A brief weekend post

aaarrrghhh not to have a camera for BB’s birthday! We took some video though. We mostly celebrated BB’s birthday on Sunday – a day early.

My sister and her family arrived on the sat, so SB and M ran away to play, with BB and E trailing after. Mostly played well! my family is not particularly convinced with my sanity over HE, and prob faintly discouraging. So it is always good to realise that SB and M are reading roughly the same books [well, so my sis says] and covering roughly the same maths. M is a clever lad 7 months older than SB [but in a different school year], so although I hate the fact that I am measuring for parity, still I do so, as that gives me the opportunity to say – see it is fine! I am crap at being anything other than totally passive in family dynamics.

my Dad and mum and Little Nanny came on the Sunday for playing and birthday tea. BB like all her presents – some brio, an etch-a sketch-alike and a pop up tent from tesco sales to be a den. She had fun palying with everyone, her cousins managed [just] to remember to let her play with what she wanted [E is only a year older, so I think she did very well]. As Chris said, she was rather bemused by the whole singing/candle/cake blowing thing [so we did it again today]

i enjoyed me and my mum playing the piano for little nanny – and so did she. I think it all felt a bit fin-de-siecle though as it was a selection of Mendelssohn’s songs without words, a lot of which are very wistful. So SB cheered up the proceedings by singing nursery rhymes with her own piano accompaniment [yep videoed that too!]

Little Nanny is doing remarkably well considering, but aargh I wish she was closer to one of us. She needs the regular visits, but they are such a huge commitment. I am both ready to give that commitment, yet secretly heavy about it. I think that is the same for my mum and Aunt as well. Little Nanny though has been such a stronghearted family committed person all her life, she really deserves more from me. I confirmed the offer of a home here again, but she is keen to stay where she is. This is a photo of our visit just before operation.

they went, girls in bed and Chris and I collapsed in a heap to battlestar galactica. I need to be a bit more brain active in the evenings though, as lots of jobs to do!

today is BB’s Birthday, thanks for all the birthday wishes. She is 2 – woohoo! I might even do a sentimental blogpost. The beans were at group this morning all about Africa. Chris’s parents popped round just before teatime to bring pressies for BB, and say hello.