Nanny and Granddad

Christmas in our new home

Sunday 29th December 2013Sunday 29th December 2013Baggie

Christmas is over and I trust that the festive period has been good to you. After a hectic year we were determined to make this a good Christmas. The tenth Christmas that Lucinda and I have celebrated together and the first in our new home is reason enough for it to be a good Christmas. Add to the mix that it was our first Christmas as a family of five and we were truly blessed. The fact that Lucinda’s parents were cooking Christmas dinner and that neither Lucinda or I were working (we both work in industries where that is a possibility) added to the fact that this was a good year. The only black cloud on the horizon was the fact that I had to work on Boxing Day (there were 10 Premier League games scheduled), but that was a minor blip.

Football stops not for man nor beast and indeed the Christmas period is one of the most hectic periods for Premier League football and the remainder of the English Football League. Hence the 10 days to a fortnight that many of you enjoy does not apply to me or my teams at IMG. However, I was fortunate that I had both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off and the 27th December. So a little semblance of normality could descend upon the Bagnall household for those days.

One of the Bagnall Christmas traditions is to create a Christmas bauble at Genevieve’s in Englefield Green. This started when Éowyn was a baby with a simple handprint and each year since we have created a bauble with a hand print of each of the children. This year though Éowyn asked if she could design her own, to which we agreed. Not sure what we were going to get we let her loose with the paints. We were very surprised when she decided that she would paint mommy. It was brilliant, we were very proud of her. However there was a pang of guilt in our first born and she conspired along with mommy to go back to Genevieve’s and make one of daddy as a surprise for me. It was extremely thoughtful and again brilliantly executed. These will now always have pride of place on our tree (there is a photo below).

Friday night is movie night in the Bagnall household and the girls take it in turns to choose a DVD to watch. The Friday before Christmas we decided to invite Emma’s (our new neighbour and friend from NCT) kids over to give her a bit of a break and to repay her for the help she has given us over the last month or so. Five children (and I) sat down to watch Arthur Christmas (very good by the way, thoroughly recommend it) for the last movie night of the year. They were all very well behaved and it made us all feel Christmassy putting us in the mood for the yule.

The weather wasn’t exactly Christmassy, indeed the strong wind and heavy rains have spoilt many Christmasses around the country. We got off lightly with the only damage a couple of fence panels that have blown down. Fortunately the fence is our neighbour’s responsibility and so we will have a chat with them after the Christmas period about the repair – there is no rush.

Lucinda’s parents were cooking Christmas Dinner so we decided that we would do our first bit of entertaining in Bagnall manor by inviting the Cathrall Clan to our house for a pre-Christmas buffet on Christmas Eve. Before our guests arrived we need to complete a little bit of shopping. Not for that much food (Lucinda had completed the food shop a couple days previously, with only the perishables to be bought) but for a couple of last minute presents. The most important being a Barbie Mariposa doll that Éowyn had asked Santa for a week or so ago but had only let her parents know the weekend before Christmas. Obviously she had told the most important person but it would have been nice for us to be aware of what Santa needed to provide, hence a slight detour into Staines on Christmas Eve morning to ease Santa’s burden by picking up the reserved doll that was sold out across the area.

So with the final presents, spare lightbulbs, fresh bread and the Christmas Radio Times bought, it was time to prepare the meal. Thankfully it was a minimum amount of cooking, just preparation. It was good to test the entertainment potential of the house and it was the first time that Lucinda’s brother Steve and his family had visited. The difference in size between our old house and our new home was ably demonstrated by the fact that it didn’t feel at all crowded with 8 adults and 7 children where it would have been standing room only in Stanwell Moor.

The girls were excited as ever playing with their cousins and showing them their new home and their toys, and we let them stay up late to play. We allowed them to open their presents from Uncle Steve and Auntie Zoe since they would not be at Lucinda’s parents on Christmas day. So the pre-Christmas came to a close and after the girls had been put to bed and we had tidied up we eventually crept into bed at 00:30, fearing an early morning wake up call. Fortunately the previous day’s excitement had obviously worn them out and they did not surface until 08:00. Amélie was the first to wake (as usual) but had just come into our room without checking to see if Santa had been. It was the encouragement from us and Amélie crashing about the room that had woke Éowyn up.

They were both unbelievably delighted that Santa had been and were jumping around the house and that was even before they opened their presents. Imagine their faces when they realised that Santa not only had been but had brought them all the things that they had asked for, including the Barbie Mariposa Doll. We had two very happy little girls and neither seemed too bothered that their brother didn’t seem to have a lot of presents to open.

As anyone with little children can testify, the packaging that modern toys are locked into requires a modicum of engineering knowledge and nerves of steel. I was fully prepared this year with my trusted Leatherman on my belt (other multi-tool devices are available). The knife, screwdriver and pliers were all useful at one stage or another to extricate various toys from razor sharp plastic, cable ties and a thicket of cardboard.

After persuading them to eat some breakfast and get dressed they played with their new toys (while Daddy built some of their other ones) until it was time to leave for Nanny and Granddad’s. Nanny and Granddad were cooking Christmas Dinner for eleven: the Bagnalls, Lucinda’s brother Mike and his family and themselves. After sating ourselves with traditional festive fare it was time for a third round of present opening.

After such an exciting day it was inevitable that the girls started to wane. So after presents were opened and played with and the discarded wrapping paper readied for recycling all were herded into the car. The journey between Lucinda’s parents and our home is less than 10 minutes but 2 of the 3 kids were asleep by the time we had pulled into the drive. Only Éowyn managed to keep awake.

The following day is known as Boxing Day in the UK and is traditionally a big sporting day so as Head of Live Operations for the World’s largest independent sports production company I was to spend the day at work. Lucinda and the kids were not to spend the day on their own. Lucinda’s Auntie Sally and Uncle Bill had invited the family over for a Boxing Day buffet. Unfortunately before I left for work I had to be ‘bad’ Daddy.

We have had an on-going battle with Éowyn sucking her thumb for comfort. We have tried many things and none has yet worked and we are getting concerned that it is affecting her teeth so we have renewed our efforts to put a stop to it. In the lead up to Christmas, we had threatened to call Santa and tell him, but after Christmas Éowyn thought that she could get away with it. She was wrong. She had promised me that she wouldn’t suck her thumb so to highlight the importance of a promise when she blatantly sucked her thumb on front of me, I told her that she had to give me something that was important to her. She tried offering me chocolate or one of Amélie’s toys. Clever, but not quite what I had in mind. Eventually I got her to give me her favourite toy: The Barbie Mariposa doll. She was distraught and to be fair I felt really bad about taking it but if she is going to understand the importance of a promise and at the same time break a bad habit it had to be harsh and something that was important to her.

After five days she got the doll back (as she did not suck her thumb – even at night! – again). She does know, however, that if she sucks her thumb again it will be 10 days of no thumb-sucking before it is returned; then the next time it will be 20 days and that will be her final chance. After that she will lose her doll. We have said that we will help her but she has to make the effort and that promises are important things.

It feels really bad to do that, especially at Christmas, but we have to break the habit and if we are to highlight the importance of a promise then when we promise to do something then we have to follow through too. Doesn’t make one feel any better about taking your daughter’s favourite present off her.

With my work schedule leaving me with Friday 27th off it seemed an ideal opportunity to have a second (third) Christmas with Nanny Fran and Aunties Mary and Liz. However, as that was my only day off I didn’t really want a round trip of 250 miles added to a hectic schedule. Therefore Nanny Fran came down and took advantage of the bigger house and stayed overnight heading back Saturday afternoon.

The girls were over excited as usual when their Bagnall relatives came down, mainly I think because they do not see them that often. They were spoilt with presents once again and even seemed happy when they opened presents containing clothes. However, they were more interested in Ezra’s presents. Isn’t that the way it is always will be?

So with three very happy children and a new home built for entertaining Lucinda and I can happily say it was a very successful Christmas and we are looking forward to 2014. I trust that you all had a great time over the yuletide and trust that you will all keep popping back for the latest updates in the Bagnall household.

Peace and Love

Baggie

Movie Night

With our Aunties

Cheeky smile

Amélie and her pressies

Éowyn and her pressies

What’s so funny

Opening presents

Christmas delight

Worn out

Help me Uncle Michael

Mommy and Ezra

At the Christmas table

Rock Starlet

Let me play you a song

Pass the stella!

My turn

Rock Star

Cousins

On Nanny’s lap

iPad distraction

Ezra

Mommy and Daddy Christmas Baubles

Star filtered Christmas Tree

The Bagnall Family – Christmas Tree Decoration

Daddy and his kids

Reindeer Feet

Daddy and Ezra

Badger Moot 2013 – The Tenth Anniversary

Thursday 7th November 2013Friday 8th November 2013Baggie

A trilogy of November updates end with today’s update: the 10th Annual Badger Moot. In 2004 Nick and Bonita Badger (Lucinda’s cousins from Australia) were preparing to leave the UK to return to their homeland and decided that it would be nice for the entire UK family to spend a long weekend together in deepest darkest Dorset. Nestled in the Bride valley village of Puncknowle, Berwick Manor fitted the bill as a reasonably priced house that could accommodate the family. The Badger clan enjoyed it so much that it has since become an annual event (changing from a long weekend to the full week) and Berwick Manor has served the family well over that last decade.

Unfortunately this year Berwick Manor had already been booked (which was slightly disappointing it has to be said) and so an alternative was needed to keep the tradition alive. The Old Rectory at Symondsbury ably filled the bill. Eight miles further down the A35, Symondsbury at the foot of Colmer’s Hill lies a mile or so to the west of Bridport. This eleven bedroom home is reputed to be one of the largest rectories in England and to be honest I could quite believe it for the three floors, eleven bedrooms and nine bathrooms that we hired is not the entire house for the owner lives in a separate wing.

Initially built in 1730 (although expanded in 1814) the Old Rectory is a grade II* country house and as such retains much of its original décor, with a large dining room, a library that contains a 6 foot pool table and upright piano, a breakfast room, fully equipped kitchen and a drawing room replete with a grand piano. It many ways it was far grander than Berwick Manor and the extra bedrooms and en-suites certainly helped make everyone feel more comfortable. However it lacked some of the charm or perhaps more accurately the familial atmosphere of Berwick Manor. Now whether this is due to familiarity, we know Berwick Manor inside out, or the lack of focal point. In Berwick Manor this is most definitely the kitchen and there is always someone in the kitchen whether preparing food, reading the paper or having a cup of tea, at the Old Rectory one could be completely unaware that there was anyone else in the house.

It is difficult to say which one was it better, they are different, however the Old Rectory feels more part of a community with a pub a thirty second walk away and Bridport a 30 minute stroll away. Those points coupled with the extra bedroom tips the balance, in my opinion, to the Old Rectory but not in any detrimental way to Berwick Manor and have no strong opinion as to whether it should become the new venue for the Badger Moot. We will have to see what the majority decision is.

As usual the Badger Moot began Friday afternoon, with a number clan members arriving for the official handover time of 1600. This would usually include the Bagnall sub-clan; however that was before half-term and a child of school-attending age. Although we could have written Éowyn a sick note and taken her out of school for the day, it seemed a shame to ruin her perfect attendance for the want of a couple of hours. In addition, the school was marked down in its Ofsted report on attendance and somehow it didn’t feel right to take her out for such a trivial reason. Indeed our decision bore fruit with Éowyn receiving a certificate for perfect attendance.

So with the car loaded we picked Éowyn up from school and drove the 130 or so miles to Symondsbury. We arrived in unfamiliar territory in the dark, the landmark of Colmer’s Hill hidden in the Cimmerian blanket of night and drove right past the entrance to the Old Rectory. In fairness, even in the day it is quite easy to drive past. Fortunately there was enough of a mobile phone signal for the family to guide us in and so the moot began.

The first evening meal of the week was prepared by Uncle Bill and Auntie Sally, a variety of curries and Indian side dishes and they delayed dishing up until our arrival. We had just enough time to unpack the car before tucking in.

The bedroom that we had been allocated was impressive. It was at least 7 metres by 6 metres with an en-suite shower room. It contained a four-poster bed and two single beds for the girls. Ezra’s travel cot easily fitted at the foot of our bed and there was still room for 5 tables, a large wardrobe and two settees. To say it was adequate would be a gross understatement.

I think most of the family were happy with their rooms too, and the elder cousins were happy because they got to share an attic room and a bathroom which was seconded as the obligatory Spa for the week.

A disturbed night (a template for the week) followed so the Bagnalls were the first awake on Saturday morning. We were therefore washed, dressed and breakfasted bright and early ready for the traditional visit to Bridport’s Saturday market. Very few bargains were to be had, although Éowyn and Amélie treated themselves to a small toy each and Lucinda bought herself a hat.

