Fantastic 4!

Shannon is 4 - a big girl now, she says! Well, big enough to get her own proper bed in her own bedroom, instead of being on a mattress underneath Jade's cabin bed! And also big enough to finally wean completely - my choice, not hers! She's complaining about it a couple of times per day, but not for too long and I am quite sure I'm not changing my mind on this one.

So, she had a party on Sunday afternoon, which necessitated much of the 'stash and dash' house-tidying technique. This means there are now teetering piles of stuff which desperately need sorting through. But her little friends didn't notice that, and a good time was had by all I think. I am doing a bit of stern self-talk to push away the guilt of buying her birthday cake instead of making it like I always have for Jade's - going to Monty Roberts on Friday night and not going to bed till 2am left me too exhausted to do the things on Saturday that I meant to, and I just ran out of time and energy for the cake. Nevertheless I think a good time was had by all what with the Charlie & Lola themed games/decor, musical bumps/statues, pass the parcel and of course jelly and ice-cream for pud!

On Monday, her actual birthday, there was a lovely traditional prezzie-opening session in bed, leading to much playing with all the new Polly Pocket stuff during the morning. Jade had a very bad case of the green-eyed monster and lots of re-framing her perceptions and encouragement was required - exhausting! My Dad and Pat came round in the early afternoon to deliver their present and stayed for about an hour, then the girls and I went off for Shannon's birthday treat which was a ride on a bus! Poor deprived child - never gets to go on one! So we went for a trip to Bourton-on-the-Water where we only stayed for about 40 minutes, mostly looking round the toyshop, and then home again, but that was fun for her.

On Tuesday we went to the mums & toddlers group at church, then off for an impromptu shared lunch at one woman's house, then the girls and I headed off to Stratford-on-Avon to collect some library books I had reserved. Unfortunately I had forgotten that I had reserved them at Shipston-on-Stour instead! So then we went off to Shipston; meanwhile Jade chose a huge pile of books at both libraries, mostly Magic Pony/Secret Unicorn/Animal Ark/Horrid Henry.

Wednesday was my normal work day, coming home for a quick turnaround to take Jade and L from next door to Brownies. Jade is getting a little more confident there, running around playing with the girls in the downtimes between activities, but still very much requiring me to be there and stand with her in the pow-wow time and during other organised bits. Still, it's progress, even if I would like it to be quicker. Then we went off to the firework display - it's very handy having the national Fire Service Training College on the doorstep! They put on a fantastic display free each year, although there is lots of bucket-rattling for donations for the Fire Service Benevolent Fund. We have never yet managed to stay and see the firework display because always one or both of our children has dissolved into tears at the noise and insisted on leaving. So we equipped them both with ear defenders in the hope of staying this time. It didn't work for Jade - she wanted to leave before the bangs even started, just from the anxious anticipation of it, and once it did start she definitely got upset and Bill took her back to the car. Shannon, however, should have been filmed for a promotional video for the display - arms flung up high every time a firework exploded in sheer pleasure at the spectacle and a suitably happy awed expression on her face. Every time a big firework went off, I'd turn to look at her, and she'd try and turn my face back to look at the fireworks. What she just couldn't realise was that she was more beautiful and amazing to watch than the fireworks themselves so I just had to look at her, not them.