Friday 29 July 2011

Visitors and a birthday

It was my dad's birthday a couple of weeks ago. For a birthday treat the UK-resident family got together for a party and a trip to Go Ape. Fun was had by all, and here are the photos to prove it.










Andy, we missed you. We got makka pakka to stand in for you in the family photo.

Tuesday 19 July 2011

Curls

Someone's hair is going curly at the back... I am quietly hopeful my girl will have a head full of curls!

Tewkesbury and a christening

Many years ago, pre-Marisca (and pre-Tim!!) I sang in an amazing Church choir in Reading. Time passed and we all went our separate ways, but I kept in touch with Philip, the choir master. This weekend he invited me to Tewkesbury, to sing evensong with his choir. I jumped at the chance to meet up with old friends and have a good sing!

While I rehearsed:

Marisca explored the Abbey:


And showed Tim her new skill of climbing on to benches:


She was very well-behaved during the service, of course, and fell asleep in the car on the way to Tim's parents.  If only she had stayed asleep that night, but that's a different story!

It really was a lovely day for me - I had forgotten how much I enjoy singing church music in the setting of a service.  It's spurred me on to find a good choir or two here: probably not through the Church we go to, but certainly locally.

To round off a busy weekend, we headed to Cambridgeshire on Sunday for the Christening of Eve, Tim's new goddaughter.  Here are the parents, godparents and Eve, inbetween the showers:


After that it was a drive back up the A1 to home.  Marisca coped really well with all the time in the car this weekend, but we won't be doing that much travelling again for a while.  It's unfair to keep her in the car for that long when she really wants to be out and about exploring!

Monday 18 July 2011

Visitors

Last weekend we had visitors come to spend their holiday with us. Fraser, Duncan, Cory, and Trish drove down from Aberdeen and spent a few days here. It was really great to have them visit, and lovely to have guests for longer than a flying visit. Cory and I sampled a lot of local brews and I finally made it to Fanny's. The boys had a huge amount of fun too, playing with Marisca and her toys, and Risky certainly enjoyed watching two grown up boys running about the place. She may have picked up some tips on walking too: you should see her go now. She's almost running!

I missed out on a couple of days of fun what with having to go to work, but we had good times going down to Roberts park for cycling and playing, up to the glen for a walk and enormous Sunday lunch, into Ilkley for breakfast at Betty's and lunch and walking at the cow & calf. The boys enjoyed the cycling and Marisca enjoyed the walking.

We also had fun playing my tuba - Duncan can make a pretty decent note although he does need to work on sustaining a little more. Still, he's only got a wee little diaphragm. We haven't got any photos of that (Cory - if you have any good ones then please send them over!) so here are a few others.


Marisca up on the glen. Yes, this rock really is that steep and yes she walked up it no problem.


Swings at the park at the bottom of the road. Fraser's going a little bit higher and quicker than Risky manages...


Watching the rain at the Old Glen House.




The boys on their bikes. We're very impressed that Fraser can ride a proper bike (he's only just 3!) and that Duncan can go so fast (and stop when requested).

Sunday 3 July 2011

Fourteen months


We're definitely into summer here now: Marisca enjoyed toddling round the park this afternoon while we sat and enjoyed ice creams and the live music from the bandstand.  It gave us time to reflect on all the changes in the last month - she really is growing up now, but we know there is a lot more to come!

Aside from walking, Marisca is much more communicative these days.  'More' is a very useful sign, which she uses during meals to tell us when she wants more/something else/what we're eating (even if it's the same as she has), but also at other times to tell us when she's hungry.  She also signs for finished, but we have to ask first to get that sign...

If she wants you to read a book she'll bring it over and put it in your lap.  If she wants you to open a box of raisins she'll bring it over and put it in your lap.  If you ask her where teddy is she'll look at her cot.  If you aks her if she would like some fruit she'll look at the fruit bowl... the list goes on, all signs of a little girl who is learning to communicate with us.  Of course, she's also quick to tell us when she's annoyed: usually when we're preventing her from doing something she really wants to do like play with Mummy's phone!  I can see the tantrums looming, but she's not quite there yet.

This coming month is a big one as Marisca will start going to nursery two days a week.  It will be interesting to see how that affects her, and what she learns from the other children there.  She's loved her settling in days so I think my little girl is ready for a new adventure.

Saturday 2 July 2011

100 posts of Mariscariness!



To celebrate 100 posts, here's a rare picture of Marisca having a picnic without a) any food in her hair, and b) a smile on her face [I think her cheeks are too full to smile]

Arts and crafts

Interesting. I was going to post this about how Marisca wasn't going to be an artist as both Elspeth and I remember her not really enjoying the painting we did the other day. Admittedly I've left out the photo where she's eating the paint, but you tell me - does she look like she's having fun?






Let me out!




As you'll have noticed, I've found a bit of time to sit down and sort out photos, so this is the 4th blog post of the day.

Elspeth may have already said, but we've found we really like our back yard. It's nice for Marisca to be out and about enjoying the outside, while still being relatively well contained. Hopefully by the time she's big enough to reach the latch she'll also know when she should and shouldn't be using it. For now, she spends about half of her time in the yard at the gate, rattling it and shouting to passers by to let her out. We're assuming this is from a desire to explore rather than a need to get away from her parents...

Walking, almost

Not that Marisca is almost walking - she's definitely doing that (in short stints), but that I've almost got pictures of her doing it. These are actually from before the holiday when she only managed a couple of steps before falling, but you can see definite foot movement in the first few frames.





I think in this one she's got a good Sumo pose going on.



Roly poly roly poly!