So what happened last Christmas?

Last Christmas kind of disappeared down the drain!

 

My dad died last Thanksgiving, and I had to quickly arrange a flight home to the UK for his funeral. While it was lovely to see my family it was a hard reason for my trip. I actually got back to the US too late to send Christmas cards to friends and family in the UK and Europe, so I let it go. I also didn't get cards out to friends and family in the US, nor did I write my Christmas letter because I just didn't feel like it.

Last year we didn't decorate outside although of course we put up the tree in the living room. But it seemed I had barely gotten home, done laundry and caught up with the household chores before the boys were out of school and the holiday was upon us.

This year, I am feeling a little smug, although I am trying not to because you know what happens when you think you have a handle on things! The tree has been up since just after Thanksgiving. The fireplace is adorned with the Christmas village and tons of lights. There are lights and decorations (just a few) in the front garden and the elf has been here a week or two now keeping an eye on the twins.

Yesterday I mailed ALL of my cards, Australia, UK and US. DONE! It is such a good feeling. Christmas presents?? All bought, some are wrapped. Krispie treats in tins for friends? Ingredients bought, tins bought and lined with parchment paper. In addition, some stealth projects are in the process of being knit and I am feeling pretty pleased with myself.

I know what I am making for Christmas dinner (lamb), I know what pies I am ordering from my favorite pie supplier (Village Inn) and I have all the fixings in the house for my current favorite drink - fuzzy naval!!

WOO HOO! Sounds too good to be true?? But it is, and I am one happy camper!

I always had big boobs!

And I only really liked them when I was in my early twenties and they were still (kind of) perky and attractive looking. My boobs developed quickly and early. I can still recall I was playing in the back garden with friends when my mum got home from work and called me into the house. She had bought me a bra, told me I was too big to be running around without one. It was very pretty, but OMG I can still feel how tight it seemed to be around my chest, how constricting it felt. I was just ten or eleven!!

Over the years I gues I have adapted to big boobs, to the jokes from friends - male of course - about how I would need extra long skis to balance me out otherwise I would be falling on my face all the time! I learned very quickly there were some outfits I really couldn't wear, some tops that just were not suitable. And I also learned that it was tough to find a nice, pretty, supportive and comfortable bra. Any weight I gained seemed to go straight to my chest, and it's almost impossible to lose it from that area!

And gradually, the weight of those boobs weighed me down. I began to suffer neck and back problems. I have degenerative disc disease and over time I have found it harder and harder to stand for even short periods of time without pain. Summer added in another problem, or two. The heat caused rashes underneath my boobs, my bras were uncomfortable and tight and the straps left deep indentations on my shoulders. 

When I realized I couldn't turn my head fully to the left or right I decided something had to be done and in June I decided enough was enough and went to see a plastic surgeon. He immediately told me I was a very good candidate for a breast reduction, that my size 38DDD were just too large for my small 5' 2" frame. He sent the paperwork and photographs off to the insurance company and less than two weeks later they responded with a YES! I was going to have my surgery, and it was fully covered! YAY! I was so excited.

I had my surgery exactly 2 weeks ago today. I am sore and bruised, but I am small and perky and so very, very happy. I am still swollen and am wearing a sports bra 24 hours a day for support and compression but already I have felt a major difference in my back and neck. The surgeon removed a little over 3lbs of tissue! THREE POUNDS! That's like a bag and a half of sugar, or three large cans of tomatoes! What a difference. My eventual size will be 34B and I think it looks great. My clothes fit differently, better, nicer, but now my stomach seems bigger! I can't afford a tummy tuck, so think I am off to invest in a pair of Spanx!!

Another year.......

.....has come and gone. And I am SO bad at blogging. I just don't seem to find the time anymore! But I am going to try and do better!! 

Jamie and Oliver

The boys started 2nd grade last Tuesday and they really love their new teacher, Mrs. Wilson. I have volunteered to host a book club in their class, it won't start just yet as everyone is settling into the new routine and getting into the habit of sitting still and learning again!!

Summer seems to have been both long and short! How can that be? I think while you are in the midst of it, when the boys are looking for things to do and are starting to get bored with everything then the summer seems so very long. But from this side of it, now they are back in school, it seems to have flown by.

