The one with a lost Oddball, making a robot and 'strictly' a great night......

This weekend could have quite simply have been disastrous one. On a shopping trip Lucy managed to loose Oddball. I am truly not sure what we would have done if Lucy had lost Oddball, they are inseparable and she would have been genuinely devastated. I have to say, as we would all have been as Oddball is such a big part of our family life. Thankfully after an anxious hour and careful retracing of their steps she was found in a shoe shop. Thank you God! Meanwhile back at the ranch; Anna and I were having a creative day making a robot mask and watching the Jurassic park trilogy. Great quality time with Wiggle. In the evening. we had a family treat in front of the television watching Strictly, predicting the scores and voting for our favourites. Anna had a cunning tactic - copy all our scores and when we were wrong, deny it quickly and then claim she guessed what the judges gave a dancer as her own!

She will not be tamed.....

Anna is quirky, unique, lovable, head strong, independent and fearless. These are all words that I would use to describe my youngest daughter; but for some reason despite her gregarious nature and as one of our neighbours recently said 'she captivates all she meets and you have got to love her', I am very worried about the fact that she will not engage in new group activity and seems to really fear this. She has her comfort zone groups such as club, school, our family and our close friends and neighbours, but she does not readily move beyond this. For example, she has so much potential to do a sport or a club such as gymnastics, but she just folds when this is suggested. For one so fearless, there is a real fear there and as yet it is undefined as to the source or even 'why?' Anna does not like to conform and on some days I think it is simply the wish not to conform that is stopping her, but I think there is more to this. We always try to encourage the girls to make choices, but I am now so worried I think we may need to take the tactic of no choice and push her hard to see what is going on..

Allergies springing up everywhere!

I am away for a few days again this week and my whole house falls apart. Lucy has a possible allergy to face paint and has spots on her cheek; Anna has to go the doctors and check out her hands as they are red raw and Amy does not have a new allergy, but compounds an existing one, where she is allergic to house work and washing!  Well done Lucy - 125 metres in swimming this week. Really proud of you...

Highs and lows...

It has been a few days as a Dad of real 'highs' and 'lows' as the girls have fluctuated from being fantastic company to what can only be described as foul! Saturday was a difficult day as the girls ramped up the moody comments and the general theme of not wanting to listen or do what their father asks. Sunday was completely different, as Amy was poorly and I spent the day with the girls and they were helpful, polite, giggly and very lovely to their Dad. I am not sure what the difference was and why but if I knew I would bottle it and preserve the secret formula for daily use. Never mind - I loved yesterday and we crammed so much simple fun into the day such as going to the park, but I have to say I was shattered by the end of the day. It certainly takes it out of you this parenting thing..