A frosty festive jaunt...

So this was to be Emily's first Christmas where she started to have an understanding of what it was all really about. Yep, after hearing the word repeated by Daddy for the first 2 weeks of December and being forced to look at pictures of Father Christmas, she finally started to get to grips with 'Sanda'. But as is ever thus, things never go quite to plan and the supreme being made sure he was kept at arms length. There were numerous opportunities to see the scary man in red and white...all declined. Indeed the very idea of sprinkling some Santa dust to help him find his way was met with complete disdain. Instead she preferred to keep well away from the funny old man, and enjoyed the rest of what Christmas had to offer instead, particularly all the lights, presents and singing the odd rendition of 'Dindle Bells'. Plus thoroughly enjoying all the edible festive fare that was on offer of course.

The supreme being with festive crown

We had travelled down for Christmas to see my brother, his family and my parents - and they had planned some lovely age-appropriate activities including a trip to the local farm. Emily delighted in feeding and stroking the animals, followed by a slap-up supper of potato hedgehogs. Mummy enjoyed it too as she won the best hedgehog competition. Christmas day saw Emily playing the perfect Santa's helper, dishing out presents to all concerned, followed by a lovely dinner and some wonderful frosty walks over the next few days. Then it was a long drive back up to our temporary abode in Lenzie to recover for a few days, before the festivities were set to continue with our annual New Year invasion of North Berwick.

Eye to eye with the goats

The favourite bit of Xmas - a close encounter with the local horses

The prize winning hedgehog

My brother likes to ham it up at Christmas

As if butter wouldn't melt post-present apocalypse

Grandad and Uncle David try to figure out how on earth the turkey had shrunk

Cousin Chloe provided entertainment on Emily's new ukelele

Exploring the frozen planet

Crunching through the forest

Merry Christmas everyone...

Drama queen...

Daddy: "Emily, who is your favourite Daddy?"
Emily: "Mummy."

Funny. Our daughter is definitely funny. She also does angry, stubborn, happy, crying, sad, thoughtful, pensive, sulky, brave and a whole host of other emotions. She's got them all down to a fine art. RADA awaits. Her acting ability is legion and growing by the week. It's a theatrical delight. The supreme being is truly a drama queen.

 Pensive daughter

  Sad daughter

 Desperately sad daughter

Braveface daughter

De Niro daughter

 Supremely angelic daughter

Toddler Art...

Toddlers love art. And so does Emily. Her birthday easel from Nana and Baba, and her bug-making kit from Grandma and Grandad, all went down a treat. She loves finger-painting, drawing and colouring pictures, pasting and sticking things, folding and ripping paper. In fact anything that generally involves getting messy and creative.

In the artistic zone

Now all this creative mess making might make for a mucky supreme being, but art activities are great for toddlers (and for Dad's too). They help toddlers get used to new textures and learn how paint and paper can be moved and manipulated. They are great for developing fine motor skills and help little ones use their fingers and feet to express thoughts, experiences and ideas. They also help Daddy spend quality time with his daughter in an environment when it really doesn't matter how bad his drawing is. In fact it sometimes makes his art making look positively good. And often all he's only really there for is to hold the pen tops, so it comes well within his artistic skill level. Bonus.

At a young age, children are still learning about shapes and lines. You can ask Emily to draw anything and she will. It just might not quite look like it in a literal representational sense. A tad more abstract perhaps. But rest assured if the supreme being says it’s a tree - then it most definitely is a tree! A woe betide anyone caught doubting the supreme being...

 Painting face and hands

 From left to right: Daddy, Emily and Mummy

(Daddy did the first and last, Emily did herself)

Supremely 2...

So where did that time go? On 2nd November Emily was 2 years old. What an amazing 2 years but boy have they flown in! To celebrate we invited all the family around for what will also be the last bash before we leave our home in Glasgow. (We're going to a hopefully short rent in Lenzie before we move to our final new destination. More of that story in due course.) The Rooke side had a very valid exeat due to extreme distance, but the Gurneys and Gediks arrived in force, complete with hats that were the order of the day from the birthday girl...

