Alice back to work and Mabel with Grandma on Monday Wednesday, Jackie Tuesday Thursday. All gone very well. Jackie seems truly amazed that Mabel does a wee wee and wee poo on the pot.

Mabel at home with me on Friday morning and Alice back from work in the afternoon. She decided that normal sleeping pattern wasn’t good enough so had a work call with her on my lap whilst she kept very quiet.

Afternoon early sleep, Alice nipped in to town, Mabel awakes. Watched a bit of snooker and sent Alice an MMS, of us both….do we look similar possibly?

Alice and me in the kitchen early morning with Squiggs, and the newsreader announces that David Bowie has died…..what!!! So shocked, odd as I have never felt like that about any famous person dying before; I didn’t know them and they didn’t know me. Sometime sad but never upset. This though has really upset me, in fact having spent all day listening to Radio 6 seem to find myself in tears intermittently through the day.

Bowie of course has been woven in to my knowing life, from teenager through to now. There hasn’t been week in my life when I haven’t played his music. Just seemed that he would be there forever. An immortal. They say that you should never be alive to see you children pass away, it is the same here in some ways. It makes you think of your own mortality, if Bowie can die then any one can….even me.

And my generation, the self-centred, me me me generation, are not supposed to die. We just don’t grow up so how can we pass away. Well we can’t so I will stop worrying about it….

wam bam thank you man….my hero

 

Alice back to work after not too long. Quite amazing really, being pragmatic and we have done the rather unemotional pros and cons thing….which from our experience hanging around with the single purpose doesn’t help sanity, or relationships. Back to work, Squiggle becomes social and non-clingy, we have some money to enjoy stuff and we aren’t in each others pockets. Well that’s one take….and is working for us

 

Week at our favourite place. very different this time as there were just the three of us. for the first time, despite  the fact we have been there at least ten times, the receptionist recognised us…..and the barman of course. Happy Hour!!

Quiet one at home. Which is probably best after last year (don’t ask)

Trip to Yarmouth with Conor who was down having driven for first time.  As usual went to Grayling, very nice. Dad seemed a bit better in some ways though was amazed to see me with a baby.

 

Our first Christmas together…

Christmas is marked by a few traditions. Official start is Carol singing to the Bishops Stortford Wind Band. Accompanied for the first time by Reuben who laughed as much as the rest of the pub. Tad uncomfortable but the group seemed to take in the right spirit. Charlie compare as usual, page numbers being related to primes, squares and roots….not sure that most of the Brickies understood those concepts but top marks for education and entertainment.

Christmas Eve: Tiger II Who Came to Tea (Charlie) drunk all the red wine, then two trips to OC for replenishment, dancing till 1.30

Christmas Day: stockings for all. Except Mabel who we decide wouldn’t know and we were right she didn’t make a fuss in any way. Over to Mallards for dinner post church. Tradition two is a run on Christmas Morning which was broken due to the merriment.

Mabels’ first time in church and reluctantly mine for some time, but thought it was the right thing to do. I had a bit of a todo with M on way in to church due to Lola upsetting her Mum and found myself saying “…it’s not kind, thoughtful or….Christian..” as a strode off full of righteousness. Blimey, M apologised as did I and we all cracked on with the rest of the day.

Alice has been given the all clear by the consultant, signed off. Couldn’t have gone better.

First run on Sunday 20th, short coffee shop tort but a very happy bear at the end!

 

Pressie from Grandad, Ava looks very pleased with it!