A whole lot of jumping and another forest adventure

Back at home, we've been out in the garden as much as possible with even t shirt weather one afternoon and I had to hunt out the sun hats too. 

Evie has started saying DaDa a lot, and generally jabbering away in baby language about a whole lot of stuff! She waves her arms in a kind of wave now, and likes bashing cups and toys together. She is really good at playing our toy drum now. She enjoys rocking a lot when she's sitting, and has done a bit of bum shuffling to get to toys that are just out of reach. 

We had a trip to the local garden centre to pick some plants to smarten up our front door pots, and also the main attraction was the brilliant park they have there. Isla liked trying out the tractors and we had to dodge our first wasp of the year!

We went to another birthday party at the weekend. It was a really good one, with a bouncy castle (which Isla kept saying was her favourite) as well as decorating Easter cards and fairy cakes too! Even Evie had a go on the bouncy castle with her little baby friend who is only a couple of weeks younger.

We went to Dyrham park for a walk through the park land, to sit on the tractor and go through the maze, and to look for frog spawn in the lake. The tulips were emerging and the daffodils were nearly past their best but still impressive. Isla was particularly taken with the bus journey back up the hill, as well as the maze, and everything really!

Evie is loving the door bouncer and jumps continuously when she is in it. I managed to photograph her with her feet off the ground!

Sliding in Wiltshire

We had lunch with Isla and Evie's granny and grandad in Wiltshire last week. We all enjoyed being out in the garden with Isla giggling the whole time sliding down the mound and being whizzed around in the wheelbarrow. She also liked climbing the trees in the garden and kicking a ball around. Evie liked sitting on the grass and feeling it with her fingers. 

A great weekend in Essex

We spent a brilliant weekend in Essex at the end of March. It was really special being able to show Isla the house where I grew up and point out my old school and places I used to play with my brother. It was also Evie's first trip to Essex and I think she enjoyed it too! We spent some time at the local swing park in the village, trying out all of the play equipment that my dad had helped organise and wish we had such a good park near us. 

We went to Hatfield Forest for ice cream, chips, and a walk through the trees. Isla had been there before, as a tiny baby in the pram. The forest has changed a lot since I remember playing there as a child, with new dens made of branches and walk ways everywhere. The shell house and the lakes looked the same though. 

Here is Isla learning how to do proper lego from her Uncle:

Here is our breakfast in the premier inn which had soft play right behind our table!!!!! and did great hash browns and sausages:

Our last trip to the swing park for a while: