Category Archives: Simon

Robyn in her dress

18 Years Ago Today

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Simon and I were married.

We celebrated with dinner out last night and today, in the sure sign of a long marriage, we went to the launderette because our washing machine is broken! The repair people are waiting for a part so it won’t be fixed for another week or so.

To quote a friend: in sickness and in health, in good machine and bad. 🙂

18 years is a long time. And the 21 years we’ve nearly been together is even longer, obviously. So much happens in 21 years:

  • Moved to Belfast
  • Got married
  • Got a job
  • Got diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes
  • Had a baby
  • Started a company
  • Got diagnosed with fibro
  • Moved to a house
  • Bought a house
  • Started a new job
  • Survived a pandemic (so far) (no, it’s not over)

There were other things, of course, but those are the highlights.

And it’s had its ups and down, highs and lows. I’ve been dealing with my chronic pain, we both had to get through some lean years, and Simon has also had some health issues.

But, at the end of the day, what gets us through? Each other. Knowing that when we reach out to the other, they’ll be there.

I spend a lot of time on Reddit and other sites, reading other people’s requests for help. Sometimes I reply, I sometimes I just mutter to myself. But an overwhelming theme, it seems, on these posts, is people who are coupled but don’t have each other’s back.

So my one piece of advice for a long and happy relationship, whether spouses or partners or whatever you call your state of coupledom? Be there for each other. Take care of each other when needed. Fight if you have to, but make up well.

And couple up with your best friend.

Commitment.

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I was reading a really really good fan fiction series recently. It was Rafael Barba/Sonny Carisi from Law & Order Special Victims Unit. I can link to it if there’s any interest. It’s on AO3.

Anyway, along with being really well written, it had a fantastic timeline. It started with Sonny and Rafi as friends. The first story ends with them dating and admitting how they feel about it each other.

And then it jumps ahead. A year. Eighteen months. Three years. Five and a half years.

And I realised how realistic that is. I mean, sure, some of the inbetween stuff might have been nice to see. Their day to day lives together. Cases worked together and the like.

But the truth is, day to day life isn’t all that interesting. Even if you’re a cop and an ADA.

In real life you don’t ponder every day. You just live it. You meet your mate, live together, maybe marry and start a family. And you don’t really think about the years going by.

Simon and I have been married for 15 years this coming September. Together for 18 years at the end of the year.

And I certainly can’t remember every day. I remember big things. Our first real life meeting. When he asked me to marry him. Our wedding. The day we found out I was pregnant. Our son’s birth. Buying our house.

And some little things. Like the time my sister in law thrust my baby niece into his arms so she could pee and I found him there sort of staring at the baby in his arms, totally perplexed.

Or the time my sister did the same thing with my baby nephew and when she took him back, Simon had left red marks on his legs, he was holding on so tight.

But otherwise, years go by with nothing of note. We do things, of course, but every day things. We go to work and take care of our son and do things around the house and visit people and watch TV. Play games.

And, always, at the base of it is the fact that today is like tomorrow and the next day because we will be together until death do us part.

Maybe it’s taking each other for granted.

But that’s not always a bad thing.

 

Fever – Day 5

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Yes, you read that right. Adam has had a fever of various levels since Monday. As has most of his class and after school care. Simon wants to know why it’s not on the news. I said because it’s so common as to be un-newsworthy.

Now I’m having a fibro flare, a cold, a cough and perhaps a touch of D&V, at least the D part.

I also did over 10 hours of work this week. With Adam at home and then dragged to my client’s office to transfer files.

Simon said he’d be home around 2 today. I’ll be going to bed at the point.

I may get up in time for the school run on Monday.

 

My Newest Acquisition

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So my lovely parents in laws gave me a voucher to Debenham’s for Christmas. Today I set off to spend it.

As has been recently discussed on Facebook, us mummies have a hard time spending money on ourselves. Even a gift card tends to be used for school shoes or sports equipment or a new pot to cook in. Our families always come first.

But I was bound and determined to spend my voucher on me. And realized the one thing I really wanted was a tea pot. A proper put tea bags or leaves in and let it steep and drink it properly tea pot.

And so I found one:

Tea tastes better from a pot. Even into a mug.

I adore this pot with an unholy love. Nearly as much as I love my husband and son, who will never be allowed to touch it. 😀

Actually, that’s not true. This is a Denby pot, from their Halo range. I love the whole range and would buy it if I had the money. Since it’s Denby, it’s dishwasher, oven, freezer and stove top safe. So Simon may be allowed to wash it. If he’s very very careful. He may even be allowed to drink tea out of it. If he ever drank tea.

So that’s my new acquisition  It looks like it’s for the family, except, really, no one else in the family drinks tea. 😀

11 years ago Today

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Simon and I officially began our long distance relationship.

2 months after that, in December 2001, he came to San Francisco for us to meet.

2 years after that, in September 2003, I packed up my life and moved to Belfast.

1 year after that, 4th September 2004, we were married.

5 years after that, 11th June 2009, I gave birth to Adam.

Happy 11 years, my love. Here’s to hundreds more.

Saturday is Simon’s Birthday

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I won’t tell you how old he will be, but he’s 5 years younger than me and, as you may recall, I just had the 22nd anniversary of my 21st birthday.

Today Adam and I were scheduled to bake some cakes for Daddy’s birthday. So we went into the kitchen to get started when I found a fatal flaw in my plan. I only had one egg. I needed three.

So instead of getting down to it, we put on our shoes and coats and headed over to our local Mace. There we acquired biscuits, yoghurt, Pringles and eggs. You thought I forgot the eggs, didn’t you?

Once we were home we got to work.

Adam Mixes.jpg

Adam mixes.

Adam was chief in charge of mixing eggs, which he did with panache. Then he got bored while Mummy was incorporating the flour, eggs, butter and sugar and went to watch Fireman Sam. So Mummy licked the bowl herself.

Just before Adam’s First Birthday, I purchased the dinosaur cake pan from Lakeland, which doesn’t seem to be on their site any more. It has been used a *lot* for a variety of birthdays!

Here it is full of finished cakes as of today:

Cakes

Simon's Cakes

Later today we’ll make chocolate buttercream icing and get them iced and covered with 100s and 1000s.

Of course, there probably won’t be any left by Saturday…

Happy Half Priced Chocolate Eve!

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Or, as most of the world calls it, Valentine’s Day.

Not a holiday we celebrate here at TeeVille as my birthday is 5th Feb, Simon’s is 24th March and we’d rather spend our money on that. So we exchange cards and kisses and eat some chocolate. Well, that last bit isn’t restricted to 14th February!

Adam also brought home a beautiful card he made for us at nursery.

Adam himself is celebrating by eating toast and pretzels for breakfast. My son, the salt addicted carbo loader.

And then we are celebrating further by going to have our teeth cleaned.

Yay?

10 Years Ago Today

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Simon and I officially began our long distance relationship.

We’d been friends for awhile, but according to the scrapbook I dug out when I was packing, we chose today as the day to make it official.

2 months later he came to San Francisco for us to meet.

2 years later I packed up my life and moved to Belfast.

3 years later we were married.

8 years later I gave birth to Adam.

Happy 10 years, my love. Here’s to hundreds more.

 

Must Be Tuesday or A Day In The Life

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Recently Dooce has been doing a series about what her days are like. I’m finding it very interesting and thought I’d do the same.

Of course, I am not Dooce. I only have one child, I don’t have a PA and I don’t run a multi-million dollar media empire. But, still. It might be a worthwhile read.

Let’s take a Tuesday, since not every of the week is the same around here, but most Tuesdays are fairly standard.

Simon gets up with Adam somewhere between 6 and 7. This means Adam cries. He loves his daddy, but, for some reason, not first thing in the morning. We tell Adam to deal with it, Mummy’s having a lie in.

I get up between 715 and 730 and put my coffee on. Simon only drinks instant (bleech) so I have to make it myself. I also make toast with peanut butter and juice, take my blood sugar and pop 6 pills; 3 paracetamol, 1 xanax and 2 metphormin.

I then share my breakfast with Adam, who may or may not have had something to eat before I get up but certainly has had some milk. Simon is in the shower at this point.

I then spend 5 minutes chasing Adam around trying to wipe peanut butter off his hands and face. Sometimes I am even successful.

After that, I make Simon’s lunch. Yes. I make my husband lunch nearly every day. Why? Well, it saves us gobs of money, for one thing. But the real reason is because that used to be my only bit of ‘me’ time in the morning.  Back before Adam was mobile and had his own ideas (oh those halcyon days!) Simon would come get him from me and play with him while he got dressed. Then I could actually drink my coffee, make Simon’s lunch and usually have at least 5 minutes to relax before I had a baby to take care of all day by myself. Now Adam runs around the flat, nearly spilling my coffee, trying to steal his dad’s lunch bag and generally being 2. Sometimes Simon convinces him to come play in the bedroom. But not often.

Then we say bye bye to Daddy and I sit and try to finish my coffee.

Tuesday is grocery day so after that I write my list, after conferring with Simon the night before about what to have for dinner during the week. Adam will be conferred with as well. Some day.

It’s around 9 at this point and Adam is running around insanely so I go jump into the shower so we can get out the door.

These days Adam decides how he’s getting to city centre. If he wants to walk, he walks, so long as he holds hands with no fuss at street crossings. If he wants to ride, he rides and I make sure we do somewhere he can run around. Today that was Corn Market and Victoria Square.

Then we do our errands. And Adam gets back into his pram at some point and falls asleep. Usually after or during Tesco.

Then we are home. Adam keeps sleeping for at least 2 hours when he falls asleep like that (whoot!) so I have some lunch myself, do some housework and/or lie around being lazy, depending on what’s going on.

Adam wakes up around 2 and I give him lunch.

Then we play all afternoon. Colouring, puzzles, his barn, whatever he feels like. This can also include sofa snuggles and CBeeBies. I really just take his lead.

Simon gets home from work any time between 4 and 6, depending on his lecture schedule. Then we have dinner. Then Adam has a bath and goes to bed.

And then I veg and then I go to bed.

And so endeth Tuesday.