels things so deeply.
A boy with so much empathy.
An old soul in a little boy.

I have a wonderful boy.
A beautiful boy.
Our perfect boy.

Happy Father's Day to my Children's Daddy

Once upon a time I was a single parent with a 3 year old son and a new baby girl. Although being a 22 year old with two kids wasn't easy, being a mum defined me, giving me something to live for and to strive for. I didn't need any one else aside from my son and my daughter. With two terrible failed relationships behind me, the part of me that could love or trust again was more than a little broken. I focused all my effort and energy into doing the best for my children. Building a life for us and protecting them from the hurt I had endured.

I could never have known that I would be sharing my life with someone again so soon. That within a year someone would take my wounded heart and fix it. Someone who would teach me how to live and how to love.

You came along. My best friend for so many years. Offering me the unconditional support and friendship that had been missing from my previous relationships. Opening my eyes to how it felt to be respected, cherished and  loved. It was inevitable that our friendship would become something more and I knew that you were an honest, decent, trustworthy man with a good heart - a man that I could let into my children's lives.

So you became the father figure that they had never had. A man that they could love and trust, who would never let them down. Who would put their needs first. Who would love their mum and never hurt her.

Over the next few years we saw the arrival of a daughter. We got married and welcomed another little girl and a son into our family. We built a home and saw our love grow deeper and deeper, as we shared our lives together.

Today is Father's Day.

On this day I need to let you know just how amazing a man you are. What you have given me can never be quantified. Because you have given me myself. You made me whole and gave me the chance to be the best person I could ever be, But more than that, you gave my children the very best dad that they could ever wish for. Literally.

I have never known a dad like you. Nothing is too much trouble for you when it comes to your family. The things you have done for all five of our children goes so far beyond the call of duty. You are selfless. You are kind, fair, respectful and supportive. You love unconditionally, with all of your heart. You have fun with them, enjoying their company and time spent together. You give them the tools to be better people and let them see how a real man behaves. They are so lucky to have you.

If I could have known what life my two eldest children would enjoy thanks to me being with you, that scared 22 year old girl that I was, would have never wasted a tear , felt any regret or sorrow or feared for our futures. Everything bad that I had endured up to that point in my life was worth my suffering. Because my journey led me to you. Has led me to where we are now, with five miraculous children and a wonderful life together.

Thank you for allowing me to give my children a dad like you. It has been the very best gift I could ever have given to them. The best gift for a mother to give to her children. A role model, a hero, a shoulder to cry on and someone to trust. A strong pair of arms to hold them and the knowledge that they will always have someone who puts their needs above their own.

I only have to look at my incredible, successful, confident and loving older kids to know that your parenting has influenced their lives in such a positive way. You gave them a love that transcended biology, allowing them to rewrite the futures they may have otherwise had. Our three younger children are just as wonderful, knowing nothing but the unconditional love of two parents who are very much in love with each other. The five of them are as close as siblings can be and fill us with such pride and joy everyday.

We did this together Ian, but I am forever grateful to you. You gave me the chance to live this life and to give our children all the things that they need to be the best versions of themselves that they can be. That is a true blessing.

Celebrating National Picnic Week with Primula

With this current spell of lovely weather, nothing beats some al fresco family dining, with a picnic being the number one choice for fun, outdoor eating. From the 13th to the 21st June it is National Picnic Week, which is being proudly sponsored by Primula. Primula have a really informative Picnic Week Hub, giving families some great ideas for picnic friendly recipes, top picnic spots and for things to do. It is well worth taking a look to get some ideas if you are planning a family picnic.

Primula also sent us some goodies so we could host our own family picnic. The beauty of a picnic is that it is perfect whatever your age, so I invited the grandparents who are both in their eighties, to join me, along with 19 year old Ella (who is home from university), 12 year old Kizzy and 5 year old Freddy. We had ourselves a wonderful three generation picnic, which we all enjoyed.

There are some beautiful picnic spots to be found around the UK, but you can equally enjoy a picnic in your own back garden. All you need is a picnic blanket, family, fresh air and a spread of easy to eat picnic food and you can turn an ordinary day into something special. Picnics are also brilliant for days out - you can save a small fortune by taking your own food instead of paying theme park or zoo restaurant prices. Plus it will be so much nicer and much more fun.

