What is in my handbag?

The lovely Tattie Weasel has asked me what's in my handbag. This was after Tattie was asked by the equally lovely Diney at Older Mum's are fun and I know loads of you have had this Meme, so if you read this and feel the urge..go for it, but I can't think of anyone else who hasn't done this. 

Anyway on to the meat and bones. This is my work bag so hasn't got any of the kids stuff in it. 

This is my lovely Radley large crossover bag, I love my Radley Bags, this is my third one like this. Tara at Sticky Fingers often accuses me of not being a proper girl, but this is my girly weakness, along with purses.

This is my little Swiss army knife that has got me out of many a tight spot! And something else...top marks if you can guess what it is - I will do a big reveal at the end of this post.

This is my gorgeously large Nica Willow purse. I love this. I am sad. 

Driving Licence and my card to get into work - The photo on my license is one of the few that I actually like of me. 

Many tablets for many ailments, I am a sickly thing. Along with my Little Miss Naughty mints which were a present from one of my friends. 

My Filofax and my moleskin notebook, although I love all modern technology, I love stationary and love to write things down: lists, poems, idea's, addresses etc...

One scrunched up half used tissue (nice!) and two resin rings I thought I had left somewhere - so bonus, I have found two rings - hurrah!

Less pens than I thought I would find. I have Vaseline lip therapy everywhere and use it constantly, much better than lipstick. And a Tao digital photo frame for a key ring, my husband brought me this for Christmas, mostly because our cat is called Tao.

And finally, the big reveal..what was that strange object?

A corkscrew, back to my party days, so I was always prepared!

And that's it - the contents of my handbag revealed, I don't know what it tells you about me...a psychiatrist would probably have a field day...

Top Ten Most Surreal Mummy Moments

In the hope of winning some Ideal Home tickets, I have joined in the Mummy Bloggers Carnival over at Wives and Daughters and had a go at my top ten most surreal moments. I am fairly confident that I will think of 10 better ones the minute I publish this but hey ho...

1. Having a snot cardy, my three year old seems to prefer my cardy to a tissue.
2. Explaining the difference between nipples and boobies (and no, I am not going to repeat that conversation here)
3. Having a conversation about how the 'sink burped'
4. Daughter in the middle of a tantrum lying on the bathroom floor, stops tantrum to announce, 'I am longer than the mat' (meaning the bathroom mat). If I knew you could stop a tantrum that easily, I would have small mats all over the place.
5. Explaining why you can't wear shorts in the snow.
6. All the 'how old do you have to be to...' get married, have babies, have a house on my own, have a boyfriend...etc chats.
7. After Remembrance Day, discussing how many of our relatives died in the wars, and were they up in heaven with the cat, or do animals have a separate heaven?
8. Having a conversation with my husband to say that no, our children can not have tea. Not until they can say 'please can I have a nice cup of tea'. (I still saw them having sips before they could do sentences!)
9. Whilst passing small gate house, 'Who do you think lives there Mummy, elves or pixies?'
10. Realising that from five onwards daughters are basically teenagers, with eye rolling and professional ignoring.

By the way, the picture isn't a surreal moment, except the need to walk on any un-foot-printed snow and making sure little footprints were everywhere...and it's quite cute!

My Toes are Stout

My eyes are tired

My legs are fat

My belly wobbles

And my boobs lie flat

My arms are bingo winged

My bum sticks out

My fingers arthritic

And my toes are stout

My hair is grey

My nails crack

My cellulite has cellulite

And my stretch marks are stacked

My hips have rhythm

My back has fat

My jowls jiggle and scowl

And my knees snap

The gyms a distant memory

Dancing is a chore

A night on the town

Something I don’t do anymore

My humour buttons

Gone missing

I am grumpy through and through

I wish I was like new.

© J.Langan  Jan/Feb 2010

Wordless Wednesday - Up a Hill and Back Again

Take five children (one's hiding)

3 women and a dog (the 3rd woman being me, taking the photo!)

Some gorgeous scenery

And you have yourself a freezing cold half term walk.

Thank goodness for the tea shop at the end. 

Year of the Tiger

The year of the Tiger starts on the 14th February 2010. So whilst western culture is celebrating the love and romance of St Valentines day the Chinese are celebrating their new year.

The Golden Tiger is courageous staving off fire, thieves and ghosts from your household.
Find out more about Chinese Horoscopes here

I find horoscopes and all the mumbo jumbo that goes with it fascinating..apparently I am a fire sheep, which basically means I am less of a follower than your average sheep. Brilliant.
Although my marriage to my dog husband may be 'a bit tiring' according to the link above (just for the record -  that is not the case).
And as a libran sheep I am 'cultured and artistic' - Yay!

The reason I love all this is because, I read it, then instantly forget it, and take none of it too seriously.

I used to do tarot cards for people and it was so much fun, but then people would say to me months and years later, 'you know your reading was so true ..such and such happened' etc and they took it all to heart. Whereas it's just fortune telling with the turn of a card. It's just supposed to be fun, when people started to believe it I felt it was time to stop.

So which Chinese animal are you - and are you like your animal?

Roll on Spring

If you are anything like me, you leave for work in the dark and come home in the dark during the long winter months.

I am now at the point where I really just want some sunshine and warm days.

On Thursday one of the ladies I work with had gone for a walk at lunch time and came back and told us about feeling the warmth of the sun on her face, 'spring is on it's way', she said. I  felt like I had missed out on something really special.

It feels like this winter has lasted a long time this year. I am looking forward to the spring, feeling the warmth of the sun and seeing the bulbs pointed green stems push out from the ground and grow into spring flowers.

I have become more and more interested in the weather, are we going to get a glimpse of sun at the weekend?

I am also looking forward to my garden having some colour again and my children being able to play out there without it turning into a mud bath.

I am off work, with my daughters this coming half term and I pray for sunny days, I don't mind if it is cold, just as long as there isn't that dank grey dampness that we have been having.

If the weather is good, I can go and see family and friends in Shropshire, maybe take my girls up the Longmynd  for a run in the heather and say hello a few to sheep.

Roll on spring.

Interview with my 3 & 7 year old

This has been doing the rounds and I can resist no longer,  I have seen this at Sticky Fingers, Are we there yet Mummy and over at Mum’s the Blog 

Here are the answers from Lola (whose three, answers in orange) and Heather( whose seven, answers in green)

How old are you?
3

7

How old is mummy?
'What is your number?' I tell her 'Then you are 42'

42

How old is Grannie?
I don't know

80

Who is in charge of the country?
Heather (that's her big sister.. brilliant)

The King

Who is The Queen?
I am

The 2^nd Elizabeth - I am quite impressed with this

What does Barak Obama do?
Plays with toys

Writes books

What is your favourite food?
Oranges

Fish Fingers

What is your favourite song?
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Caterpillar in the Tree (Hannah Montana)

Where do carrots come from?
Rabbits 

The Ground

Where do bananas come from?
Trees

Trees

How does a car work?
Petrol - blimey, my three year old understands about cars....

oil

What do you like doing at school?
Painting

Playing with my friends - hmmm nice to see the academic stuff is important

What does mummy do while you are at school?
Go to work

Work on the Computer

Where do babies come from?
Baby Room

Mummy’s tummy

Where does poo come from? 

Toilets

Food

What do you want to be when you grow up?
A dinosaur and a duck

A vet

If you have children, what names will they have?
Rabbit, frog and duck

Elizabeth & Daniel

What makes you happy?
Paint

My Friends ---Ahem..hello..gave birth to you both...