Autumn Leaves

Umbria!

We've been lucky to have lots of holidays this year - although we've realised that sometimes holidays with two children are not as relaxing as holidays used to be, and that being at home is more restful! Anyway, we had a lovely time in Umbria for Hannah and Ian's wedding. Stella made good friends with Ella and Rosie, two second cousins of Hannah and cousins of each other, who were staying in the same Agrotourismo as we were. She loved the food of course - pasta, pizza and gelato heaven! Unfortunately the pool was freezing cold so Stella took to being my coach and running up and down the poolside as I swam! Both she and Affy were brilliant at coping with all the late night dinners which surrounded the wedding. At around nine, Stella would just go and sit in her buggy and go to sleep - Amazing!

In Wales

We've had a lovely summer of UK holidays including a trip to South Wales for a week. I think the highlight for Stella was sleeping on the top bed of a bunk bed at one of the houses which we rented in St Davids, but we also had a great time visiting the National Welsh Botanic Gardens where I took these pictures. We're already having to start thinking about which school Stella will go to as we have to make our application at the beginning of next year. She won't start until January 2009 though. In the meantime she's still enjoying Little Buds three days a week.

Stella has entered the phase of devotion to all things pink (do all girls go through this??) and having persuaded me to buy her a pink tutu a few weeks ago has now started ballet too (at her own request!). On the first day before we got there she announced that she wanted to go in on her own and for me and Africa to leave her there. So, I did as I was told (eye's misting up!) and she got on just fine. The second time I was a bit surprised that she was less gung ho about heading in, but after a few minutes watching she still went for it. Fortunately for now, ballet seems to mainly involve jumping around being a star and running around pretending to be a car. This seems pretty harmless! I must get a picture of the tutu soon..

A beach holiday in Whitstable

It's a busy life being three and there's not much time for writing blogs. But, today, thanks to Stella's sister waking me up for the day at four thirty, I find myself with time a the computer and an inability to think straight. So, instead I can post some pictures up here and write about what Stella's been up to.

These photos were taken during a little holiday we took in Whitstable in May. We stayed in a beach hut which Stella loved. In fact she wanted to stay there forever and never come home. Fortunately we did come home though and I think, in the end, she would have missed her cousins next door, her friends and her toys. Books are still probably Stella's favourite thing in the world and it's a rare occasion that an offer of being read to is turned down. She also spends lots of time playing with small figures, chatting to them and making up stories. Once a week I try and take her swimming, either in the new lido at London Fields or the local pool and she absolutely loves it. Her confidence is growing in the water, and who knows, maybe by the end of the summer she'll be well on her way to her first doggy paddle!

She's getting interested in letters now too and can recognise quite a few - S is a favourite obviously, but also M (for Mack, her friend at nursery), and F for Fran and P for Pearl another friend and A for Africa. Lots more too, I'm sure.

She still loves going to Little Buds and amazingly for me is one of the big girls now. Tim and I are off to visit a potential primary school tomorrow. It's all coming very fast!

Stella is Three!

Grizedale Forest

We spent a wonderful couple of weeks in the Lake District at Grandma and Grandad's house recently while Tim was in America on a book tour. OK, Stella did wake up a scream the house down at 5 am every morning and one day, when I refused to get up, she proceeded to decorate Grandad's office with highlighter pen... but apart from that we had a lovely time! Here's Stella running on a bench in Grizedale Forest where there's a great walk with wooden musical instruments along the path.



Here's a picture of Stella's art work from Grandad's wall which has thankfully been painted over now.

Scary pair

Stella loves to pull faces these days. Here she is taking lessons from the expert...

Potty Training

This little girl may look like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth but I have to say that potty training her has forced me to discover new levels of tolerance!! Hopefully it will all be over soon and we will be able to go out of the door without a hundred changes of clothes once more...