People constantly surprise and amaze me, they often make me want to tear my hair out
but let's gloss over that - for the sun is shining!
Sometimes people reduce me to tears, sometimes I laugh so much that I can't breathe, then there's the hayfever moments! I will make no excuse for the fact that I have what is commonly known as a hayfever moment, well actually I have them quite regularly. There's no cure and I will never grow out of it. However I don't want to. For me a hayfever moment is my equivalent of a cartwheeel or backflip and I've been having rather a few hay fever moments recently!
But when people smile I smile.
In a few weeks Loops, my eldest smiler, will be 17. That actually feels quite strange to say that, it's not as if it's a surprise because 17 follows on from 16 but it does seem odd that my baby, my first born, will be able to start driving and after that she wont sidle up to me and say "muuuuuum can you drive me somewhere'. It's also all change as she has left college and is starting an apprenticeship in September, where has the time gone? My beautiful, caring, patient and slightly bonkers Loops is entering the world of 9-5.
On Thursday Mook was rattling on about some shoes she wanted to buy, saying that she will nip into town and get them then she asked with a big grin if her friends could come over after school and they could have a water fight, which tickled me as she's still a child despite the big "I am" teenage attitude at times.
Last weekend Laree was presented with the 'Most improved player' award with a great big but yet coy smile on her face, and yes my hayfever took hold. My smallest (and loudest) has taken to football like a duck to water. It's her life. She does football at school followed by training on a Monday, mixed football (where she's the only girl) on a Tuesday, kicks a ball around in the garden whenever she can, watches football on telly and lives in her football kit.
Recently I caught up with someone who didn't make me smile and when we said cheerio I felt sadly hollow. It felt like all my energy had been zapped and I was feeling drained. Whilst it was nice to catch up, I have realised that what little we had in common isn't enough for a sustainable friendship.
Meanwhile another friend who doesn't exhaust and depress me despite having heaps on her plate shone and smiled with her upbeat and positive nature, her calm manner and her ability to turn any siutation around. She phones for a chat and we end up talking for hours. About everything. I can picture her in her kitchen and she can picture me in mine. We laugh and cry at the same things but when we end the call we feel happy.
Another friend who makes me feel happy and has an enormous smile, does so with her comedy timing and amazing ability to leave us all wanting more when she leaves. Big Welsh said that when she comes round it's always fun, she has the measure of the girls, she's never miserable and if something is bothering her she just deals with it.
There's also a friend who says she's boring, her words not mine! I would never say that about her, but she says she's boring because she's currently undergoing treatment for brain tumours, is tired and isn't drinking. Bored people are boring and she's certainly not a boring one! I got a text from her late last night and it made me smile. Through all the rubbish she's going through she's still smiling.
Then there's Fran who used to be Laree's school football coach and we've never seen her without a smile. You should know who Fran is and if you don't then it's time you did. Fran Kirby plays football for Reading and England, yes - Reading, in Berkshire. England, our women's football team.
Smiling is such a lovely thing to see, let's all share a smile - whatever your age, whatever the weather!