Buster

I will be very glad to see the back of December. The Bear was attacked by another dog in a local park this morning (Finny was on a lead the other dog wasn't) and as a result Finny has had to have anaesthetic and some stitches in his ear. He's now trashing the house crashing into everything with his buster collar.

In between

It's been a funny week with the two bank holidays. There has been a bit of shopping (big mistake with an hour in the car park trying to get out), playing hunt the tradesman and some seeing of friends but mostly we've been home birds.

Isabel can make her own entertainment....

Isaac needs a bit of help building his.

And a bit of row your boat helps keep everyone calm.

It looks like it's going to be into February before we'll get the roof fixed but the plus side is we'll get rid if the artex ceiling and as the front bedroom will be emptied so they can do the work we may as well get rid of the woodchip wallpaper and repaint the walls etc too. We might even get to put the chandelier up that we bought seven years ago....

Sometimes they're adorable

Christmas came to us

Yesterday the roof got worse instead of better and the birth pool was called on to rescue the floor. We now have a bigger hole in the ceiling so that the pooled water is now all out but it's all very damp and will be a big job to fix. Thankfully the insurance will cover it.

After thinking Christmas would be a very quiet affair my mum and brother came for the day and we've had a lovely Christmas. I hope everyone else has had a lovely day.

The best laid plans

We were planning on being in Norfolk yesterday and have been weather watching all week. Turns out it's not the roads that we needed to worry about but our roofing.... we've had water dripping through the bay window roof in the bedroom for the last 48 hours.

We've had two attempts to fix it enough so that we can go away but so far it's still dripping....

Another hammock

Isabel was enjoying a bit of a swing although Isaac doesn't really do gently so I had to make sure she didn't fall out....

It has become traditional that he must have a book. I like it!

And then that hour after dinner when everything can descend to madness was instead used for a bit of snow play - a cooking tray filled with snow and some food colouring along with a few cocktail sticks and Colin and Kevin were created.... I can't remember which mound was which now but he was very definite about the names. It's a new phase that everything has to have a name.

And then it snowed

So we've been having to make entertainment indoors including a wrap hammock over the dining table for the boy.

There has been the odd outing into the snow - mostly because we needed provisions.

Isabel is loving rattling the latches board.

I have to photograph her surreptitiously because as soon as she spots the camera she heads for it.

The boy has a temperature again - he seems mostly ok just hot. So he's been mostly watching cbeebies but we did do a little painting this morning.

And then he helped me with some baking. I have fond memories of making mince pies with my Gran and it's always a pleasure to use these baking tins. I would have liked to make mince pies but as we didn't have any mince meat it had to be jam tarts.

This is what happens to pastry when you have small helpers.

They tasted ok though!

Isaac likes to lie on the floor and be a patient - as I lay down to talk to him a small girl headed my way and lay her head on me. It was very sweet.

The death of a 1000 bunnies

We had a poorly patient today but he was well tended and tucked up in bed with a rabbit and some toys and a snack

with a slightly lumpy bag for a pillow

and an attentive nurse.

Isabel got to play with a spoon and some avocado dip...

And then she took up her weapon

and started pounding....

A new wall

I can't believe how quickly she's growing up.

We've changed the art wall and moved all the old pictures into Isaac's art box and put up some new art. The two above the clock were painted especially for today.