A Mother and Daughter Day

When I was frantically Christmas shopping in the last couple of weeks of December I found everyone on the list fairly easy to buy for. People had given me a few hints and I love finding little bits and pieces for our loved ones.

But when it came to my Mum I struggled a little. She has a wardrobe full of clothes, handbags, jewellery, perfume and her home has just the right amount of trinkets on shelves. And then I realised, my mum is actually the easiest person to buy for. Because all she ever wants is time. 

And time is what we get the least of. She juggles her job at British Airways, welcoming travellers into Heathrow Terminal 5 at 5am and kindly assisting exhausted parents with buggies as they check in, with helping my sister looking after Yasmin. She finds time for her friends, for swimming dates, for girlie lunches and looks after her husband who has recently had some serious health issues. 

In amongst her incredibly busy life, she manages to find time to blast down the motorway to us, pick up the boys from school, act as our fairy godmother and power wash and iron, a wildy out of control household!

When she comes to visit, she always offers to stay in and man the sleeping boys whilst we have a precious evening out, and 36 hours can go by and we have barely and a cup of tea together. So for Christmas I wanted to spoil her. Take her to somewhere lovely and spoil her with special time, just the two of us.

We headed to our family place in Southbourne this weekend, a place that holds nothing but happy memories for both of us. I had my first holiday at the flat when I was just 6 weeks old and now my boys are reliving my childhood with holidays by the seaside. When you walk into our flat you feel instantly relaxed. It has an almost magical power that sweeps over me and I love that our friends feel the same. 

On Boxing Day we all divvy up the year, booking in weekends and our Summer weeks, and I text our friends to see if they can come and make some memories with us on the beach. BBQ's at the beach hut, sandy feet treading back up the zig zag path and glasses of something lovely on the balcony as the sun sets, with the sunbeams streaming into the living area onto snoozy woofers, worn out by long days tearing up and down the shoreline after 2 excited boys playing in the tiny waves. 

But it was so nice to just be there together.

At just gone 3pm she checked her watch and said "Good grief! It's gone 3pm!" Now that's what you call a leisurely lunch! The Captains Club in Christchurch is the perfect venue for a special but not pretentious lunch date. Beautiful food, elegantly styled and a cocktail list that makes it almost impossible to choose.

It was the longest we've talked in forever and I loved it. We strolled round the town centre, popped in a few gift shops, had a peek in the charity shops and then headed back for the last half an hour of opening time in Southbourne high street. We took in the view of the serene harbour and laughed about my sister's hen party when a dozen of us dressed in purple cocktail dresses tottered off a narrow boat for cocktails at exactly the same hotel.

Southbourne has changed beyond all recognition since I was 6 weeks old. Our favourite bakery is still there but the high street is now bursting with independent restaurants, delis, a coastal art gallery and lots of lovely gift shops. We are so lucky to see these changes and enjoy them. 

This Summer I will be giving our beach hut a little make over and trying to freeze frame those moments which I watch our boys literally relive my childhood holidays. Jumping off the same set of groynes, cycling along the same promenade.

My mum looks after me. At 33 and 3/4 I still really need her. But it's the best feeling when you realise we need each other. Best friends, mother and daughter.

Happy Christmas (ok I know it's January) to my lovely mummy.

Linking up with Mummy Daddy Me and #theordinarymoments