Abi & Izzy - the next 5 years

It has quite literally been a weekend of sunshine and showers, with an awful lot of the latter over both Friday and Sunday. While many children might take to the sofa, Abi's first thought when she sees proper rain is to head outside. She just loves playing in a downpour. Izzy probably wouldn't be the one to suggest it but is happy to be a partner in crime and so off they went on Friday afternoon to "check on the horses and get those with rugs in from the fields...". This is the continuing process of gradually trying to wear us down to the point we accept defeat and buy them a pony. Not happening! Abi is convinced that if she can prove to us that she is willing to be out in all weathers we will see sense and go pony shopping. Regardless of her love of rain I keep telling her she's just not ready, and nor are we! I'm sure this will continue, although to give them their dues they spend hours in the garden playing and looking after make believe horses. Glenn has...

One of the possible downsides of being away for a week with lots of time on your hands is idle thoughts build into hopes and desires.... Armed only with Mummy's iPad and intermittent WiFi the girls have become obsessed by the idea of owning not one but two donkeys. Goodness knows how this started but since arriving they have become mini experts in donkey care and maintenance and are convinced it's the only way forward. Fair play to them, they have worked out that they are cheaper than horses, require less attention and are relatively cute, if you like that kind of thing. On the downside, they still need feeding and caring for daily, we don't have the land and (drum roll), they can live up to 40 years!! We would be in danger of them outliving us! So in their quest to obtain their hearts desire, they have learnt lots about donkeys; that land is in scarce supply in Woolton Hill and that both Mummy and Daddy are dead against the idea of a donkey or two, not least as they ...

Ah, holiday time. I'm writing this by the side of the pool with a cup of tea, sun shining and all is good in the world. The girls have turned into fish overnight and it's all we can do to prise them out of the pool periodically to eat and reapply some suntan lotion. Not that the latter is doing any good, they're already brown as buttons. I'm working on the principal that as long as they don't burn I'm doing a reasonable parenting job. Abi is currently streaking up and down the pool with snorkel and flippers counting off lengths, and Izzy is seeing how high she can bounce - she's finally grown enough to be able to stand in the shallow end - result! If last year in Crete we felt the initial benefits of all those swimming lessons, this year it's a no brainer. They are super confident and super competent so suddenly it's stress free poolside and we can kick back, relax and read our books, what a treat. Obviously this interspersed with a bike ride or ...

Oh my goodness, is that the sound of privacy returning to our household after 8+ years of little or no dignity?! We have just got to the stage where Abi in particular wants to bath on her own with the door shut, and even Izzy thinks twice before stripping off in front of anyone and everyone. Both girls now are conscious of their bodies and where and when it might be appropriate to strip naked - I guess it's inevitable and good in many respects that thinks the case. I am aware however that with this comes all kinds of other challenges. Abi worries she's stockier than some of her friends, and Izzy worries she's too skinny. All I can do is point out that everyone is different and there's no perfect or right size, what matters is that we are active, healthy and happy. Years of worrying about my own weight before I realised it wasn't a problem makes me want more than anything to help them not have the same hang ups, but I suspect it's part of life's natural pas...