This weekend we had a visit from Grandma and Grandad. On Saturday we went into town, and had a look round the new shopping centre. We bought some presents for neices, nephews and cousins and maybe even one or two for a little monkey closer to home.

The weather on Sunday was pretty poor, so we played in the house all day, with a breif trip out to B&Q.

Fidget was very pleased to find Grandma and Grandad still here when she woke up this morning. She had great fun playing with them, until they had to leave to go to their holiday cottage and we had to leave for sing and sign.

Fidget has been copying lots of words this morning, she said breakfast, tea, plate and nappy (so you can tell what we have been up to this morning!).

Fidget said her first sentence this morning! Daddy was on the phone to a work colleague, and Fidget obviously annoyed as Daddy should be playing with her, asked "Who's that?". Apparently the work colleague also heard it.

This weekend we had a nice time at home, we did a bit of work in the garden tidying up and clearing up leaves.








We then took some pictures of Fidget for a potential Xmas card, it wasn't too successful, here is a preview...

Fidget turned 16 months earlier in the week, so we also counted this photo shoot as her birthday photo...

We also had a walk out to the shops, and picked up something for Fidget from the charity shop, she had great fun composing...

On Sunday we were still feeling full of Christmas anticipation and cheer, so we popped into Lidle to start stocking up on the stolen, and then into IKEA to buy Christmas decorations. We haven't bought decorations before, as we inherited a great set from M's Aunt and Uncle, but now the back room is done, and decked out in green and orange, we (well read I, but M was happy to go along with it) wanted to get something that coordinated. I can't wait to get the tree down from the loft!!

Monday was mummy day, we went to sing and sign and then in the afternoon popped over to see Mush and mini-Mush, which was lovely. Mush had to pop out, so I looked after both of the little cuties. It was a mix of feeding frenzy and wrestling match, as they swarmed on the tub of breadsticks and then Fidget tried to give mini-Mush cuddles, while mini-Mush signed his displeasure quite vigorously.

Last night was pretty bad, Fidget woke up every few hours coughing enough to wake herself. This morning she just didn't seem right, so I didn't take her into nursery. She has spent most of the day sleeping, or having cuddles. I think it is just a bad cold, and with it she is off her food, so she doesn't have much energy at all. Hopefully she will feel better tomorrow.

Didn't properly finish off the blogging for last weekend. On Saturday evening M started practicing some of the food he will be cooking for Christmas this year. This will be the first year we host a Christmas lunch and M is keen to impress.

He tried out some treats and a starter, I shan't give any more away than that, suffice to say, they were delicious!

On Sunday, we had a relaxing day at home, it was nippy and I was a bit worried about Space Baby never having any clothes on so I made her a dress...

M continued practicing his cooking...

and I collected up and bottled the last of this years peppers from the greenhouse...

On Monday morning, I let Fidget practice drinking from a cup with the leftover milk from breakfast, it was a little messy...

So now to this weekend, despite some overnight rain, Saturday was a lovely bright day, so we headed out to Westonbirt arboretum to enjoy the autumn colour. Fidget was unimpressed over the options offered to her of walking or going in the pram. She felt that being carried was definitely preferable.

After rather alot of whining and shouting to disturb the peaceful scene, Fidget found a puddle. We popped her wellies on, but she found this change in footwear disorientating and ended up on her backside in the puddle, so back to the crying again...

At which point she found she got her wish, with Daddy picking her up and carrying her.

We all enjoyed looking at the trees and collecting up interesting fallen leaves.






The Japanese Maple Grove was particularly beautiful, Fidget found an interesting pine cone...

While M took some pictures with our other camera, a proper SLR which takes film, blimey. The hope is that we can get a picture nice enough to blow up large size for a wall. But of course, not being digital we will just have to wait and see what comes back.







After our walk in the Silk Wood, we went to the cafe for lunch, Fidget shared a shepards pie and veg thing with cous cous. We had forgotten her bib and didn't have a spoon for her, but with a napkin and plastic tea spoon she got stuck in, even attracting comments from the next table on about how well she eats.

After lunch we did the seasonal trail in the old arboretum. Fidget found that even better than being carried, was to go on Daddy or Mummy's shoulders. From this vantage point, she could grab hold of trees, Daddy's glasses, or Daddy or Mummy's hair.

Fuelled by a good lunch, Fidget was really starting to perk up....

enjoying a good run around...

spotting trees...

and then, best of all, puddles!

I think all in all, the verdict was "thumbs up!"

Fidget has been making real progress with her words over the last week or so.

She now says "bye bye" very clearly when anyone is going, when she is going, when putting on her shoes....

She says "more" quietly but insistently, and reinforces it by going over to point at the fruit bowl or cuboard where the bicuits are kept, or my breakfast.

She also says "bubble", she has a couple of books with hippos blowing bubbles and the like, (those crazy hippos).

And she says "eye"...right before poking you in it.

Oo, also forgot to mention that I got my hair cut last night. My fringe had been getting crazy long so I was very pleased to have it done...

On an impulse, I bought a pumpkin earlier in the week, so Wednesday evening, M and I had a go at carving it.
we went for a cheeky "two tooth" grin, like another little pumpkin we know.

On Friday night, we had a few trick or treaters to the door, Fidget got a bit scared, but we put her down to sleep and she was ok.

This morning, M got up and on with laying the far lawn, he brought in a bit more topsoil, leveled it and then started laying the turfs.

It was a cold morning, so Fidget and I wrapped up well and came out to see how he was getting on.

It didn't take long and he was finished by lunchtime...

well done M. xxx