My brother is 40! Yikes, I'm old!

This picture is of me with Alexander and Jonathan in 1974, Christopher was born the following summer. You can tell this was taken in winter-time as I've got a robe on, Alex is in PJs, and Jonny's wearing socks! How cute are they?!





Last Sunday Alex celebrated his 40th birthday. He had been fretting a bit about it but I reckon he'll say now, what we all say, "That wasn't so bad!"
I had to dig out some old photos for his friends to use to decorate for the party, and ended up as I always do when I go looking through my photographs, spending a good few hours reminiscing.



This one was taken in 1978. I love it as it's such a true snapshot of life. There's no perfect posing, one is picking his nose and the other is about to bawl (don't you just love that face?!) In case you're wondering, they are decorating the Christmas tree. And the little gombey-man decoration that Alex is holding in the non-nose-picking hand is part of a set of 6 which my Mother lovingly preserved, and a few years ago gave them to me. They were bought in 1970, so were already 8 years old here.
I'm really lucky with all my brothers...they're all fantastic people, kind, funny, interesting, smart and gorgeous...but the great part is that we're good friends as well.

Alex and I are particularly close...as is natural with us both being in Bermuda, so far away from the rest of the family. Knowing that I have him to talk to, and that I can be there for him, it just means the world. The fact of the matter is that Alex is the first person, besides my parents and grandparents, who I consciously loved. He was the first baby that I ever held, and fed and cared for, and felt that nurturing, motherly, protective love. I still feel it today, though thank goodness he doesn't need his diapers changed anymore!!

Alex always had the strangest hair and my mother tried everything under the sun to get it to be soft and smooth....mayonnaise, beer, eggs....it never was soft or smooth, but it probably tasted pretty good! After university, through which he had one plaited bit of hair at the nape of his neck that had already matted, he let the rest grow and started working it into dreadlocks....he's had them ever since, and with them came the nickname Dready. Sometimes it takes people a minute to figure out who I'm talking about when I call him Alex! He's talking about cutting them off, as he does every now and then...but he's never done it. When and if he ever does, he's going to do it for charity...I reckon he'll make a ton of money...some people have been offering to pay him for years to cut them off! Hee hee.

Anyhoo...happy 40th birthday Alex!!! Love ya!