How we're playing

 

Giraffes have all the fun. Around here they do, anyway. I'd say it's one adventure after another for a figure who spends all day either on the orange motorbike, in the big red bus, balancing precariously on a small ambulance or holding onto a fire engine. That's life with J - one great idea after another! Meanwhile, on the floor, a now sitting little girl keeps proving her grabbing skills by pulling her basket towards her, emptying it completely and turning it around. Then she seems to be trying to eat it or just banging it. I joined in and took a photo I love. Just because it's her and me, together. 

Playdough and pain

Playdough has been the highlight of each morning for the last week or so for the lovely J. As you can see, he has become adept at spiking with a fork, poking with his finger and cutting with a knife - quite furiously it seems, judging by the blur in the background! And, while his sister is still a joy, she is teething and a Nurofen/Calpol combo has become our very good friend. 

Hearts and flowers

It's a simple activity, I lay out a heart-shaped tray of ice cubes, a muffin tin and a tea towel. Together J and I pop the hearts out and he fills up the muffin tin, then puts them back in the heart tray. And then back again, making a couple of puddles on the floor!

And all four of us walked to the top of the hill at Blaise to find the folly open and so we walked up, up, up. Sadly, the photos from up there are rubbish... BUT once we got to the bottom, J went a-runnin' and noticed some yellow flowers. We naturally began collecting them, as you see. 

Embracing autumn

The intrepid little people and I went conkering. J embraced it wholeheartedly, even signing 'ouch' when he accidentally touched the spiky outside! (While E slept through the whole thing!) We collected a big bowlful and carted them home with us. Where Warren happily harvested a lovely crop from our apple tree. I guess it's time for soup, leaf-kicking and pumpkins!

Getting wet

What to say....? J loves water. More, more, more. And then some more!

our weekend

I have been looking forward to the Balloon Fiesta for months. So, on Friday we got up at 5am (well, I was already up!), got everything ready, hit the road and arrived at Ashton Court at 6am. It was then we were told that the balloons weren't going up. Sad face. But that was before we'd paid the £15 parking charge. Happy face. Hence, if you'd have walked past Blaise Park at 7am, that's where you'd have found us. The climbing frame was all ours! Drinking hot chocolate and eating brioche; what a healthy start to the weekend!

And then Sunday was my parents' 40th wedding anniversary, in honour of which we all congregated in the Wye Valley, most of us wearing red. Here my niece hands out my auntie's excellent idea: DIY pavlova. Meringues, cream, raspberries. Assemble. Consume.

Hmm, that sounds like a really unhealthy weekend...!

Growing

Warren has been very excited about his new venture, The Veggie Patch. Sadly, the slugs are equally committed to its destruction. The only thing not to have been savaged by the slug onslaught is the sweetcorn which is reaching for the sky!

This week I rotated various toys and books for J, bringing out the marble tree he hasn't seen for a while. I kept the marbles in a plastic bottle which he could shake but not open, so it didn't matter if he wasn't directly supervised. On Monday morning he reached for the marble tree and bottle, opened it in no time, sending some marbles cascading across the floor and others were placed straight into his mouth. Silly me! A twisty lid is now no challenge whatsoever to him! (The marbles are now in an egg cup out of his reach!) 

Warren's sweetcorn is growing almost as quickly as J can turn his hand to something new; E is doing a sterling job of consuming plenty of milk and getting plenty of sleep, resulting in her steadily growing body. I, on the other hand, am smaller than I was a couple of weeks ago. Thankfully!

Toys

I spend a LOT of time thinking about toys. How to organise, what to buy, what to set aside for a while, which books to purchase, which books to order from the library, what activities to make happen, how to juggle the budget. It seems to take me a long time to translate what I observe in the ever curious J into tangible, chewable things to put in his hand. It often feels like an uphill struggle, one at which I'm doomed to fail. Is this how it's always going to be?! 

(E's first cuddlies - a zebra from Aunty and a rabbit from grandma.

I didn't know there was a grey and white theme!)

