Snippets

Oliver went to a ballet class today. Our friend Claire took him and reported on her return that he was the most enthusiastic performer. He loves music and dance generally so I wasn't surprised. I think that will become a regular activity now.

Tomorrow is Hayley's birthday. Oliver chose the card he is giving to her. At first he was very keen on a Get Well Soon card, but thankfully he spotted a nice birthday card instead at the last minute.

This evening while Hayley got ready to go out with some friends, Oliver lead Lucy and I in some dance moves to accompany some "A-to-Z of the Eighties" music videos on VH-1. He shouted instructions and acted as lead choreographer. It's not easy touching your toes and then quickly reaching into the air when you have an 8 month old child perched on your right arm.

Lucy so likes sitting on my right arm as I wander around the house, that I have taken to calling her my little bird. The way she sits there, coupled with those beady blue eyes of hers, reminds me of nothing so much as a little bird on a branch.

This week I have taken every afternoon off to help Hayley rest and recover from her knee operation. Fingers crossed, it seems to have paid some benefits and her knee has a lot more movement than before the operation. A couple of times this week in the afternoons she managed to get Lucy to nap with her on our bed while Oliver and I went out to the park or elsewhere. This afternoon she went to do the same but after 10 minutes came back down and insisted we switch: she sitting reading with Oliver and me taking the nap with Lucy. After some hesitation I was persuaded and lay down beside the sleeping beauty. It's the first time since she was a very small baby I have done that and I know these opportunities will be rare, so it was a real treat to fall asleep next to her adorable little face.

Lucy currently love to take my glasses of my face. She then either drops them or tries to put them back. She also spends a lot of time waving to people, or even to no-one in particular. She does it by just holding her hand up and bending her fingers. It looks the cutest thing.

Today being Friday, we had fish, chips and mushy peas for dinner. This was also true for Lucy who has it all pureed together and loves it.

Yesterday afternoon when Hayley went to hospital to have the stiches removed from her knee, I took Oliver and Lucy to the park. It was surprisingly quiet for such a nice day and at one point I had both my children next to each other in the two "baby" swings. As they swung back and forth I sat in the floor between them leaning first towards Oliver as he passed and shouting "boo" and then to Lucy and doing the same. They were both laughing. A priceless moment.