Lots of eating

It's been a little while since I last blogged but I've been taking photos quite a bit nevertheless. Most of my photos are when we are sat down eating. It has been very amusing and interesting to watch Evie get the hang of eating food. In the last few weeks, she's gone from just squishing food up in her hands and sucking it from her fingers (and spreading it everywhere), to being able to grab large chunks and bite bits off in her mouth. She is definitely enjoying the experience of eating and joining us properly at mealtimes.  And yes, she can actually eat despite having no teeth and not having pureed food, as shown by the evidence in her nappies!

Sweet potato wedges are her current favourite, along with large chunks of cucumber. Today, she tried melon and was sucking and chomping on it for ages. Just like Isla did at this stage, Evie tends to make a bee-line for grabbing at any meat put on her high chair table. She had steak for the first time last week, and liked sucking a strip for ages. She had sausage last night, and roast chicken on Sunday. Toast, bagel and yorkshire pudding go down well too! Pikelets (dropped scones, scotch pancakes) were also a hit the other week with both girls. Isla has been wanting to try again with many things that she sees Evie trying and enjoying.... although sadly not broccoli! Courgette, parsnip, carrot, potato, banana, pizza, pasta, omelette are all things Evie has been trying.

Isla has been trying out different hairstyles recently. She had her hair up on one side, like one of the 'pre-school ladies'. When she went to pre-school this week with a ponytail, everyone said how nice it was. 

Here is Isla helping bake some carrot muffins which Evie enjoyed eating:

Isla enjoyed washing up afterwards:

With the weather being mostly rubbish, we have done a lot indoors. We made some mini stained glass windows by gluing tissue paper onto plastic lids:

We've been getting out to the park when possible:

Isla and Andrew made some jelly, which both Isla and Evie tried:

We tried a soft play centre near us, have visited friends, and also been reading lots of books from the library and Cbeebies magazines. We also had a visit from granny Margaret and grandad David. The panda cuddly toy they brought had a trip to preschool last week to celebrate Chinese New Year. 

Isla likes Octonauts and has a squid toy from an Octonauts activity magazine. Here is her drawing of a crab: 

My amaryllis is flowering:

Evie trying some yummy apple crumble made with Essex brambly apples:

Tucking into some pear, steak pie and veg:

Evie likes having a kick about on the floor and can roll front to back. She seems to be teething so we've got some teething toys for her. She spends a long time examining her toys, especially their labels and likes touching different textures. Cups and rings are favourite toys. Standing up, sitting on the floor with cushions and being in the door bouncer are also fun for her.

Isla doing a drawing of Monts:

Yesterday evening, it snowed! Isla was very excited to finally get some snow this winter:

My attempt at a Sachertorte. Yummy!

This afternoon, nearly getting blown away:

Scooting, dancing and baby-led weaning take two

Last weekend we bought Isla a scooter. She helped her dad to build it, with Evie looking on while grabbing her toes. Isla couldn't wait to have a scoot around in the garden and was soon getting the hang of it! This week she scooted a little of the way to toddler group, a lot of the way back from toddler group and around our street when it hasn't been raining. We went to the parks in town a couple of times this week, and Isla has really enjoyed getting out and running about with Evie looking on from the pushchair. Isla (Andrew and I also) had fun feeding the ducks and swans in town, and scaring huge numbers of pigeons. We all enjoyed a visit to Isla and Evie's cousins where the scooter came in handy.

Evie's 'best' at the moment (favourite thing in Isla language) is to stand up while having her arms held. This always makes her smile! We had a lovely moment last week when both girls were grumbling in the back of the car, Evie because she was tired/hungry/couldn't see us and Isla because she didn't want Evie to cry. Evie spotted Isla and they both started laughing at each other and felt much happier. Isla always makes Evie smile and laugh at home if Evie is a bit bored. 

This week Evie has been sitting on the floor a lot more and watching Isla with her toys. The jungle animals are having a drink after playing hide and seek, although maybe the elephant is still waiting to be found. We had a full house of children on Thursday, with two more baby girls and their older siblings to entertain. Isla particularly enjoyed playing hide and seek, and Evie was just loving having other children to watch. Isla has been promised that they'll play policemen by one of the older children next time they come round. Hungry hippos was also a hit, although three red balls have strangely vanished so the hippos will have to stay a bit more hungry.

We had a quick trip to the library this week, and we found some great books. "A cat called Scratch" and "Harry and the dinosaurs have a birthday party" are a couple we have been enjoying together. Scratch is a cat with a flea, who goes through many things to remove the flea including hoovering himself (his tail gets sucked up the hoover). At the park, Evie had her first brief go on a swing, although feeling a bit peckish at the time meant she didn't enjoy it fully! Isla loved the swing and is starting to move herself by pumping her legs; being pushed very high is obviously preferable!

Isla's been doing lots of drawings, and colouring in with her Maisy book. We bought a Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse CD set which has songs on that Isla loves.

Evie has been grumpy at mealtimes despite being sat at the table with us, so we decided to give her some food to play with. This really gave her something to think about and she concentrated really hard on the strange slippery squishy toy (roasted pepper) and the harder beige toy (potato). Nothing heading for the mouth yet, but true to form everything ended up on the floor eventually!

Evie has started to really love going in the bath with Isla in the evening. She kicks her legs like crazy and splashes Isla a lot! I'm looking forward to taking them both to the swimming pool when Andrew is here too. 

We've been doing a spot of baking this week, inspired by the nightly Bake-Off show. After more gingerbread biscuits last week, we baked some fairy cakes this week. Isla chose pink icing and they looked really pretty with shimmery pink sugar and stars on them, didn't last long though! I made chicken empanadas today for lunch, which were tasty. We've also been having apple crumbles as a treat, although Isla only eats the crumble mixture before it is cooked.