Where do the years go?

6 years ago I was holding a tiny pink bundle in my arms all 9lb 4oz and introducing her to her big sister, she was a week late due 27th Dec and I remember spending the last two weeks of December leading up to Christmas Day willing her to come out and the 3 days of Christmas willing her to stay in !! as it turned out she hung on there until all the festivities ended.

Iwent into Labour Saturday morning, Mark was at work, Aimee was downstairs with her Step-Brother and I was trying to keep my voice and face steady so she didnt think I was in pain and worry, Mark came home, whizzed me up to hospital, where he proceeded to knock all the shelves off trying to put the radio on - to relax me !!!??, couple of hours later and I remember Westlife's 'Mandy' playing on the radio as she came out.

Now fast fast forward to today and we celebrate her 6th birthday, in the normal way in our household, decorations all over the house, breakfast served on a silver platter, with flowers in a vase for the birthday girl, and toast cut into her initals - she has grown and continues to grow into a loving warm caring child, she is like a little mother hen with her younger brother and is always open for a cuddle, sneeking into our bed for an early morning snuggle, I am so proud to be her mother - I love you Holly, Happy Birthday Bam-Bam x x x

Daddys birthday present

It is Mark's (my Husband) birthday on Tuesday 14th and I dont know about you but a homemade gift that the children have thought about and has taken the effort to create means so much more to me than any amount of shop bought presents and luckily Mark is of the same feeling, we do buy each other a present but we also try and get the kids to make something, we find that it gets them to really think about the person that they are making it for and the look of concentration on ther faces and watching them bursting to tell the recipient when they see them is priceless.

So that is what we were doing yesterday, put the baby to bed (only so much 'help' you need!) the we sat down to make the present and we made a loving memory jar cost was minimal which in the current climate is always grateful.




Needed

Pretty Jar £2

Paper Couple of sheets £ minimal

Ribbon £1

Memories £ priceless

With a drink and a snack to get the kids concentrating we sat down and all thought of the things that we love about daddy and the things we love to do when we spend time with him, each child noted about 5 down as did I and filled some in for the baby.

We then typed them out spaced out on sheets in a pretty font.

cut them into strips about 10cm wide each one with a memory on and whose its was

roll up and tie with a piece of ribbon into a scroll

put all the scrolls into the jar (I added a few of his favourite sweets (which happen to be love hearts - quite apt ) for good measure)

then everytime he is having a hard day or having a bad day with any of the children he can take himself off and remind himself that it is only a phase and that we all really do love him - which we do LOTS x x