So … 2012 … that massive enormous life changing year has gone, it is no more … along with the London 2012 Olympic logo it is consigned to history … only there is a legacy … no not the Olympic legacy and supposed good cheer and new found companionship the UK is (not) basking in (bah humbug) … no not that … I mean my girl.
2012 bought Hope into the world and for that alone it will go down, in my book at least, as quite the most miraculous year in history, even though most of the journey to her birth was in 2011.
So … our first new year’s eve together came and went … she was fast asleep until ten minutes to midnight. Then I heard a small squeak and went up to find her chatting noisily to her friend Hospital Ted and waving Mr Sheep around .. I took her downstairs and together we sat and marvelled at the whole out with the old and in with the new time on the television … she actually applauded at the fireworks over the Houses of Parliament and then when they’d gone on too long she turned round and had a small snack, she turned back and watched the end of the fireworks and then I plonked her on the floor on her blue blanket with the ducks on and gave her a couple of her Christmas presents to play with. She sat there waving her favourite (a new large wooden spoon) in time to the singing of Auld Lang Syne and when it speeded up she banged her spoon on the floor and then finally flung it away and did her little bit of seated floor dancing. Hope is very entertaining when she does that, she sits up and wiggles .. or maybe wobbles … it is endearing, funny and, well, just makes me happy.
She spent a good part of New Year’s Day playing with her father and Granby, and we all opened presents together … delayed from Christmas… and sat about pondering the anguish we were all going through this time last year… 1000 years ago in 2011 … we had a lovely sunny morning walk and a wet early evening play on the swings, just a very ‘normal’ type of family day … and that’s all I want, and have yearned for for so long.
One thing that has passed into memory just like 2012 is Hope’s curl … the little jaunty tuft she was born with that survived the initial hair loss and changed from brown to golden and just kept on growing into a perfect curl … over the last few days it has thinned out and then finally the last few hairs disappeared … one into Hope’s ‘journal’ for posterity … so now she looks like a normal little person (that word again!!) rather than a Kewpie Doll or a Gerber baby or Pebbles (or was it Bam Bam) or Bill Haley or Billy Whizz … actually she looks like a small hedgehog as all her hair now sticks up like the original tuft did… so a whole new beginning there too and rather a whimsical melancholy end. I loved her tufty curl.
So, a very happy new year one and all … be kind, be safe, be honest, be joyful, be happy and be good to one another and to those you love… time is so very precious.
Right then, let the new year begin … and will someone please stop all this rain … thank you.
Oh and this is the song that cheers me and causes spoon waving … and has a great message to take with you at the start of a new year.
Jools Holland & Rumer – Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive
off up the road we go…
the beginning of the next adventure January 1st 2013
