Starting the way you mean to go on....

Hello folks,

I apologise for being a bold child and not updating my blog! But in my defence....Christmas has been mad...we're all sick at the moment and as every other part of my body is aching with the flu it's a wonder that typing isn't stinging just a bit more! I've also been doing a bit of writing (cue loud applause from my agent Emma Walsh who will be delighted that her last kick-up-the-arse phone conversation actually prompted some action in that department as I have been rather pre-occupied of late what with pregnancy, the whirlwind that is family life, sickness and just about every other distraction that you can think of!)

But as we near 2011 my resolutions are very simple...I shall start as I mean to go on and blog at least once a week if not more! I shall try and write at least 1,000 words a day and my attitude in life shall be supremely positive because as we all know you get back what you give out and if you're going to be miserable and filled with angst then that is precisely what you will recieve in return! I will love and honour my family to the best of my ability and will try to keep my unruly hormones in check (cue further 'quiet' applause from Philip who is currently hiding behind the sofa in case I chew the head of him for breathing too hard.) Pregnancy is definitely hard for the women but equally as stressful for the men and as I'm blessed to have a very supportive and nice model who does his best to keep me happy (despite the fact that our lives have both been very stressful this year) then I'm going to make sure I look after him well and appreciate him to the full (whilst only turning psycho occasionally for the remainder of my pregnancy?!)

I have lots of cute stories, photos and anecdotes to relay about the Christmas period which I will impart over the next week but for now I will simply say thank you to all my readers, followers, publishing team, agent and Philip (the best unofficial manager in the world) for making 2010 a year to remember.........

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE...MAY 2011 BE THE YEAR WHERE WE ARE SHOWERED WITH BLESSINGS FROM ABOVE THAT WILL SEE OUR DREAMS COME TRUE...HEALTH LOVE AND HAPPINESS TO YOU ALL XXX

Happy Birthday to my Una xxxx

What can I say about this special wee woman who turned 14 today and is literally my saviour a lot of the time...well for a start she's beautiful, she lights up a room when she's in it, she's fun to be around and she's most definitely her mammy's girl and always has been! From ever she was small she's been my shadow and I have to say I couldn't ask for a better companion...she comes everywhere with me and has been my main partner in crime lately when I've been attending functions and events as well as book signings as you can see above!

Una's arrival fourteen years ago was one of the best things that could have happened me! Una came into the world at quite a turbulent time in my life when I was at a low ebb but it was never allowed to get too low as I knew that I was carrying a precious wee bundle that would see me through the darkest days...little did I know quite how precious!

Una constantly has a smile on her face even though life has presented her with some pretty tough challenges and I'm so proud of her for dealing with them in the way she does...she was sent to me as an angel from the very beginning and continues to play that role to this day...she knows my moods and my state of mind better than I do and is the source of great comfort and solace when life gets hard! If I could bottle and sell her I would...but I won't as she's unique, special and all mine and something so precious is not for sharing (whatever man gets her better be prepared for the wrath of her mother if he ever dares hurt her....so be warned boys!)

Happy birthday my darling and many of them!

Lots of love

Mammy xxxxx

The novelty has definitely worn off...

I don't know about the rest of you but, I, for one, am totally and utterly scundered with the weather (were I living in Derry and talking Claire Allan's lingo...the word would be scunnered) but nevertheless they both mean the same thing which in this instance is....snow and ice feck off!!

The children haven't been to school all week (so my head is turned with requests and laments in equal measure.) I have hardly had my nose out the door as I do not have Jane Torvill's talents when it comes to ice skating and am afraid of doing a double pike somersault purely by accident and probably breaking both my legs into the bargain and to round it all off I have a wash basket that is permanently full due to the fact that my children find it highly amusing to continuously slide down the same dirty great hill every day and come in mucked to the eyeballs! I made a long speech yesterday about the laundry maid being on strike and refused point blank to wash any more sodden and snowy clothes and as usual they listened....NOT...grrrrr! Oh yes...and lest I forget to mention it I now need a new mop as everytime they enter the front door all the snow that was outside miraculously appears in my hall where it is then subsequently tramped through the house...I'm really enjoying the weather...can't you tell...and we're walkin' in a winter hell hole...sorry I meant wonderland...honestly!

If there is a weather fairy...could you please do us all a favour and rid us of this ice and snow and preferably before I have to get my mother (who still thinks she lives at the top of the swiss alps) air lifted out to the main road and stationed beside a sand depot somewhere!

If you ever hear me complaining about being too hot in the future slap me please...hard... and remind me of how I feel right now freezing cold, suffering from cabin fever and desperate to see civilisation again and not have every conversation starting with the opener...it's -14 today and there's an ice warning...AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH