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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 7/6/2011 Posts: 65
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at 40! Yes! I am going to be 'celebrating' my 40th birthday next week!
We have a whole week of immense changes here...
For those who already 'know' us, you will know that dear baby GRACE Therese was 1 on 1st November!
We had a lovely lunch party after the All Saints Mass and then a wonderful visit from her Grandparents in the evening. It was one of my clever excuses to drink pink champagne....
Then today our eldest son BEN took his Maths GCSE- this is the third exam thus far...it was hard...second paper on Monday.
And then on Tuesday it will be my 40th- Mark and the children have planned a whole day out for me, very exciting! We couldn't afford even half a ticket to Rome so he's taking us all out to a historical house and lunch...
AND, then the next day, Mark will begin his new job!!
If you recall he was away ALL the time which was incredibly hard at times...especially being pregnant, home schooling, and having RA....
He will be chief technical writer at a new company and there is NO travel involved.....(we'll see....but we're happy!)..
SO- all I have to do now is wan baby GRace as I have had 9 steroids so far since her birth so I am able to nurse her! Call me a fool but it has been worth the suffering..
Much love,
Amanda
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 6/18/2010 Posts: 351 Location: Herne Bay Kent
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Hi Amanda Congratulations on your 40th, hope you have an amazing day and get thoroughly spoilt. It does not seem possible that Grace is 1, so pleased everything is working out for you. Best Wishes Sue 
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/4/2010
Posts: 576
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Happy Birthday in advance of your special day Amanda! What a host of good reasons to break open the pink fizzy!! Hope you have a lovely day out all together and good luck to hubby in his new job.
Good luck on the weaning too - no advice from me there I'm afraid as I always gave in and finally forced Susie to stop with a dummy at 2 and 5 months!
Susie did her maths today too and came out in tears. She has worked hard and been to extra classes after lessons and on Saturdays but still felt she has done badly. Let's hope Monday is nicer - wish Ben luck from us!
Lovely to hear from you again - take care XX Ailsa
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/8/2010 Posts: 914
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Hi Amanda,
A very Happy Birthday to you for your 40th and to your baby daughter Grace who is 1. Wow it does not seem like a year ago she was born. You must post some pictures on here sometime to let us see her. I do hope you have a lovely day out with your family.
Love to all.
Lorna xx
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 7/6/2011 Posts: 65
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Dear Ailsa,
Thanks for replying..
Ben came out of the exam unhappy- he said it was a mean paper and there was one question he didn't even answer- something on angles..
Hope so much the paper goes well for them both on Monday! It is horrible for them isn't it? I especially hated maths and took it again in first year A level so really feel for them...
Ben is obsessed with air cadets (RAF) and has just left to go on a night ex tonight so he's happy, that was after an afternoon of Physics IGCSE which he is not too keen on either!LOL
Love ,
Amanda
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 7/6/2011 Posts: 65
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PS- Is this Susie's first GCSE?? It is Ben's third. Best of luck to her from us!
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/4/2009 Posts: 856
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Dear Amanda
Wishing you a happy birthday in advance!!
I can't believe Grace is a year ldd- it only seems like yesterday that we were following the progress of your pregnancy!
Take care
Maria x
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/4/2010
Posts: 576
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Hi Amanda - hope Ben enjoyed his expedition. Physics IGCE sounds horrible! It was Susie's 2nd GCSE as she sat the English exam at the end of Y10.
I was talking to Head of Maths and she was horrified at the paper on Weds. She said it was the hardest they had ever seen and the only consolation was that the grade boundaries would be lower so hopefully it will all even out. Still got fingers crossed for Monday though!
Lovely to hear from you again - I missed your blog after Grace was born. Reminded me of when mine were all little as I had the 5 of them in 9 years. Hope you are all doing well XX Ailsa
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 7/6/2011 Posts: 65
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Hi Ailsa,
Thank you for telling us that- I have just told Ben and he said 'phew at least it wasn't just me!'
Apparently the June 10 one was a killer too- Ben was supposed to take that but had an accident and was unable to.....
I hope and pray Monday is better- it is the calculator paper at least!!
Yes I had five children all under 8 and it was extremely hard work! But huge fun and so fulfilling...I would have had at least five more had I been able to....
Grace has been the icing on the cake!
