Disco queen...

Armed with teenage attitude and bundles of excitement Lucy asked me to take her to her school disco last night and I have to say I proudly obliged. Whilst we were in the queue we had the 'conversation' about no kissing, boys and behaving much to her disgust. I do like to wind my eldest daughter up and she always takes the bait! She did say - 'Daddy I feel really grown up'. Don't be in too much of a hurry Lucy to become an adult, enjoy the innocence and lack of worry that comes with being a child. Blink and it will be gone soon enough. I am definitely not ready for her to grow up.It was such a delight to watch her as she ran into the hall to greet all her friends. She came home full of e-numbers and sporting several glow stick bracelets. Amy took these photos just before she went out and she looks great! Just watching Strictly as Lucy cries out sarcastically 'dance off alert' and she is now starting to comment on how cute the male dancers are. I am going to need help in the coming years..

Homework, homework, homework...

My house is a hive of intellectual activity in recent times and I am not sure my very tired and aging brain can keep up. Lucy's school is diligently focused on maths being a part of our everyday lives at the moment and at present we are knocking off several maths problems an hour! Couple this with the hyper focused and driven (understatement) Mrs Hammond, every minute involves a homework opportunity and I simply can't keep up. I have to say much of my schooling and learning as a child has long since diminished from my mashed brain and this is all going way over my head. Lucy embraces this with a mixed reception, sometimes with enthusiasm and other times with a mighty strop! Dry nights update: 10 out of 11. Well done Wiggle!

The struggle to be a big girl...

Anna is desperate to grow up and be recognised as so and she can claim a sensible mature attitude for her five years in so many ways. She is, however, still struggling to have consistent dry nights and it causes her much upset. I know she talks about it with her friends at school and it would mean so much to her to crack this and succeed. Just had five dry nights in a row, so fingers and everything I own crossed in ensuring she has success before Christmas. I think it would be the best present anybody could give her..

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..