The food we enjoyed was very simple and easy to get together. Picnics needn't be complicated. In fact, using food that is easy to eat with the fingers, easy to package up and that minimises mess and hassle is a bonus when eating out of doors.

Primula is a great addition to a picnic as it can be squeezed straight from the tube onto cut bread or crackers without having to use a knife to spread it. I always prefer freshly made sandwiches so this is perfect - simply squeeze and eat! Plus it is fun. Freddy squeezed Primula onto carrot sticks and even grapes as he explored different ways to enjoy the cheesy goodness.

Original Primula is a blend of Cheddar and Gouda made into a squeezable cheese, which is naturally high in protein, a source of calcium, free from artificial colours, flavours or preservatives and is gluten free. It is suitable for vegetarians and, as it is pasteurised, is safe to eat when pregnant.  It comes in a variety of flavours including one with chives, a mild Kids blend with lower salt and added calcium and a light version with 40% less fat. (There are also ham and prawn flavours for non-vegetarians.)

Nana and Grandad loved trying out the different varieties of Primula on pieces of baguette along with some yummy strawberries and grapes, carrot sticks, hummus and a delicious dessert of profiteroles. Eating together in the fresh air, laughing, chatting and spending quality time with their grandchildren made for a very lovely day. It is a simple and cheap thing to do, but the memories shared are priceless.

The picnic setting proved to be a great incentive to encourage my picky eater Freddy to tuck in. He loved the freedom and the hands on style of eating, and ate more than I've seen him eat in a long time. He enjoyed being in charge of making his own food using the Primula to make faces, love hearts or spots on his bread.

One thing I didn't realise about Primula is that a proportion of the profits go to good causes, donated through the Kavli Trust to support humanitarian, research and cultural projects around the world and in local communities. In 2012, £2.5 million was donated to good causes.  This is just one more good reason to buy Primula.

Find out more about the Primula brand, the Kavli Trust, the product range and also visit the Primula Picnic Hub at www.primula.co.uk.

I hope you all get to enjoy many lovely family picnics over the summer!

What Fred Said about Music and his Family Easter

Freddy requested some music for us to listen to in the car:

Me: "Freddy you've got such good taste in music!

Freddy: What do you mean taste?  You listen to it not eat it!!!

***

Freddy had a fabulous Easter weekend with his brother, sisters and his nephew Ted all home, along with Ella's boyfriend Frank and Joe's fiancee Jade, His grandparents also came for Easter Sunday.

There were Easter Eggs, our Annual Eggstreme Eggstravaganza Easter Quiz, roast dinner for 12, bunny ears and some rather extreme plate spinning!!  I have honestly never laughed so much in my life!

I love Freddy to spend as much time with his three eldest siblings as possible, as they don't live  at home any more and he loves them so much. When all five of them are together I am at my happiest. We have so much fun! 

Freddy is such a lovely uncle to little Ted, looking after him, playing with him and teaching him the odd rude word!  Ella's boyfriend Frank has rapidly become Freddy's honorary bro' and he spent many hours on the trampoline with him playing games that Freddy called Sizzling Sausage, Beetroot, Scissors, the Gorilla game and Avoid the Ball.

Freddy spent the weekend saying that things were "divine" - Ella's dress, his dinner etc. - and that it was the "best Easter ever!" so he obviously had a great time too.

Not the half-term I had planned

I had been so looking forward to this half-term.  We'd had a difficult week beforehand with our boiler breaking down leaving us with no central heating and hot water, and we were looking forward to getting away from our chilly house and taking advantage of other places' warmth!  Ian had booked the week off work and we had a four night family holiday booked. Freddy had been invited to two birthday parties, which he was excited about and I'd also planned a lovely meal and activities for Valentine's Day on the Saturday to kick off a week of family fun.

Sadly, fate had other ideas.  Freddy woke up on Saturday morning unable to swallow and with a temperature.  We thought a syringe of Calpol might knock it on its head but as soon as the medicine went into his mouth, Freddy promptly threw up all over my bed.  Once we had stripped the bed we gave Freddy a sip of drink and again, as soon as it hit his tonsils he was sick again, this time over our cream bedroom carpet.  Cleaning up pink stained, Calpolly sick using a bucket of cold water (because of the broken boiler) was a low point of my day.  We had two extra loads of washing to do, with no central heating to dry any of it! Thankfully, we had lots of kind offers of help from friends and family and so with my sister's offer to tumble dry my bed sheets and a fan heater pointing at my clothes rack, we got by!

