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After gift opening we took the girls for a birthday breakfast. Margaux had a little go on her blueberry pancakes, but mostly ate my beans/beef/tomato concoction. We really love Meatcure, and I like to think we know our burger joints. Molly's first birthday here.

Then we went home and made the little fish a Cake! We took loads of videos on Instagram.
The cake was terrible so Molly tried to improve it with Sprinkles..

Neither of the girls ate much of the hideous cake.. that probably says something about how it tasted. Though Molly didn't eat the very lovely slice of red velvet we bought the day before so I'm not going to take it as personally as I usually might ;)

24

(I don't know if you've noticed but our kitchen clock is very broken.)

Also, do you think I could be the fourth member of Haim? That's pretty much my aim in life..

Sometimes I still feel like I'm 14. How was that a decade ago?? I still like Something Corporate and I had a binge on the Verve the other week. I read the Harry Potter series in two weeks last month. And Molly and I are killing it on the scrapbooking. I'm still always late (except for work). I've also been watching Buffy over the last few nights (hence the blog hiatus) though I watched that when I was 8? 9? There is no way that was suitable.

Anyway. I still stalk instagrams and blogs (when I was 14 it was Myspace profiles haha).

Today Jamie and I surprised Molly with a trip to McDonalds after nursery. She had a pretty rough weekend with tantrums and generally acting up quite a bit so she was told off more than I usually would have liked. So we took her to McDonalds (Sugar! Salt! ..IknowIknow) So we were eating our nutritious meals and I notice this older couple (late 60's, early 70's? I'm so bad with age) and they're both waiting for their food scrolling on their smart phones. Not talking, not looking at each other, scrolling. Just like in all those videos doing the rounds about putting your phone down. Crazy right? And then there's that blog entry I read recently about how we (internet, social media using parents) are forging paths for our children on internet ettiquette and how to not to get destroyed by the vortex. Or share too much. That's quite a responsibility. I love sharing ha. So many times I've nearly deleted my blog, quit facebook and decided to live without. But I can't. Not yet. 

I guess that's why I don't put too much out there anymore though. If I'm not comfortable reading it aloud to my friends, family and colleagues it's not ok to type. Then again I do believe in this quote: 

'You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.' - Anne Lamott 

I read this on (surprise surprise) twitter. Very liberating. And scary. I certainly have been very badly behaved, and I'm sure will continue to be.

This has been quite a 12 months. I began 23 in Ostend, this year I began 24 with a wide smile from Molly. Both good beginnings. I found a part of 23 pretty tough. And I'm glad to be 24. I'm also glad to be nearing the end of this year. It's been good, interesting and I've definitely grown. As a parent in particular. I have to be SO careful what I say/do/wear. Everything she is just drinking in. I'd hate to think anything negative I say become her inner voice. But equally I don't want her to think she can get away with being totally narcissistic. My world revolves around her, but not many others will. Empathy is quite possibly the most painful and useful quality to possess. But to teach that, well, it's hard. I don't want to pop any bubbles.

Sometimes this year I haven't looked at myself in the mirror for a few days. And I've pretty much stopped wearing make-up. As such I've noticed my face change. I might start wearing it again, it was a theme in my birthday gifts. 

I probably say this every year but I've recognised how truly lucky I am to have a wonderful network of sweet, intelligent perfect girl and boy friends. And my family is fucking awesome. Little, big and extended. I am very, very lucky. Jamie and I have gone through many stressful situations and kept our gamefaces on. GO TEAM. We've also made it our for a few date nights, which is funny 'cus we don't even like each other ;)

24 has all the makings of being a fantastic year. I hope I can add a little more education into it. A bit more writing. A blog name change, this is the year I will do it (do I sound like a broken record). And saying yes to a few more things. At 24 I also get to see my beautiful perfect sister marry. And even better I get to be by her side while she does it which makes me well up at the thought.  

24 is going to be really good. I can feel it.

Molly's Third Birthday

OK so I'm gonna go backwards from February 10th this week all the way up to July, so it's gonna be busy, annoying and photo heavy. But I'm ok with that. Also I've ordered disks to put my pictures on. 

