I've been blessed with a large extended family.. not gigantically huge, but big enough to make a dent in the budget come birthday season anyway..lol
Some are still with us and some aren't.. I mentioned in the Scarborough post about my Dad's parent's Jack & Mary but I've not mentioned my Mum's parents, Nick & Jane...so let's look back again for a minute.
When I was growing up the most exciting time of the year was when my Mum's parents came to visit. In the weeks before the whole house was a hive of activity.. cleaning, tidying.. more cleaning.. think my Grandma had a bit of OCD. Everything had to be spotless and in its place and of course, in our house it mainly wasn't..a bit like my own house now really..lol..its not easy with 3 kids in the house y'know!!
I don't actually know how my Mum did it.. for a start I don't even remember where we all slept as my Grandparents took over my brothers bedroom and mine was only a little box room so we couldn't all get in there.. and secondly, how the hell my Mother got a bedroom that had 2 boys in it scrupulously clean to my Grandma's ocd standards without ripping everything out of the room and burning and replacing it I have NO idea.. but she managed it, so kudos to my Mum..and can you please come round and help me clean my house?
Grandad Nick and Grandma Jane (and those were just their nicknames btw.. lol) were posh and rich too..(I really do come from "breeding" as Rich's Grandma Barbara calls it.. who'd have thunk'd it?? lol) in actual fact they probably weren't but they were from the south and so were posher than us.. or they did a great job of appearing that way and they did have more money than us lol..
We got excited because Grandad worked for Unilever and therefore brought lots of their products with him (ahh the joys of company perks and free samples!!). We got Persil washing powder and fairy liquid... what? they were expensive in those days..lol, the thing we loved most is that Grandma brought us Ribena.. REAL Ribena.. which was also v expensive.. they brought masses of other things too and gifts etc and there were plenty of kisses and cuddles etc but to this day a glass of Ribena still evokes many happy memories of childhood summers in the garden with the rellys. Love it. Other things that remind me of my Grandma are Bells whiskey and Silk Cut cigarettes. Beautifully manicured red nails and perfect hair.. the colours purple and green and the smell of Elnett hairspray & Chanel (no. 5 of course).
She died in 1987, I was 12. I don't remember anything bad about her at all.. she was lovely and so very elegant, I could only wish to be that elegant & graceful. I always smile when I think of her these days.. there have been (and still are) many random times when she pops into my mind.. I hope she knows that...I hope my Mum does too.
My Grandad Nick smelled like tobacco smoke and gin and tonic..(lovely memories arent they?? lol I can't help what smells remind me of people..sorry.) in fact my little brother once stood outside a pub in town and told my Mum he could smell Grandad..lol. Thankfully he didn't always smell that way and in his later years he smelled of nice aftershave!) Eventually he gave up the tobacco but he still loved a good gin - Gordon's naturally..a tipple I enjoy myself occasionally ;) - After Jane died and because of the distance between our homes I didn't see so much of him, he came up for the wedding and he sent a beautiful bunch of flowers when I had Jake but I have to admit, I became disappointed at the lack of interest he'd shown in us since we'd grown up and unfortunately when he died in January 2008, I hadn't seen him for 8 years. I haven't forgotten the happier times when we were younger though..he once took me in a taxi all over London showing me various things like the Mall and the Palace and Picadilly etc and then to the Palladium to see Tommy Steele in the stage show of "Singin' in the rain". I never forgot it and if I see this clip of Gene Kelly (in the film) dancing in the rain it always makes me think of him.
ok..who's next.
Simon..
Simon is my big brother..I think I have always loved Simon.. even though he's repeatedly tried to kill me in the 35 years he's known me.. ok ok I think he stopped trying to kill me when I was about 14 but still..lol. He's hit me over the head with a gun.. granted it was a toy gun and he was only 3 and dressed like a Queens Royal Guard at the time so he was probably ( and understandably) a bit pissed off with my mother for putting him in a big fluffy helmet in the middle of summer..and the pretend rifle was as tall as him and therefore a bit difficult to manoeuvre (sp?) but thats not the point..
