Tough times getting tougher, times are a changing though!

I've never been so busy, can't believe it was November when I last wrote. Since then Sarah broke her leg. Nightmare. Edward sort of pushed her off a dining room chair while they were looking through the hatch, just after she'd mastered climbing onto chairs. This was the week after Elizabeth's birthday and party, so we were knackered after all of that. I think it was the first Friday of December. I had to take her to A&E that evening, then first thing on the Saturday morning the bloody cast fell off so I had to go and wait again for a further three hours, only for it to go and fall off again as soon as we got home. By Monday we had an appointment at the fracture clinic and the lovely man put a lovely pink cast on, which has stayed the course. She has been remarkably brave, and carries on with everything as if the cast wasn't there. The only thing is she can't wear skirts or dresses, and can't have a bath. But she can bite her toes!

Christmas has come and gone. Husband had two weeks off, the week before and the week after. We were pretty exhausted, and made the mistake of making last minute purchases having researched for months, so things ended up selling out. In the end we managed to get our hands on a telescope for the big girl, a Playmobil recycling truck and a Fisher Price ambulance for the fella, and a teddy and doll for our baby girl. I was struck down with a really horrible cold/'flu just before Christmas, so found it particularly exhuasting this year, and felt I couldn't keep up with the pressure from last year's relative success. Made stollen, had the pudding made by end of November, ordered turkey crown (too big) from Weston Park which I picked up with Edward on 23rd December, bought tree (too late) from Weston Park and it was expensive and not particularly well-shaped, and we had to wait until the last Friday of term to decorate it because there just wasn't time. Went to church for Christingle, for Edward and Sarah's little fishes nativity play, for Elizabeth's nativity with school, and for the Christmas Eve service. Made three (too many) trifles, made the Christmas dinner ok, but was shattered afterwards. Family came over on Christmas night and made home-made sausage rolls, turkey/cranberry/stuffing rolls (home made from breadmaker) and stollen and gingerbread. Gingerbread was a success - made more of it for the FIL's birthday.

Last few days has seen us trying for baby #4. After much umming and ahhing and feeling like we should do anything but add to our family we've put our faith in God and hope and pray that we will cope, we will survive, and our family will thank us for it one day, if it all works out. I don't think we could ever move on and accept we weren't going to have a fourth, but you do wonder where we'll find the time to keep up with the washing, ironing, cooking, cleaning etc. Oh, and the house in on the market. We've seen a larger 3-bed near St Andrews Church, with plenty of scope to extend in the future, went to see it just before Christmas, and now our house is on the market again.

Christmas tree down today, husband back at work tomorrow, Sarah's cast off on Wednesday, and Elizabeth back at school by then. Where did that time go??!! Oh, and me back at work on Thursday :(