Battling a clever and bright toddler..

After last weekend's events when Anna did not like her daddy - she moved on from there and the battle of attrition began. She has skillfully moved up a 'toddler' gear and then that's when the screaming began and lots of it. She has been desperate all week to exert her independence and control on every situation. I have never been very good at dealing with the terrible twos and I find all the tantrums, drama and screaming very stressful. After a few very bad evenings and mornings I have managed to find a way past my angst and seem to be getting through to Anna and finding ways to deal with the inevitable behaviour and pushing of boundaries. In short, I have started to learn how to toughen up. She is still not sure about me at the moment as I have made it my mission to stop the toddler behaviour and try and teach her that there are positive ways to influence people and what goes on around you. I am not very good at this kind of stuff with our girls and wish I had the confidence that Amy always seems to have and calmly deals with situations. I can feel deskilled and sometimes lack the insight to be consistent. I was delighted though when I began to positively change the course of the week and Anna's behaviour. Who said parenting was ever going to be easy? These kind of situations always come along when you are at your most vulnerable and most tired. From the beautiful picture attached, any reader must be wondering what all the fuss is about......

It's been a long week and we are all grumpy!

Everybody in the Hammond house is whacked out today after a long week at school and work. We have not seen much of each other this week and none of us have been up for spending time with one another, each of us definitely preferring our own company and chill out time. The girls have either been fighting, stropping or not doing as they are asked. Last week had finished with such promise as we all spent a magical afternoon on Sunday at Sandringham walking, eating ice cream, playing in the woods, we encountered a giant squirrel, I fell over and lost all my dignity and cut my arm, climbing trees and just being together in beautiful surroundings. I have to say it's all gone down hill a bit from there - we are very good at being grumpy as a family though! We are masters of it! Bright spot of the week: Lucy got to sit on the special bench at assembly at school as a treat for working so hard. Anna does simply not like her daddy this week, topped off by a moment today in Tesco when I would have loved the ground to have swallowed me up as she stropped and had a tantrum in the middle of the frozen isle. Ahh!!!!! Tomorrow is another day.

Learning the Lucy way..

I continue to be very impressed with how well Lucy is learning since she started school and her enthusiasm to be involved in talking about new things and the world around her increases every day. Her interests seem to have evolved and she is attentively observing the people, animals and objects around her. Now this not mean much to a seasoned parent who has seen their children grow up, but to me it is amazing to watch her develop and grow. Her interests are now wide and varied beyond fairy princess pink things and television. She loves reading, writing, wildlife, playing, films, stories, drawing and she is even showing a practical ability in making things that I never thought I would see. I have feared for many years that she is going to be practically inept like her father! She even seems so much calmer since she started school. Maybe that is because she is tired and they have overwhelmed her into submission! Don't get me wrong Lucy has her moments and agitations, however the hard work that Amy and I are putting in seems to be paying off; her maturity is increasing and the person she is growing up to become is one that we can be very proud of indeed. I love to see character traits and skills such as generosity, kindness, respect and pride in what she does being nurtured and growing in her as a person..

Sun, sea, sand and a very cold wind!

The weather was so nice today that we ventured outside! This has been a very rare excursion outside into the elements for the family Hammond due to the constant inclement weather of late, but today was breathtakingly beautiful on Wells beach. Simple pleasures such as gathering shells and pine cones, paddling, hide and seek, looking for the Gruffalo (we never found him), eating chocolate flapjack and warming our socks on Grandma's fire made for a very good morning indeed. We don't take enough advantage as a family of the amazing places that Norfolk has to offer and it is a new years resolution of mine to ensure that we do. I am not sure that Anna was particularly impressed as she was freezing in the cold January wind this morning! I just enjoyed the walking hand in hand with my wife and being with my family, it was bloody cold though!

Back to school...

The three women in the Hammond house are back to work, nursery and school and are knackered already and the term has just begun! Anna marked her first day back by developing her enjoyment of the adventurous and forbidden by climbing out of a window in a Wendy house and falling on her nose. Lucy celebrated her first day back by being grumpy and hitting her daddy and Amy is just about to fall asleep on the couch already at 7.45pm! What are they going to be like in a couple of months time?!? I tell you, the women in my life simply have no stamina! Pace yourself ladies, there are many more long days to come and be nice to your daddy, even if you are tired, he is there to help!

Reflections on another family year..

The year of 2010 brought many ups and downs for the family Hammond. My two girls are an amazing gift given to Amy and myself that are to be cherished for every life experience that they give us. I have to confess there are days that I could strangle them and other days its all I can do to breath when I look at them. They fill me with pride, frustration and love. Lucy has done so well at school in her first term and is emerging as generous, caring and loving big sister to her barmy younger sibling. Anna's character is off the scale in bubbling wackiness, chaos and an unstoppable love of life. That's a great word to describe her - unstoppable! My favourite memories of the year have to include the nativity play, Anna's naked bike riding and 'sandwiches', Lucy's one liners that get better and better, the pictures that they have both drawn for me, the endless trumping in my house and the giggles that ensue, first trip to the cinema with Lucy, Anna really started to talk this year and has not shut up since, her Hetty hoover and above all a vast amount of cuddles and kisses from my girls. Thank you girls - I look forward to doing battle with you in this new and amazing year, preferably with less snow and slightly less trumping! Happy new year!