I’m not sure how it happened, I think I blinked and missed it but 10 years have slipped by since Hpops arrived in the world. Yesterday we celebrated her birthday with bowling and a meal out. She was thoughtful and chose things Imp could join in with. She enjoyed helping her friend celebrate her upcoming birthday as well by swimming in her pool. We had one mishap, we forgot to take her cake to the restaurant but as she chose a huge slab of chocolate fudge cake as her dessert, and it was accompanied by the loudest rendition of Happy Birthday you will ever hear I don’t think she minded too much.
I found getting her an appropriate present this year the hardest thing. they call it the tween years for a reason! She still likes rainbow looms, lego and hama beads but on her wish list alongside this were items such as hair straighteners, phone and make-up! The house to too valuable to allow her to have hair straighteners and some glittery make-up from Claire’s ticked that item off the list, then there was the pretty dress, books and perfume. We did give her a phone! Mainly because we can get it bundled into an existing contract not costing much, partly because she is going to longer parties with friends now and also she wants to talk to them and, if we’re honest because we couldn’t think of anything else that she wanted!
School holidays seem to be passing fairly quickly, all three of mine did a stage crazy summer school where they learned a couple of songs, a dance and a drama piece and then performed them on the last day. It was a revelation for Imp who found he really loved it, and much to Hpops disgust wants to start the weekly classes in the new term! Pixie was as confident as ever and performed with a big smile on her face! Hpops too seemed to enjoy herself, delivered her lines with enthusiasm and even began to sing with more confidence. For a while she has spent a lot of time singing around the house. Mr T, who loves all things music has laid down a track for her to sing to and on her birthday she finally did!
The result was fantastic, she was nervous but when Mr T popped the headphones over her ears she relaxed into it and let her singing come more naturally, we know she can learn to control her breathing better and develop her microphone technique but it has done wonders for her confidence! She has written a song for her and her siblings and whilst we just want her to enjoy herself and feel the joy music brings.
Pixie has been making the most of the holidays, she loves singing too and this week we took all three of them to see Matilda, as they were also looking at the songs from this during their summer school she hasn’t stopped singing them since. It was great to see them all agog when we watched the show. I have to give credit to the girls, they have been great so far this holiday, we have had the odd day out but nothing too far away as Imp cannot manage yet and they have accepted this and been supportive. They have come to physio and hydrotherapy appointments and part from a few little moans have been encouraging.
Imp is progressing well and can walk about 5 mins before he needs his wheelchair now, the battle is convincing him to do his three sessions of physio exercises each day. When we go out the wheelchair comes with us but we are all getting used to that now and we try to go to places where the activities we want to access are within a couple of minutes walk so we don’t have to take the chair with us. The next consultant appointment is looming, one part of me wants to know how the bone is doing and the other doesn’t, in case, as we fear, the bone is still disintegrating and so the overall time for recovery will lengthen once more! It will all become clear next week, fingers crossed for regrowth. I have finally finished the first draft of a book for kids that I have been trying to complete for a couple of years and now intend to go back to writing the sequel to my first book! Look for that by the time Hpops is a teenager! I am hoping to resume my psychology studies imminently as well!
Then we come full circle, to the realisation that we now have a child in double figures, about to enter her last year of junior school and everything seems to be changing again. It makes me realise that just when you think you have this parent, kid thing worked out they get older, hormones kick in and of course they develop minds of their own! I’m still learning how to deal with the new challenges life brings us, but at the same time enjoying it.
