Author: frombrotherswithlove

My Father was a treasure trove of knowledge and regularly answered the quiz questions on TV programs correctly. He read numerous books, newspapers and loved watching documentaries about sport, nature, history of the world… He was a great conversationalist and an asset to any socializing event. He could hold court with politicians or working folk, paupers or royalty. He kept up with the latest news, scrolling through teletext first thing in the morning and watching the 7.30pm news program every evening. He made informed decisions, had strong opinions on politics and stuck to them, he did not fly with the wind.

The dominant feature on TV through my childhood was sport. All sorts. We watched all the Olympic games, winter and summer, World Cup Football, with England having a special place in his heart, World Cup Skiing and Ski Jumping every weekend of the season, Ice Hockey competitions and of course The Athletics circuit. We played football and badminton, skied and ice skated, hiked hills and mountains, all with my Father. The wonderful outdoors with all the fresh air, the physical aspect and the winning feeling of any sport is my Father’s legacy for generations to come.

My Father also liked to prove people wrong, as I do. I remember my PE teacher putting my name forward for cross-country running once and my Father said: ‘ You are not a runner I am afraid.’ I did go to the competition and came to finish, with tears rolling down my cheeks, second from last. Needless to say I did not attend any more running competitions but through sheer determination and the strength of my character ran a marathon 30 years later and felt proud beyond belief. Even my Father was impressed. It can be done if you put your heart and hard work in it.

The ‘it cannot be done’ can only not be done if it’s been tried. But it can…

‘Do not try this at home.’

My Father was an intelligent man. He went to University studying economics and he worked as computer programmer in steel factory. He was a disciplined man, going to bed at the same time, getting up at the same hour, his timekeeping was impeccable, he was very organized. It must have come from the years he spent in the mandatory army training. As a child I only remember him seeing in full army uniform once, when I unexpectedly walked into the front room very early one morning, it was still dark outside. It was a sight I will never forget, it scared me and at the same time I was in awe. He was not going to war, simply military exercises but I was only a little girl with fly away imagination. I waited for him to come home for two very long days, driving my mother crazy with constant questions. I wouldn’t let go of him when he did come back through the door. To my delight, and utmost respect for those who are, he has never been called up.

My Father was also the one that helped me with my homework, he had a patience of a saint. I loved Maths but my stumbling block was the conversion of meters into centimeters and so on. We spent hours together trying to get me to logically understand the lengths. He was a pragmatic person and incorporated the 100m run for example for me to remember, or the height of our own to compare. I did get it in the end all thanks to his perseverance and I have learnt from him never to give up trying. As was the story of chess playing. I cannot tell you how many times I cried when he beat me but I came back fighting. He would not let me win but the joy of actually beating him at chess fair and square was just immeasurable. My celebration was worthy of a World Cup win.

I am who I am because of my Father and I will always be grateful that this apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree, not far at all. I am proud to be my Father’s daughter ever since I realized how much I actually admire and respect him. We are so alike it is scary. We have the same sense of humour, the love of sport, hard work and we are as stubborn as each other. My Father has taught me to believe in myself and my dreams, never to forget where we come from and be proud of your achievements no matter how small. Yet even He could not have prepared me for the heartache of losing him.

It has been over 3 years since my Father very suddenly died and I’m still struggling to comprehend that I will not be able to give him a hug or climb another mountain or play chess with him ever again. Every time I think of him, every time I am being reminded of him, I feel a stab in my heart. I long to speak to him, to see his wonderful cheery face and blue eyes, I long to tell him how his grandchildren have grown and how happy we are with our success of climbing the 3 peaks in the summer. I miss him, I miss him with all of my being, so I will write about him to keep him alive for me and for my boys.

Sunday at 8am in the morning my phone rang and my whole being shattered into tiny glass pieces, piercing deep into my soul. The time abruptly stopped, the air went eerily still and an incredulous pain engulfed my heart. My Father died. He is no more.

