No alarms clock needed to wake me up for work anymore. No rumble of the incoming early train, no shuffling sounds of people settling into their seats and taking out books or iPads or headphones for the duration of the commute. No sounds of morning greetings of co-workers; instead I hear the morning greetings of…
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As the fiftieth chorus so far today of ‘Happy Birthday’ rings through the house as the kids wash their hands, I can’t help but think yet again of how strange our lives feel, and how quickly the change came. The new normal, apparently. New ways of doing things, a new way of living, an overnight…
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I remember when I started this blog, and why. Seven years ago, we had been trying to have a baby for years, then found out we’d need to do IVF, and I realised I needed somewhere to pour out my thoughts and feelings, somewhere to empty my brain without needing to explain or apologise, no…
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It’s almost impossible to believe that we’ve only known Rian for just five years..! When I look at him, almost every time, as his little face is animated with the story he’s telling me, or the deal he’s trying to negotiate with me: ‘Let’s make a deal, Mam, ‘k?? If I eat ALLLLL my dinner,…
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When I think of Alex, what are the first words that come to mind? Smile, Dimple, Hair, Buzz, Bright, Chaotic, Determined, Stubborn, Bright..! When Alex was born, he was so tiny, sometimes I’d look at him and almost worry about picking him up, he just looked so delicate. For the first six months, all he…
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Rushing to put on my jacket at the front door this morning at 6.27 precisely, meaning I have 8 minutes until the train pulls in at the station, I look back to see two sad little faces at the top of the stairs. Both in their Batman & Toy Story pyjamas, both still warm from…
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{To Rian, starting ‘big’ school!} You love going to the park. Running around the playground, I watch as you look across every so often to make sure that I can see the amazing jump you’re about to make, or watch as you push yourself to new heights on the swing. I watch as you climb…
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There’s a drive I take a couple of times a week along the same route. On that route there’s a little cottage just off the main road, where an elderly man lives. Every morning, he places two or three vases on the ground just past his front gate, full of the most beautiful flowers which…
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Kids, eh? Teaching us things about ourselves every day. My latest lesson? Well, turns out I’m as thick as two short planks. At four and a half Rian has moved firmly past the general, easy questions that young kids ask centering around ‘Why?’ and we have upgraded a level to the never ending loop of…
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I cautiously open one eye and wait for my brain to kick in and determine what day of the week it is and what is on today’s agenda of Things To Do. Saturday. Good – no trains to work, I don’t have to get up yet. Next, I assess by the level of light streaming…
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The Scenic Route 