New Year

A New Year and all of the optimism it brings. I started a mental list as long as my arm of new years resolutions, but have yet to write them down - perhaps too overwhelming. However top of my list is keep calm, try to de-stress and it is ok not to pack everything in. I hope this will happen and rub off on my children as I feel we all need to go at a slower pace.

We had a great Christmas and New Year - albeit the scary storms we had in North Wales. Isobel had her first experience of a film on the big screen - "Frozen". Despite sobbing through quite a chunk of it, retrospectively, it was a big hit! Otherwise when it was sunny, it was down to the beach. Although winter, Isobel still tried to relax, making Angel wings in the sand:

Both kiddies had a ball:

Portmeirion in the distance

Twelve Weeks

Elis is 12 weeks old - feels quite a milestone and I am sure he is having another growth spurt! Since two weeks old he has loved his baths - especially if Isobel is also entertaining (splashing) him.

Isobel loved having Nain and Taid to stay just after Christmas and they seem to have a calming effect on Elis! Heledd also met Elis for the first time yesterday:

Isobel's favourite game at the moment is 'sleep overs' and Uncle Alexander, who is visiting us from Oz, can be very patient!

Countdown

It has been over two months since the last post - I wonder what we have been doing!! In a word - Elis! He is 11 weeks tomorrow and already starting to interact with Isobel - he loves it when she chats away to him and is often smiling as we are asking her not to do something which doesn't help....

Over the last couple of months the seasons have changed and now the frost has arrived I am waiting for my beautiful Cobea to wilt away. Having had no luck in grown it from seed in past years - the seed is like paper - , this time I sowed the whole pack - only for them all to work and to adorn our rickety fence. I adore the tubular flowers and the colours:

And we are counting down the 'sleeps' to Christmas Day. This year is FULL of anticipation as Isobel has really embraced it. She loves opening her Advent Calender (although have given up battling with her opening more than one a day - we reached the 24th last week!), to buying and decorating the tree, watching the advent candle burn down, making and wrapping presents.

Visiting a Christmas display with Granny:

And here she is making the annual gingerbread biscuits:

Christmas 2010

We spent this year at home and had a lovely and relaxing day - even with an excitable toddler. We all woke up to stockings at the end of our bed and quite honestly this might have been enough for Isobel. She loved sitting in bed, pulling out little wrapped goodies and ripping them opening. And especially discovering the chocolate money in the toe of the stocking!!! We couldn't get her down for breakfast - not even tempted with an egg (well eventually we did):

Having got the Turkey in the oven, and dressed:

we then started the grand opening. Isobel's face when she saw the presents under the tree was priceless and she was very keen to hand them all out and help open them...

First present -from Auntie Judes

Isobel open this one?

Wow....what a noise!

Ready for Christmas lunch

Do you like my hat?

Some quiet time watching Pingu- her favourite at the moment

Watching Cinderella Ballet in new fairy outfit

No room for cake on Christmas Day!

Shepherds' Warning

Last Saturday at breakfast time, a red light glowed through our front door glass:

Sure enough it wasn't long before the snowflakes began to fall (again):

Earlier in the week, Richard had spotted the sleighs were back in stock so having taken about 10 minutes to dress Isobel for the chilly weather, she was sliding around:

But literally two (maybe three) minutes later she was back inside exclaiming it was too cold.....So we stayed inside and made some gingerbread:

Yannick allowed Isobel within more than a metre (second time ever...):

And I finished a cardy for nextdoor's new arrival:

And made a Christmas wreath for the front door. Bay leaves are suppose to bring fame and fortune. The latter would be nice....

Decorating the Tree

We chose our Christmas tree today and it was lovely to decorate it with Isobel and watch her taking it all in and helping (although she thought her large teddy could be squashed onto the tree at one point...)

Glittering Reindeer

Father Christmas

Flying Angel

Little Elf-ette

Sparkling Jewels

They are the same each year, but I still love going and seeing the Christmas lights in Sloane Square  - the baubles hanging from the trees, the white Christmas trees lining the streets and the dripping department store.....no Birdseye advertising here (aka Oxford street a few years ago which was pretty awful). There were some lovely lights further down the road, but managed to catch these ones on my way home this evening (sadly no snow in town...unlike at home!)

Floating balls of light

Cascading lights