A Centenery

At the time of the commencement of this entry, my side bar stats are reading 99 visitors in 17 different countries, who will be number 100 since I added the country counter I wonder. If you are reading this, and the counter is on 100, congratulations.

Now don't get carried away, you don't actually win a prize but it would be nice if you left me a comment to tell me you were my 100th visitor, then perhaps ALL other visitors who read this entry can pay your blog a visit...you never know, maybe we can up your regular traffic!!!

Come to that, I would love to hear from anyone who visits here, just a little 'hi' would suffice, I still sometimes can't believe that so many people, from so many different countries actually read my words... (maybe you don't, maybe you get to the first sentence and hit the 'Next Blog' button!!)

Moving on.

For those of you who are interested, (those of you who are not should cover your ears at this point) it is my 40th birthday in December. Yes I said 40, but don't tell everyone. (ok... I said OK... you can uncover your ears now)

I think I am a pretty young 40, and I hold my children responsible for that. Having my children at the young age I did, has meant I have always been able to relate to them and their lives, and their time.

Having 3 children aged 5 and under by the age of 22 was hard work, it was, especially when money was scarce. Sometimes it was more scarce than an ashtray on a motorbike but I always knew that I would reap the benefits of lost youth and financial constraints at the other end of my mothering duties, and never, ever, not once have I ever regretted it.

It was about 5 years ago that I first signed up to the Friends Reunited website (like the Classmates.com site in the States) I was surprised that so many of my old school friends and acquaintances were just giving up work to start a family. Some were still single, and granted, a couple were lucky enough to have travelled to and worked in some fantastic places. These lucky ones though were just that. Lucky ones.

On the whole, the majority of my year at school were just about to or had just started their own families. They had pre-school aged children whom they doted on, having built up careers, they were now putting their lives on a back burner, putting everything they had spent the last 15 years working for on hold. It was a bit of a reality check at first.

How strange, I thought, that so many of them were only just beginning down that road. A road I was oh-so familiar with having already travelled it 3 times over. A journey that has shaped and moulded, and occasionally battered me, into the person I am today. The same journey that has made my children such warm, caring, fun-loving people.

Maybe I should explain where this gushy, outpouring of love and admiration for my children has come from. Not that I don't love and cherish them each and every day, but I had this urge today to put down what has caused this warm glow of unbelievable joy at having such wonderful kids.

If any of you have checked out my "Countdown to..." link in the side bar, you will know that next Wednesday is my Wedding Anniversary. But it's a biggy, it's our 20th.

We are both on leave from work for the week and are planning a trip into London to do all the touristy things that we have never done believe it or not. An hour and half by train, an hour by car and we have never actually been purely to be tourists! Isn't that dreadful. The capital city of my country. So we are going to put it right. Maybe visit the London Dungeon's and the Tower of London, a ride on the London Eye, Madame Tussuad's, watch Tower Bridge open from the land side, the possibilities are endless.

Tonight however, whilst my eldest daughter was visiting, they sat us down and told us that as the 20th is the China anniversary, they have booked us a table at a local All-you-can-eat Chinese restaurant for Tuesday evening, for just the two of us. Isn't that just the most lovely thing to do. I was very touched, if just a little mystified as to why Tuesday and not Wednesday.

That brief query in my mind was soon laid to rest.

The girls then presented us with an envelope each. Curious! Opening the envelope revealed a pre-paid voucher for a ride on the London Eye, but not just any ride, a Champagne ride, at a time of our choosing.

How fantastic is that. They said they wanted it to be a bit special, well I think they succeeded. God they're great kids.

PS - Whilst writing this blog the 100th person has been on and I missed you, my apologies. OK, visitor number 101, would you be kind enough to leave a comment, we're all coming to visit your blog instead!

PPS - This counter only counts NEW visitors, so if this is your first visit, and the counter is on 101, (heck missed that one too), on 102, PLEASE, Please leave a comment and I will plug your blog for you, it'll be fun!

OK, no-one wanted to play, so I have changed my counter to show how many unique visitors I have had in the last 24 hours!