MY GIRL SMILES THROUGH

Today didn't go as planned!

We were due to meet D, A and baby D at the aquarium. Our car was the last allowed into the car park, they travelled separately and were only a few cars behind us. They were directed to another car park with so many others that even though they managed to park, they didn't manage to make it onto the shuttle bus. So we went into the aquarium and they went to the zoo!

Alice smiled through it, she seemed to understand that we couldn't control the situation either and handled her disappointment in a very mature way, she's only 3! We hoped to catch up with them once we were back at home, but that didn't work either. Still no tears. I'm really impressed with her behaviour, communication and maturity. Every day she's changing in incredible ways.

(It's not all sunshine, we're currently focusing on not using baby / made up words, she has an unfortunate way of making words that are very close to rude ones!)

SPECIAL VISITORS

Alice and L were adopted at the same time, we're very lucky to see them often enough to keep a bond between the girls. Alice adores the B/E family and always looks forward to their visits.

They last came to stay in mid October. This time it was noticeable that L had changed more than Alice - but L has had more reason for change this time. It was also noticeable that their relationship is becoming independent of their parents - they now talk to each other and play together, all is lots of fun with many giggles.

Precious times again.

ANOTHER PANTO

We went to Cardiff to see R*bin H*od.

We met GFN, did some PJ shopping and had lunch on the outskirts of the city.

When we got there they had the usual swords, light up wands, butterflies etc on sale. Alice was insistent that she wanted a 'green stick' and wouldn't be talked into any alternative! The panto was fine and she loved it. I'd left it late to book anything (hence the timing at the end of the season and a weekday matinee) and we ended up near the back of the stalls behind 3 different school groups.

Alice watched all the events on stage with great interest and I continue to be amazed how much she understood and remembers. She really enjoyed it, sometimes from her seat, sometimes on my lap and also cuddling with GFN - she really loved him being there too!

A lovely day, fun times, great memories!

SO LUCKY

Over 2 hours on the phone tonight, with one person, a very special childhood friend, catching up on too many years. It's wonderful to be in contact with her again and I've sent her the link to the blog - so 'Hi G!'

At teh beginning of the phonecall I walked from the study to the playroom, crossing the narrowest part of the hall (also furthest from her room), I was mid-conversation and my attention was with G, until I heard Alice shout for me to be quiet!! (I'm afraid that's going to happen sweetie, until you learn to sleep with the door shut!)

CHRISTINGLES AND CHRISTMAS EVE!

We made Christingles at our local church service nearly a month ago! Then Alice was ill for her school service, my school service was earlier this week and the weather made going to the service a risk, so we missed that one too. But today we finally made it to another service - with GMA and my old parish church in A'g, a very different service and a Christingle with sweets on it (beautifully made in advance) - I hadn't seen sweets on a Christingle for many years!

GFN came for coffee this morning, Alice ate his fudge cake for him and he gave her the plastic tat train - which he and I then took many minutes to assemble, we seemed to recreate the Christmas cliche of the adults assembling the toys whilst the child played with the box! We watched the DVDVD (as Alice calls them) of her Nativity - she looked like she had head lice as she scratched throughout the performance, she didn't (just a hot head from the lamb's costume!) Then this afternoon we went to the Christingle service, home for a simple sandwich supper in front of the TV (HUGE treat) before laying out the goodies for Father Christmas and hang the sack up, then it was bedtime with the story of the Nativity before I came downstairs to start preparing tomorrow's meal etc but also a lovely, simple supper of smoked salmon and avocado, yummy!

Happy Christmas, I'm off to check NORAD, have you?

WHAT AN ADVENTURE!!

We had a busy morning. We got off to a late start after a poor night's sleep. I couldn't plan how the morning was going to be as I was waiting for a phone call, luckily it came relatively early and so didn't disrupt the day, it went well and an important decision was made (more to come on that in the New Year).


Then it was a morning of mopping up loose ends, a quick shopping trip for last minute chocolate presents, delivery of a late birthday card (why can't I get more organised?), delivery of some of the choccies and home for some lunch.

Then fun really began! J arrived with O (one of Alice's BFs) and baby R and we went off to see Father Christmas, we left in plenty of time because of the weather - there is still snow with thick ice underneath on minor roads.

Luckily we arrived with time to spare and it was magical as it started to snow. We caught a little steam train and travelled through the snow to see Jack Frost, the children gave him an icicle and in return he gave them a magic badge, then we travelled back to the station where the children rubbed the magic badges and Father Christmas came down the chimney! He told them a little bit about his workshop and the reindeer and then the elves helped him to give out presents. In previous years we've been on a full sized steam train (different location) and queued through a carriage to see FC in family groups. This year the train ride and Jack Frost were magical, so was FC coming down the chimney, but the actual meeting FC was better at the other train, but the presents this year were extremely generous and the snow added a specialness to the whole event. The snow also made the journey home treacherous - it took 40 minutes to get to the station and nearly 2 hours to get home, the first mile took nearly an hour! The delays in the journey were just due to the amount of traffic on untreated roads and the lack of ability to cope with a small amount of snow - we don't get enough snow to justify the investment in equipment that would help us cope, today my 4x4 COMPLETELY earned it's money - it kept us safe and stopped the mummies worrying! Luckily I have a treat bag stashed in hiding in the boot, the children (with only a little help from their mummies) were kept occupied and finished it in the dark while watching the snow. It was a very Christmassy, magical, slightly worrying but happy adventure, one that we'll never forget!

THIS WEEKEND

Another busy one!

On Saturday morning Alice was invited to a double birthday party at a soft play centre (not our local one but one closer to school). Through a series of coincidences I discovered that there are other children in her nursery class who are adopted domestically (so not so obvious). I definitely felt a connection to their parents and have found some reassurance knowing that I'm not alone as an AP at school.

Then we went on to the Thai Adopt Christmas party. We both had a good time - Alice played lots of games, there were balloons and then Father Christmas popped in! As soon as Alice saw FC she stood up and waved and then said loudly, 'I'm over here!' (this was a direct result of last week's sighting of FC, he spoke to the little girl next to us but ignored Alice - she was making sure that it didn't happen again!) She was delighted to receive a princess torch (one of the original 3 items on her second list - all of which have since been eclipsed by the plastic tat of the Christmas train!!) For me the party was good for very different reasons, importantly catching up with other APs, gaining information and opinion but most of all meeting baby E (10 and a half months, just home from China, tiny, beautiful and totally gorgeous!)

It was a thought provoking day and an emotional journey home. Over night I found some calm in a decision and got the ball rolling on a new path, today I got to talk it through with 3 friends with very different perspectives, tomorrow I hope for a professional opinion.

This morning we were surprised by a last minute invitation to see FC arrive at a local community farm. The weather was atrocious but the friends are very special and we had lots of fun. Timings worked really well and we ended up with an impromptu visit to see FC - Alice has remained firm on wanting the plastic tat train (phew!) and FC today was delightful - patient, friendly, very traditional in a lovely setting, excellent value and a good gift (another torch!!)

PS, Photos - hopefully I'll receive one from yesterday and I'll find my camera to share a lovely one from this afternoon!

1 IN 11

Sorry for the bloggy break, we've been a bit busy!

1 in 11? In the last 11 days we've eaten lunch at home just once!

Last weekend we went to visit some special friends and to see many more at a celebration. We spent Tuesday with D, A and baby D at a local community farm. Wednesday (novelty) we spent the day at home. Thursday we travelled close to Bath and went for a lovely walk with lots of other IA families, a really useful, morale boosting, fun time. Friday we met Grandad south of Hungerford for lunch. Yesterday we went to soft play, finally got to the supermarket and then went to a Halloween party at a nursery friend's barn. Today we went to church and then to celebrate D's 60th birthday. A very busy half term, we've had lots of fun and travelled over 1,000 miles!

HOUSE GUESTS AFTER THE PARTY

M, C and L came to the party and stayed overnight. It was a lovely way to prevent the sadness of a party ending. After I put Alice to bed she was shouting over the monitor for L - so I had to remind her that she had to sleep and would see her again in the morning (in the last couple of months Alice has finally accepted me talking back through the monitor without it frightening her!)

This morning they had great fun playing together, they are getting better at sharing with less prompting and really enjoy each other's company. As always it was super to get them together.

MY BIRTHDAY! (AND SLEEP, AGAIN)

(yesterday!)

Alice said I was '3 too!' The cake had 'fork handles' (think 2 Ronnies) on it but 21 written on it. None of them were right, all too small and all made me laugh.

At times I did wonder whose birthday it was. We spent the morning at soft play with one of Alice's best friends and then went to her other best friend's house for tea in the afternoon! Then last night I went out for supper with GFN - Alice knew that I was going out but I daren't tell her who I was going with (after the grief I got following the pub lunch several weeks ago). Luckily she'll be seeing him this week.

I'm beginning to notice a pattern with sleep on the nights that I'm out for the evening. She went to bed at usual time, she was tired but not exhausted, she was crying before we left so I went up and resettled her (but it wasn't as easy as it usually is). When we got back I could see the visual monitor from the car and it was easy to see that she wasn't asleep or settled, so I went straight up to her and the moment she realised it was me she relaxed and snuggled down. She woke again as I went to bed and with all the disturbance of the evening I offered my bed, she accepted immediately (the night before she'd declined) and when she came into bed she demanded a cuddle and tried to sleep holding my hand and snuggled up to me. I don't think that there was any coincidence that she needed physical reassurance last night - which leaves me with very mixed emotions, sad that she still needs that level of reassurance but relieved that I can provide that reassurance.

A final note about my birthday - since Mum's death I've always struggled on my birthday, this year was significantly better, now I've got to get through the 12th.

MORE EVIDENCE!

We went to the zoo today. Almost 18 months ago we met M, C and L there.

The first photo is from our first visit - it's one of my favourites, I love seeing the girls as toddlers and the contrast between them whilst their body shaping is so similar. Remembering this photo I tried to get an equivalent photo of Alice today to act as a comparison, but she wasn't feeling too cooperative, but it's easy to see the change!

BOOT ON THE OTHER FOOT

Today Alice's nursery went on a visit to a local (ish) fruit farm, I volunteered my help. We walked through several orchards, saw pears and apples on the trees, the black watering system, the wooden crates, the fruit pickers and even tractors!! (It's a glamorous life I lead!) The children 'helped' Farmer George to pick some cooking apples and then they got to pick some Gala and Coxes Orange Pippin to bring home before returning to the farm buildings for a delicious drink of apple juice and a quick visit into the cold store. The farmer and his wife were delightful with the children and got the level right. The children were very well behaved (except Alice - she had her 'moments', but then she was the youngest in the group and I was there - which never helps on school trips when a parent attends). I'm in awe of the nursery teachers being brave enough to take over 20 2, 3 and 4 year olds on an educational visit.

We were back in school for lunch. Luckily Alice did understand why Mummy was there and why I was leaving and was fine with it. I then went out to lunch with GFN - to a great pub that I've only been to once since Alice came home. Good lunch, great company and I got back to school just in time to get a parking space and collect Alice. For the first time she kept falling asleep on the way home, but giggled as I kept tapping her leg to wake her up, she even fell asleep with a cheesy biscuit in mid-air - ready to eat it!

I didn't tell Alice about seeing GFN until we were on the way home, she was fine at the time but very cross at bedtime and demanded to see him!

SOFT PLAY WITH O

Alice was delighted when I suggested going to meet O and his mum J at soft play on Wednesday. It was very quiet so they got to play with whatever they wanted - wherever they wanted! They loved sitting on these blocks at the bottom of the slide, the few other children who were there enjoyed using the blocks like skittles.

Alice and O are great friends, they're very different but play well together. O was in nursery on the same days as Alice and that strengthened the bond. The copycat body language makes me smile, Alice usually says, 'Not fair!' as she crosses her arms like this - funny now but I'm dreading this as she gets older and even more assertive!

WHILST I WAS BUSY REMEMBERING . . .

D was in hospital having baby D!

We were expecting him to arrive on Thursday, but he obviously wanted to share his sister's birthday party.

D is very good at sending texts and saying thank you, so when a text arrived on our way to church I assumed that it was a thanks for A's pressie, I couldn't believe it when I read the text to say that DJS arrived last night, just 6 hours after the end of the party. I'm relieved that everyone's OK and now I can't wait to meet him.

ALWAYS THERE

Today we had an early change of plans that tipped the whole weekend on its head. I was going to have a working day but that's now been changed to Monday. We had a quietish morning, Alice had time to play and use her 'puter' connected to the TV.