The tears came rolling down my cheeks and I couldn’t breathe. Why? How? No, that cannot be true. I wasn’t there. I wasn’t there in his last moments to hold his hand, to tell him I loved him beyond life, I wasn’t there to say goodbye….I…

My Father will always be my Hero, the man I looked up to, the man I deeply loved and respected. He taught me everything I know to live my own life, to be happy and fulfilled. I may not have appreciated his ways enough when I was very young but I have passed us onto my sons nonetheless. I truly am my Father’s daughter. Because of him, I am who I am.

The stars have aligned that night and His soul has been guided to the afterlife.. We will meet again…

It all starts with The Man. The Man who loved mountains, the wonderful outdoors. The Man who was as athletic as was intellectual. The great competitor who would not let you win but was gracious in losing himself. He was everything to me, to us and I will miss him to death.

The boys didn’t really crawl and they weren’t going anywhere on all fours. They sat on the floor and pushed themselves forward with one leg underneath them and hands for balance. Very funny, but I just let them get on with it and never pushed them to do anything else.

It was delightful, when the boys discovered their legs. The happiness etched on their faces when they made the first steps, realising that, they discovered a whole new world. So very exciting and there was no stopping them.

Leo’s first steps were at 15 months. It happened in a coffee bar, when he suddenly slid off his pushchair and almost ran after friend’s cocker spaniel.

Raph went a step further at 13 months. We were having a Sunday roast pub lunch with grandparents, when he got off his chair and walked straight out the front door.

Speechless is not the word!

Once it was time to introduce them to solid food, I cooked it all from fresh. The potatoes, parsnips, carrots and broccoli being their favorite. Gradually I added chicken, pasta, rice, cauliflower, all other mushy vegetables…Apple, pear and banana were great to play with and the boys loved it.

At first I resisted buying anything in jars or pre-cooked. But then I found HIPP! Creamy porridge breakfast, strawberry cereal with yoghurt, summer fruits with apple, mango and banana topped with yoghurt… They were great on the go, handy for snacks.. But I never went for the bolognese, or chicken or anything like that. Just the fruit and cereal ones. The boys really enjoyed it, and they still love all the fruit and yoghurt!

Lots of fun watching them enjoy the good food!

The ones I did not want to do without and glad I didn’t!

• Phillips AVENT Steam Sterilizer with Avent bottles!

Plug it in, put in the bottles, a little water and switch the button on. Does it all by itself. And the baby gets sterilized bottle to drink and sterilized dummy. Indispensable!

• PEG PEREGO GT3 baby stroller set!

I am very much outdoorsy person and this 3-wheel pushchair was absolutely perfect. Ideal for any terrain (off road strolling or snow ploughing), perfect for running with or rollerblading beside. Worth every penny.

• BABYBJORN Bouncer Chair &  BABYBJORN Carrier!

Great  bouncing fun. Babies own movements bounce the chair and there’s lots and lots of giggling. In case I needed to do something while the baby was awake I knew that he cannot get hurt, because he simply cannot fall out of it. And the carrier was one of the most comfortable things ever. Always there, always at the ready and absolutely no backache. Babies loved it , I did even more.

Heartly recommended!

What to eat when breastfeeding?                                                                                             Almost everything, but everything cooked.

My favourite breakfast was – oats cooked in milk with grated Bramley apple and few walnuts or flaked almonds on top. Loved it, still do. And toasted ham and cheese sandwiches with wholemeal bread with seeds.

After morning breastfeed I devoured the coffee, I just changed the espresso to hot and steamy latte. Green tea was still my preferable drink throughout the day, but always straight after the breastfeed. And of course lots of water.

Lunch and dinner were all sorts of brown rice risottos, wholewheat pastas, lasagnes, roasts, filled peppers, casseroles, all with lots of green vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, peas, spinach).

Snacks: I fell in love with chocolate or jam filled croissants, fresh fruit consisted mostly just of watermelon and bananas.

Food I avoided at all costs: citrus fruits, lemon and orange, strawberries, honey, cacao, shellfish, beans..

I am proud to say neither of the boys had colic problems, ever, and most importantly we have NO ALLERGIES!

Hope this helps and good luck! Keep it simple!