a-hargh me hearties!

tee-hee, this is my husband at T's birthday pirate party yesterday (more photos will follow but just had to share this one first!!)

4

My precious Baby T is 4 tomorrow. I cannot believe my youngest is 4. My surprise. The one who was always meant to come and complete our family.

For those of you who don't know our story, prepare to laugh. I found out I was pregnant with T when I was 23 weeks pregnant and not a day before. Long long story (which I'll tell you if you email me) but suffice to say you can put "symptoms" down to alot of reasons, and yes, I guess I was just a tiny bit dense.

Anyway, T, my babe. Our very own superhero, spiderman, Anakin Skywalker, Ben 10, Peter Pan (or whoever you choose to be on your special day). Thank you for coming into our lives, for being such a laid back baby who has changed into a not-quite-so-laid back pre-schooler who is inquisitive (you have asked me "why" more than your siblings have put together), intelligent, funny, caring, imaginative, sometimes stroppy, and very very cute. You complete our family and 'fit' perfectly.

Daddy and I can't wait to see what the next year holds for you, as this time next year you'll be at school with your brother and sister, and you can't wait!!

Happy Birthday!

All our love
xxxxxxxxxxxxx

and if anyone from our 'old' church reads this, please don't be offended - we love and want to keep your friendship - not replace those relationships, just add to them. This has been SUCH a hard decision for us, taken after much prayer, thought and discussion. It's the right thing for us to be doing now, we feel cconvicted of that, we hope that all our christian family will stand with (prayerfully) as we seek God's place for us.

Changes

Well, after 30 years (since I was a VERY young child - lol) of attending my church, my husband and I have decided we need to move on. To find a new spiritual home, somewhere where we can all go and worship, and be happy to be there, for the right reasons. Please pray for us as we make this enormous change, pray that we find somewhere we can meet with God, develop relationships, and (so important for us) where our 3 children, with differing needs, will be settled, will receive good scripture-based teaching, and will WANT to go and be involved. (sorry this is all in one paragraph - blogger is playing up and I want to get this posted). Thanks (encouraging comments welcome.) xx

12 Years

12 years ago, I did this....





And I want to say Thank you and I love you. Thank you for 12 amazing years, three great (most of the time! lol!) kids, lots of laughter, and so many fantastic memories.

He, however, says....."this picture has led to 8 years of wedded bliss!". Yeah, hilarious babe!

I know he's joking (just incase anyone reading this doesn't know him), and for the record, I have the best husband in the world (sorry ladies, he's MINE!)

x

What have we been up to?

Well we had a lovely, and very welcome break, housesitting at my eldest sisters house in Norfolk. She has a beautiful house, and garden and all we had to do was look after her chickens! Ha! Apart from one minor details of one chook dieing (ahem), we had a great week.

We went to Dinosaur Adventure and BeWilderWood (awesome), spent two warm yet windy (go figure) days on a beach, spent a day exploring Norwich City and the last day at Thrigby Hall. I love spending time with my family and especially having my hubby around. :)

Since then, I have been gearing up for school starting next week (buying shoes etc. Ugh) but have spent most of my time this week shouting at my kids. well, my boys, and usually one boy in particular (my youngest.) I HATE being a shouty Mum, angry Mum, all the time. But honestly, I am near, if not at the end of, my tether. Constant fighting, shouting, hitting, biting (yup.)disobeying me, back chat etc etc. I shout because I have tried every other way that I can think of and nothing works, nothing at all.

I feel like I should be in more control of this. Of them. It's making me angry with them but also angry at myself that I can't control them.

I took them to get school shoes today for my middle child, and honestly, the whole shop was staring at us. They were rolling round the floor wrestling. kicking, disobeying me, ignoring me even.

Oh I am sure it will pass. Everyone tells me so. It's normal. They'll grow out it.

Yeah. Uh-huh.

Until it passes, I need really practical tips to get my 5 and 3 (nearly 4) year old sons to calm, listen and obey, and stopping killing each other (and killing me, emotionally at least) in the the process.

It would be nice to be overwhelmed with comments (always a first, eh?)

x

Me.

By request from my dear (read: weird) friend Susie. This is me, taken this past weekend at my darling father in law's 65th birthday/retirement/not really retiring/hawaiian party.

Enjoy Susie, you freak.

(Just between us, Susie, miss you heap big. I'm thinking of putting one of those fundraising buttons on my sidebar to raise money to come and visit you - think people would fall for it??)