While the boys stay home the girls have fun away.

Apparently four of you know me well enough to guess who left the lights on...me! Although I have to admit I'm not sure how but I was the one sorting out the car on Sunday night ready for the early start Monday morning (typical) and somehow must have turned the lights on when moving the seats.

I'm sitting here with the lyrics from The Sound of Music running through my head as we've just returned from a trip to London where we saw the show at The London Palladium. This trip was actually mine and Mollie's Christmas present from last year (only we couldn't get tickets) and mum's present this year. Mollie and I had religiously watched a tv show where a Maria was picked by the audience and we were dying to see the musical in London's West End.

We had to get up early to catch our coach to London then it was time for a quick breakfast before we dumped our bags at our hotel and headed into central London. The last time I was in London was seven and a half years ago, back then both Sam, my sister and Simon, Joules brother lived in London so we visited every year and always had a place to crash. I was five months pregnant and took Dillon and Mollie up for a few days where we visited the London Dome (which I really enjoyed) and the aquarium. All Mollie can remember from this trip was the pokemon lollipop I bought her so it was time to show her the sights. We visted Covent Garden and found a road full of shoe shops (Mollie's weakness, although she resisted making a purchase this time) then walked through Leicester Square, Picadilly and down Regent street keeping our eyes peeled among the throng of shoppers for Hamleys, so say the world's biggest toy shop. It was in Hamleys that Mollie managed to part with some of her money spent on a hospital for My Littlest Pet. By this time the rain was pouring so we hopped into Liberties for a wander before stopping off for a hot chocolate and cake before it was time to see the show.

Connie, the original winner of the tv show, was not on stage that night but another girl from the tv show called Aoife was playing the role of Maria. We had fantastic seats in the middle of the stalls and the whole cast was excellent. I had never seen this musical before and it is slightly different to the film. The set design was brilliant, my favourite had to be the moving mountain. Mollie really enjoyed the show and is busy planning dreaming of her next musical in London!

Yesterday, after a huge breakfast in the hotel, we decided to go on a sightseeing bus tour of London so Mollie could see all the sights in one day. Lucily we got a seat on top under the cover so we did not get too cold as we spent a few hours touring all the sights in London and learning a brief history as well. Unfortunately we did not have enough time to partake in the free river cruise but we managed to squeeze in a walk down Oxford street and a visit to Selfridges where I bought Mollie a skirt reduced to £10 from £88 (who in their right mind would spend £88 on a denim mini) and myself some kitchen tongs. We were rather taken with the jewellery in Tiffany's but knew it was out of our price range.

All in all it was a lovely break and I hope it's not another seven and a half years before I return to London again.

A Near Miss

When catching a plane on Christmas eve it is not a good idea to leave the light on inside your car thus causing the battery to run flat. This is an even worse idea if your husband rides a motorbike and you are a one car family.

Our flight was at 9.30am and we discovered the dead as a doormouse car at 7am. The airport is 45-60 minute drive away which left us 30 minutes maximun to sort out our problem.

My solution was to suggest ringing for a taxi, calling Joules parents to give us a lift as well as hoping that Tim-Joules brother, who was driving us to the airport in our car (because we knew the battery would be flat after a week) and his car is way too small (vintage sports car) to fit us in-would have jump leads.

Joules solution is to swear, swear and swear a bit more whilst refusing to listen to my suggestions...and then swear a little more.

Fortunately for us Tim did have jump leads, we took the new port tunnel and got to the airport in 30 minutes with plenty of time to spare before our flight.

So, who left the light on?

Mushy Monday

Finally I'm getting better but poor Mollie now has the virus and is currently tucked up in bed, she's had a sleep and is now bored but the rule in our house is if you're too ill for school you have to stay in bed, no tv, game boy or psp whereas reading and drawing is allowed, maybe I'm a strict mother but I don't want them feigning illness to have a fun day off school.

It took me a few days to catch up on all my blogroll posts but I've been busy reading and feel ready to get back into blogging only my brain seems to have turned to mush and I don't know what to blog about. I know, I'll share the story with you of another time my brain turned to mush!

Back in 1998 my best friend Sarah from England was getting married. I was bridesmaid and Sarah decided to have her hen party in Dublin, so I booked a hotel, sussed out a club and was looking forward to the weekend which was about 10 days away. Then Sarah rang and started telling me the times of the flights her friends were arriving from various different UK airports, I said tell me next week, she said but we're coming on Friday...ahhhh....double ahhhh...triple ahhhh. Rang the hotel, no space for Friday. Rang some more hotels, no spaces. Panicked. Decided to put the 10 girls up in my shoebox of a house and kick the family out. Then I tried the youth hostel, and they could fit us in, phew! It was a very grotty hostel but also very cheap and we had a brilliant weekend so the girls forgave my ineptness.

Fast forward two months and the impending wedding. Our flight was booked for the Friday evening as I'd asked for an evening flight because Joules had to work and we were travelling without the children. On the Monday I became violently ill with stomach cramps and diarrhoea, so ill that I had to call out the doctor. Friends and family looked after the children as I lay in bed delirious worrying about the wedding. My GP said I probably wouldn't be able to go but he'd check me out on Friday and give me a decision. So I had to call Sarah and warn her, which didn't help her nerves. Friday rolled around and the doctor said I was just well enough to travel but to take it easy. The children went to their granny's, I packed our bags and checked the tickets as Joules locked up the house...ahhhh....the flight said 0700....I burst into tears said I couldn't cope and walked off down the road. Joules rang the travel agent to ask why they'd given us a morning flight when I'd specifically asked for the evening flight, their answer was that they would have listed all the flights for that day, I heard seven assumed it was 7pm and said yes! The travel agent rang the airline but the flight was overbooked so there were no guarantees, all we could do was get to the airport and hope there were some no shows.

We got to the airport and there were three places left, a couple turned up so only one place left with minutes to boarding. At least this meant that I could travel, we discussed driving but wouldn't have made it to Bristol in time for the wedding, this was my only hope...then another couple arrived. The manager came out to explain that only one seat was left but that he could fly the other person to Birmingham (90 miles from Bristol) and pay for a taxi to any destination. My ears pricked up at Birmingham, so I asked to speak to the manager and explained my predicament as I dissolved into floods of tears. He was fantastic and agreed to fly us to Birmingham at not extra cost but apologised for not being able to pay for our taxi as well. This was the best news ever and my dad drove to collect us from Birmingham and I made the wedding mushy brain and all!

An open letter to Marks and Spencer.

Dear Marks and Spencer

I was very excited to find myself invited on a three week holiday in France with my husbands family. The old farmhouse we were staying in was beautiful and had a big pool to lounge by. Just one tiny, weeny thing worried me a little, all my in-laws are tall, skinny and gorgeous so I was on a mission to find the perfect swimsuit. I started my mission back in February, I scoured all the shops and looked on the internet but found nothing. A month before I went I found a black costume that 'would do,' I wasn't happy with it but it was better than nothing, (seriously it was)!

Then two days before I departed for France I stumbled upon it, the perfect swimsuit in chocolate brown. I almost didn't try it on because it had padded breasts and I don't do padded breasts because my breasts don't need any padding and I always felt padded breasts were for older people (I think I'm still 21). Thankfully my friend Sally persuaded me to try it on and I looked drop dead gorgeous ok in it. I was so pleased I grabbed a matching sarong to go with it and with a hop, skip and a jump off I went on my holiday.

That first day at the pool I felt great, I knew it suited me. When I dived in everything stayed in place. I washed the costume out ready for the next day.

The next day we were off for a swim and I pulled my swimming costume back on and quickly checked in the mirror that I looked ok. I didn't look ok so I looked closely. Why was one breast all pointy and weird looking? After further investigation I discovered the padding had got all folded and however hard we tried it was not budging. So one breast was rounded and smooth and breast like whilst the other was half round, with bits sticking out and a huge square like point where a nipple should be. Joules tried to suggest that I could wear it and no one would notice but I am not that stupid. So my gorgeous, sexy, brown costume had to be put away and my old raggedy spare suit (which didn't match with the brown sarong) was dragged out of the bottom of the case (thankfully I had packed it) and worn daily.

I was very disappointed because I have bought lots of thing from your store and they are always well made. I will be visiting you next week to return the swimming costume for a full refund and if you'd like to offer me a free holiday to get over my disappointment I will graciously accept.

Yours sincerely

Beccy Breach.