g-helen, Uncle Nick and pretty flowers

Well, we have had a very busy time of late. 

On Thursday and Friday it was Uncle Nick's performances in Leeds. We all managed to get there to see them (apart from Della, she preferred to sleep in the evening). They were brilliant, we were all very impressed and very much enjoyed our evenings watching excellent dialogue performed very well.

On Saturday we went to the North of England Flower Show in Harrogate, as a birthday present for g-helen (this is now how Della refers to Gran Helen). It was a fun day out. We saw some incredible displays, some live cookery and lots and lots of people*. I managed to eventually buy myself a magnolia tree in the shape I wanted and Simon bought another fruit tree (plum this time) for the allotment and g-helen got some short wellies for when she is out saving the planet. It was a lovely day. I don't have many photos, I was too busy looking at things and watching Della, below Della walks to the gates with her bag (she likes to carry something most places we go) and I'm sure Simon will have a few more photos of the day to put up later.  

*including a famous - the ex-England goalkeeper Paul Robinson. 

Hello little ladybird

While we were playing the other day Della discovered a ladybird. She was stroking it before I got my camera, then would not touch it again...




 

A weekend trip

While Simon sorted the allotment and got the potatoes in with Uncle Nick me and Della headed to Durham for a night. We did a few things, including...

While Simon sorted the allotment and got the potatoes in with Uncle Nick me and Della headed to Durham for a night. We did a few things, including...

In other garden news...

Della finds pushing the pushchair up and down steps a pleasure, unlike her mother...


 

A pre-loved beauty

Now the sun in shining and it's warm enough to play outside (I'm exaggerating there, and we still need coats!) we thought Della would benefit from having more outdoor play toys, until it is properly hot and we can get the paddling pool out! So at the bootsale on Sunday morning I spotted this beauty. We have been looking for a Wendy house for Della which was wooden and not plastic but at £10 i couldn't pass up this mock log cabin. 

She loves and I had to bribe her with a walk to the shop to get her back indoors after 2.5 hours playing outside...

Della and the Collins (Cheam) side of the family

I've been meaning to put up these pics from when Grandad Andrew and Maria came to visit. Here's one of us all having tea and cake at the Railway museum.  

This is Grandad Andrew getting ideas for the Aberdeen model railway

Della taught Maria how to make her favourite cheese scones.

Grandad Andrew read to Della...

...which is very similar to what his sister Aunty Linda did when her and Richard came to visit around a  week later. Della was very pleased to meet Linda at long last.

And Della was very impressed with the 'CapperVan' they arrived in.

Scarlet Fever

So it was my birthday yesterday and Simon had planned a little trip away for us and my parents were going to look after Della. We set off up to Durham, Della normally sleeps the whole way. however, after about 30 minutes she woke and was clearly running a temperature, pulling at her ears and throat and generally very unhappy. 

We decided to take her to a doctor as she also had a rash on her torso. I'm glad we did. After an examination she was prescribed antibiotics and we were told she had tonsilitis (the spatula used to look in her throat came out with blood on it!) and they suspected she also had Scarlet Fever. This was because the rash was typical of it and in combination with her throat they would diagnose this. 

So we cancelled our trip. I'm not sure we would have enjoyed it knowing she was so poorly. 

She is doing much better now, after her meds have taken affect. She still feels like she has sandpaper for skin on her back and tummy but she is battling on and trying her best to be happy and laughing. 

Here she had a snooze on her Granda...

After that (and after doing the dishes) she enjoyed birthday cake and football - proving how well she must have been feeling after Calpol! 

Outside, at last

When Della returned form Cambridge it was just about warm enough to play in the garden. I say play, Della was mainly concerned with doing chores like carry the washing basket and take the washing off the line. 

Then she enjoyed running up and down the little hill and playing football.

Should I jump or step sensibly, hmm...?

I've got business to attend to

Please ignore my snot in this very cute picture

Here, Della shows off the scarf Mammy knit for her while she was visiting Gran Helen

Daddy and Della sing

We sing and dance a lot in our house. Increasingly Simon is playing the guitar for Della, she loves it and he sounds great!!!!

A weekend in Cambridge

Daddy, Della and Lambsy recently made the trip to Cambridge to visit Gran Helen for the weekend.

Once she'd worken up, Della was very happy to see Gran Helen again.

 

She played catch, 

 

Ran on the running track,

Had lunch while watching punts,

Stopped for a photo, 

 

Picked a Daisy,

Stared through a gate,

 

Wandered along the river,

 

And made big shadows.

Easter bonnet

For Easter Della got a bonnet form Gran Anne and Granda. I used to love sitting my my Gandma decorating bonnets for the show. 

Della very much loved her bonnet and enjoyed sticking foam stickers of chickens and eggs on the hat

After all that busy dressing up it was time for tea. Della is very much enjoy role play at the minute and especially likes making tea for everyone and feeding her dolls!

  

When we got home after our trip we thought it was time to do some planting out. Della donned her bonnet and got her tools. While we were outside her friend Henry passed by on his bike. He was in full snow suit given the icy waether, Della looked like it was the middle of summer!!

Easter on the farm

On Easter Saturday we met Granda and Gran Anne at a farm. We had lots and lots of fun and saw all manner of animals. Della make sandcastles, fed goats, played on swings and fed a guinea pig with carrot on her knee

It turns out the guinea pig on her knee was one of her most memorable experiences ever. She keeps talking about it and obviously enjoyed it very much. Along with the tractor ride in blue barrels...