Morning tea with Santa

Santa is visiting Sydney Cove every day this week.  Today was Juliet's turn.  She was very brave and accepted her book with gratitude.

Hearing those sleigh bells jingling, ring ting tingling too

"Walking" up to the big man

Receiving her gift

Ballet photoshoot

I didn't quite manage to post every day in November.  It's been a big week and although I could have posted one liners on how tired we all are, that seemed a little pointless.

So, instead, for your delectation, a series of photos from Alice's ballet class's pre-concert photo shoot.  The big day is looming (two weeks to go) but today was the "try on your costume and practise hanging about for a long time" day.

Alice and her compadres were really good.  They waited a good 90 minutes before it was their turn and filled the time with dancing, swirling, whirling and doing each others' hair.

Thank goodness they are not required at the dress rehearsal next week.  I'm rather hoping that she doesn't want to do ballet for very many years - concerts seem to take whole days out of your lives just near Christmas.  And that's just for a pre-schooler on stage for 5 minutes.  Happily we are at a very non-pushy school so the kids and the Mums had fun today.  They are going to be flowers at Princess Aurora's Christening (the production is Sleeping Beauty) if I have not already mentioned that.

The world according to Alice

Some choice excerpts from my big girl today:

- Explaining a commercial break to (a slightly disinterested) Juliet: "It's OK Juliet-y.  Dora will be back on in a minute.  It's just an adult"

- General remarks while driving: "Mummy...um...Mummeeeeee....when I'm big, you can give me your clothes, Mummy.  Like your pink skirt that I like.  When I'm a Mummy, I'm going to have two little girls.  I'm going to call them Mummy, because that's a name I like"

- Putting on an apron to do some fingerpainting:  "I like painting, Mummy.  I'm an Auntie"

Precious little angels

They're so cute when they're asleep

That back to school feeling

Not much of a post yet again today. Went back to work leaving Spotty with a nice but strange (as in unfamiliar) lady. Stu managed to leave at lunchtime so he and Juliet apparently "had a ball" this afternoon. She had spent the morning at Fairlight Beach so it was quite a good day for her. Alice and I got the bus into town. She was completely angelic both there and back, bless her. It was great to be back in the world if work with heels and smart clothes but the anxiety of leaving Little J with a stranger and trying to stay awake all day (with no episodes of Made in Chelsea at lunchtime neither) has exhausted me. More soon.

Break for the border

It's funny having a small person who defines the old cliches "into everything".  Alice was quite sedate, as I remember.  Although famously late to walk, she was incredibly speedy on her knees.  We didn't have to do much childproofing as she didn't seem to get into much trouble.

Juliet is your archetypal "into everything" nearly toddler.  Drawers are opened, cupboards are ransacked, saucepans are banged.  Tupperware containers are foraged, plug sockets are switched on and off, logs are removed from the fire and room are snuck into with their doors closed stealthily behind her.

She is still talking all the time, but not articulating many words clearly.  Stu and Alice returned from an aborted swimming trip today (the swimming gear having been left by the side of the road by a tired father) and we're sure that Juliet said "Daddy and Alice!" but it wasn't really discernible to the non-familial ear.

This photo typifies the differences between them.  Alice smiles sweetly for the camera while Juliet makes her bid for freedom.

Spot update: still spotty.  Last minute childminder booked to take care of her tomorrow so that I can at least show my face at work on Day 1.

Happy Birthday Daddy

Not much time today, as we are celebrating Daddy's birthday with trips to the beach, restronks, Jersey Boys and oh, you know, actually seeing him after the past 3 weeks of him working 19 hour days.   That might even be an understatement rather than an exaggeration.

We've had that first beach trip where you discover you all need new swimwear and forget most of the things you need.  However, we all had our sunnies handy.

More tomorrow x