Sit back and watch your garden grow...

Amy dug out the most delightful picture of Anna when she was about three this week and it got me thinking about how much the girls have changed, how their characters are forming, their individual natures and what the future might hold for them both. As I almost froze myself to death this evening watching Anna's footy training and musing on how much she has changed in those five years. Her tenacious, battling and fearless attitude on the pitch is a far cry from the little girl in this picture, but never the less all qualities she will need to succeed and forge her path. Football is maturing her excitable nature and she really listens to her coach as she confidently strides forward with the ball and he shouts 'head up Anna, head up and make that pass' (mental note - still struggling to get her to listen to me!) She looked assured and comfortable in her own skin and it was great to see, especially as several of the girls are a foot taller and a couple of years older than her. There are still elements of that anxious girl about taking on new things at times, but she is slowly overcoming this and sometimes a bit of caution is a good thing. If I look back to the crying and tears we had in trying to persuade her to go to the football club every Saturday morning and she nearly quit on a couple of occasions. She had a cracking game this evening and with focus she could really progress and get better and better. Good job her parents showed some tenacity in pushing her to go all those years ago (well Amy did and I nearly bottled it!). Keep working hard Wiggle and I will keep dreaming, as one day I may have the privilege of watching you at Wembley. If not, every time I watch you play is a privilege and will do me just as well xx

If you like it, keep doing it!

The girls and I popped back to West Runton this weekend for some more fossil hunting. I have to say it is getting quite competitive, with each of us trying to outdo the other and find the most, biggest and best examples of fossils to win the prize and the kudos. We have being doing this together for nearly two years and traditions are emerging. We cannot leave the beach for example until we have found a 'sea urchin fossil' having achieved this now every time we have been to the beach. I am not sure whether this a pleasurable tradition or a slightly obsessive and high pressured one! On this visit,  I hit the jackpot and found a cluster of them in the flint. Sadly this was way too big a find to bring home, so I have to content myself with only a picture. I need the evidence as my competitive children may deny its existence in future expeditions! It is rapidly emerging as my favourite time with the girls and something I think genuinely interests them. Besides I thought the fresh air would do Anna some good as she perfected the art of throwing up everywhere in the car on Saturday. That one will haunt me for years, as the parental duty of clearing it up was less than pleasant. Lucy is off today on a school trip for a few days and I am off to Kent, so the family Hammond is in various parts of the country and separated. Would be good to catch up this weekend and go for another fossil hunting expedition, although the girls might think this is overkill. I don't want to spoil a good thing...

Back to what we do best!

I would say that we have officially come back down to earth with a bang following our trip to Paris. We did finish off the half term with one last hurrah and a fossil hunting trip and couple of sneaky trips to the bistro for hot chocolates with the works. Now back at work and school and the routine begins again, it all seems such a long time ago. The weather has kicked in, the heating is on, the fire was lit on Saturday with some marsh mellows for Strictly and the season of watching football matches in the cold and wet has begun. Anna has had a great sorting week since we got back - her team achieving their best 'loss' of the season so far in a 7-0 defeat and today she qualified for the Norfolk Cross country finals for her age group. Well done indeed Wiggle. You probably get your athletic prowess from your old dad! Keep the focus girls and good things will come in the lead up to Christmas. Blink and it will be here!

C'est Magnifique!