Saturday afternoon we decided to visit another of our traditional haunts, Hive Beach just east of Burton Bradstock. Sea spray hit you as you stepped out of the car in the car park and as you headed to the shore you couldn’t fail to be impressed by the power of nature. The sea was incredibly dramatic with waves heralding the advent of what was to become known as St Jude’s storm (a weather event that some countries would consider a squall which hit Sunday into Monday). Wrapped up with coats and wellies the girls headed to the edge of the sea, playing chicken with the waves. Confidence was high as they turned and fled each incoming breaker, but the sea is a cruel mistress and before you knew it we had three (Éowyn, Amélie and their cousin Lauren) wet children! Time to go home. Saturday night was hearty casseroles courtesy of the Swindell arm of the clan and the first fancy dress night of the holiday: Wigs and Hats.

The highlight of the evening though was to be found in the garden. Uncle John and Auntie Margaret (over from Australia) were the only named Badgers at the moot this year (although there were three ex-Badgers) but (potentially fleeing the badger cull in nearby Somerset) we were graced by the visit of a real badger in the grounds of the Old Rectory. It is quite rare to see them for us townies and so we all took delight in gazing through the window at our nocturnal visitor.

The Ilchester Arms, the only pub in the village, has a reputation for a mean Sunday lunch. At only a 30 second walk away it seemed rude not to head there for a family meal. Since there was 27 of us we had pre-booked months in advance and took over the majority of the restaurant area of the pub. Nevertheless the meals came out relatively together and it was without doubt the finest Sunday lunch I have had in many a month. (This is nothing to do with the fact that I am usually at work and Sunday lunch is usually a packed lunch or a takeaway, rapidly eaten between phonecalls and problems).

After lunch was the traditional post-lunch slump so we were glad that before we had headed down the road to the pub we had actually ventured out of the village. The weather was still in its threatening phase but dry nevertheless. We therefore decided to take the girls down to West Bay. Primarily for them to play in West Bay Play Area and for us to have a mooch around the West Bay car boot sale. The car boot sale was very disappointing, just a handful of stores but the girls thoroughly enjoyed the play area. Éowyn made a little friend named Tia and played nicely with her until we dragged her away to have a look at the sea. Like Hive Beach the day before the low pressure heading our way was travelling across the Atlantic churning up the sea culminating in dramatic waves crashing against the shore. This time there were no heroics and no damp children to take home.

Sunday night was the second of three fancy dress nights planned for the week, ‘A onesie/ pyjama party’. As I don’t own either I decided to go for a onesie, quite a nice one, from Next. I didn’t realise how popular onesies are. There are a plethora of designs (most bought for the party were amusing) and indeed Lucinda had difficulty buying one for her as most were sold out in her size! After wearing one for the evening I can see the attraction, especially if you live in a cold house, they are extremely warm. A little too warm for me!

With the media hype surrounding St Jude’s storm we were half expecting total destruction when we woke on Monday morning. Yes, there were individual tragedies around the country but the effects in Dorset consisting mainly of a lot of leaves and small branches in the road. Therefore we decided that we would take advantage of a bonus day and again head for another of our usual haunts: Lyme Regis.

Lucinda and I are big fans of Lyme Regis and with its sandy beach it is an excellent place for the girls to play and make sandcastles. So after a tour of the town and a quick toasted teacake we headed to the beach. As we wandered down the front, watching the waves break over the Cobb we randomly picked a spot on the sandy part of the beach for the girls to play. Then one of those quirk of fates occurred, sitting not 20 feet in front of us on the beach was Tia and her family, the little girl that Éowyn had played with at West Bay Play Area the day before. Éowyn, Amélie and Tia played together on the beach very nicely, however Tia had sea interface error and as she was due to go to the cinema later that afternoon her mum had to run off and buy a new set of clothes. She wasn’t the only one in the shop either, it seemed to be a very common occurrence, bonus time for the children’s clothing department!

Tuesday saw a departure from our usual haunts and instead we headed to Portland (Dorset not Oregon) to visit my mom’s cousin Margaret and her husband Ray. My mom and Auntie Margaret were close when Auntie Margaret still lived in West Bromwich and growing up we saw a lot of Auntie Margaret but it wasn’t until my Nan’s funeral the previous Thursday that I had seen them this century. It seemed to be a shame to be so close to them and not pop over to introduce them to the latest members of the Bagnall family.