This afternoon we met D and A for a swim and a play, they were already in the water when we got there, unfortunately A doesn't like to swim for as long as Alice, which led to tears when we got out. Alice continued to be grumpy when changing and during a snack in the cafe - she's definitely tired at the moment but I'm also hoping that it's a stage she's going through rather than a new character trait! After the grumpies we went out to the playground and the girls enjoyed some playtime, especially singing together as they swung!

Shortly after we got home C brought Smokey round, Alice was sad that it was only a short bare-back ride round the drive and she would have loved to ride for longer (she has a remarkable attention span for things she enjoys, well over an hour!) Later on we curled up together to watch one of her new favourite TV progs - Scoo*by Doo (at the moment the other favourites are Fifi and the Flower*tots and Tom and Jerry), and it struck me that, yet again, we were all together - Alice and I cuddling with the little dogs tucked up further along the sofa with Pudding up close to the sofa on the floor. We've been away for a few days and the dogs have been a constant comfort since we've been home.

Coming soon - a post about recent days!

BEING A GROWN-UP FOR THE EVENING!

Alice is having an adventure - a sleepover with T and her sons L and C. Alice was very excited but not at all perturbed at the thought of her adventure, although she did instruct me to stay home and wait for her!

I didn't.

I escaped to be a grown-up for the evening! GFN and I went to the theatre to see the S0und 0f Mus1c, not only did we see C0nn1e F1sher, but we also glimpsed Andrew Ll0yd-Webber and Arlene Ph1l1ps sneak into the audience. I love the film and in situations like that I'm always sceptical about seeing a different version, but it was fantastic, CF was great (she even sounded like Jul1e Andrews) and the bits on stage that were different to the film made sense and it didn't seem a shame for them to have been changed. A fantastic production and I'd recommend seeing it. GFN drove, so I didn't even have the stress of navigating round Cardiff Bay whilst he updated me on all the bits of news that I've missed.

Occasionally it's good to be a grown-up, but only occasionally!

THIS ONE MAKES ME LAUGH!

. . . what do you think that they're looking at? (It's a rectorical question!)

BUSY WEEKEND

M, C and L came to stay, hurray! We collected them from the station and no-one there was left in ANY doubt that Alice was pleased to see them!! We went swimming, the girls played alot, I cooked a meal and a pud, we chatted, etc, etc, etc. Alice and I had great fun and I think M, C and L did too. It's so nice just to spend time together and get the girls together. GFN popped in for a slice of cake whilst they were here, Alice lent forward and took a big bite of cake straight from the slice on his plate (having not long before that shared a slice with me!)

At lunchtime we dropped them back to the station and then went on to Cardiff to meet K, E and A. We met a chain pub, they had a 45 minute wait for a table and a long queue for the carvery so we rang D*rectory E*quiries and got the number of a very different type of eatery, drove across town and were seated immediately. We ended up with a different type of meal to what we had anticipated, we probably didn't get our food any quicker, but the children didn't have ages waiting around in one place and the food was good, I think it was the right decision to move on and it meant that we got wellies - which was important later on! After lunch we went to a minature train park, we rode in an electric tram, on a mini steam train, a mini electric train and then another mini steam train. It poured soon after we got there, so we very closely inspected the indoor train set, then when the rain had eased off we rode on the tram and trains. 3s and unders were free - despite being 'free' Alice had a wonderful time and is eager to go back. Everyone enjoyed it, K and I commented that when the children are having fun it's double fun, we enjoy ourselves and then we get so much more pleasure seeing our children's enjoyment - every one's a winner!!

Coming home, Alice fell asleep and was very grumpy to be taken out of her carseat, it took a long cuddle to recover. After that she requested an egg sandwich for supper and demolished it, I can't stand egg sandwiches but I suspect that they'll be a favourite of Alice's! I'm relieved that she's being to ask for sandwiches as she will have to have a packed lunch when she starts her new nursery in September.

DAY OUT WITH E AND A

Today we went to visit E, M and A. Then E, me and the girls (sorry poor grammar but 'I' didn't seem right either!) went to a local country park to have fun. No pics of them as I haven't got permission yet! Thanks E and A for a super day.

CAKE WITH GFN

2 facts about GFN - he has a very sweet tooth and he's really soft hearted, Alice loves him for both!

Just to clarify - Alice loves GFN. It wouldn't matter if he didn't have a sweet tooth or share his cake, Alice adores him - and that's before she realises how important he was in helping to bring her home.