Shamelessly homesick!

"Now, nobody's sayin that Hill Country Texas is the Garden of Eden, but it's been a good home to us, to me - Frank GALLAGHER Josie Bisett - and me kids, who am proud of! 'Cause every single one of them reminds me a little... of me."
 

In case you're wondering, this is NOT me. This is Frank Gallagher, the Shameless lead character in the classic Brit hit show. 

We've all been a bit homesick at some point, right? You know, that feeling you get after 10 days legged out on the beach in Magaluf or Cancun, when you start yearning for one or two home comforts, like your own (arse contoured) couch, Eastenders, or a cup of Tetley's brew - for example. For me, it's a bag of greasy chips, for the hubs, it's his Tex Mex.

It's great to get away - but even better getting home!

It can feel like something is gnawing away at your innards (like hunger pains) creating a hole that can't be filled by food - believe me, I've tried. Usually it's in the pit of your tummy - but sometimes it works its way up into your chest - and eventually your throat. That's when it gets so bad that tears are sprung.

At least that's what it's like for me. But I can't go 'home' at least not yet. In any case 'home' is not really my home anymore.

OK, so at the moment I am officially in that 'postnatal' phase. My hormones are raging - so maybe the world is not really coming to an end (thanks for that bit of insight husband dearest). 

But that's not really 'it'. 

True, I've had a similar feeling of melancholy come over me after the birth of all three babies. Not initially, though. I'm on cloud nine for the first fortnight, but then a more sober emotion sets in. It happens when I realize that THEY are not coming...

My family that is, the blood relatives.

This time the hunger pains are more acute. Each time I look at my beautiful baby girl I can't help a feeling of regret. I can't work out if it's me or them who are missing out.

The hubs lived unhappily in Hawaii for six months. Night after night he would watch that gorgeous romantic sunset, alone. It turns out, the most beautiful experiences in the world aren't quite so great when you can't share them with the ones you love.

I'm not saying the magic is lost (exactly), But how much greater would it feel to be able to show this lovely little lassy off to my mum and dad?

Perhaps it hasn't stung quite so bad in the past because I've known there'd be another chance. But this could be our LAST newborn experience. And my family are all 5,000 air miles away - they might as well be on another planet.

I know, I know! Cry me a river - right? Serves me right for marrying Texas Pete!

ANYWAY. To make up for missing my own Brit family I've adopted an on-screen British Northern family (a tad bit more dysfunctional than my own), the Gallaghers! Thanks to them I've been shamelessly entertained no end for the past few weeks.

Shameless's Steve is so yummy! 

The hubs and I were living in the UK when Shameless first hit the TV screens - how we managed to miss out on this Channel 4 masterpiece series, I'll never know! 

Nearly a decade on and living across the pond, instant NetFlix is bringing Shameless shenanigans into our home for the first time and right in the nick of time!  

We've always watched back to back episodes of old TV series, while yoga ball-bouncing our newborns during the night. The first baby got Everybody Loves Raymond and Yes, Dear! on TBS - that was back in the day we were still willing to fork out for digital TV! Our second kid was subjugated to the entire series of Roseanne on NetFlix (he needed a LOT of bouncing) - lucky Momma!

But this go around there's only British comedy on the menu. I wonder which kid will have the best sense of humo(u)r?

I've got to say, it's been great getting back to Britain (even if it's not really 'for real') - although, maybe it's only serving to make me more homesick! They're only running series 1-3 currently on NetFlix (Series 10 is just about to start back across the pond.) and sadly they've already written some of my new found 'family' out. Now I'm got even more people to miss! 

btw, this isn't just a shameless punt to get my folks over here! Well, maybe it is a little......