Martha is FOUR!

Happy Birthday to my lovely and most beautiful oldest daughter. I really can't believe how time has flown by. As they say... it seems only yesterday that she was a baby in my arms. And now she is a child. (Although she will always be my baby). I am constantly amazed by Martha. She is so full of life and adventure. She is far braver than me. (She gets the recklessness from her uncle!) She is incredibly musical and sings all the time. It is a bit like living in an opera. She loves the outdoors and growing things. She loves cooking and helping me. She loves her little sister. She loves Jesus. Of course she gets things wrong and is fantastically silly at time. But aren't we all. But she is learning how to pick herself up and move onwards and upwards. I don't know where I would be without her. Someone asked me how I will cope with 3 small children and I just replied that I have a Martha. I couldn't ask for a better or more willing (most of the time) helper.

My prayer as the years roll by is that she stays her. That she is true to herself. I would hate her to lose her passion and enthusiasm for life. I pray that she follows where God takes her, because if she does her life will be the most amazing adventure. And I pray that I have the courage to let her go and be all that she can be. In the mean time I am glad I have my little girl who still loves me best (well, I am in the top 5!). I know these years are short and I intend to relish them.

For those that don't know Martha was born at about 3pm weighing 7lbs 8oz. It was a very hot sunny day. God had told me that I was having a girl. Sometimes I'm not sure if God has really said something but this I KNEW. When Nick (who was paying attention) said: It's a girl! I replied: Of course she is! And she was quite simply the most amazing thing that I have ever done. And the best bit is that with each baby the amazement doesn't go away, the love just keeps stretching and growing. And what love it is.

Thank you Martha for coming into our family when we least expected. You are a gift from God. I love you so much and hope you have a very happy birthday.

No pulling the wool over her eyes

I went for the day out yesterday and promised to the girls I would be home to kiss them goodnight. I was. After kissing them goodnight I had a chat to Nick who told me the following:

Martha had a tiny cut on her finger and wanted a plaster. Nick said "we will wait till Mummy gets home and see what she thinks." (I think he was going for distraction not passing the buck!) The answer came loud and clear: "No daddy. Mummy say no. Daddy might say yes!"

PS- When I had tucked Martha in there was a lovely pink plaster on her finger. So I guess she knows us well. Just as we thought we were one step ahead!

Spring

Sun is a funny old thing. Here in soggy England we seem to all go a bit mad the second the slightest gleam shows from behind a cloud. Grown ups everywhere are smiling away and sunbathing (even though we know it is bad for us). All the plants have gone mad and I have never seen so many daises before. There is a big old tree I can see from the computer room window that has been looking ...well... dead for the last 6 months and all of a sudden it has a green shimmer to it. I give it about 3 more days and it will transformed into abundant life.

It isn't just nature that has woken up. So have my children. I have come to the conclusion they are solar powered. They are eating less, sleeping less (they would wake up with dawn if not for 3 sets of curtains!) but they have more energy than ever before. They literally run all day until they collapse into bed. It is a joy to see them so full of life. It is hard to keep up, especially with my expanding waist line. But I do love seeing them out there, enjoying the world that God has given us. They aren't complicated they just want to be part of it all. Whether that is watching a spider, picking flowers, playing on a slide, having picnics. The joy for them is just enjoying it for today. They don't worry about the rain that might fall tomorrow. It is sunny today, so let's go outside and play.

How the years fly by

Today is my 30th birthday. WOOHOO! There is a big thing about turning 30 but so far I have survived. I think the fact that I am soon to be mother of number 3 is over shadowing it! But I thought I ought to mark the occasion anyway. So here are some photos of me over the years...

Me as a baby. My legs are in plaster because I had bad clicky hips.

Me in the sink having a wash. Note the tan lines that you would never have on a small child now!

Me (3) posing in my favourite shorts. They were cut off all ragged to make me look shipwrecked!

Me (4) and my brother in the good old days when it used to snow.

My first school day.

Me (8/9) and my first ever new bike.

Me (10) with a very fashionable german haircut.

me (15) as a teenager. I stopped having photos taken around this time!

Me (16/17) breaking the rules!Me (18) in a play of Les Liaison Dangerous

Me (19), on the right, all dressed up. I made the dress on the left.
Graduation (21)
Me (25) getting ready for my wedding.

Me and Nick, just married

Me (26) holding Martha (15 mins old)

Me (27) and Martha on a steam train

Me (27) a week before Tilly was born.

Me (29) with facepainting done by my girls!

Me (30) today. The badge says "Birthday girl".

Have a dance

It is Friday. It is sunny. It is my birthday tomorrow (there will be some embarrassing photos on here tomorrow!) . So it is time for a dance. Will you join me?

Watch this, turn it up loud and have a really good dance about.

Don't you all feel better for that?!

Life with a nudist

I have a confession... well, it is not my confession but my daughters really. I am talking about the smaller one here. Tilly is a nudist. (I have even taught her how to say it!) I think it started with potty training. We would let her run around in pants and a t-shirt to make it easier and it seems to not only have stuck but got worse. She will come into us in the morning to tell us that "my wake up" and within minutes she will have stripped off all clothing. It seems almost pointless to get her dressed considering how long the clothes stay on her.

A prime example was today. We went to the Natural History Museum and were looking round at dinosaurs. It was very warm so I took her vest off and I had to restrain her from removing everything else! Totally mad.

I also just went in to tuck her up for the night and noticed that Tolly (her doll) had her clothes removed. So she is obviously sharing her "back to nature" message with anyone who will listen!

On the bright side I am doing a lot less washing. I just hope she grows out of it before "boys" come on the scene. If not we are in real trouble! :-)

Poorly

I can't believe how long it has been since I last posted. Too be honest not a lot has happened as I have been "proper poorly", as my brother would say. I have had a horrid, yukky cold that has filled my head with fuzz. I am slowly on the mend (2 weeks later!) but one thing that is still around is that my eyes get tired very quickly. This does not work well with blogging. But I am now a lot better and have lots to say.. so watch out one and all... I'm back!