Who am I

I have joined a blog challenge set by PVB.

Today the subject is 'Who am I' I started to write the opening to this blog in my head when I saw it on the Little White Cottages Facebook page, then I read her blog and we'd had a similar idea. 

Of course there will be those of you that are a similar age to me who instantly started repeating 'who am I, who am I' (who are you in the film!)

Luckily I didn't have a biro to clip on my lip and push up my nose like Brian from The Breakfast Club. 

So Who am I...

I'm Lindsey, as a toddler I was the one with wild blonde hair that liked dancing and singing in front of the tv, wanted a little sister called Polly, got a brother, called him Polly any way (sorry Dan)

I'm the girl who didn't mind going to school, who liked school uniform, who loved to make a revision timetable but didn't do the revision, who loved art, loved a gossip and a laugh, didn't have loads of friends but lots of people remember me. 

I'm the one who's done a bit of this and a bit of that, I wanted to be a fashion designer or a teacher when I was at school, I'm now a teaching assistant.

I've worked in bars, restaurants, shops and abroad. 

At 17 I was working as a waitress (not in a cocktail bar) when I met Paul,

In 96 I moved to London and worked at Selfridges, in 97 I came back. 

In 99 we went to Corfu for the summer. I came back.

I like my home, my space. 

In 2000 I started university aged 26, a fine art degree at last! But more portent events meant I didn't complete it.

In 2001 we got Martha our westie. 

In 2002 we had Tommy, a beautiful boy who kept me waiting and came out like super man. 

In 2004 we got married on a gorgeous summer day. 

In 2006 we had Jack, another bouncy boy,he arrived through the sunroof!

The last four dates are the most important to me, as a child I'd always wanted a westie and two boys ( and ironically to marry a boy called Paul lol)

Who am I ... I'm lucky. 

Who am I ... I'm Lindsey.

I'm a mum, a wife, a dog owner, a vegetarian, a Birmingham City fan, a homemaker, a cook, a cleaner, a story teller, a listener, a friend, a daughter, a sister, a cuddler, a soccer mum, a blogger, a lover and a fighter, a finder of lost objects...

Many things to many people. 

But when I'm on my own I'm the girl with the (not so wild - not so blonde) hair dancing in front of the tv, round the kitchen, in the car, the super market...

http://www.pvbonline.co.uk/blogs.html

Other blogs in the challange...

Penelope's Vintage World 
JJC Photography
Little White Cottage 
Elfie's Smile
Gianina Blog
Kay Patterson's Blog

Winter warmer!

I'm sat in the car watching my husband, my two boys and about 4 dads and 15 kid,s maybe more ( they move too fast to count) playing football.
(Paul runs a mini soccer team and trains local kids for free every saturday morning "no fee, kids train free" )
They are all having a fantastic time, laughing and cheering, they've all got pink cheeks and huge smiles. After a cold and icy week it's just what my two have needed, cooped up in school unable to play out because the playground is too icy and someone might fall over!!!

There isn't a coat between them and about four of them are wearing shorts, I can't speak for the others but my eldest hasn't had a day off for two years.
A mum at school asked me in the week why the playground had been out of action and said she'd stayed in school until 4 whilst her two boys had ran around ( a then defrosted ) playground, she commented that we need to teach kids how to be safe and walk on slippy paths and that boys need a release and I totally agree with her.
(In complete contrast to this, we had to walk four classes back from the church yesterday in the freezing rain wearing Christmas costumes!!??)

I've thought for a long time that we wrap them in to much cotton wool, how about you?

How old do you think I am?

We play a game in the car with the digital clock on the dash, at 20:02 Tommy is born and at 20:06 Jack is born it passes 4 minutes of a journey!
We'd gone to pick Paul up from work a couple of nights ago and were sat in the car waiting, Jack glanced at the clock and said ' ooh it's 18:38 mum' and glanced excitedly at me 'yes Jack 18:38' I replied 'you know mum 18:38 ... When we're you born?' slightly aghast I replied 'not 1838 Jack ...19 for god sake 1974, how old do you think I am' unaffected by my answer or shock he innocently enquired ' well how about Dad?'

Arrrrrg!

Ok I admit defeat, I can't take any more kids tv, I've had my fill of Sponge Bob and Harry Hill repeats, Tom and Jerry was ok for a while and The Pink Panther amusing, The Regular show was funny the first time, but Im gonna have to admit I miss Cbeebies in fact you know what I miss, people...real live human beings, ok they might be dressed up as trendy allotment owners or wacky kids entertainers but at least they're human.

