What we've been up to...

Danna came for a few days and brought the knits she's been working on - colours chosen by Isaac. Photos of them together are always very hit and miss - to get this

we had lots of these...

Just before Matthew left we went out for lunch and ended up with an impromptu carry with Isaac in the rain - scuse the sloppy wrap job.

Good job the brolly was see-through.

We reached the 11 month mark. I'm sure she thinks she's 3 though as she wants to do everything her brother does.

Every few days the cry goes up that he wants to go and play in the to shop. We rarely buy anything but we do lots of trying out...

We do daily (many times a day) train tracks. I really don't mind building them buy pushing a train around them is boring when you're 37 - I guess I'm just not as imaginative as Isaac.

The piano is Isabel's favourite thing at the moment.

The boy is honing his portraiture skills.

And erm... 'smiling' for the camera

Isabel is at the stage where everything is 'in'. She climbs in every box, basket or bath and dips things in and out of mugs, bowls and any other receptacle she can find - well it is important to clean your stone before you suck it....

Outdoor play always ends the same way...

Finally mended

Well that was a bit of trial. The day Matthew left for a 10 day trip the computer died and despite my best efforts he beat it back. We are finally reunited and there's a lot of catching up to do.

Thankfully the weather has been kind to us and we've been spending a lot more time outdoors which always ends up with small children in the waterlogged sandpit and then a warm bath - more of which another day.

But for today there's some fun on the bikes.

If in doubt as to how to get on your bike, this is how it's done when you're 11 months...

Pause

there will be a (hopefully) brief pause in blogging whilst I deal with some computer issues....

Shadow play

The problem with gates

is that whatever you want to do is on the other side....

Explorer

Now she can do the stairs she wants to climb them all the time. When she gets to the top she pauses and makes the decision to go straight on into the bathroom (to try and persuade me to give her a bath) or to turn left and explore the bedroom for more climbing and exploring. If I try to draw her to the bedroom at the front of the house she gets distracted by the attic stairs and the ultimate prize that awaits her up there, Daddy! It's so lovely seeing her exploring and to see the cognitive developments that go with this climbing.

If she's not climbing up she's climbing on

climbing off

or climbing in

Helping herself

She's getting the hang of food and cutlery....

We've heard back from the insurance and the loss adjuster was wrong, we are covered and they will mend the roof. Hurray! It's still going to be the end of March before it's done but at least it's one less thing to think about.

Make up and mend

I've always mended what I could of broken toys etc and the boy loves nothing more than using gloopy pva glue so he's now taken over as chief mender. He doesn't have any help, just gets on with it. OK so it's not in line with the other ones but who needs perfection when you can have independence.

He's suddenly decided he wants to be doing things and declared today that he wanted to glue, no cut, not print, no play doh...

The play doh needed a hair cut

And erm a cup puppet with hair was created and then played with. Isn't imagination great.

This weekend we've mostly been...

Playing with plasticine.

Playing peek a boo.

Being Thomas.

And erm playing with tissues.