You are still the woman for me Mrs Hammond!

She was the one for me the first time I saw her and after seventeen years together and ten years of marriage Amy still does it for me, in fact more so than ever! We have had good times, hard times and amazing times and I would not change a minute of our life together at all. Mrs Hammond you might possibly be the most lovable and frustrating person ever!

 

Without a doubt the greatest gift Amy has given me is being a dad, although after the last few days I might change my mind. The girls have been in gang up mode and very high maintenance indeed, probably a come down from the Christmas excitement.  Lucy has come up with a few great phrases though that need to go into the blog just for the need to really embarrass her in later life. I asked her if she has some cream in her bedroom as my belt was rubbing  and she said 'my knickers do that daddy if they are slightly too small but I like it!' This morning I looked at her and told her that she was getting very tall. She stood next to me and said that she 'comes up to my nipples now - ooh la la!' To say she is growing up and becoming very 'aware' is an understatement. What I am to do. Bringing up girls will certainly have its challenges in the future. Anyway I digress. Happy anniversary Amy - you are much loved, even though you are a pain in the arse!

Jingle Buzz!

 What a Christmas day! All presents had been opened by 7.30am and our house has been a truly happy place with smiles galore! The girls (including Mrs H) have been spoilt rotten. Anna has had a 'boy' themed day with a buzz outfit (worn all day), a gun, a bow and arrow, attack backugans and many more. Lucy's  (looking good at 6.30am)swag consisted of  things such as a princess dress, barbie DVD's, jewellery box, magic set and all things girly. Lucky girls indeed. A Double header of brunch and lunch at Libby's with gorgeous food have made for a fantastic day. I am now ready for a sleep as we all vegetate in front of the television as every cracking Christmas day should finish. Lucy has started on the dipping chocolate and warm milk - umm! Merry Christmas to my lovely family. I got many wonderful gifts but those smiles were definitely the best present I got today...

Locked and loaded!

We are ready for the big day. The tree is up and decorated, the presents are nestling under the tree, Mrs Hammond has been frantically baking festive treats and with just two more sleeps to go the levels of excitement are rising in the Hammond house. Santa is on his way. Lucy is being as sceptical as ever about the big man's existence and then contradicts herself by writing a letter of a card to Santa and Mrs Claus. She then contradicts herself more by putting in the card 'are you real?' One thing she seems very assured about is that some of the presents are for her!

 

Probably the best Christmas feature in the house is what I now affectionately call the 'wall of popularity'. Lucy and Anna have so many cards from all their friends, teachers and various people that the only place to put them was on the wall in the kitchen. Times change when you are older - I have five cards! My colleagues have been so generous in their gifts, the main problem was that most of them were for the girls, whom they have never met! Children seem to have this affect on grown ups, you will not catch me buying presents for children I have never met. Bah humbug!

There's no room in the inn!

I was devastated to miss Wiggle's school play this week. Amy says that she was a superstar and delivered her one line to perfection. Modern thespians do not normally spend the first five minutes of their performance with their fingers in their mouth, but we can't have everything. I forget that she is so young and to perform in front of the whole school must have been petrifying! The awards ceremony obviously went well as she came home with a certificate for taking part and a note for being an excellent helper at school too. Anna then partied well into the evening on Friday at the club disco. A true performer. Well done darling....(P.S loads of dry nights!)

It's hard work being beautiful....

 My house evolves more and more into a place of all things girly. I have issue with this. There remains one tiny area of the house that speaks 'man lives here' and that is the shelving in the study with my DVD collection. I am surrounded by nail polish, dolls and barbies, pink things, flowery duvets, Emma Bridgewater, Mrs Hammond's new found vanity, skinny jeans, knickers to wash - the list is endless....Now we do beauty treatments. Somebody help me, when will it ever end!!!! Oh for a day of manly things when somebody listens and displays enthusiasm for discussing football. Lucy sums it up very well -'Blah, blah, blah'. I will however, never put up this argument when Strictly is on the television. On occasions like this I am happy to go along with all things girly. I did forget the one other manly thing in the house and that is Anna's Buzz Lightyear pants, but that is another story!

Chilling out the Lucy way...

Nobody does chilling out quite like Lucy. Maybe with the exception of her mother! Sunday is a day of rest in the Hammond house and you can see the long term taking its toll on the girls as they get more tired as each day goes on. Lucy takes her spot on the couch and spends the day watching telly, on her DS and drawing and making things. I think she would describe this as her perfect day and who can blame her. As we speak she is designing a barbie wardrobe for her dolls with junk modelling stuff. I have to say I am impressed. This is creative ability that it not often shown in the Hammond house. Wiggle is on the rug drawing treasure maps. We all await roast beef and it smells really good....

Two happy girls meet Santa!

It's the 1st December and the Christmas fever is already upon us. The girls have already met Santa, the lights were turned on in town and there is much excitement in the Hammond house. I have to say that Lucy is starting to get very sceptical indeed about the difference between the real Santa and men in fake beards going around Norfolk. It sadly feels like this may be the last year for her before the bubble bursts. For Anna the dream continues - the look of wonder on her face when she was on her mummy's shoulders waving to Santa this evening was a real treat. Twenty four more sleeps to go girls! Speaking of sleeps. Six dry nights for Wiggle this week. Well done - nearly cracked it....