Happy Birthday Martin!

The day of Martin's birthday turned out so sunny and bright that both little girls are wearing dresses without tights for the first time all year. We spent most of the day at Attenborough, one of our favorite places to visit, and shared a huge locally produced salad and some sandwiches for lunch. There aren't a lot of presents when you grow up, but Martin liked the couple of items of clothing we got (we put some money from my Dad towards them too) and the fair trade percussion from The Works. But today wasn't about presents.

I love to see him with our children, it may sound silly to those of you without children, but it's kind of romantic. He's a wonderful Dad, and a caring gentle husband, and I'm so in love with him. Seeing him carrying Jenna, playing with them, running around in the sunshine, holding the hand of the tiny one... It's wonderful. My life is full of these huge blessings, as simple and even boring as it may sound.

There had been some sort of children's event, probably the day before, and there were posters of things to count around the place with the number on them. Martin took her on the trail himself and helped her spot the next poster coming up, so that she could run to it and tell him how many were on it. She is handling numbers up to ten confidently now, not counting the same object twice and recognising most of the numbers before she even counts. Martin hasn't seen her do this before, and his surprise seemed to delight her, even though he didn't make a big deal about it or patronise her with any "good girl" stuff lol.

Jenna detests having suncream applied, she actually shudders when I put it on her face. I find myself getting impatient until I remember how much I used to hate it myself. Sometimes they just have to do things that they hate, it's really very simple. The list isn't huge really, when it comes down to it, but sunscreen and hats in hot weather is one of those things.

I'm having less trouble with it since I explained as gently as I could that the sun is what caused grandma's poorly on her leg (skin cancer) - I also told her that if everyone took better care of the planet the sun wouldn't be so dangerous because the sky can't protect us so much any more. I'm not sure whether I was being unsceintific, or even perhaps too scientific, but she has stopped howling when I put it on her and just shudders now. I hug her and validate and feel like I'm being mean.

Morgan, on the other hand, brings me the tube and puts her little pale trusting face up to be creamed! She thinks it's a very funny game and wants it reapplied far more often than I need to do it. It certainly helps me remember to put some more on every hour or so anyhow.