My name is Karen. I am mummy to Gracie and Juliette, or Truly and Scrumptious as I like to call them.

We live in Glasgow, Scotland and I am ever grateful to the wonderful network of friends and family around us who make being a mmmy a whole lot easier. I am writing my blog to share some of my experiences about being a mum, family life, laughter, lows and eveything in between.

Truly is Truly many things; head strong, independent, beautiful inside and out, while Scrumptious, is that; delicious little soul who is growing to amaze me as much as her older sister does. I hope you enjoy my blog.

 

Circle of Life

My Nana and Grandad

I have meant to update my blog for a while now, however the intricate threads which form the beautiful woven tapestry of my world seem to be giving the cloth of 2013 some chaotic characteristics, and the rhythm of life seems faster than ever these last couple of weeks.

My Granddad passed away short of a week before his 93rd birthday. He was a connection to my father, whom he out-lived by nearly eleven years. He was also a very special Grandfather. To me, he was magic personified. My love for him was deep, and I respected him greatly. As you would expect, he had been through a lot in his nearly 93 years, as a prisoner of war, and as a family man. He undoubtedly had his fair share of heartaches. He was a survivor and full of life until the end. Keeping busy with different social events, he had only given up driving a couple of years ago. He was determined to get out of hospital and to return to his home and visiting my Nana in a home. However, the day before he died he was told that he had an inoperable tumour in his stomach and the next day, while sitting with my Aunt, he shut his eyes for a rest and took his last breath, like he intended on keeping things civil and not fighting with life.

I feel lucky to have received his legacy of love. Although losing him feels like losing valuable treasure. Those stories I tried to frantically write down or etch in my mind to retell to my children. Real live accounts of World War Two and much more. What an honour it was to have him into my adulthood, as well as all the magic he brought into my childhood. Only a month before, he asked me for my opinion on what happened, if anything, after life. This surprised me as he was scientific to the core. I don’t believe in having regrets, but I wish someone could have told me and I understood, when I was younger and had all of my grandparents, just how valuable an old person truly is.

Three days after his funeral, and also exactly on the 11^th anniversary of my father’s departure from this earth, my sister brought her first child into this world. Generally, I accept anniversaries as part of life, but this date now seems somewhat significant. I knew that she was going into labour. I felt a connection with her like never before. I had the same buzzing rush of adrenaline that I experienced with my own labours, and I even texted her at midnight to tell her so. It seemed I could feel the tension of this most primal and transcendental moment ripple through the air across the countryside from her home city to mine.

I thought I had experienced it all after having my own babies, but what an emotional experience it is to see your sister bring a child into the world. There have been many happy days since. Cooing over this tiny little being and not wanting to miss a minute of my beautiful niece.

Reflections and Intentions

I love January.  The whole year to look forward to.  A new year is like fresh cotton sheets on your bed. Scrumptious arrived last year and fitted into our family like she was always supposed to be here. That’s not to say that our family life didn’t once again return to the messy, clingy and an annoyingly repetitive pattern like bad wall paper. But saying that it was the most wonderful and rewarding time I would go back to in a heartbeat.

On a cold December morning, Truly had her nose scrunched up against the window and blew steamy swirls with her tongue. She pensively exclaimed with a little pointy finger out the window, 'look mummy, the aeroplane scratched the sky.' She amazes me with how unblemished her little mind is, yet so wise and hungry to know and accept all around her. I wish I could see my world in such literal and beautiful terms.

The excitement of Christmas shook up our sleepy bungalow. I bought a nativity set, I never thought I would.  I am not religious, but spiritual and thoughtful. I felt guilty about the general excess of our family life and the need to do something to balance out all of the sparkly parcels that arrived at the door for Truly’s frantic little fingers. Truly soon knew all the figures and the story, which quickly morphed into her own tale complete with magic fairies and play doh.

Baby Jesus was coming to our house for his birthday party. There would be cake and we would all dance the Hokey Cokey with him. TheThree Kings would come too and they would bring different coloured play doh as gifts. Mary, his mummy, would drink tea with the Angel who came down from the sky to look after everybody, and to play with the shepherd’s sheep.

So where am I going this year? Already I feel the days are going by like birds in the sky, but I hope this year I achieve something worthwhile. Truly and I love to sing 'a dream is a wish your heart makes, when you’re fast asleep.' Anything is possible in your dreams. This year I start out on a different journey with Truly and Scrumptious by my side, a dream come true. I feel I have begun all over again, in them, and with them and so there is something more to my world than ever before. The possibilities are endless.