Happy Anniversary

Today is our Anniversary!

We've been married seven years today.

And I had to be reminded, just as I've had to be reminded about all our past anniversaries.

I'm sorry husband and Happy Anniversary.

You're happy again and smiling, which is great to see. You're having a much better time of it the last week or so which makes me much happier too.

It's not that anything has changed or anything has eased off, you're just learning to deal with it and learning to understand that in the great scheme of things anything that happens outside of these four walls falls way down near the bottom of the list of important things.

That's not to say that you don't want or need your job and career to be important to you, its just that if this one doesn't respect you for everything you are then maybe it isn't the one to pour your heart and soul into.

You're a great husband and a great dad. You give us everything we need and much more besides and for that we are grateful and love you and for that you should feel proud and because of that you should know that as a man you stand head and shoulders above anyone who feels the need to run you down or try to make you feel small.

You are a great husband and a great dad, but more importantly you are a great man.

Happy anniversary husband. We all love you, but then you knew that already.

Over the moon

I'm an incredibly happy bunny today.

First of all I got a parcel of gorgeous buttons in the post from Here Pretty Kitty along with a pack of Haribo Tangfastics which Toots promptly ran off with and came straight back again with her head practically sucked inside out so I got to eat the whole pack myself, hee hee. She's not a big fan of the sours.

Not only that, but my letter finally came through from the bank with my offer of settlement in relation to the claim for bank charges which has been ongoing for what seems like a lifetime now. Not only will I be reimbursed for every last charge, but I'm also being compensated as well!!!!

Just to be clear, claims against banks for unlawful bank charges are currently stayed in the UK while the Court of Appeal makes their final decision however I was able to make my claim under my bank's financial hardship policy because I left gainful employment in January. I will give the bank credit though, they were professional and pleasant to deal with and didn't drag the claim out unnecessarily in any way.

Still I will admit that I haven't slept particularly well the last few months because of money worries, but this is like a weight lifted off my chest. I'll definitely rest easy tonight.

We'll finally be able to get a few essential repairs made around here with some of the money. The garage roof definitely needs to be replaced this year, it really is hanging on by a thread out there and it'll give us a ton of extra storage space once dryness is guaranteed. I can't wait, the house will feel so much bigger once that's sorted out.

And I'll be able to take my sewing machine to my local guy and get her a good service, I don't think she's seen more than a quick dust and a drop of oil in years.

I know they say money can't buy happiness, but it'll certainly make things a lot easier around here and a good night's sleep always puts a smile on my face.

Of Highs and Lows

Yesterday was a good day. A very good day.

It rained as if often does here, but that didn't matter. I spent the day lazing around with Toots. We played in the garden with the cat and checked on the fruit and vegetables. We baked flapjacks and ate them still warm and falling to pieces from the pan.

We put on our wellies and played on the swing in the rain and we laughed.

Later, when she was truly exhausted, we curled up together wrapped in a blanket. I read her a story and ran my fingertips along the length of each of each of her curls as she fell asleep with her little warm head resting against my chest and her little fingers curled around the blanket.

She woke and we ate and talked and joked and sang. We put on music and played games and when her dad arrived home, she ran to him, hugged him and smiled.

They laughed and talked in the living room while I prepared the dinner and I was happy.

I want every day to be just like yesterday, but of course that can't happen and it won't happen. We'll have bad days as every family does.

Days of more negative than positive. Days when I say No more often that Yes. Days when there are tantrums and crying and anger.

However in general we have more good days than bad and we're happy.

I hope that when Toots is older she remembers the good times. I don't really mind if she remembers the bad too, but I hope that she remembers them in context. That she remembers that it wasn't always bad.

I hope that she doesn't inherit my occasional bouts of pessimism.

The fact that I can meet a hundred lovely people and have it ruined by one asshole.

That I can try to help people and succeed with the majority only to fail with one person and end up wishing I hadn't bothered myself in the first place.

I have a lot of happy memories from my own childhood, but they're often clouded by the unhappy ones which are admittedly few and far between. So why do they stick so clearly in my mind.

I just hope that Toots always sees the class half full perspective.