Then there was the time we were playing "drunken sailor" on the bunk beds and he was swinging me upside down by the legs and he swung me too far and my head bounced off the metal toybox (I have a dint in my forehead to this day!) and then, not content with trying to stove my head in ... he DROPPED me too..yes on my head, make jokes if you dare!!! er.. why do I love this one?? o_O
oh yes.. he has the most wonderful children.. James who was page boy at my wedding, he told me I looked like a fairy princess.. this of course makes him my favourite nephew of all time... even though he's taller than me now and calls me "squirt" occasionally..
Then his beautiful twin daughters Francesca and Rosalee who weirdly look completely different and yet both still manage to look like him.. I have no idea how this is possible... or how they're both so gorgeous..they must get that from their wonderful mother Mel, who was my first "Near miss" sister in law (meaning they never actually made it down the aisle) and I'm still close to I'm happy to say, even though Simon and Mel aren't together anymore.. she's a fabulous mother and a lovely person and she has been so much help to me from talking and understanding (more importantly) all things "twin" with me and easing my fears as I faced my own twin daughters births, her having been there a few years before herself.. and she never ever forgets a birthday that woman, I dunno how she does it..lol.
Adding to his family in 2007 there was his lovely wife Sarah and their gorgeous son Albie, who you will remember from here. He's now almost 2 and completely obsessed with Tractors.. as u do. lol.
I have another brother, Phil.. he's bald and has super long chin pubes.. don't ask. He's been a pain in my arse for 32 years and shows no sign of breaking with tradition anytime soon...lol but I love him too.. shhh don't tell him.. its against everything I stand for as an older sister. ;)
Phil's a weird one... he's my little brother and I can say what I like about him.. you can't though..or I'll kick your arses and thats that. I wonder if thats how Simon thinks of both of us too..? lol.
Phil has given me a best friend in his ex, Tracey.. who was also a "near miss sis" lol and a niece, Shona... more commonly known as "Shona!!! put kettle on.." bless her, she makes a GREAT cuppa.. lol and Zakk.. my lil mate who is spookily like his father.. right down to the grunt and the attitude bless him.
More recently Phil has found Cate and they have a little girl Livvi, omg how gorgeous that girl is I can't tell you.. she looks like my Dad's mum too which is bizarre..and she's always smiling like her too. It's nice to see.
So both of my brothers have provided me with lots of lovely babies to have snuggles with over the years.. and we're still all quite close, I know I'm lucky to have two brothers that care so much what I think (even if they ignore my advice haha) and even just checking on each other.. its so much more than some brothers do... they don't do it always and sometimes I have to yell at them to remind them how shit they are but most times we're all good and I like that.
I really wanted to write separate posts for all these peeps but I just havent had the time.. I'm on to my Mum now..
When I was 15 my Mum and Dad split up. I guess I'm supposed to write now about how traumatic it is and how it affected our relationship but to be honest, any issues I had with my Mum over her split from my Dad are long gone now.. In a way I'm glad things happened as they did because I gained a great Step-Dad in John.. and my kids gained a brilliant extra Grandad.. they adore him and he them too and he's brilliant with all of us and boy, do we keep the poor guy busy!!!! He never complains, he never says no.. he'll do anything for any of us and he really doesn't have to.. we're really lucky to know him, to be able to include him in our family and our lives and I hope he knows how much we all love and appreciate him.. He's very special and unfortunately, as is often the case in families.. I admit, we haven't told him so. Well I know he reads here so there.. we (or I) have now. xx
My Mum and I are probably more alike that either of us would like to admit but thats ok. She's pretty cool sometimes.. she's strong and smart and I cant say too many nice things about her or she might know how much I love her and then she'll have to cry and it'll get ugly..lol. I think she knows.. I hope she does.. she'll probably call me a bitch now..lol
Who else is there?? There's my Auntie Sandra (have u had your pomegranate juice today?).. oh I cannot tell you how much I love and admire this great woman. She has the ability to make you laugh until you pee your pants and she doesnt even know she's doing it.. she's so kind and so thoughtful.. she never complains, well we all have a bit of a moan but Sandra never really complains about anything important and well.. you just feel like you could tell her anything.. or if you asked for her help she'd move heaven and earth to do it for you. She's warm and loving and man can she talk!!! She knows everything about everyone from the current generation to the 3 back before she was born! A real Auntie with a big heart and soul and I wish she lived closer because I'd go see her every day if I could. I know she was so terribly sad when my Dad (who was her younger brother) died and I sometimes hear her voice shake when we're talking on the phone about him and it breaks my heart.. it must be incredibly lonely to be last one of your immediate family left standing.. and I know she wants to cling to us and look after us and yet still keeps her distance as she knows we're all grown ups now with families of our own.. I appreciate that she wants to take care of us though still.. I love that she likes to keep tabs on us all like the big family matriarch that she's become. The lynch pin.. she holds us together even though she doesnt know it. I love her with all my heart, the last link to my Dad and Grandparents.. she's an amazing woman and more like her own mother than she realises.. she's done her parents proud.
Ohh... along with my own family there are many that I adore, Rich's mum and grandma.. his Dad, Vicki (& Scott & the kids) who was a sister in law that divorced but stayed a friend and remarried a great guy and is now joyously happy and I love that..
My partner in crime Tracy ("I never bring trouble to your door do I Jen.. Anton you w*nker!!") Greenwoo and her pink pubes..lol & Lachie and Moo.. oh mate, we never stop giggling.. another best friend I can never be without.. I love you so much you make me pee my pants but how come I always end up with something dyed or pierced?? wtf is that all about?? and the hangovers!!! girl we're getting old..
Diane "have you been drinking?" Buxton - I miss you, you skinny bitch.
My online lovelies..
Uncle "Sing it Jeeeeeen!!!" Herb,
Aaron "I'm outside your window y'know"
Amber...Bugger off kids she's reading!!!! lol,
Nat and Hamy and Davina.. none of whom can spell for shit or type for laughing and need to be in Tupo corner permanently!!!
Shannon *humps leg* and everyone at that place we know.. we've had so many giggles, you're all completely bonkers..which is probably why we all got on so well in the first place...lol
I must stop this now.. for I feel like its turning in to an Oscar's acceptance speech..LOL tis the season after all.. I think you should give me a blog award biznatches. :p
before I go I must finish with this..In 1995 I found me a man.. that man was to be my hubby.. we may not always get on and we may not always have fun, we might fight.. we might do stupid things sometimes and we might hurt each other but we're still here and we have a laugh don't we?? and I hope we'll be here a while longer yet..remember what my Dad said?? Well I'm still smiling so you dont have to duck just yet ;)
There are a few things he brought with him into my life.. 3 to be exact.. all girls.. and now they've (well one of them so far..lol) started having their own babies and how gorgeous they are too.. they were lovely girls that grew into gorgeous women and its been a pleasure to see.. and not only that but they've never given me any trouble either.. which I don't think is too bad for step-children who are generally supposed to hate the wicked step-mother (moi).. Ooo, I hope they don't hate me.. lol.
Finally my babies..Oh I never thought it possible to love someone so completely.. but the second that little line appeared on the pee stick of doom.. well I was sold... and a teeny bit scared if I might admit it.. I completely crapped myself the second time around of course.. especially when laid on that table trying not to pee all over the sonographer as she poked me with the magic camera thingy and then trying not to punch her has she told me there were 2 of the lil buggers in there.. ahhh happy days. lol
They bring me joy and happiness and sometimes boogers...yes really.. They're funny and smart and bossy (can you guess which one?) and sensitive and artistic and silly and magical all rolled into one.. or rather three and I love them like I never loved anything before or will again..
They brought me through darkness, back into the light again and when I sink somedays they poke me and smile and sometimes they just talk me into submission lol.. but I wouldnt be without any of them, even for a second..
So there you all are.. past and present and future too.. I love you all. Bonkers as you may be.. I still do... this one's for all of you.. xx
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