A really scary bunch!

The women in in my life are a formidable and scary bunch and I am really not sure that I need the festival of Halloween to remind me of that fact! They are stubborn, opinionated, strong minded, self sufficient, high maintenance and no amount of scary masks can make me any more overrun or frightened than I already am. They may be all of this, but I love them with all my heart. There are days when I could run a mile and search out male company to talk about football and manly things and other days when being with them feels like nothing I have ever experienced in my life before and is simply amazing. Not a good weekend in the run up to the festival of fear today as I lost every battle at the weekend and was quite simply overrun by three strong women. Family life will always have its ups and its downs and being a dad and a husband is very scary at times, however I would not miss it for the world and it makes me a better person each day. So keep scaring me girls and I will always come back for more....

Moments to treasure...

I have had some lovely moments with the girls this week and several that have made me want to scream. For the purpose of today's blog I am going to stick with the positive. Last Sunday - the day finished with a fire side game of 'Scaredy cat' - just the three of us while Amy read her book and we chatted and chilled out. Simple time together. Really enjoyed it. Silly singing in the car to the 'Lightening Seeds' and 'Scouting for Girls' - Anna wiggling and jiggling and Lucy singing like a drowned cat. Today, we had squirty cream moustaches, reading signs in the town with Lucy and the lady in a clothes shop that I thought was Anna I called 'darling'. Saving the best for last was Anna's monologue about when she was born she did not like ears, cheese, shirts, hats, mayonnaise, ketchup, scarves, glasses... the list went randomly on and she milked her audience with her bizarre and wacky conversation, giggling all the way through it. Anna you worry me and yet entertain me every day I spend with you.

Birthday week has been and gone...

I did not see much of the birthday girls at all this week. I think Amy and Lucy had good days but I didn't have much time with them to qualify that. Disappointingly, I did not get home in time to see Lucy open her presents on Monday evening although she did open her big present in the morning before I left for work and that drew me to tears. Based on that reaction, good job I was not around in the evening otherwise I would have been a mess! I felt very emotional about my little girl being six and growing up so fast. Amy had a chill out shopping day on her birthday and then fell asleep on the couch after a Thai feast, so did not really see her either! I was useless with her present and took the easy way out of giving her some money to go and do what she does best - spend! With work taking up more of my time at the moment. I really do miss all three of my girls. This family, as you can see, is lacking my presence and things are not quite right.....

Six of the best!

Tomorrow my baby girl is going to be six! I have decided to dig out my favourite photo so far of my Looby Chick and I fondly remember the pride I had in her that prompted me to start this blog several years ago and record our family life. She hasn't changed a scrap, maybe slightly less teeth. Now she is all grown up, complete with attitude and an answer for everything. On Friday evening I picked her up from her first school disco and she was so keen to show me how grown up she was. She was out after dark and bopping the night away and was really keen for me to meet all her friends. Today, we have celebrated her birthday as we will all be at school and work respectively in the morning. At Lucy's request we dined out for lunch with some of her very noisy pals and then all back to our house to trash it, make cakes and sneak in a few presents. Lucy was delightful as she was quick to tell her friends that they must include and help her little sister. All I can ask is Lucy - don't grow up too fast, I am enjoying being your dad way too much for it to go quickly. Enjoy your birthday tomorrow, I am truly sorry I can't be with you, but I have loved today even though you and all your friends communicate with each other at one volume. VERY LOUD!

Jumpers on, fire lit and batton down the hatches - it's autumn!

The family Hammond is cold, very cold indeed. We are hibernating and have gone into winter mode. Camped around the first fire of the year watching 'Disney Cinemagic', snug in Pyjamas, the realisation that autumn is here has finally kicked in. With several family birthdays on the horizon the female Hammond's have begun their present attack and the wish lists are coming in thick and fast. I can feel my wallet being raided in the next week or so. I do tell a lie, Mrs Hammond is strangely quiet on the present front apart from the usual bombardment of can I have an Audi, Passat or a mansion in the country. That is day to day stuff and I simply do not pay attention. Lucy, on the other hand is highly organised and has submitted a detailed wish list for her birthday and Christmas for the next five years. It is incredulous that she will be six in a week or so. She has been a superstar at school and at home with her reading so a big birthday surprise is needed. The big question is what to buy Mrs Hammond, what indeed......

October ice cream fest!

It has been really difficult to blog in recent weeks, let alone see Amy and the girls, but this weekend has been a delightful oasis of unexpected sunshine and record temperatures completed by a lovely weekend with my family. It has been so hot we have eaten more ice cream (as demonstrated by Anna) in two days than we did for the whole summer! We have had sorbet, ice lollies, Cornish, Hagendass, wafers, squirty cream, chocolate sauce and last but definitely not least Oyster Wafers with marsh mellow and ice cream in them (oh yes and sprinkles!) Ummm. Managing dehydration as a family is important in hot weather you know..