It’s the end of birthday season in our house and this is a self-indulgent little post to remind me of the last two. Starting with Mr Life in May, the five of us have a birthday each month till September. Son's and Daughter 1's were at the end of August and last Thursday. One’s children’s birthdays always make one remember their births and the joy that these brought – happy memories and yet rather sad ones as one thinks of the soft little faces and chubby limbs and the central part one had in their lives. It’s good that they’re all grown up and independent. And yet it was lovely when they came home for tea every day and we could tuck them in at night.
Still, they do come home - we see the girls at least once a week and the boy some weekends. Above and below, Son and his lady friend with his (apple sauce) cake.
Here they are smiling at Sirius, whose ears are just visible behind the plates.
Daughter 1 knits in the sunshine as the cake is cut.
Sirius has been captured. He's always a co-operative chap. As is Son.
Daughter 2 communing with her little brother.
The next birthday: Daughter 1. More cake. Plum.
Still in love, four and a half years into marriage. Aah!
Son couldn't be with us, mid-week, but here he is on the phone to Daughter 2 as we all sing "Happy Birthday" to Daughter 1. I take a photo of Daughter 2: singing, listening and showing off the not-very-impressive engagement sort-of-cake that I produced on the same day to celebrate her engagement to A the Actor. Multi-tasking on both our parts.
I'm a bit like that when I'm concentrating, I have to admit. But the 6yo interrupts an awful lot so the instinct is to hush the question even before one finds out if it's a tricky one or no. Not to suggest that you pipe up as much as my 6yo, mind.
ReplyDeleteSo nice to see Life turning out according to plan.....You have a lovely family. Congratulations to all b'day people, engaged people, sleek cats and lock fiddlers!
ReplyDeleteYour family are very obliging, allowing you to put their photos on YOUR blog, while you won't show us your own fair face! Oh I know, it's the reason you mentioned once before, about not wanting to be recognised by people you work with, and that's fair enough.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it that men cannot be interrupted while they are concentrating, but women can? They must suscribe to that theory about women being able to concentrate on more than one thing at a time, but I missed the boat on that one. I can't do more than one thing at a time!
Well at least you got an answer, my husband is given to heavy frowns and cross headshakes!
ReplyDeleteAll those happy birthday cakes look good. It's Mother-in-law's 92 next Saturday (but she hopes to be dead by then, apparently, so she doesn't want a cake!)
Women needs must resemble the English nobleman who flung himself on his horse and rode off madly in all directions. Except we have to know where we are going and how to get there and do it.
ReplyDeleteSomehow, and probably unfairly, men often have staff or helpers, and they delegate...
Happy birthdays to all.
At least Mr Life doesn't do what my dear husband does, which is to apparently carry on a conversation with me while he is doing something else when he is fact not listening at all. He just has the capability to produce convincing sounding responses to my questions without actually hearing them at all. Makes it interesting when we later discover that he has agreed to something he wasn't listening to in the first place!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthdays to all.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting how often birthdays 'clump' in families. Three people shared my birthdate - great-grandfather, grand-father, uncle, then me.
All depends what happens nine months previously, I suppose!
Cake and family. Fab.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to the newly engaged couple! How exciting! Well, it looks like lots of love in your family! Maybe Grandbabies soon! My girls don't appear interested and the clock is ticking.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birtday to everyone!
Joni
Empathy flows as I catch up with your recent posts....
ReplyDeleteI feel for you about Daughter #2's move to London. 400 miles is a very long way.
I was thinking that Australia is an extremely long and exhausting plane ride for me! I missed my mother very much.
Your painting is beautiful. Much more satisfying than a handbag :)
I hope your aunt does well in the care home. That should be less of a worry for you now.
I like your analogy about letting the prisoner out for weekends. Our school is back in session and I'm on call again. Freedom is fleeting... It was delightful while it lasted :) I hope everyone shows up for work for a while yet and leaves me alone to garden. There's still much to be done!
I thought you were nearing retirement?? When will that happen?
I hope our autumn and yours will be long and warm!
P.S. I forgot to wish everyone a happy belated birthday! Love those family pics.
ReplyDeleteYour garden looks lovely and colourful through the patio doors behind Daughter #1.
I'm smiling about Mr. Life's remark. It's quite a well used line around here too, but by me, not Hubby :)
I loved this post. I'm still smiling.
ReplyDeleteAll those shiny happy photos!
Such lovely photos...we are truly blessed to have family, and people that we love in our lives aren't we?
ReplyDeleteps fancy some cake now.....
Lovely pictures of your lovely family! Love the one of your daughter knitting in the sunshine especially.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthdays all round. And Congratulations for other celebrations.
ReplyDeleteI often think about the delicious pinkness and sweet small limbs and faces when they were born.
SO glad I have those memories.
Looks like you've had a wonderful birthday season this year Isabelle! Happy Belated Birthdays to everyone. And at least it sounds like Mr. Life understands the limitations of his Y chromosome!
ReplyDeleteAs for the cup of coffee question , it probably wasn't an inability to say yes or no while working but the fear that you'd then make it all too complicated . "Would you like a biscuit ? I've got those ginger ones or there's chocolate chip ..." .
ReplyDeleteA wise man knows his limits .