How good was this girl today!!

Anna produced an amazing goalkeeping performance today in the mud and the wind, making countless saves, a couple of which would have graced a professional game tipping one point blank shot over the bar. It was a pleasure watching her tenacious and fearless display. I am not sure she knew too much about one first half save using her face to block the ball, spinning around a little disorientated and making a second diving save to block another shot! Obviously, and it goes without saying she gets her talent from her father!!! She quite simply oozes natural ability and athleticism. Equally as awesome, is the epic event of Lucy finally having cleaned her bedroom to the expected standard, in fact she has quite simply excelled. This may be the only time in her life, but I will marvel in this glory and remember this momentous day for decades to come!

Blink and you could miss it!

My girls are growing up, they are growing up too fast for my liking. It is a case of blink and you could miss it. Lucy summed this up in one incredulous sentence yesterday - 'next year Anna will be a teenager and I'll be sixteen'. She topped this off with comedy sarcastic statement about how old and boring I was!! They are finding their way, learning about themselves and on the brink of becoming women. I am proud of the people they are, the potential they have and the girls they are becoming too. They are also a pain in the bum! I hope we are good parents, I hope we are preparing them for an independent, happy and successful life. I had a bit of a panic and started thinking we don't have much time left to teach them as much as possible! Although I have my suspicions they'll still be using us as a base well into their twenties. It's a hard world out there now, the cost of living is ridiculous and a competitive job market. Don't tell the girls, but part of me is ok with them staying at home longer and a different kind of relationship. This period of time with them will never come again (although its going to cost me an arm and a leg!!) I hope this time goes a bit slower because I'm enjoying it aside of the regular hormonal strops! 

A new year of opportunity and fun awaits...

A new decade and year has arrived in the journey that is our family life. I feel a really positive sense of change. I'm starting to find my smile again. I think we are starting to settle back down after a difficult year last year. We already have lots to look forward to with a summer trip to Amsterdam booked to honour a promise to Lucy to see the Anne Frank museum; tickets to go and see the Tutankhamun exhibition in February in the bag too! A while ago I promised myself to push to ensure we have more family experiences to enjoy together and I am determined that 2020 will bring these. Last year was so very serious and quite intense, this year I want to see myself and my family moving forwards, changing the tough times into memorable ones. So to this end ,I am planning a few more surprises for everyone, just need to save the pennies first. Girls I do want something back in return - hard work at school, embrace new adventures, tone down the sarcasm, be less sloth like at home and find your smiles again. So Happy New Year Hammonds xxx