Interesting reading

Just read a really interesting article in the Financial Times entitled 'The rise in a new generations of Mormons' - you should check it out. I think you have to register (for free) to read it but it takes about 30 seconds to register and is well worth it. Here is the link: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/938ff454-8a32-11df-bd30-00144feab49a.html

Sports Day

It was sports day today at Esther's preschool so Alice, Eliza and I went to cheer her on. She missed sports day last year so I wasn't sure how Esther would fare. I was amazed - she won all her races - granted there were only 5 kids in the race and she was probably the oldest one in her race but still she did a great job - I was impressed! I wonder if she has my competitive streak... Here is her winning the bean bag/hula hoop race: The beginning of the race:

Eliza (quite bored by now but still willing to flash me a smile):

There was a mum's race too but fortunately I was holding a sleeping Alice - it was pretty competitive!

Here is Esther in her just running race coming from behind to clinch the win! Go Esther!

Really only 3 months???

There is seriously something wrong with the clocks right now because supposedly Alice has only been with us for 3 months! It feels like she has been here such a long time. I don't think I took any pictures of her for about a month (just kept forgetting to buy those batteries for the camera...) but we made up for it a little bit this last week (thanks to Bex too). So here are a few things about Alice.

She has always been a great sleeper at nights and wakes up around 5am for a quick feed before going back to sleep. Entirely do-able as far as I'm concerned!

She is so patient with her big sisters - whether they are overly loving or Esther's lovely locks get in way or they especially like to yank on her feet when I'm holding her!

She hates the car seat! She can cry for a full hour in the car. Not pleasant but that is the only time she really cries, she doesn't even cry when she wakes up in the night.

People are always telling me how petite she is but she is actually pretty long - she has only just turned 3 months but the 3-6 months clothes fit her already fine! I think it's because she has a lovely petite little head and delicate features.

She loves to talk and dribble and laugh and especially likes it when you pretend to sneeze!

She is a snuggler and I love it! She just loves to cuddle in!

She likes to sleep on her tummy with her head pushed into the side of the moses basket and she somehow manages to manouver back over there after I move her back to the middle. I'm thinking she is going to need to go in the cot soon because she can roll/fall from her front to back and rocks the basket like crazy! Plus she is getting to be pretty long....

We loooooooooove her Royal Gorgeousness and are super glad she is ours! Here are some recent pictures:

Date in Cambridge

On Saturday Ben and I had a 'date' in Cambridge. Bex looked after Esther and Eliza so Ben and I could go shopping with only Alice. Shopping with a baby is bliss - I didn't need those eyes in the back of my head and I actually got to try on clothes and buy some! We stopped by a park and had a leisurely lunch before heading back to Bex's house.

The girls had had a great time with Auntie Bexie, going to the park, eating fish and chips, playing the 'baby' paddling pool in the garden and finishing up with watching Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

It was a lovely relaxing day and a well needed one for Ben since he has been working so hard the last 3 months.

Conversations with a 4 year old.

Kids just get better and better don't they? You love them as cute little babies, then you are entertained by them as toddlers but it's fab to see their minds develop, question and explore the world around them. On a 20 minute car journey the other day I was explaining basically how tennis works whilst we were listening to Wimbledon on the radio (I don't usually listen to sport on the radio but it was Wimbledon and it was Murray so how could I not??). These are some of the other questions Esther had for me: Do you think we should get a sports car? (It should be pink she said until I pointed out that maybe Ben wouldn't be keen on pink so she changed it to rainbow coloured) What presents did you get for your wedding? What happens when we die? I was glad to have the time to chat with her and answer her questions, especially let her know what I know and believe about life after death. Long may these chats continue!