Do we love February?...

There was a time in my life when my number 1 love was DDU - my beloved camper van. Then I met T and she became my number 1 love, then we had Emily, and now we've moved to a new house. Poor DDU gets further down the list with every year that passes. What also changes is that, like it or not, February is becoming a big month for us. Despite all our feelings of being stuck in winter doldrums in February, fate has conspired to give us much to be thankful for at the end of winter. We got married in February, Tanya's birthday is in February, Emily was conceived in February...and now we have moved to the most wonderful house in February. One week in and we feel like we have been here forever and we both have a new love (maybe not quite ahead of the supreme being but its certainly exciting)...So do we love February? Its getting very hard not too...

And please, we have lots of room for visitors and a lovely garden to run around in, so book in now for 2015. We hope to see many of you soon...

 Daddy made a very realistic banana cake for Mummy's birthday

 Boxes and boxes and boxes and boxes

The local 'pushers'

Videoclip: Letters and names

Really saying something...

It's incredible watching your child growing up. Everyday something new is discovered and something different is learnt. We are starting to enter the wonderful "What's this?" phase, where every possible thing imaginable is prefixed or suffixed by the question "What's this?". It's currently a true pleasure answering this question 50 times daily, although I am not sure that will last. Next comes the "Why?" phase apparently. That could be a whole heap trickier.

Emily's very first selfie

As the snow has melted away we've been out and about exploring our new surroundings with the first hints of spring in the air. It's been absolutely great having some of Scotland's treasures on our doorstep, and whilst the supreme being hasn't quite got our stamina she does enjoy trotting along through the countryside. Next week we move to our 'final destination' and we are all very excited. Emily is particularly starting to talk of 'new house'.

 The Campsie Fells are just a few miles away

 A rare shot of Daddy and Daughter out enjoying the fresh air

The Fintry Hills aren't far either

The best thing about the supreme being at the moment is her growing vocabulary and desire to chat about everything. Not everyone can understand her all the time, but we manage most of the time. It doesn't really matter though - she loves chatting away, singing songs, and her new favourite is counting. Sometimes she says the cutest things, particularly in mornings when she says "Mummy get up, Daddy sleep bit more." Now that's really saying something...

Videoclip: Nursery Rhymes (although not sure what the first one is)

Videoclip: Learning to count

Snow-trepidation...

"Snow provokes responses that reach right back to childhood."
(Andy Goldsworthy)

Or at least that's how I imagined it would be. Emily's first snow since being a baby...exhilaration, playfulness and fun. Supreme wonderment from the supreme being. Again, at least that's how I imagined it would be.

For at least the hundredth time...note to self...nothing is ever straight forward bringing up children.

We were away for the weekend with a whole heap of adults and their progeny. Feverish anticipation was in the air as we arrived on the Friday night. There was snow on the ground, sledges were going spare and there was a whole weekend to enjoy it. All the ingredients required for an experience to remember.

 Picture postcard Pitlochry

It started so well

But that was maybe where the problem started. Too little sleep, a grotty cold and a world full of stuff that's actually quite cold and wet, seemed to introduce the concept of snow-trepidation into our lives. I was all set to revert to my childhood memories of sledging and snowballing. Emily had different ideas. She was more than happy to play indoors and look at the snow from a distance. But venturing out seemed to induce over-tired tears, sleep or minor discontent at the wrong snow for snowman building. Not quite what I planned but we did manage to get her on a sledge for at least a little bit. She almost seemed to enjoy it...almost.

Videoclip: First sledge before Mummy took over 

So for the weeks after we have been trying to foster better snow vs supreme being relations with mixed success. There's been moments of delight and some definite leanings towards pure snow-heaven, but I have to admit it's been patchy. Maybe another year will solve that and we just won't be able to get her out the stuff. At least I hope so...I am always one for re-living my childhood.

A smile in the snow