Freddy's poor tonsils were big and bright red and all he wanted to do was sleep albeit fitfully.  He missed birthday party number one and Ian and I put all our romantic candlelit dinner plans aside to look after our poorly boy. Freddy was up and down all night, waking every hour or so because he couldn't swallow his own spit. It's heartbreaking when they are so poorly.

By Sunday, Freddy had also come out in a rash, which I assumed was some sort of viral thing...although in hindsight could have been Scarlet Fever, which I've since read is doing the rounds. There is no way we could take him away on holiday when all he wanted to do was lie on the sofa under a duvet, sleeping or watching the occasional Nick Jr and eating nothing but ice lollies. So we made the decision to stay at home losing the money we had paid out. (Although initially a bit upset about this, I think we may have actually had a lucky break as we were going to spend four nights at Pontins in Southport.  Looking at their Tripadvisor reviews, which basically said things such as "cheap but not at all cheerful" and "stay at home"and "don't waste your money", I'm not sure it would have been the break we had in mind!)

Freddy did perk up a bit midweek, which meant we got to visit his sisters in Manchester, but as he still had no appetite, his energy reserves ran low pretty quickly and we wanted to be back home on his sofa, cutting short our visit. The same thing happened on Friday when we went to visit big brother Joe, who is sporting a triple toe dislocation, chipped bone and torn ligament injury from slipping down the stairs (but that's another story)! Again, when his energy run out, Freddy just wanted to be back in the comfort of his home. Unfortunately, this visit set Freddy back and he relapsed with tonsils swelling up and his temperature spiking again.

So, this weekend we have again been nursing a poorly boy with tonsilitis who just wants to sleep.  He tried to go to the second birthday party, but lasted five minutes before welling up and wanting to go back home.  Definitely not like him to ask to leave a party.  He returned to his spot on the sofa feeling very sorry for himself, but the party bag he was given by the party host's mum did soften the blow a little.

So today, Freddy has missed the first day back at school. He didn't sleep well last night because he couldn't warm himself up. I'm working on trying to get him eating again so he has some energy, but he is in better spirits and his temperature seems to be stable.  Fingers crossed for him being well enough for school tomorrow.  And our boiler is getting replaced tomorrow...so maybe things will finally look up after a pretty rubbish week!!

That was Christmas...Hello 2015!

After an absolutely wonderful Christmas surrounded by the people I love most in this world, I am now ready to face 2015 with positivity and determination.  I made a conscious decision to keep the laptop packed away over the holidays and concentrate on nothing more than having fun, making memories and enjoying the time spent with my family.

I was so happy to have all three of my grown-up children home over the holidays. Having all five of my children together is definitely one of my greatest pleasures.  It makes me feel complete. I love the dynamic of the relationships, the laughter and the love.

Adding my gorgeously cute little grandson Ted to the mix adds to the fun.  I was overjoyed this Christmas, to feel that little Ted had really bonded with his McDonald family. He was so happy and comfortable in our house, giving us hugs, saying our names and playing with us. He reminded me so much of Joe when he was a toddler, especially when he decimated the chocolate Santa tree decorations, searching for them among the baubles and proudly declaring that he had 'chocwot' every time he found one!  Ted also bonded beautifully with his Great Grandad.  Watching them having fun together was so heartwarming.  The oldest and the youngest member of the family united through the power of play!

We continued with  lots of festive family traditions this year.  From doing lots of arts and crafts activities in the run up to Christmas to baking lots of festive treats including our gingerbread house.

Choosing the tree that would be brought into our home for Christmas is a serious business and this year we found the perfect tree in our local garden centre and enjoyed a warming hot chocolate in the cafe afterwards.  We decorated it together using the baubles I have collected over the years, each one holding memories of Christmases past.  The children also get to choose a new bauble each year.  This year, Disney princesses and felt covered deer were added to the eclectic collection.

The gifts were spread out this year with a present each on Winter Solstice that paid homage to Ian's Scottish ancestry.  We bought McDonald tartan inspired presents for everyone, which included a shirt, a scarf, pyjama bottoms and a nightshirt.

As usual all the Christmas dinner prep was carried out on Christmas Eve whilst the South Park Christmas CD was played!  I also made a hearty, wholesome vegetable soup for our lunch.  Something healthy before the onslaught of Christmas Day excess.

