Craftiness

Last week we visited two different 'beaches' that have been set up for the summer holidays. Evie and Isla have been enjoying playing in the sand and making sandcastles.

Evie has been practising walking with any toys she can find. She has taken her first steps last week without holding on, but whilst carrying a big crab-shaped bag! Most days, she does a few steps unaided, but so far they have only been when she is outside. She has mostly done her unaided steps in the garden but also on the drive way and at the park.

After the weekend, it has suddenly felt like Autumn although it is still August! We have had rain which means that Evie's crawling and exploring outside has been on wet grass and tarmac but she doesn't mind. Isla has been making use of her new size 9 wellies which are a bit big but should last the winter.

We visited our toddler group this week after Evie's morning nap, and enjoyed playing with the push-along walkers and  trampoline, before our weekly adventure to Morrisons. We have been collecting free card games with the weekly shop. So far we have My Little Pony, Doc McStuffins, Planes 2 and Mickey Mouse card games and Isla and I have been enjoying playing them a lot. So it is ok to be a sucker for free gifts sometimes.

Two lots of friends have visited this week, both with Isla- and Evie- aged youngsters so that has been fun. Isla's been scooting down to the park when we haven't had friends visiting and sometimes met friends there too.

Today we visited a new playgroup. It is an outdoors playgroup  which turned out to be a nice relaxed time although it felt a bit daunting to be going somewhere new and with two little ones. After a story ('Where the wild things are' this week), a bit of a rumpus around the community garden, we all sat down to make monster faces on plant pots. Isla wanted horns, feet, arms, three eyes and a nose on her monster pot. She went off to put compost in the pot and sprinkle some seeds in (what will they turn into?!). We had some snacks and then there was play dough or water play all outside. Lots of nice like-minded people there including many breastfeeding mums with two children so we'll be back. Here is Isla's monster pot:

It felt a bit more summery this afternoon so we played in our garden at home:

Isla made a pretty collage using petals and leaves from the garden stuck onto sticky-backed plastic to go alongside her tissue paper collage of the other week: