Me and Mine – November 2016 

Me and Mine November family selfies

Me and mine, the post that ensures that every month we capture a photo with all of us in it, no matter what.

No matter what.

Which seems pretty apt this month. In terms of family time it hasn’t felt complete. In fact November has personally passed me by in a blur. A blur of illness. I have been pretty poorly this month and after 4 doctors visits (one where I embarrassingly collapsed on my own in the middle of a busy waiting room), an ambulance visit and two hospital trips it turns out I have pneumonia, fluid on my lungs and pleurisy. It has knocked me totally for six, much more than anything I have ever known and I am still pretty much bed bound, able to do not much more than go up and down the stairs without sitting down to catch my breath. Not ideal as a mum.

Consequently it feels like my little ladies have been passed from pillar to post for the past three weeks as our loving friends and family have rallied around to try and help out with life, with the logistics of looking after two children, getting one to school and back and looking after me too. I won’t say it has been easy on anybody.

However like almost all situations, parenting and life itself November has still had it’s happy times. They have just looked a little bit different to usual.

I have adored that the best part of my day is when my little ladies return home and bound straight up the stairs with a thud looking for me. Checking on me and giving me the biggest cuddles I can manage. We have had smiles and laughter in this bed of mine where I sit writing this post, we’ve had tickles that make the littlest squeal and conversations that brings out the snort in Eva’s hysterics. Among the guilt ridden days because I am not there doing the school run I have been able to take joy in the most ordinary.

Eva is doing so well in her english at school and has moved up again to lime in her reading level. It is so nice to see my shy little lady being proud of herself. She got a part of an innkeepers wife/judge in the ‘nativity-come-strictly come dancing’ school Christmas play and has been showing off her acting skills…apparently she is just like Darcey! She was very excited last weekend also for her first sleepover at her Auntie Carries house where they baked, watched films and even had a midnight (7.pm) feast. When she came home bouncing off the walls I knew she had a good time and she was even letting me know that they ate breakfast in bed and that crumpets weren’t that messy. I fear she is onto the clean freak inside of me! I am just so proud of her for lots of things at the moment, but the biggest is how helpful and understanding she has been lately. She has helped without being asked to, dressed her sister, brushed teeth, got breakfasts ready without batting an eyelid and even went as far as putting Roma’s nappy on. She is the sweetest, kindest little 5 year old ever.

Roma is the cheeky one, she never fails to put a smile on my face even if it’s for the wrong reasons (hello mischief!) her speech is fantastic and so she is coming out with such funny expressions and taking what other people say in her own words. It makes us all howl with laughter and boy does she know how to work a room. She’s miss independent and it has been good to know that she is happy when she has had a different person look after her most days. She is such a relaxed little lady she really does take it all in her stride and for that I am so thankful. That is not to say she doesn’t miss me, the first words I hear when she walks through the door is “Where’s Mummy gone” and it melts my heart every single time. She has a new obsession with her umbrella which given the choice she would take anywhere come rain or shine and is constantly singing her abc’s. Although she misses out t, u and v every time…..well who needs them when you’re 21 months old!

This month Eddy has taken the brunt of the caring and the running of the house, feeding people, keeping on track and having to work full time too. It has been a tough, full on month for him more than any one of us and I do think that he would like me to be back on my feet sooner rather than later to pick up some slack! Which I am also secretly longing to do but don’t tell him that. He has though enjoyed seeing Roma’s hair in a ponytail for the first time which he thinks is the cutest thing. Going out for a meal to celebrate his mums 60th birthday and seeing her face when he gave her the Gin making gift.

There have been exciting times here too as I finished work – albeit only making brief appearances for the last two weeks. But now I am officially working on my blog as my passion, seeing where this road can take me and absolutely love capturing our memories along the way. I’ve made myself an office thanks to having to surrender my work laptop and actually it has been the best thing I have done. It’s my own little work space and although obviously since being poorly I haven’t been able to write or edit so much I am so excited that it gives me a beautiful motivational space going forward.

This month has shown me that actually life is pretty great. It is full on and it is busy and there are days when I count down till bedtime or pray for the elusive empty to do list but in truth I just want to be there right in the thick of it, and I am ok as long as everyone is happy.

These photos as you can probably guess were taken on my bed. I haven’t even got my big camera out to take any photos this month but could not let this me and mine post pass me by so I took the opportunity on Sunday as we were all sat on my bed to take these shots. They are silly family selfies with no make up that are in black and white to help forgive the fact that I look pretty awful in them but this is us laid bare. And these smiles you see are genuine, not because life is perfect or because we are well or feel like smiling all the time but because quite simply we are together, and that is something to smile about.

Here in this frame is my family, my world right now and in November as much – if not more – than any other time, I don’t know where I would be without them.

xx

Me and Mine November family selfiesMe and Mine November family selfiesMe and Mine November family selfiesMe and Mine November family selfiesMe and Mine November family selfiesMe and Mine November family selfies

Linking with Lucy over at dear beautiful
The Me and Mine Project
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8 Comments

  1. Laura - dear bear and beany
    November 30, 2016 / 1:39 pm

    I love these photos, they show the characters of you all. Whenever I read about your two girls and their personalities, they sound so similar to my two its uncanny. I’m sorry you are still feeling poorly, it sounds like a tough month for everyone. But look at those smiles, you are still doing something right. Take care x

  2. November 30, 2016 / 8:06 pm

    Oh no!! I hope you are ok! What an awful month health wise but I love that your girls bound up the stairs to see you. big hugs xx #MeandMine

  3. December 2, 2016 / 9:14 am

    Lovely photos of you all snuggled up together on your bed. So sorry to hear that you have been so poorly – the combination of pneumonia and pleurisy sounds especially nasty. How lovely that the girls head straight upstairs to see you though and you have those snuggles together although I can imagine it must be so hard not to be well enough to be able to do very well much with them. Sounds like everyone around you has done an amazing job of helping support you all while you are getting better. Well done to Eva on getting a part in the nativity play and love that Roma misses out letters when singing her abc’s – so funny when little ones do that. Hope you are back on your feet again very soon x #meandmineproject

  4. December 4, 2016 / 4:25 pm

    I think these are the very best ones. The ones we don’t try to set up, style or pose for. The fun ones. The ones that show our personality, our memories better and fun to look back on. So lovely hun. Good for you on the job front and best of luck as a blogger fulltime. #meandmineproject

  5. December 5, 2016 / 6:02 am

    You poor soul!! I hope you are feeling better soon if not already! Sounds like your hubs has been a fantastic help this last few weeks whilst you’ve been poorly – it’s times like this that makes us really appreciate what we have xx

  6. December 5, 2016 / 10:17 pm

    Really hope you’re all feeling better soon, if not by Christmas! Love these black and white shots!

  7. natalie butcher
    December 21, 2016 / 10:54 am

    Ah I’m hoping you get well (and some answers) soon Laura. This is the thing though is when things like this happen (especially when being parents) it makes us appreciate our tie all the more, and definitely time together. Lovely photos, and how exciting your working on pushing your blogging more now, I look forward to the journey xx

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