Christmas Eve gifts included matching onesies for the girls and Minion pj's for Freddy along with a new mug for hot chocolate, slippers, Christmas pants and socks along with a new teddy to hug, all wrapped in a festively decorated box.

The kids designed a plate to leave Santa's snacks on and Freddy sprinkled reindeer dust in the garden.

Christmas stockings were left on the children's door handles ready to be discovered and brought into our king size bed in the morning to be opened.  The door to the living room was covered in wrapping paper for Freddy to burst through to discover all the goodies that Santa had delivered.

But before the unwrapping commenced we sat down to a breakfast of freshly backed croissants and Buck's Fizz to set us up for the day ahead.

My mum and dad joined us on Christmas day which was a real honour and made the day so special. They loved their presents and I managed to make my wonderful dad shed a tear or two of emotion when he opened a framed family photo montage that I made for them. I love doing nice things for my parents and sharing Christmas Day with them is right up there in those things I enjoy.

Dinner this year was a vegan feast including a homemade nut roast.  I looked at so many recipes but couldn't find any that really ticked all the boxes. So I made up my own recipe incorporating all the elements I liked, tweaking it to suit our needs.  So the Lentil, Cashew Nut and Chestnut Roast was born (recipe to follow soon.)  It was a huge hit, especially with my dad who ate tonnes of the stuff!  I served it with a vegan 'sausage' and chestnut stuffing, which was like a main course in its own right, and all the usual Christmas dinner trimmings (including vegan pigs in blankets).

This year we had a Big Christmas Challenge after dinner, which I had spent weeks working on.  It included questions on 2014, news, films, music, Christmas traditions, carols, anagrams, picture quizzes etc plus each family member wrote 5 questions based on their own 2014 experiences to test everyone on.  It was a lot of fun and kept us all busy in the post dinner lull!

We got to do Christmas all over again two days later when Joe, Jade and Ted visited for the weekend. My parents came back again too to see them all bringing four generations together under one roof. Ella's boyfriend Frank also came to stay and we enjoyed another roast dinner and even more presents.  We discovered that Frank is one of the most thoughtful gift givers ever and that he makes my daughter so happy...definitely a keeper!

Thankfully, the illness that has plagued me for the past 8 weeks did not spoil my Christmas in any way.  I battled through and refused to let it get  the better of me.  I'm still not 100% better yet, but feel revitalised and ready to take on 2015!

Christmas was definitely pretty chaotic and hectic this year, but it was tonnes of fun and filled with hundreds of happy moments that we will remember for years to come.  Family means everything to me and spending the festive season with my loved ones was a simply perfect end to the year.

Happy Birthday to my Grandson Ted

It's hard to believe that it was a whole two years ago that I was waiting anxiously for a message from my son Joe, to tell us that his baby son had been born.  When a photograph finally arrived to my mobile I burst into tears of joy, pride and relief, knowing that Joe had become a daddy, and that mother and baby were doing well.  So started a brand new phase of my life, where I became a grandma to baby Ted, welcoming a brand new generation into our family.

Happy birthday to my cheeky, boisterous, sweet and funny little grandson Ted.  We love you xxx

And just because I love a bit of reflection and nostalgia, here is a photograph of my own little boy Joe on his second birthday in 1990, ready to dive into his Dennis the Menace birthday cake! 

Our Bonfire Night in Pictures

A Fire Pit + Toasted Marshmallows + Sparklers + Family = FUN!!

My Dream Family Holiday Destination

Travel for me has mainly consisted of European destinations over recent years.  Holidaying in rural France, city breaks in Amsterdam and even a Concorde flight to Paris  have been enjoyed, as we have created many wonderful memories.  That is the beauty of family holidays, knowing you are filling everyone's memory banks with lots of fabulous deposits to be drawn on throughout your future life. But with five children and finances being tighter, we've chosen UK breaks to save cash for the last couple of years, but that has never stopped me dreaming!

This summer, as I scrolled through my Facebook feed I was often struck by the amazing images of holiday destinations that flooded my newsfeed.  Photos of far flung beaches with sun-bleached sands and the azure ocean lapping at the shore, gave me pangs of wanderlust.  Seeing baby turtles swimming in the shallow, crystal waters made we so want to jump into the photos to experience the sight firsthand.  Bora-Bora has always been a place I have dreamed of visiting.  The stilted huts standing off shore hold a promise of the exotic, injecting some tropical magic into your life, even if it's just for one glorious week.

