Part 12: The diary of Henrietta Montari, aged 13 and 3/4

Hi everyone,
Dad has been telling us all about how Grandpa used to tell the whole family story thing in this album. He suggested that we all might like to have a turn and I wanted to go first...

Looking back, well Dad never got round to talking about us because Mum was about to have us. Well first things first - Mum gave birth to twins, one of whom was wonderful (me) and the other was my brother Lucas. (Lucas says he was more wonderful because he came first, but what does he know?)

Here are the baby pictures before I get in trouble...


Apparently Mum is holding me and dad is holding Lucas - you will however have to take their word for that as we look pretty similar. Taking care of twins doesn't look like the easiest thing to do; here is Mum looking a little stressed.


Although when you talk to Mum and Dad they say that it wasn't so bad. Grandpa was always around to help...

And eventually we grew up into nice, calm toddlers.

Mum says that it was on this night that Dad got taken away. I don't believe her though - as if I would have slept through something as cool as aliens visiting Pleasantview. Anyway Mum gave me this picture of the telescope in the back yard saying it's proof. (I told her that Joanna is better proof - but that comes later)

One of the weather satellites did catch the aliens bringing Dad home though... and we got a free copy of the picture. I wanted to tell you all the stuff that they did to Dad, but he still wont talk about it so that's not going to happen.

Dad was OK though - apart from a little weight gain coupled with a fair bit of 'travel' sickness. So we carried on as normal; Lucas learnt to talk... what kind of stupid idea was that?

(Henrietta wasn't going to put in anymore of her baby pics, so I will. Here's Hetti learning to walk - Lucas)

Turns out that wasn't just weight gain and a dodgy tummy - Dad was pregnant. It was a bit of a surprise when he went into labour in the hallway though. Oh and that's me in the background not looking very interested.

Dad gave birth to a healthy baby girl - Joanna. I was really happy to have a little sister instead of Lucas. Even if she drooled a lot. And cried a lot. And smelt. Maybe I wasn't so happy to have her then, but she's nicer now she's ten.

All this exitement caught the interest of someone entirely unexpected - my Grandma. Even though she died before I was born I've seen her a couple of times and know loads of stories about her. The first one to see her was Grandpa, of course. She only scared him a little though...

We're kind of used to seeing her now though which is cool. Most of my friends don't have ghosts - so we have really cool sleepovers. Grandpa, however, wasn't quite the same after seeing Grandma. I only remember a little but he started spending loads of time in the graveyard (which is in our back garden)

As well as telling us he loved us all the time. We didn't realise at the time that Grandpa wouldn't be around for long. One day while Grandpa and Dad were about to have another pool tournament the Grim Reaper showed up. Creepy or what?

We were all really upset for ages. But we had to carry on - Grandpa used to talk about how he started this huge family and we decided he wouldn't have wanted us all to be miserable. Our birthday came not long after Grandpa died, but nobody was in the mood to have a party (or even take pictures. Joanna did a little better though - we managed to get a couple of pictures of her after her first day of school.

Mum and Dad had been really worried in case the other kids picked on her because of her 'unusual heritage' (ie - she's green) but she made loads of friends. Besides, do you really think anyone would have picked on her with a big sister like me?

Next it was our turn to have a birthday - as well as starting high school. That's pretty much where we are now - and it's Lucas' turn to tell the story as he keeps reminding me.

Well, that's it from me (for now at least)

Hetti x