Love,
Amanda
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 1,110 Location: London
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Amanda, congratulation on your birthday, hope you enjoy your day. I saw some of the photos of Grace on her birthday, she is so lovely. Marie is a beautiful young lady, she looks so like you. Tell Ben good luck re the maths, it always seems to be one of the worse. Georgia has to resit hers as there were problems which she discovered on receiving her A level results. Its good to hear from you x BARBARA
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 1,689 Location: Durham
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Congratulations Amanda!! How the time flies, doesn`t it? I hope Ben`s next maths paper goes well - he sounds a very keen Air Cadet! I`m sure all your beautiful children are a credit to you and Mark.It will be nice to have Mark home more often. We are just back from 4 days in Kracow - magnificent churches, inside and out, and such devout people! Take care, Kathleen x
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/4/2009
Posts: 2,127
Location: Thornton Cleveleys
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Hi Amanda Just in case I forget "Happy Birthday" for Tuesday; hope you have a lovely day:) The last year has whizzed by so no surprise Grace has reached the age of 1 already. She is a gorgeous a little thing, as are all your family although not all quite so little now My 'number 4' child has left school, and that is really scary after 19 years of 'school runs'! Louis is at 6th form now doing (as you are talking about it!) Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Economics! He did amazingly with his GCSE Maths scoring the highest mark in school 598/600; I was so proud of him especially after his very difficult year. Great news about Mark's new job, hope he really enjoys it and manages to stay at home much more often than he used to be. Take care Amanda Lyn x
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 2/18/2010 Posts: 1,098 Location: farningham kent
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Wishing you lots of best wishes Amanda, for your birthday this week My goodness where has this year gone, belated birthday wishes to Grace on her first birthday. Its lovely to hear that Mark has a new job ! and will be at home with you and the family, you both must be overjoyed with this news ! Julia xx
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 7/6/2011 Posts: 65
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Wow! Thank you for such lovely replies....
Yes, this past year has flown by, literally flown, before we knew it it was little baby Grace's 1st birthday.
I really will try and down load the few birthday photos- I say few as can you believe this, but I had my beloved camera stolen from the Church hall whilst we were all INSIDE!!! We have many homeless people at the Church, they come for food and tea etc and are usually lovely and the Priests are amazing to them.
But there are some who dress themselves up as Catholics etc and the rob them....this man had been walking around the Church during the Mass, 'praying' his beads. He had actually gone into the Sacristy whilst Ben was vesting and asked the Priest to bless his beads and himself. So Ben saw him clearly as he looked directly at them both.
Then afterwards in the hall, he wandered in and asked Mark for a cup of tea...Mark reluctantly said yes even though it was a private party. Then the camera and he disappeared...
You won't believe this but Mark and Ben both went into Oxford and actually caught up with him. (I had no idea where they'd gone!). Mark asked him to empty his rucksack onto the pavement- he was terrified apparently. There was lots of other hings there including syringes but not the camera. Awful! Both are convinced it is him as there has been alot of crime in the Churches recently here- the GReek Orthodox Church had all their silver swiped the other week too!
SO, photos are not very good but thankfully we have some!
I have heard how devout the people of Krakow are and it is wonderful you went there, Kathleen! Did you visit JPII's home place etc?
And LYN, I am just thrilled about Louis, that is just astonishing! You must be so proud of him, I am going to write to you off line....that has made my evening reading that!
Love to all,
Amanda
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 1,110 Location: London
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Lyn, tell Louis congratulations from us all, that's an amazing score!!! No wonder he's doing maths in 6th form! I wish we could "borrow" him for a while. Georgia has to resit her GCSE maths as she was two marks off a C grade, and her school failed to allow her to resit due to the revision sessions being at a time when she was in her psychology lesson. She had no idea that this would have such a devastating effect on her uni application. We have to pay for a course to help her pass, which is in the process of happening now. The whole episode prevented her getting into uni this year. As you can guess maths isnt her strong point!! BARBARA
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 4/20/2010 Posts: 1,749 Location: Somerset
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Just caught up on this post
HAPPY CONGRATS TODAY.
Gosh I cannot believe that Grace is 1 yr old. How time flies.
Rose
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 11/26/2010 Posts: 71 Location: London
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Happy Birthday Amanda! I hope you're having a lovely day Vicky xx
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/4/2010
Posts: 576
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Sorry to hear about your camera Amanda  Hope you have been pampered all day and had a lovely bday! Wow Lyn - what a fantastic Maths score!! Very greedy to keep all those marks to himself though - he could share some around and still have his A*!!! Commiseration with Georgia's Maths situation Barbara. Hope it all works out for her this year. Hope Ben found yesterday's Maths easier Amanda - Susie said it was better than last week. However, she had science modules today and said it was awful! Hoping she will get at least a C in Maths and can use Maths time to concentrate on Science now. Good luck for hubby's new job Amanda - thinking of you all and looking forward to seeing those photos XX Ailsa
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/28/2011 Posts: 956 Location: North Preston
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Happy birthday Amanda.
I hope you had a lovely day out with your family.
Sheila x
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/5/2009 Posts: 216 Location: Leicester, UK
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Dear Amanda,
I hope you had a very happy birthday and I wish you and your family all happiness. I hope that you have a happier time now that Mark is going to be around to support you more.
I have not been on the forum for ages and I am trying to catch up with what is happening to everyone. I have missed you all and look forward to being in touch a lot more with everyone.
Warmest wishes,
Ann (Monty) x"I cannot do everything. I accept that. Not being able to do everything is no excuse for doing nothing." ~ Helen Keller
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