We had a fantastic day on Portland. Éowyn and Amélie made themselves at home at Margaret and Ray’s and were on their best behaviour entertaining us all. Before the rain swept in we paid a visit to Fancy’s Farm, which if you ever find yourself on Portland you should visit. It is a community farm and is free to enter (although donations are welcome) and kids (and big kids alike) will enjoy feeding the animals. Éowyn was a little nervous of the animals and was shamed into feeding some of them by her little sister. Amélie showed no fear at all, even when feeding Harvey the shire horse that dwarfs me and whose head alone was bigger than she was. Amélie also held a guinea pig which Éowyn reluctantly held afterwards, just to show that she wasn’t scared. We returned just before dark, in time for the evening meal and the third, and main fancy dress night of the week. The theme this year was 70’s and 80’s.

As you can see from the photos, once again everyone took the theme to heart. Again it was the brainchild of Adam and Lucy and Zoe and Steve. The evening meal was suitably fitting to the era with Cordon Bleu Chicken, Spam Fritters, Potato Croquets and Spaghetti Hoops for main course and Viennetta, Arctic Roll and Black Forest Gateau for desert all to a 70’s and 80’s soundtrack. For some reason I felt very comfortable in my flowery shirt and bell-bottom jeans. Once again the family owe a big thank you to the organisers, it was great fun.

Wednesday saw the Bagnalls chilling out at the house. This was in part to the fact that neither Lucinda or I had had a full night’s sleep all week and in part due to the excitement of the girls by having their cousins on tap all week and journeys across the Dorset landscape. Also it was our turn to cook the evening meal.

The house was hired from Friday 25th October to Friday 1st November but Friday 1st November was the day that we completed on our new home (see the following update) and so we had decided that we were going to leave on Thursday night after the evening meal. Therefore we didn’t want waste the day. Earlier in the week a number of the family had headed to Cerne Abbas to solve a treasure trail. Everyone said how much they enjoyed it and so we thought that it would be a fitting end to the week. Plus I have always wanted to see the Cerne Abbas giant so what better excuse?

The treasure trails are great fun, you have to eliminate suspects in a fictional murder but following the trail and solving clues. The trail took us all over Cerne Abbas culminating at the Giant viewpoint. It was great fun and we got to see far more of Cerne Abbas then one would normally of a day trip to a town. There are a large number of these treasure trails as you can see from the website and I would heartily recommend them.

So ten Badger Moots have come and gone and new members have been added to the clan (myself and our three children included) let us hope that this is a traditional that continues for at least another ten years.

Peace and Love

Baggie

PS: Sorry for the longest write up in this site’s history, to recompense you for the lack of photos in recent updates here are 33!

Run!

Jazzy!

Aaarrgh!

My first pint

Wow!

Go on, another sip

And the final touch

What is this stuff?

Nanny and Granddad

Just walking on the beach

Not leaving!

OK, I’m coming!

Wellies in the sea

Why the big horse?

Can I have one?

80’s girls

I was your age when that was fashionable

Nice mullet

Nice afro

Pacman

What have you done?

Jive talking

Nanny and Granddad

The Badger siblings

The Old Rectory

It’s a bit windy

Portland Bill

Think I’ve pulled

This isn’t fancy dress

Have you seen my mommy?

Oh, Mickey you’re so fine, you’re so fine you blow my mind, hey Mickey!

Afro brothers

80’s girl

Éowyn’s Fifth Birthday

Friday 1st November 2013Saturday 2nd November 2013Baggie

This was meant to have been posted before we went on holiday, but life got in the way and so this post is very belated. Apologies, but it will mean that you will possibly have 3 (if life doesn’t get in the way again) updates in the next week or so.

The second and third weeks of October were emotional, pivotal, exciting and to top it all, the week that our oldest child celebrated her fifth birthday. Yes, five years ago we became parents when Éowyn came into our lives. I probably write this every year and will do for years to come, but it does not seem like five minutes ago that I first held her in my arms. So, need I explain the first sentence a little more?

Emotional – obviously with the passing of my Nan at the beginning of the week.

Exciting – My 40th birthday present and the track day in the Ariel Atom.

I have missed one haven’t I?

Pivotal – The most pleasant of the big news stories of the last couple of weeks is that we have exchanged on our new home. The remortgage on our current home is through and so the monies can be transferred and the 10% deposit paid and the contracts can be exchanged. We complete on the 1st November and the 5 months of an emotional rollercoster is easing into the station. Yes, there will be the small matter of making the new place a home, no to mention the packing, moving and unpacking that we are yet to face but positive moves are afoot and we can let ourselves believe that it is actually going to happen! But the gory details of the move will be a subject for another update what have we missed since the last update about the Bagnall household?

