We’ve just had a lovely (and exhausting?) couple of weeks off for Christmas with the kidlets. It was absolutely the best Christmas ever. To be able to feel Alice’s excitement when it came to arranging the carrot for Rudolph and the cookies – she insisted on baking gingerbread – for santa, was just amazing. And by feel I mean actually feel - she was physically shaking with excitement a lot of the time! Every morning on the way up to Christmas I would wake up to an Alice 2 inches from my face saying “9 days to go mummy”. Slightly adorable, slightly terrifying.
The girls were so incredibly behaved over Christmas day. I’d prepared myself for some epic breakdowns over sharing presents and over excitement, but they were beautiful. They played, and shared, and were both just so so happy. It helped that we were at home I think, and they could play with their own stuff, but they were lovely.
So, time for a bit of a catch up.
Dear Alice, you are now 45 months old.
You are so tall and slender now! You would survive pretty much on snacks and air given the opportunity, so it can be a bit of a battle at tea time. We’re currently we’re just going with – here is your food. If you do not eat it, you will be hungry. You don’t really eat much meat, you would survive entirely on green beans and corny cob given half the chance I’m sure.
You love nursery. You love the social aspect, and seeing all your friends. You love running round like a crazy person. You are learning so much every day, and when you come home you are just shattered. You told me a few weeks ago that your full name had 7 syllables and then proceeded to clap it out for me. You are constantly correcting me (“Mummy don’t be silly, that is not true”) and telling me all the exciting things you have learned. I am so happy you like it and it’s a pleasure to see you grow. I love the nursery, and I think your teacher is brilliant.
Just before Christmas was your school nativity, where you were a twinkly star. Watching you stood there singing Away In A Manager was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen and I am so incredibly glad that I could be there. The last week at nursery, you did the panto, 2 lots of nativity, nursery party, and Santa came in. You were shattered and grumpy, but I know you had a lovely time.
The past few weeks you’ve improved your pen control (“pinchy parrot”!) and now write and draw beautifully. I love the imagination and thought that goes into your drawings. This morning before school you drew me, daddy, baby Violet and Amelia, and it’s the nicest picture ever. Unfortunately you did draw it red pen on red paper so it’s a little difficult to photograph / see but I know it’s there! You wrote beautiful placecards on Christmas day for everyone, and you insisted on writing all your own Christmas cards this year.
You are so good at singing and dancing and you are always telling me “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, the show is about to begin” followed by 25 minutes of twirling and leg pointing. You got a few more dressing up clothes for Christmas and often the show requires a costume change. You will refuse any help, and currently want to get dressed on your own every day. Pants took 30 minutes last week, but you did tell me that pants were tricky.
The past few weeks at home with everyone you have been lovely, with patches of crazy. You still wake up at 6 / 6.30, so by the evening you are just shattered and grumpy. The one person you always have time for is Violet, although you’ve taken to calling her Cubby or Vi. You love her to pieces, as long as she’s not trying to use the toy your currently using. Which is 98% of the time. I love seeing you chase each other round and tickle chase, it really makes my heart sore, but my ears hurt!
You've taken to wanting to perform a Crufts like routine every evening where you have to jump through the hoop - both of you. I have no idea where you got this from but it keeps you occupied for hours. I'm thinking if we can work up to lighting the hoop perhaps we'll get on Britains Got Talent?
It snowed too! You loved the snow and made a snowman called Snowy but then you got cold and I made chicken soup and it was the wrong kind of chicken soup.
Love you pudding cup!
Baby Violet you are now 16 months old, and it’s fair to say you are a chunky monkey. You will eat anything and everything that isn’t nailed down. Last night you stole and apple off your sister and ate the whole thing behind the sofa – core and all. This was maybe an hour after a Sunday dinner, and a whole orange for pudding. You are a lovely cuddly eating machine!
You completely dote on your big sister, and want to follow her round, do whatever she’s doing and basically be her shadow. Your favourite thing to play with is Alice’s pushchair and your little babies you got for Christmas. You sit them in the highchair with you and you feed them and blow on their food – it is literally the nicest thing I’ve ever seen. You normally carry 2 babies round with you ,1 under each arm. You push round and snuggle them and tuck them into bed with their bottles – aww!
We went to Wheelgate the other day and you went on the train with me for the first time! I forget how big you are getting, in my head you’re still super tiny but you are running round and playing games now. You run really quickly, and have completely changed shaped from a baby to getting to be a toddler.
You just want to be involved in anything with people. You are still very content and happy, but have had a few tantrums these past few weeks! One lasted 45 minutes, because I wouldn’t let you have the toilet brush. You do have a completely different personality to Alice though – you’re more wary of new people and new places. You want to be snuggled and hugged and carried much more, and you want to care for things. Alice always (and still does) just goes in headfirst, where you like to take a step back and assess what’s going on.
Although you don’t say much more, we know what you mean now. You make the right noises, and point at the right things. You could read books for hours, just changing the pages and pointing at all the pictures. You love pop up books – “there it is!”, and finding the bear.
You have gone back to waking up in the night most nights for some milk, which is frustrating!! We can’t possibly feed you any more, but if we don’t take you milk you just shout for hours! Cuddles won’t do – you are hangry! A bit wearing, but not forever I suppose. Hopefully.
You change so much every day, and I do love my girls. Best Christmas ever, and here's to many more of the same.
With love and light xo