We had a brief love affair with CBBC and laughed together at Hacker and Bear Behaving Badly (ok I was laughing the loudest) but since then its been cartoon channels everyday and you know what the most annoying thing is...yep...the adverts, and they are all aimed at me, and my kids are starring zombie like at the tv being sold car insurance, mis-sold payment protection plans, debt management and Marthas favourite...dog sponsorship.

I think Im gonna have to rearrange the house and find myself somewhere comfy to sit away from the tv...when The Amazing Adventures of Gumball has finished that is.

How my boys describe me...

(this post by Lindsey...not Martha!!!)

I have recently been readingwww.fantasticimperfectfamily.com and loved her bit 'My boys would probably describe me in the following way'(...http://fantasticimperfectfamily.com/nlp/lets-get-the-introductions-over )
So I asked my boys 'how would you describe me'
This is what they came up with:

• Says nice words
• good at hugging
• good at cooking
• good at driving 
• takes us nice places where we learn stuff

All these things were said with a great big smile beaming across their faces and not a hint of irony when they said I was good at driving!

offically a working mum!

Well where to start!

Such a long gap between blogs I'm so sorry...but I have probably had the busiest year of my life so far!

My temporary work contract turns into a permanent one in January so I can relax a little bit and enjoy making the job my own I will have a bit of playground duty next term so Paul bought me a new water/wind/childproof coat today didn't want to take it off, very cosy and was very tempted to put it back on this evening god its cold!

The under 7s season has gone great so far a few petty bits here and there but to be expected I'm told! We are the only one of three teams in our club with money in the bank, a registered coach and regular training. Tommy is still our top scorer even though hes been in goal a lot and hip hip hooray we actually won a match recently made all the much sweeter as the 'manager' offered to take Paul out on the car park! Paul reminded him he was a member of the FA and watched him shrink away!
Yes i would say that was Paul's high light of the year he is now a FA (level1 - so far) coach and loved every second of it - he was like a kid at Christmas...already set his sights on level 2 and beyond!

Jack gets cheekier day by day and lived up to his name this Christmas with a tin of biscuits from Nanna.
Christmas also meant bikes , why do I have children who can only pedal backwards. I'm beginning to think there is a gap in the market for parenting books...the stuff you need to know once they're out of nappies and in school... how to to teach stuff like shoe lace tying, time telling, swimming, bike riding, falling out with friends,losing (in general - bad losers my lot) and general bribes and lies for an easy life..oh and why you can't swear.

Jack will be 4 in April and we had been telling him his birthday was after Christmas so what did he say boxing day morning....'is it my birthday now!'

Tommy has managed a whole Premier season so far and loves it more and more each game ...getting a bit jealous I mean who wouldn't enjoy being a Birmingham City fan at the moment?.....when I had a season ticket.....well we were crap! Hopefully Jack and me will be there next season...Europe?

Must'nt forget my little bro becoming a dad for the first time they had Ruby on Monday 14th December...they moved house Friday 11th December, crazy times for him but Ruby is gorgeous and mum and baby are doing great.

What about Martha?
I think she has enjoyed the peace and quiet when we are all out, she has a friend staying the night tomorrow! (we are dog sitting on news years eve!) so I'm sure she will sit up all night starring at him!
She has had a relatively calm time since her rabbit hunting on Shell Island, shes had her annual jitters around Bonfire night which cruel though it is can be very funny, its normally difficult to get her in at night but mid October to mid November we can let her out for a wee, someone up the road will let off a banger and whoosh shes in!
Oh yes its New Years tomorrow more fireworks!!!

Happy New Year All

Tommy and Jack made it to youtube!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyvhWBPUNoQ

surviving jitterbugs

Our 6 yr old went to The FA youth cup last night at St Andrews and came home a changed 'man' He has had a season ticket this season and only used it a handful of times so it was lovely to hear him say that a) he wanted to go and b) he had had a good time. His main concern is the noise and cheering when we score...does he not realise that this is Birmingham City we are talking about well known for being an intimidating club(apparently) and we dont score that much!!!!!
Well my 'new' son waltz into jitterbugs this afternoon, ran off and joined in...amazing a transformation!!
Mean while my 3 yr old usually confident and fun loving child, clung onto me and refused to talk to anyone, only opening his mouth to shovel in large quanties of cake.
He was back to his normal self when he got home and 6 yr old taught him to take his top off and exchange shirts in the garden at the end of a match.
As for the dog well she is transformmed too I have only had to 'remove' her from the TV once today (Dr Junos dog on Me Too must have looked at her!!) and she was golden when she went out.
Strange goings on in this house!!!! Voodoo me thinks!!!