 Yep - they're all related

And yep - he's related too

And so the supreme being seemed to enjoy her 2nd birthday. She was excited at the presence of her 'young' cousins, looked a little bemused at all the present opening whilst some of those same cousins got stuck in, and exhibited some 'terrible twos' behaviour right on cue if things got a bit much. Her candle blowing had improved and will hopefully be perfected by the time she is 3. Bless her. It really was a grand old day though, and a fine way to end some lovely memories of Thornwood Terrace.

Videoclip: Supremely 2

 'Scary' Cousin

 'Posh' Cousin

 'Baby' Cousin

 'Ginger' Cousin

 The other one

 Enjoying new birthday easel

Gediks, Gurneys and Rookes: A year on from the last photo like this

Sr. Cerdo va a España

"Allo, Mr Orse" said Peeg. "Hello, Mr Peeg" said Horse.

"Do you like 'olidays?" said Peeg. "Yes" said Horse.

"Then let's go to Spain" said Peeg. "Yes" said Horse.

And so they went. Along with little Emily, Mummy and Daddy. And when I say they went with them, I mean they went everywhere with them. And everywhere that Peeg went. So Daddy had to go - with his mock French Peeg accent. And everywhere that Peeg and Daddy went, so went Horse and little Emily - with her cute 2 year old accent. Peeg and Horse helped overcome any difficulties that Spain presented. Peeg particularly did a lot of convincing, cajoling and coercing. It worked, after a fashion. Well, that and Disney's Frozen for the flights.

 Stunning Murcia from Sierra Espuna national park

The supreme being made lots of new friends in Spain. Robert and Catriona (wonderful friends who put up with us for a week) had 3 cats, Tiddles, Puss Puss and Fatty, and a resident Peahen who Emily named Big Bird (or Bad Bird - we weren't sure which). As is becoming a holiday tradition, Emily did her best to terrorise these poor creatures for the week. Robert and Catriona seemed to survive as well. In fact, by the end of the week everyone was living together in almost perfect harmony, despite the havoc the supreme being can wreak with her toddler's will of iron. The animal highlight was the purchase of a rubber snake on some string which kept all the animals and Emily amused for hours going round and round the house.

 

 Big, Bad Bird

 Puss, Puss spent most of the week hiding from Emily in the tree

 Tiddles and Big Bird playing chase the snake

Robert and Catriona were fantastic hosts and we had a really, really relaxing and enjoyable time. There were trips to the beach at Mazarron and the mountains in Sierra Espuna. There was watching the sunrise and sunset from their veranda overlooking Murcia. There were adventures in the gorge at nearby Estrecho de la Arboleja, history at the tower in Aledo, and beauty at the converted Monasterio Santa Eulalia. There was stunning scenery, book reading by the pool, gastronomic delights including the most expensive fish I have ever bought (Bacalao), and a little indulgence of the local brews. But most of all was some lovely conversation and fun, fun, times with a healthy dose of R&R, and the cementing of a friendship and meeting of minds with Robert and Catriona. Thanks to them both for such a wonderful welcome and a brilliant stay. Emily especially loved the Zumba with Catriona!

 Videoclip: Zumba-tastic

 Sunrise from the verandah

 'Hosts of the Year' - Robert and Catriona

 Obligatory holiday ice cream

 'The Bare Necessities' - an instant hit

Pool strumming

 Toddler chain at Estrecho de la Arboleja

 No fear

 The view from El Balcon

Rookes on tour

 The local hostelry at Monasterio Santa Eulalia

Local town of Aledo

Views from the tower (part 1)

 Views from the tower (part 2)

 Well rehearsed for the beach after Wales

Sand, sea and mountains

 Murcian sky at night

 Friends strolling in Sierra Espuna

 A supreme being in supreme happiness