If you asked Anna who her friends were, she would very quickly respond with 3 names. Rhianna, Annabel and Freja. They have grown up with each other since 6 months old (We all met at Jo Jingles) The 4 mum's, Sophie, Sally, Lisa and myself have all become very good friends and the 4 girls are likewise. As 4 year old girls go, they actually get on remarkably well (Sometimes they have a falling out over who gets to be the Wicked Stepmother or Cinderella but, on the whole, get on extremely well for 4 independent, bright, strong minded 4 year old girls). 3 of us all turned 30 in the same year whilst all of our daughters all share their birthday within 2 months of each other.
Tuesday's see us getting together for a gossip, lunch and coffee. Cake also features very regularly although the other 3 can get away with it easily while I continue to postpone that much-needed diet! 5 hours can pass gossiping and putting the world's woes to right while it feels like 5 minutes.
We collectively decided we needed a holiday and so why not go together. No men allowed. Sophie, being the natural leader of the group, got the ball rolling and soon we were booked into a holiday cottage in Snowdonia.
So, on a Saturday morning last September, 4 mum's and 4 daughters headed off with bags packed, copious amounts of wine and chocolate and a determination to have a good time!
Activities for the weekend included walking coastal path's leading down to a deserted beach, visiting Portmerion Village, having picnics and eating yummy Ice Cream while the rain poured down outside (It had to be done!). All of this sounds like simple stuff but, accompanied by lots of laughter and chatting, was fantastic.
However, the best bit of the holiday was the cottage itself. It was down a country lane that looked like it hadn't been used for years. Unfortunately, on the very same day that we arrived, 4 other cars decided to embark down the lane literally 2 seconds after we went driving past our destination. The miles of lane lead to an old barn with locked gates so it then required the delicate handling of Lisa to get us out of a countryside traffic jam but all ended well.
When entering the cottage, it felt like the cottage hadn't been used for at least 50 years. The best way to describe it is to think of the cottage in the film 'Withnail and I' However, it just seemed to add to the charm and I quickly fell in love with the place for all it's creakiness and old fashioned miss-matched furniture. (It would have been the kind of place that James would have hated! He would have taken one look at it and told us we were booking into a hotel!) It was basically an old farmhouse so the kitchen was bigger than our entire house! I'm not sure what it was actually called but Anna quickly decided that it was called 'Twinkle Cottage' (inspired by the Mr Men books) SO that was to become the adopted name for the weekend.
Despite the fact that this was never going to win awards in 'Good Housekeeping', it didn't matter as we all sat around the huge oak kitchen table drinking coffee and eating leftover pizza while Anna taught the girls how to play dominoes (Who said my daughter is eccentric!!!!). In the evening we tucked into chocolate (some more than others, ME) and wine (Some more than others, mentioning no names SOPHIE!) while doing some more gossiping.
To others this probably doesn't sound the most exciting of weekends (especially how I have written it!). However, for the pure 'feel-good factor, it was perfect. In fact, it was so perfect that we returned on the Monday and, by the following Friday, had booked to ago away again in February.
So, last month, we went away again. To be honest, it was much the same as the first weekend but that was just fine by us! You can never have too much cake, chocolate and gossiping!
Unfortunately, it appears that our girls weekend away may have come to a temporary stop for a while. Lisa is expecting a second baby and despite her protests that she would be fine to travel within days of her due date, the other 3 of us are no midwives!!! So what now???
Well, Anna came up with the brainwave of having a sleepover at our house. 4 over-excited girls all sharing the same room for an entire night! My daughter is turning into a teenager way too early! However, I am sure us mum's will also have a good time, talking until the small hours in our pyjamas and surrounded by chocolate! Life is good!
(Before you start feeling sorry for James like my nan does, who thinks I am ill-treating him. Whilst we were away, James got to try out all the local pubs, eat at very nice restauarants and go and watch his beloved Manchester United with family and friends! I think he enjoyed the peace and quiet too although he did admit to being thrilled to have us back!)
1 comment:
Ha ha you make me sound like a bossy alcholic! I love it. Great memories. Don't think the first house had a name just the farmhouse but don't forget it was Bertrand Russle's old house...or Bert and Russle as you put it :)
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