It was Molly's birthday the day after the party so we both took it off work to spoil her. We decided to stay in for most of the day so that she could enjoy her enormous pile of gifts (thank you friends and family) and eat cake (thank you Aunty Rhiannon)! And in the afternoon take her for a little walk.. to find Totoro!! We had planned to go to the Swithland Woods but she was so tired from the party we decided to stay close to home. Jamie walked ahead when we got near the fields to hide them. She was so excited! I love being able to do stuff like this. I want to make the Totoro finding a thing until she gets a bit older, and then I would love to take her to Toys R Us on the eve of her birthday late at night to let her choose a gift.

Looking back, Molly's first month of being three was just so magical.

She gets sassier and more vocal everyday. I love it so much. She's hilarious, you can follow a bit of a commentary on Twitter.

I wrote this back in February: Last week Molly was 'driving' us home in the lounge and as we walked around she kept stopping and going, using her 'pedal'. It was so calculated. Each time we stopped and re-started, there went her pedal and her gear stick.

Happy Birthday Molly, I hope you felt really special. 

She's Two Years Old,,

Well I meant to post this last week, but hey-ho! So Molly's second birthday kinda went down in threes. Three birthday outfits which mark the day's stages. Her cat pyjamas to open her gifts (thank you soso much family and friends). Her denim shirt (she's the coolest) and skirt to wear to 360 Play, her favourite place on earth, and maybe mine too. And her age 2 top and hat. The hat stayed on for like 20 seconds before she snapped the elastic on herself- we'll save them for next year. She also had three birthday cakes this year. Number one, pictured below was my first ever cake to RISE and rise it did in three layers! I'll share the recipe at some point it's based on my winnie the pooh cookbook. Then I made this cake again the day after her birthday so that she could share it with her cousins. On her actual birthday we had chocolate cake with Nanny and Gangan. I think it was a very fun and cakey few days in between my deadline hell. And now she is officially two! Hurrah. How am I old enough to have a two year old, I meeean, on Monday I said I looked as though I had a fifth toe ..I had meant to say sixth ;)

A Winter Wishlist,,

It's not a secret, it's my Birthday on Thursday, I'm a little apprehensive about turning 22. It sounds so much older than 21. I am now established in my twenties. Urgh. But you're not 19 forever ;) so I've made a winter wishlist. Jamie is taking me to Hamburg in November so this is more of a wishlist than a PLEASEBUYMELIST. It would be a bit late to be posting this three days before anyway ;)

On my wishlist this winter:

Big black/grey/neon knit and jersey jumpers.

Bright lipstick.

Candles, white, chunky, scented candles. Maybe one day a Diptyque!

Books, pretty, arty books, books, books.

A Penfield hat

THE boots ;) A big navy/black boyfriend pea coat. Black jeans. A leather jacket. Big black leather bag. Nude silk dress. A tan. A haircut. Some new make-up. aka an Elin Kling/Rumi Neely mashup of wardrobe.

Something For The Weekend.

This weekend has been a busy one.

I have mostly been doing this,,

And organising the house, with a little fun in Molly's room of course :)

I think it's my favourite space, I wish I slept there!!

Some of Molly's birthday gifts.

Molly and Daddy did this,,

I got some shots in front of Molly's Birthday Banner to go in her Birthday book! 

It may not of been on the day of her party, but she's in her birthday Leicester kit :)
(Her mullet brings me joy everyday, but I'm not sure how much she'll appreciate the 70's footballer jokes when I get these out for her first boyfriend!!)
Teaching her to high five and make American Indian calls is the best thing we've done so far..
-As well as say Mamma!! YAY!

Daddy has been a star this weekend looking after Molly while mummy types away.

I'm not going to lie, after todays hand-in I am very much looking forward to graduating.
I'm sure I won't be saying that when the world of work creeps up on me!

On Molly's Birthday We..

had a lie in.. 'til TEN!
When we got up, we made faces at Daddy..

Then we went for our very own Burger meal at Handmade Burger in the Highcross!

Molly approved, and she liked the lovely man who found her a candle for her very own birthday cupcake :)

..Thankyou lovely man.

She ate the LOT! 

(Not the candle)

All in all, I think it was a good birthday :)