Young me!So as you know I was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.
It was a dark and stormy night past 1 am in the morning ( I know - complete pathetic fallacy).
I came into the world kicking and screaming, ready for life!
From then on I drove my mum crazy. I was fussy, wanted to do things for myself. Bit the hell out of her with breastfeeding so she gave up and gave me a bottle, that lasted about a week before I was unhappy with that.
It was when my mum was crying her eyes out. I was screaming the place down and my godmother Anji, (mental amazing woman. Used to launch me in the air when I was tiny and I'd love it) just calmly said ' it's because she wants to feed herself'. So my mum propped my bottle on a towel, I wrapped my hands round it and lay content! Strange baby.
Anji and myself.
Me on Anji's head.
So I learned to walk at around 10 months old. Though I was climbing long before that. Using my arms to hoist myself up wherever I could. Pretty much a whirlwind baby. Never sat still!
You can imagine my poor mum having her work cut out! Family used to come round to watch me for an hour so she could have a bath and they would be reduced to tears by the end of it.
My talking was great. My own invented words were...
shim shim: washing machine
Hoof hoof: hover
Flowfoofs: flowers
and so on...
I used to love to watch the washing machine go round.
my actual first word was 'no'. I expect it came out in response to something my parents asked me to do! That's me all over. Didn't change at all until well now!
My mum's favourite embarrassing story is that I had watched the cat pee in the huge plant pots we had in the living room and thought that was what you were supposed to do! If it wasn't for my mum realising the plants were dying, we would have a serious complex on our hands! I can imagine being band from several of my friends houses lol!!
My sister was born when I was 3. Iseabail her name is. I remember looking at her and feeling an overwhelming need to protect her. I still have that feeling to this day. I'm like another mother to her and always have been. She was the spitting image of my dad! She idolised him as well. We both did.
Our family was so happy. Emily my older sister too. Christmas day was always amazing. Up at 5 am and we're told by dad every year. ' you wake us up and I'm cooking you instead of the Turkey'. Of course we would push it and go up and tickle their feet. (Dad's most ticklish spot) we would open our pillowcase full of presents in the morning. Play with those until after our roast. Then we would either go to our Granny's (dad's mum. Best person in the world.) Or family would come to us! It was amazing.
when I was 5 we moved from our terraced house in Sydnam villas road to a smaller place in Whaddon. Mum hated it but us girls loved it. We made friends with all the kids on the street and used to play outside for hours!
On weekends dad would put up the paddling pool in the summer and I remember him building a climbing frame in the garden. Usual family antics! Aunty Maz would come round every Saturday (close family friend who we adore) and we would go to grans for tea every Sunday.
The only different thing about that part of my life was that both my parents were members of the craft. I won't go into detail as it's a personal religion. but we knew lots of people. Whether it be from their coven or other ones I just remember it being one giant family! They all adored us and we adored them. They would play games with us and teach us the ways of the world. It was all very traditional. You know... like the era where everyone raised you. Even the greengrocer would clip your ear for missing behaving. Kinda like that!
when we went to bed they would perform their ceremonies.
Mum used to say.. 'If you're still awake when we are done you can join in with the party after'
I hated it as I wanted to be a part of everything. So I'd slowly creep down the stairs and try my best to listen and wait up for them, 9 times out of 10 I'd be fast asleep with a coat over me either at the bottom step or in the hallway 10 minutes after I'd end up there.
Just thinking here. For family friends reading this. I guess you didn't need to. I was mental as a kid!
I remember after one of the parties there was left over booze. Emily and I had decided that we would polish it all off.. The equivalent of about 3 glasses of wine each. Later my dad comes down stairs to find us watching Mary poppins singing along (very drunkenly) falling about all over the place. Think he didn't quite realise until I jumped off the sofa and threw up on his feet lol. To this day I can remember how hungover I was. I sat up in bed and spewed everywhere. That will teach me!!
Mum and dad thought they would have to take me to a and e!!
Can you imagine that. Sorry doctor I got my kids pissed and now they need their stomach pumped!! Don't worry guys this isn't a Jeremy Kyle moment... It was purely a fluke. They forgot to pour away the booze (never again did they forget though).
That's parenting all over though. One giant learning curve. I hope my son has as much crazyness in him as I did! I also hope he is as cheeky as his daddy was when he was small.
So yeah bit of ramble guys *sorry.
that's 5 years down 15 to go lol!! Hope you enjoy.
