Totally into fire engines at the moment. Just as well as seen a fair few of them recently. One of the callouts on New Years Day was to a shire horse that was stuck in a river in the New Forest. Very exciting, very dark, and very off road - all great except for bending the landrover aerial in half, and the horse got up and out just as I arrived. A big plus was the fact Hampshire Fire and Rescue were on the scene poised to leap into action - once again, I was feeling a touch underdressed around these guys who seemed to rock up in amphibious monster trucks and like a little kid, I marvelled at the huge fire engines, wanted to climb in them and have a look around and felt a tinge of jealousy that I'll never get a flashing light on the landrover.

However, dreams do come true and Noah's 4th birthday party this year was one of the best birthday parties I've ever been to. Luckily, as Dad of the birthday boy, my invite was a shoo in (he's only 4 so I have a few years yet before he rolls his eyes in despair at me rocking up to one of his parties) and fire engines were the thing.  We headed over to Sopley where Wessex Fire Service host childrens birthday parties and it was brilliant. Ride in the engine, sirens wailing, squirt of the hose, and cake, sweets and fizzy drink. Everyone got a go in the fire engine and it would be fair to say there was a total melee amongst the parents all vying to get a go in the trucks. Some of the Mums even went without their children. Enough said. Suffice to say, the firemen were popular and I want to go back.

In fact it's Sheba's birthday soon, she'll be two. Possibly going back there in three weeks might be regarded as a bit keen though, I might embarrass the kids and there's no need to rush that. I've been told it's a given but if I can hold off for another couple of years it would only be a good thing. Besides, Cords is due to give birth at any given moment - little Gamble number three is imminently due any day - and I am currently poised to leap in the car and drive us to the hospital. We had eight minutes last time - between arriving at the hospital and Sheba being delivered - no time to waste and I'm clutching a bottle of car deicer in my sleep. 

Talking of sleep - it's going to be hard to come by tonight. The puppy is absolutely mental and currently chewing my leg (either that or the computer cable) and there is the loudest owl in the world in the garden. So loud the house is almost vibrating and you can hear it through two closed doors. I wonder if it will stir the baby - induction by owl - now that deserves to be a blog title in it's own right...