Phillipa
It’s me! Mother of two twin terrors and lifelong lover of food and fun! I’m the undeniable matriarch and the definite leader of the family (sorry Alec!). This blog is about making nutritious and healthy food for the whole family. You can read my full story here. But I’ll give you a little personal insight. I grew up in Northern Ireland during The Troubles and although times were tough, there was nothing quite like the whole family gathering around the table for proper Norther Irish food and fun. After graduating university with an English degree, I struggled for a while to find my place in the world. Then one day, I began to look at my best friend through new eyes. Alec had been there through everything and was a rock in my life (despite the fact he’s from the South of England!). After a whirlwind romance and a spontaneous decision to move to his hometown on the southern coast, we were blessed with two little identical angels. Even though he’s high ranking in The Navy, and serves his country for long periods at a time, he is the best father and husband that I could ever ask for and is a force to be reckoned with.
Alec
Alec is the husband and father that all men should strive to be. He is strong, caring, resilient, brave, smart and loving. He dotes on his two princesses and if you’ve never seen an armed forces man cry over his two baby girls practicing their ballet, then just visit our house any Wednesday night! As a Captain in The Royal Navy, he risks his life every time he journeys to protect the country and makes us so proud every day that he is working towards a safer world. He has worked so hard to become the role model he is today and I cannot thank him enough for being a pillar of stability to our family.
When he returns home, he loves nothing more than sitting down to family dinner and hearing all about the twins’ progression, their stories and their hopes and dreams. I may be the cook of the family, but there is no one that can whip up a heavenly hot chocolate quite like Alec. His specialty is a Kinder Bueno freakshake, and even after eight years of marriage and two children he still won’t tell me the secret ingredient!
Aurora-Grace
Just like her name suggests, Aurora-Grace (or Rory), is without a doubt the most beautiful and gracious child ever to have walked this earth. With a penchant for saving animals (even bugs, “But Mummy, all animals need love”) and a heart-warming knack for sharing and caring, Aurora-Grace is truly a unique little doll. It’s so great to see her becoming her own person and maintaining her kindness no matter what life throws at her. She’s the ultimate Daddy’s girl with a tomboy twist. She loves her ballet but has been coaxed into a life of sports by her father – which she loves! For her last birthday, she asked for a full Portsmouth United football kit and wanted her own football so she ‘could learn how to shoot past Daddy’. Also like her Daddy, she has a major sweet tooth, but nothing that can’t be quelled with a sneaky frozen half-grape or sneakily healthy home-made granola.
Serena-Maye
Despite their identical looks, my two girls are growing into their own very different people. Serena-Maye is as headstrong as her mother and has a defiance that makes her a force to be reckoned with. When the girls started ballet, Serena-Maye HAD to be the best in the class and practiced day and night until she got ‘dancer of the month’. I marvel at her every day for her willingness to learn and her determination to excel in every aspect of her life. I know she’ll grow up to be a little genius and, even now, she spends her nights with her head in the most difficult book she’s capable of reading on her own, asking questions and figuring things out for herself when she can. Her confidence and capability have led to her being protective of her little (by 25 minutes!) sister, but the girls get on well and their vaguely similar, but vastly different personalities make them two halves of one perfect whole. I can’t wait to see the impressive young women that these two stars turn into.