As you may recall from the write up entitled Amélie’s Third Birthday Éowyn’s N.C.T. group 5th birthday party was held at Alice Holt but unfortunately due to work commitments I was unable to go. Therefore with an rare Sunday off we decided to head to Alice Holt for a family day out. To make it a little bit more fun we told my university friends Charlie and Mel hoping that their boys and our girls would have someone new to play with. When we woke that Sunday morning the heavens had opened and it was heavily raining. Undaunted we still headed to Alice Holt and so, too, did Charlie and Mel. Thus the two families trudged through the rain and the mud, with wellies and waterproofs, you have to be prepared. We headed to Charlie and Mel’s for coffee and cake before heading back home with two very tired girls. It was good to see Charlie and Mel and hopefully we will have better weather next time we meet up.

Éowyn’s actual birthday was a little subdued. Being a weekday she was at school. Unfortunately we may have set a bit of a precedent with taking cakes and sweets (Éowyn’s insistence) for her classmates. Although I was at work, I managed to get out a little early and headed to Nanny and Granddad’s for a birthday tea with Uncle Michael, Auntie Cristina and Lauren and Maddie in addition to the Bagnalls and Nanny and Granddad. As ever she was spoilt with presents and thoroughly enjoyed her birthday cake that Nanny Fran had sent down with me earlier in the week.

Nanny Fran had planned to surprise Éowyn and come down on her birthday and stop the night. Unfortunately with Nan’s (Great Grandma’s) passing on the Monday before Éowyn’s birthday, Nanny Fran was unable to come down as she had a lot of organising to do and Nan’s affairs to put in order. As Éowyn didn’t know that Nanny Fran was coming down, she was not disappointed but nevertheless Nanny Fran was and so will have to make amends in a couple of weeks.

Éowyn has grown up considerably over the last couple of months and this is obviously due to school. With half-term approaching her love of education is not diminishing. It probably helps that she is one of the oldest children in the year and she is also gregarious and quite clever. She has received a number of stickers for good work and two certificates for being a ‘superstar‘ the first with explaining what a repeating pattern is and the second for reading. Yes, our little girl can now read (one of the first in the class to progress to reading – very proud parents). She also received a certificate for perfect attendance.

This information is not just second hand, we have received it first hand from Éowyn’s teacher when we had our first ‘proper’ parents’ evening. Miss Finbow spoke very highly of Éowyn, she said that not only is Éowyn academically bright but that she brightens the room with her presence. She will organise games with the other children and has learned to share and think about the other children, something she has demonstrated on a number of occasions. Miss Finbow said that there was nothing we needed to be worried about but just to continue the things we do with Éowyn to help develop her reading. We told Miss Finbow that we would be moving shortly and so we are concerned that it may affect Éowyn and she said that she would keep a close eye on Éowyn and report if she thinks that it is having any adverse effects on our eldest. She did say a nice thing in reply to our news though, almost pleading with us not to take Éowyn out of the school as she would miss her.

It is a shame that Amélie isn’t quite as well behaved. She has been a little naughty (although still cute with her naughtiness) of late. It is probably due to the upheaval in her life at the moment. She is no longer the baby of the family, Ezra has taken that accolade. She is going to school but only twice a week while Éowyn goes everyday. Also Éowyn is getting a lot of praise with her school work, she has a birthday and then three weeks later Éowyn has a birthday.

This culminated in Amélie having a poo on the bathroom floor. Not sure why she didn’t go to the toilet, or indeed the potty that was in her room but when we asked her why she had done it, she denied that it was her. Not only did she deny that it was her but blamed an imaginary friend, not her imaginary friend but one of Éowyn’s!

In Amélie’s defence, she has been very well behaved at school (nursery) and is enjoying going which is a great turnaround considering at the beginning of September she was nearly apoplectic with the notion of going. Now, she positively runs up the path eager to spend the day at TinyTots.

Before I leave you for the day a quick update on Ezra. His crawling has gone from Ninja rolling to crawling backwards to zooming around the house getting under your feet. He has also started to pull himself up on the furniture; not quite to his feet but to his knees, somehow I doubt it will not be long before he will progress to standing – then the trouble will begin.

Not the greatest selection of photos below, for which I apologise but rest assured there will be plenty uploaded to Flickr in the next week or so.

Peace and Love

Baggie