Dear J

My dear J,

We got up early the other morning and came downstairs; I sat cross-legged and you sat on my lap. You wandered off to open cupboard doors (that you're not allowed to) and pulled out the pyrex jug and then brought me a fabulous drum, banging it with a big smile on your face. I put the 'drum' in front of me on its side, as you stood close in front of me, and I gently pushed it. We watched it roll along the floor into the kitchen and I watched you smile, laugh and do a little dance. We then rolled it together a few times, you pushed it, walked after it, gave it a little tap with your toes and then brought it back to start over again!

You are so precious to me and I want to remember and treasure these little moments together. 

Love,

Mummy xx

PS - I really, really like the way you say "ocksss!" (socks).

 

enjoying our garden

A couple of months ago we moved from our second floor, two bedroom flat to a three-bedroom house with garden. Boy, are we enjoying our garden! Plants and veg patch have been sown, the patio has been chalked, balls have been thrown and bubbles blown. These photos are playing in the garden with my fabulous nephew and the sunflowers I re-potted with my gorgeous son.

when A came to play

My niece is a four-year old whirl of words and wonder. She invited herself over to play, arrived with daisies in hand for me and, within five minutes, announced her desire to draw. Then we went to buy eggs and chocolate chips, so that we could bake. More drawing, this time chalking with J on the patio. Then we carefully counted how many cookies she would need for her family (seven, as the baby won't need one). Time to load her booster seat and scooter into the car and home!

January glimpses

Hello, hello! A (very) few shots of a simple and not-too-well January...

There was the day Warren suggested we have pancakes - uh, YES PLEASE! And J had his first pancakey nibbles...

I've enjoyed reading and researching birthday ideas ahead of March's big 1st. I was delighted to find this Waldorf idea, the Birthday Ring...

As was J, it seems....

Last year I painted some wood with chalk board paint but hadn't slated it, so seized my opportunity.

Seconds later, it was in somebody's hand ... You have to be speedy around here!

Wonderful J.

How was your January?

September glimpses

September has been and gone. What did it hold for me?

A chance to get out some paint and make a chalkboard...

I introduced J to light play (roll on hanukkah!)...

We bought some cooking apples during a visit to the National Trust, which I transformed into apple chutney. The jury's still out on its success though...

J's wooden-themed treasure basket...

A lovely week in Pembrokeshire. Warren has begun imparting essential life skills; in this case, skimming stones...

Naturally J and I went on holiday with Warren, which also means that, naturally, it was boaty...

J started on solids over the summer and has somewhat overtaken the freezer...

Day 130/2

And now for something a little colourful, our new marble tree! Well, I say 'our' but it's a gift for J from his aunty... When a marble is placed in the top, making different notes as it hits different slats, J becomes alert and looks for the noise. Thank you!

Day 124/2

J is 6 weeks old today!!! His aunty popped over with some celebratory balloons which are wrapped around his baby gym so he can have a good look at them.

Day 117/2

As Warren was off today, we all went for our afternoon walk together. At the green space at the bottom of the hill, J woke up hungry, so we sat down on the grass for some milk and then J got to feel grass for the first time as we all lay on it together, looking up at the blossom. J loved it! 

Family. Good, good gift. Thankful me.

Day 116/2

This afternoon, J and I did our first little bit of painting .... Delightful!

wood walks and camping

Sorry I've been away for so long - again! I moved at the beginning of June, still have boxes stacked up and - phew! - the internet is now sorted ... hurrah! But, just before I moved, it was time for F's birthday present; she wanted to go camping and wood-walking, so off we went...

The campsite was a stone's throw away from a sculpture trail through the woods...

The newly 9 year old F running into the distance!

 F's right, you never know when you'll need a Swiss Army Knife. She came prepared!

We laid a blanket for breakfast time and noticed some bees buzzing around behind us...

Then we went for another walk, during which F pulled out a contact lens case which I had apparently given to her last year. As we walked she started collecting flowers to keep in the case and I remembered all over again how much I love her! Happy birthday, F!