(In)dependence Day...

The supreme being is growing fast. It seems like every day she is learning a new thing to do or word to say. It's truly wonderful to see. In tandem with this though is a bizarre yearning for both complete independence and dependence at the same time. It's like you can't do anything for her, but you have to do everything for her (particularly if you are Mummy). One minute she's away off exploring, purposefully heading in the complete opposite direction to where you want her to go and is not for turning; the next she's physically attached to Mummy, refusing to let her more than a 10cm distance away. The former means it can take us hours to go anywhere or do anything...come to think of it, the latter pretty much amounts to the same thing too.

Expressing her independence

 Discovering the world through a tube

This yo-yo behaviour can be pretty tiring, particularly for Mummy. It must be tough keeping your cool with a two and a half foot supreme being attached to you whilst you try and take a shower one minute; then the next minute that same supreme being runs for the hills as you try to get her dressed. It's no wonder I sometimes return home from work to find a slightly frazzled wife delighted to be turning our beloved daughter over to me. I'm not always much use though...Daddy might be the best thing today, but by tomorrow it can be a different story as I appear to turn into the devil incarnate. Who'd have thought that something so cute could create a complete maelstrom around her. Still, she loves her time on the bike with me. A saving grace for all of us this summer...

 Preparing to make a bolt for it

 Firmly strapped in so unable to run

Feeding the donkey ice cream