The past few days...

Have been busy. We played up in Durham Sunday where it snowed a bit. Della was quite excited by this despite it not lying. 

She has become very good at colouring in recently and is very determined not to go over the lines... 

She also got measured for a new cardigan by gran Anne. It's purple. Her best favourite colour... 

Then today we had to take the car to the garage for its mot. Handily there is a wacky warehouse quite close by so we hung out there playing in the balls, going down slides and having some lunch. 

Muddy puddles

Della and mammy are in Durham while daddy plasters the spare bedroom. Yesterday we went to play with Ethan and given all the recent wet weather it was fairly wet and muddy. This is good for two year olds... 

Bumble bee

Della does love being a bumble... 

This morning

Della has become increasing concerned about looking after her babies. This morning after changing nappies and giving milk she insisted on having her photo taken with baby Annabel - twice! 

Although she doesn't look too happy in these photos this is her serious face, and looking after baby Annabel is serious business! 

Lazing on a Sunday afternoon

This weekend began in style. We went out on Friday night to celebrate burns night at a friends house party. Lucky for us we had a babysitter in the form of gran Anne not only for the night but also for Saturday morning. Granda soon joined us and we had a relaxing day hanging out at home. 

Later in the day we went for a swimming lesson which della very much enjoyed. As the lesson was at a local school close to where my friend lives we also called in for a cuppa and to play with some big girls (aged 4 and 6). Della loves them very much. 

This morning it was raining lots so we went swimming again. 

After that is was time for a pub lunch, turns out della likes a sirloin! 

After the pub we hit the tent shop. We have been determined to get a tent we all fit in comfortably for a while and although we certainly won't be sleeping under the stars in January we have taken advantage of the sale prices ready for spring! 

We are now playing at home. Mainly hide and seek and drawing... 

Cake pop

Last week gran Anne came to play. Her and della spent a long time in the kitchen being very busy bees making cake pops (cakes on sticks made into fun things). 

Penguins were their choice! 

Bees and Ice Cream

Della ran round and round the living room yesterday, dressed in her bee outfit from her American family



Also, look how effectively she got Uncle Nick cleaning up after her on his recent visit

A bit scary

Gran Helen got Della a fun game involving cupcakes and memory. It turns out that Della has some kind of photographic memory and blew our minds at how quickly she memorized all ten cakes, who had which ones and which pile they should go on to match...



It's also quite nice that she likes that we are all winners.

...last few christmas pics

Just a few more pics from Christmas, including Della showing off her butterfly nail stickers (which are the thing she treasures most in the world when they're on her nails), all the christmas presents she opened in York, and her and cousin Ethan flying high on the swings in Durham. 

Other festive photos

While up in Durham we did lots of playing with Ethan. Here they share a bike ride on Ethan's new trike

Go for a walk down the park

Go for a slide...

Have dinner together

We decided to play a game of cards with Della - she very much enjoys team games with everyone involved. This was a matching game using Peppa Pig cards. It was lots of fun. 

Here Della deals the cards adding an addition spin in for every cards she deals... 

When we returned home Della got very wrapped up and headed out to buy milk for Mammy and Daddy. 

Boxing Day

Over the Christmas period we have all suffered from some kind of terrible tummy bug. This meant that it was a slow Boxing day for us. It began with Della on the phone demanding to see her cousin Ethan.

As if by magic her arrived and got to give out presents alongside Della 

Della loves Ethan very much

Christmas Day

It's been quite a bust festive season so I've only just got round to sharing about Christmas morning. Della was very excited when she woke up and shout 'Mammy, Daddy, don't go down stairs without me'. So we all went down together and found that Santa had eaten his random assortment of snacks we left for him and that Ruolph and scoffed his carrot.

She was very excited to find lots of presents in the living room but was mighty low at opening them. in fact after she had opened a couple she declared that she had opened enough and that we should wait until tomorrow to open the rest. however with a little encouragement she carried on...

Very happy with new books and new clothes for Rita

Showing some might strength carrying her new trampoline

We had to build the wheel barrow there and then for her to use 

She received some play cleaning items from one of her friends (they know her well) which meant that on Christmas morning we all found ourselves on the kitchen floor sweeping up. The family that cleans together stays together. 

After Christmas morning in York we jumped in the car and headed up to Durham for more presents and Christmas dinner. Della was excited to get some goggles for swimming

Fortunately there were no trips to A&E this year for emergency care on stuffing ball damaged eye balls!

Very happy girl 

Della got a scooter from GranAnne and Granda. she was very excited by this and despite her bizarre physical limitations - she still sometimes struggles to climb onto the bed - she soon picked up scootering. 

Daddy spends more time building things

All in all it was a very fun day