If Paris would ever have the Hammond family back after our noisy clan invaded it this week, then I know we would visit again in a flash. We have sight seen, shopped and eaten ourselves into oblivion this week and done quite a bit of walking too, much to the girls disgust. A fantastic city break (on trend there, see what I did!) and some lovely family memories to treasure too.  Organised by Mrs Hammond, who the family like to call on such occasions 'German Itinerary lady!', we visited all the main attractions and not a minute of the break was wasted. I have to say we would have been lost without her meticulous planning, even if it can be slightly oppressive and dictatorial! The girls loved it, as at the end of each monument, church or tourist area was a gift shop full of some of the most collectable and at times awful crap and tat you could ever find in the world. They were simply in heaven - collecting Eiffel Tower key rings, commemorative coins, postcards, tickets and guide books. Amy even had them doing scrap books each evening, apart from the atrocious spelling, they really are rather good! Thank you Amy, if it were down to me, we would not have made it past the nearest café and expresso (I have drunk way too much coffee this week). Highlights of the week - Anna street dancing near the Champs-Élysée with some guys from Africa and the States - her pronunciation of this area of Paris will become family legend! Amy and Anna's quest for the perfect Parisian steak and Lucy calling out 'watermelon' in only the way she could when going under each bridge on the Seine boat trip. My highlight was the Eiffel Tower - on the day we went up it was the most beautiful Autumn day, the sky was bright blue and the view of this wonderful city was stunning. Not so sure about the sections of glass floor where you can see hundreds of metres down though! Anna recreating the moment from 'Lost World' and pretending the glass was going to crack gave me the jitters! I think the girls did really enjoy themselves, at first taking some time to settle into such a big place, the likes of which they have never seen and being around so many people. Lucy, especially a little anxious at times about taking trains, things not always going to plan and out of her comfort zone and the comforts of home too. By the end of the week, she was in full Parisian sarcastic flow and winding up her sister. They are both asleep now and delighted not to be sharing a bed, as they have all week. Lucy - as Anna, despite her diminutive stature seemed to need the whole bed and Anna - as Lucy was prone to a bit of French wind throughout the night! 'Bon soir, mes enfants et merci' x

It's all in the number..

I am sitting watching Strictly this evening and quietly reflecting on a busy week of birthdays, lots and lots of cake (thank you Granny - your icing is to die for) meals out and presents and cash all over the place. If you think of the Strictly scoring methodology, then poor Lucy has just tipped off the scale from a 'ten from Len' in reaching the ripe old age of eleven and Mrs Hammond has hit perfection and a full house with the top score of forty. You have to agree she scrubs up well for an old bird! After the mayhem, socialising and partying, finishing off our work and school projects for this half term, we have just finished packing and are locked and loaded, ready to go for our spectacular trip to Paris in the morning. Sooooooooooo excited!! See you in France....

Let's party!

My baby girl is not so much of a baby anymore. On Wednesday evening we looked around the Fakenham academy for Lucy to see what it is like and think about where she wants to go to high school next year. Yes high school! Oh my god! Press the parental panic button, go into denial mode and pray for time to stand still was how I approached the evening! Lucy was a combination of a bit overwhelmed, red faced, embarrassed and at times shy, then after an hour or so she got into it, started asking all the teachers questions and really embracing it. She has made her choice and wants to go there with all her buddies. She was slightly worried that she would get lost as it was so big compared to the junior school though! No such worries last night as she and her buddies rocked and bopped to all their favourite tunes as the party of the year with confidence and a bloodstream full of e-numbers and sugar. They were jumping up and down so vigorously I thought the floor in the bistro would cave in at one point. From my point of view it was one of the noisiest evenings I have had in years. A joy and a pleasure though to watch my Lucy have such a great time. What really shone through was the real bond she had with her friends and the generosity they showed in their gifts to her was amazing....

Pineapple party time!

Never underestimate the love of a mother, especially with their first born. There are no boundaries to what they will do for them. Birthday fever is mounting, the excitement is building, scheming, ducking and diving are the order of the day as we enter the great Hammond birthday week count down. Brace yourself, its going to be full on and quite a ride!  Only six days to go. First up in the festivities is Lucy's birthday disco at the bistro on Friday evening. In preparation for this momentous event, Mrs Hammond spent hours (and I mean hours) baking Pineapple biscuits as favours for the guests to take home on Friday night. This to me, is the ultimate motherly gesture and one I commend and greatly respect. Amy's commitment to linking all things that Lucy likes and loves to her birthday celebrations and making that level of effort, including also hand making and printing pineapple wrapping paper, shows the bond and the love they share. This did turn and after weeks of plans re the menu for the party and plans for lots of other lovely treats, Amy went out and bought loads of cheap crap from Aldi and that was job done! Lucy - perhaps we should call it 'conditional' love instead as it has it limits and time constraints! Joking aside, I have loved watching Amy's excitement as she puts these things together for Lucy and her generous and kind nature shining through. I am proud and full of love (shame about the cop out with the snacks - a major crime to taste buds has been committed and we have not even purchased proper Frazzles!!) Makes me think that all this creativity and baking was just a ruse to get out of the housework Mrs Hammond!