However, my dream destination isn't Bora-Bora, nor is it any other exotic, sun-kissed paradise. Although I would adore lying on a hammock, sipping a cocktail from a coconut shell and feeling the soft, warm, salty breeze on my skin, my dream destination is completely removed from this.  And this is the reason why.

I have a wonderful godson and nephew, Thomas.  He was the first baby I ever held and I adored him from the first moment I saw him. Over the years I have watched him grow into a man who stands a good four inches taller than me.  A man who harboured an ambition to move to America and make a life for himself on the other side of the pond.

This year, my godson and nephew made his dreams come true by marrying his lovely wife Ashley in a beautiful ceremony in Georgia.  We couldn't be there, but had our own celebration, when he sent me all the photographs taken on the day, pouring over each and every one of the images.  I shed many tears of pride and joy as I thought of everything Tom had been through and how hard he has worked to achieve his dreams. To say that I am a proud auntie is an understatement and I am utterly honoured to be involved in his life.

Now he is a resident of the USA, we stay in touch over Skype and I love our chats where I get to see him looking so at home in his new life.

There is nowhere in the world that holds more holiday appeal to me at this time than Atlanta, Georgia, in the state where my godson now resides.

Home to a rich culture, plenty of outdoor attractions, a zoo, botanical gardens, an aquarium (that is the biggest in the world), national parks, amazing architecture and the intriguing sounding World of Coca-Cola, there would be plenty to see and do.  And if we wanted to combine another dream destination, Florida is a neighbouring state.  I long to take my youngest children to Disneyland Resort Florida.

I visited Los Angeles back in 1993 and did the full touristy thing and have to admit to absolutely loving it all!  To do able to revisit the magic of Disney in the sunshine state would be a perfect way to spend a few days.  A holiday destination combining my godson and Mickey Mouse is truly the ultimate vacation!

Visiting Atlanta is definitely on the agenda and we are planning on making it a reality as soon as we possibly can.  I'd love to see the place that Thomas calls home, let him show us around and meet his new family.  The kids would adore the opportunity of visiting America and the idea of flying fills them with excitement.  Spending quality time with their cousin would be the icing on the cake!  A holiday in Atlanta would allow us to create lots of wonderful memories together as a family.  It really would be the most magical, memorable and emotional journey of a lifetime!


This post is an entry for the #Flying100 Family Holiday Challenge, celebrating how flying allows us to make memories and ‘be there’, in association with #Flying100. Find out more at http://bit.ly/flying100 

How becoming a mother shaped my life - Happy Birthday Joe x

My eldest child Joe is 26 years old today.  The little boy I raised is now a man.  A man that I am proud to call my son.

When I gave birth to Joe, I was little more than a child myself.  A teenager with no direction, floundering through life making a series of mistakes and bad judgments.  But having Joe gave me the incentive and the strength I needed to grow up and to heal myself, in order to become someone worthy of being his mother. He made me whole for the first time, giving me purpose and making me want more for myself and for him.  That tiny 7 lb 1 oz baby saved me.

Over the years my son has taught me many things about myself, about life and about parenthood.  We didn't always have it easy, but together we muddled through as best we knew how.  Sometimes I look back and wish that Joe could have enjoyed the charmed existence that his little brother Freddy has now. But the journey we took back then has made us the people we are today.  And who we are today has been shaped by everything we experienced together.

I do have regrets about my past, but I wouldn't change a single thing, because anything done differently would have altered the path that I ultimately took.  The path that has lead me to who and what I am today.  The path that has blessed me with five incredible children along with the richness they have brought into my world.  The path that gave my children the most amazing father they could have ever wished for.  The path that has given them a mother who is hopefully, in their eyes, worthy of that title. The path that has lead my son Joe to become an amazing man with his own beautiful family, a promising career and a sense of humour that never ceases to make me smile.

Joe is a man I am proud to call my son.  The father of my first born grandchild.  Big brother to the girls and Freddy. A man who I have watched grow as a person, learning from his mistakes and evolving into a more responsible, hard working, loving, hilariously funny, unique human being with a passion for cars, computer gaming, playing football and for providing for his family.

Joe, I love you.

Happy birthday son xxx