Birthday Boy / Birthday Girl

It has been a busy weekend here. On Friday we celebrated the fact that our beautiful boy, our Ben, was 7. I am so very, very proud of my little man. He is sensitive and articulate and loving. Parenting after the loss of a child can be so difficult. Those of us who are blessed to have living children at home with us recognise deeply how precious these little lives are. I know I feel an immense burden of responsibility to try to protect them from the aftermath of this tragedy whilst recognising that, really, I can't. They need to be free to feel it too. But I doubt my two eldest will ever know how much they have helped Dave and I through this past year.

But, to more frivolous matters. Friday was a day to celebrate the long awaited arrival of a much wanted Nin.ten.do D.S. and to eat pizza. It was an excuse to overindulge in yummy sticky chocolate cake, artistically decorated with Le.go by yours truly!!


On Saturday, the whole shebang started over as we celebrated that our lovely Lucy was 5. Her name means bright/light and it has always suited her but, over this past year, I have been so glad of her company - of the way her larger than life firecracker personality has lit up my days. This time it was a Bar.bie scooter (complete with a lip gloss so Lucy need never be caught scooting bare lipped again!!) and a pink princess cake. (I know there's probably a debate to be had about gender stereotyping here but lets save it for another day!) and four 4/5 year old girls arguing over whose turn it was to wear the mermaid outfit.

Happy, precious days.

And now, we are two weeks away from another birthday. One which, sadly and inevitably, will be different again. I hope we can make Emma's day a celebration too. I honestly have no idea how I want it to be right now. But I want her to know that I am immeasurably proud of all my children and I delight in them all - the ones I am privileged to raise and the one who soars.