Bananas in pyjamas!

Sleep over time in the Hammond house as the girls have been hanging out with their cousins. A great time was had by all with a fisher finger tea followed by nibbles in front of the telly and a game of rude Simon says, musical statues and much farting! The girls have giggled so much they peed themselves - literally! General girlie silliness has been the order of the day. It was lovely to see them all get on so well. Anna adored being with the big girls, especially at tea when she played the clown and her eyes were magical as she looked for a reaction from her willing audience after her latest silly comment or action...

Washed out weekend..

Typical - I take a few days off and the heavens open. Having had an outdoor weekend of picnics and sunshine planned to celebrate the Jubilee, we have been mostly restricted to indoor activities (lovely make shift picnic next door on Sunday though with sandwiches, coronation chicken and little flags!). With my girls this means such anti-social activities as thumb sucking curled up in a blanket watching DVDs or playing on a DS, Moshi monsters on the laptop and generally not wanting to spend time with their parents. Cabin fever sets in as do the arguments. Bring back the sunshine so that I can enjoy the rest of my time off with my sociable family!

Tired but content...

Having spent a  weekend in the glorious sunshine eating our way around Norfolk, paddling, chilling out, barbecuing and spending some lovely family time together; the girls are on the home run now back at school and nursery as we make our way towards half term and the excitement of the Jubilee weekend. Everybody is in the zone and tired but very content indeed. My house is a strangely harmonious place without row, mutual respect exists and compromise and agreement are common place. I am not knocking it, but it could be dehydration or the affect of the sunshine. Either way who am I to argue..

A few little gems from the girls....

Out of the mouths of babes (and neighbours) has definitely been the order of the day in my house in the last week or so:

• Anna - 'Mummy when is the winter going to end!'
• Anna to her our neighbour Libby 'I want to be a boy and have a willy!' Libby - 'they are great for picnics but not quite so good when you get older'
• Lucy - 'Don't lose weight daddy - you tummy makes a lovely pillow'
• Lucy - 'I know what the 's' word is, it is stupid isn't it!'

You have got to love them and the innocence they have, long may they hold this innocence and remain children for as long as we can keep this so..

The negotiator...

Lucy is growing up. There is no doubt. She is entering a new phase in her life and her expectations are changing every day. She is desperate for choice, control and really wants to assert her title as the older sibling and has gained so much confidence from having her own world in going to school. She still won't tell me what she does during her day which I find very frustrating. This is very new territory from both Amy and I. I have to say that we are all learning together. I have never been responsible for a six year old before and the dynamics in my house are changing, along with Lucy. It is a difficult balancing act between offering her opportunity and gauging her understanding. I am probably talking drivel, but I am trying to say I don't want to set her up for a fall, as she wears her heart on her sleeve. Assertion is definitely the right word to use and we are once again experiencing conflict about the small things in life such as decisions, doing home work and bed time.  We make no apologies for pushing her hard and neither does she in pushing us! She is very intelligent and understands so much. One can easily get caught out in managing and understanding this new parental phrase in the fact that Lucy listens, watches, observes and then strikes. I have so much empathy for her in the fact that she really feels grown up and gets frustrated by things she can't yet influence, especially Anna (I am not sure anybody will ever be able to do that!). She is constantly negotiating the next thing she wants to control and she is very good at it indeed! I am trying to think who she reminds me of, but I can't think at the moment.....

Retro Lego day...

I am not sure who enjoyed playing with the very large stash of Lego at Libby's house more - me or the girls. It gave me a lovely opportunity to relive my childhood and play with Lego, some of which was at least twenty years old. We constructed a small platform world with planes, look out towers, a central block and loads of cool stuff. I had a great time and I think the girls have now come away understanding that Lego is quite simply one of the coolest toys they will ever play with. It has limitless potential to make anything. Mr Lego must be loaded! All this, after a delicious Sunday lunch of sausages, mash and onion gravy at Libby's. Mrs Hammond is out on a girlie day shopping and I have exploited my time with the girls by playing with toys and stuffing my face. Lovely Sunday....

Should I be worried?

I have had two very baffling conversations with the Lucy in recent days and they are worth recording for posterity. It started with a conversation with her about the value of money and disposable income. A term that Lucy now refers to as 'dispicable income!' She may well have a point. Next up came the conversation about who was going to die first in our family (the girls are obsessed by understanding death at the moment) and Lucy moved her finger around the room with grim reaper like efficiency, looked at me and said 'You first daddy, as you have Grey hair'. Not sure I like that methodology!? Never mind, at least her cash flow will be positive when I am dead...