And the bells were ringing out for Christmas Day....................

......................Well - not quite, but thanks to my friend Lynne, i sat and listened to the words of the Fairy Tale of New York. I'd never really listened before - it was always a song that came on tv and the radio this time of year and that was it.

I've always liked Christmas. Even more now that i have kids and that Peter's birthday is 5 days after the "day". For a number of years after Matthew and i got married, we divided our time between our parent's homes - on Christmas and boxing days.
But as the kids got older, Matthew's mum died and we moved house, Christmas Day was spent at our house. It was nice to 1)have the space to invite the family over and 2) have enough money to ensure the festivities went well. We usually chipped in with food and drink and as long as i'd made my trifle, the kids and my dad were usually happy.
But it wasn't till recemtly that i realised how much stress i put myself under - the house had to be pefect - my mother would not accept anything less. The food ditto.
Brother and sister were the same, not taking into account i had 3 children and a hubbie and all that comes with that. I loved my Dad being over and to be honest, he'd have been happy with bowl of soup and a cup of tea. But demands were made from others. Throw in Peter's birthday and them wanting to be entertained, i'm surprised i didn't flip

Thankfully, i have a loving hubie and 3 great kids who didn't see fit to either chuck me and the others out , or leave in total disgust at certain attitudes.
Was a close call at times tho!!

Time goes on and since my parents died, i find that there are people i want to be locked in the same house as over the festive season, turkey, tinsel, crap telly, dodgy pressies and all!! Funnily enough, dodgy pressies seem to be a thing of the past over recent years!! (coincides with the lack of brothers and sisters coming to dinner!!)

THere are also some folk that i should not be in the same universe as. In fact, there should be at least a minimum of at least 3 universes between us to ensure nothing bad happens and i don't get locked in a jail!!!

All bets are off when you try to think of who i mean!!!
I'd still love my dad to be here. Louise said this morning that she misses me doing my trifle, but she doesn't miss me being grumpy mum for the whole holidays.

So that brings us back to the Shane and Kirsty song.
Dreams.
Before Peter was diagnosed, like any other parent, i had dreams of what he might do. You know, footie, go to college or Uni, whatever. I remember those dreams being royally jumped up and down on and smashed to bits by several doctors. I didn't let myself dream about anything else "just in case" something happened to smash them to pieces - again.

But the years came and went and it was time to maybe have some dreams - not the same ones - but ones that would mean more to us. Could we really afford that move to a bigger house (we did, and it's now ours, lock stock and garden gates!!)
Could we really afford that PC - we could if we saved or money. (and here we are 10 years later on to 2nd pc and have 2 laptops!!)
MMmm-what about a holiday??? Disney in Paris was mentioned. Maybe, if we saved.
Well again, several years later, we have ben to Disney at least 6 times, been to the US, Spain, London, Skye and a few places in between.

Like the song says ........................ I can see a better time when maybe dreams come true.

Yes, some of the dreams we had went outta the window. But you know what - i can't remember what those dreams were now, so they can't have been too important.
I didn't think we'd get near Peter's 21st birthday, never mind be going off to Disney in Paris to celebrate.
Hey - foul - i never got anything like that for MY birthday!!!

But then, i did get Barcelona for my 25th wedding anniversary, so i suppose i shouldn't grumble. (but i will - till i win the lottery and i can go on a massive shopping spree in New York and Matthew and the boys can carry the bags for me and Louise!!!)

It's ok for dreams to change - i'd be more worried if they didn't. I just want my family to be happy and healthy. And have a job that will pay the bills. Anything extra is a bonus.

Some people wonder why i've ditched some folk from my life - my choice, my rules and i have to live with it. But all i can say is that i'm happy and those who know and care about me understand why certain people have been chucked outta the boat. As for the others, well they don't matter. it's taken me a long time to get to this stage, but i'm happy. The Kafflick guilt that is rife in  these parts has been bashed down and asked not to surface too often - had enough of that in my life!!

So here i am at almost the end of another year. I have bags to finish packing and things to make sure we have. But the dreams that are important are still here.

Thanks to the people who have helped me along the way - Lynne and Linda, you're a couple of them.

Here's to a New Year and maybe some new dreams!!

Tis the season........................

......................To be something or other, but i just can't seem to figure out quite what yet!!

THe snow and ice over the pastr few weeks have mucked up college and school for Peter and Paul and to be honest, i've not really gone far from the house. A dislike of ice and a buggered knee too often have seen to that. (but then - why have children and not send them to the shops!!)

Last weekend i too kPeter to his art class in town. Honest to goodness, You'd have thought the whole city was closing down never to reopen!! It got a bit much for me and was in tears - Peter mind you wasn't too sure how to react. Mum doesn't usually just burst into tears!!!
Managed to get to the class and met one of the other mums anad by then i did cry. So a cuppa was suggested. What is it about a cup of tea that seems to help soothe the savage beast. It's even recommended by Dr Who!!! (yes - and if it's good enough for Mr T, it's good for me!!!)

Dorothy and i put the world to rights and even managed to tackle the M+S food hall for a few things for her!!!

Peter brought home his 1st canvas - i was really touched. He'd done some christmas dedorations, lights and reindeers. Quite good, so i'll need to go and get some stuff so i can hang it.

Our week kind of got back to normal - no more snow, just that ice. We put our tree up on tuesday, so we lok a bit festive now. But by last night, i was ready to run off - notjong major, just a week before Christmas, people trying to get things sported, pressies to wrap[, study to get done - severe lack there of by my son over the last few days.
Dire threats and warnings, much stropping done by both Paul and Matthew and Peter wanting to find Sabrina and chitty chitty on his new laptop,
What am i thinking - this is a NORMAL day chez us. I'd be worried if they didn't strop and argue.