We went bowling once a week, took in some new movies and ate out. We went on picnics, play dates and every week visited our local library to participate in their kids program. Through that the boys got to meet llamas, critters, rabbits, crabs and spiders. They told stories, took part in the annual reading club, watched magic shows and did crafts. I am not sure how I would cope without our local library!!

I got a fair bit of knitting done, and managed to fit my part time job in there also! There were many days when the laundry and dusting were completely forgotten, but we all had fun, and that's what counts at the end of the day isn't it?

Raccoon print on the pool wall

It's been a very long, hot and dry summer. The lake in Palmer Lake has completely dried up and the annual 4th of July fireworks were canceled due to the fire danger. We were on standby to evacuate due to fires but luckily did not have to leave our homes. This summer I saw a bear wandering down the street in broad daylight, a mountain lion spent some time sitting in my neighbor's front garden, and I have been woken by the raccoons running over our roof at night. We also found a raccoon paw print on the boy's pool one morning!

Occasionally now, there is the hint of autumn in the air, cooler weather is on the way and I am ready for a change.

It's been a while......

I just checked out my blog and I haven't posted since February! I can hardly believe that, and yet a small part of me can. There have been a few times when I thought I should add a post, but I was too busy, too tired, about to go out, had to work, had to do nothing......that kind of thing!!

So now it's Memorial weekend, the unoffical start to summer and it's windy as hell here and a little chilly at times too. Despite that I just got back from a fantastic afternoon at my friend Racquel's house. She had family and friends (that would be me) over for a barbecue and I discovered her husband Chris is THE best cook ever. He should own a restaurant, he really should. The food, ribs, chicken, grilled pineapple, sweetcorn and more were absolutely delicious. I tried to leave the house with the leftover ribs but got stopped on the way!!

And even better than the food was that the boys just disappeared with Racquel's kids for the afternoon and I was able to relax and talk and laugh and had so much fun!

The boys finished first grade on Friday so are now off school for the entire summer. Right now I am not sure what I am going to do with them for all those weeks, I have some projects planned, some playdates planned and just have to hope we all get through it unscathed!! They are 7 now, love to test us both, love to argue as they know EVERYTHING of course but I love them to bits and it does my heart good when they want to sit on my knee and cuddle because I know that's not going to last for much longer.

I finished working at the school at the end of February, but very quickly a friend offered me a part time job working from home doing some accounting for her. I love it! I make my own hours and it fits in really well with school, vacations, holidays, appointments and sick kids. Plus the extra money does mean I have the ability to buy some yarn now and again (more now than again) as knitting still features big in my life. In fact I have discovered that if I am not knitting something, I am a little bored and fidgety!!

Two in one day!!

This has been running around my head for a while.........

.......we are many things to many people. We have many titles in life, not just our job titles. I have been trying to think of all the things I am and have been:

Wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, great aunt, cousin, friend, grand-daughter, niece, neighbor, customer, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, step-daughter, baby, toddler, child, teenager............

.........I am certain there are more, but I can't think of them right now!

WOW!

It's been a long time since I posted.

Life has been chaotic since my dad died. Often we had a difficult relationship, and we lived so far away from each other, but I miss him. Didn't expect that at all. Not sure why, but I didn't. Because of all the strokes he had in the past his speech was minimal, so we didn't talk much, but it's different knowing he is not there anymore.

Chuck was ill while I was in the UK for my dad's funeral. He didn't cope too well I guess. I think juggling work, the kids and the house was too much for him. I kind of lost it when I got home, I expected him to have done better and to find the house in disarray was very upsetting for me. There is still a lot to be sorted out, but we are getting there. And while the house may not have been the way I would have wanted, the kids were well and fed!

I have resigned my job at the school. Two hours a day, I didn't think that would be a problem for me, but standing for that length of time is just too much. Especially playground duty in the cold and wind. I am back on steroids for my pain, my rheumatologist wants to start cortisone shots in my knees to enable me to manage stairs better and my vitamin D levels are so low I am taking 150,000 units a week for the next three months. I am not yet sure when my work replacement will be found, but right now I am looking forward to resting a little and getting to grips with the housework and all the other things that have been sadly neglected over the past few months.

But in between everything else, I am still knitting! And still find it relaxes and de-stresses me. I have finally finished my 'obligation' knits, so am free to knit what I want, although it's often hard to decide what that may be!