See what i mean - not quite sure where i'm meant to be at. \I think i need to hibernate.

A week till christmas day.
7 days till we go to Disney. I'm not even thinking about flights being cancelled - they can't do that to my boy!!

I suppose io should really let Peter back on the laptop - i mean - it is his. I just get access visits

The best laid plans....................

.............Usually go out the window when i make them!!!

My plans for today were to wait in for a delivery and get the christmas presents wrapped. Paul had gone off to school,  Peter had been picked up for college and Louise and Matthew were going to a funeral.

So once everybody was out, i wrecked the bedroom looking for the pressies, wrapping paper and tags. Got them downstairs and got the ironing board up!!
No - i DON'T iron the pressies - it's just the easiest way to get them done if i have somewhere to lean on!!!!

Made a start and then there was a knock @ the door - Peter was back!
Crikey - how do i explain this to him, mmmmm - mum is helping santa????
The travel buddy said he'd got a text from his boss to say that college was closed, so they headed back home.
I persuaded Peter he really did want to watch a DVD, while i went off to check that college was  indeed shut. Turned out that they were telling all the supported students not to come in today cos of the snow.

I managed to get some pressies done and then Louise appeared - looking like a yeti!!! She said that traffic was crawling if lucky and stopped if not - it seems that no one was going anywhere!
Still trying to do these presents and a call from Peter's worker that was due to pick him up tonight - she's just about snowed in @ her house!!
No buses doubtful about trains - no one is getting anywhere FAST!!!

Back to those pressies - until a frantic call from Paul. He said that if i wanted him to head home, i was to phone school and say it was ok for him to come home due to the weather. Ok - but it took me half an hour and several attempts to get thru to school!!!

Arrgghh - these presents may be wrapped in time for next christmas!!!

Eventually Paul got home i'd just about done all the pressies, but 2 seem to have gone walkabout!! Paul's portable DVD player, which i did see upstairs, but had vanished and the gift card for Peter with Euros for the holidays.

Strange - this kinda thing frequently happens chez johnston. Things go walkies and then turn up in strange places!!!

matthew got home - another yeti case and i am refusing to go over the door for the next oh - 6 months!!!

Snow, Graduation Balls and mobile new fangled technology

Snow - where's it all come from??? Seemsas if we've seen nothing bust the stuff since last week and i'm beginning to grow fur in an attempt to keep warm!!
We were hoping for a few more folk @ Louise's party on saturday, but said white stuff kinda put paid to that. But it was nice seeing the people who did manage and we chatted and caught up.
Sunday Lou was menat to be working, but after checking weather and the availability of sleighs and reindeers, it was cancelled, Which meant it gave her time to plan Monday's travels to the north.
Mmmm - 1st plan ws to travel by car - that was put on hold.
SO bus tickets were booked - one of the other mums had a promo voucher, so they got a £5 return ticket. Texts, phone calls, e-mails flying around to see if they could find out what roads were open, would the bus even get out of the bus station, never mind Glasgow!!!
 Monday morning, Lou headed off to meet the girls, wrapped up like Nanook of the North's cousin with food and drink in her backpack.  While she was travelling into town, she heard that the bus had been cancelled, so they headed to the train station. £50 for a return Scotrail wanted!! And no certainty that they would get to Aberdeen never mind get home. So the decsion was taken to phone the hospital and say they couldn't make it. After all - they DID have the Ball to get to!!

So Louise goes off to find something for her hair and then comes home.

Tuesday was spent getting nail, hair and make up dome - tweaked, curled and coloured to within an inch of her life!!! Quite how the curly hair stayed curly, i know not, but it did. In between all of this, Paul arived home - school ws closing and parents evening cancelled, so that was one less thing to worry about. I didn't need to rush thru all the appointments with the teachers then have to run home to help Louise get into her dress.

The dress - it was lovely - cocktail length, deep purple and shoes and bag thanks to one Mr John Lewis who has a small store in Glasgow!! The wrap wsa put on and she headed for the taxi. Now - not as simple as that - she put her boots on, got in the taxi, boots kicked off to paul and shoes put on!
As the meerkat would say - SIMPLES!!!

So off she went, had a great time, took loads of photos, drank, ate and ended up in what she thinks may have been a gay night club!!! She ended up with a guy who had been in her class in 1st year, hus boyfriend and another girl. Guys were great, girl was depressing and all Lou wanted to do was have fun!!!

She did. And sat at the top of the stairs and told me what fun she had - at 4.45 am!!!!!!
Have seen some of the photos and looks as if a good time was had by all!!!

In between all this, Paul decided to buy a new phone. It's quite a nifty and i like it.
No, fo me, a mobile is just something to phone and text with. The one i had was, i am told, a brick. AN old fashioned does nothing B R I C K!!!
So i decided to buy myself the same phone as Paul -theory being that if i got stuck, i could ask Paul for help.
The look on my beloved youngest son's face said it all - how dare i get a phone like his. I'm a fogey who has only just mastered texting - i'm old and i shouldn't be able to partake of such beautiful things !!!
Nae chance - i wanted a phone that could sing and dance and i wanted it, now , please, if that was alright with him!!

I did point out that i'd have only nicked his if i hadn't got my own way!!

So i'm now almost 21st century with the phone and even asked Paul a question that he couldn't awnser!!!!

Such joy! this technology may even catch on you know!!
ANd i can take photos!! THere will be no escape from the photo monster AKA mum!!! Watch for the slideshow of funny ones on You Tube!!!

Ah well - should go and feed the masses while i gaze out on the white expanse that is now my garden!!!