Happy Birthday Mummy!

Alison advances another year today and is once again a year older than Daddy! Below is a photo of Alison from a few years ago - like Mother like daughter!

Update : Claire has managed to roll from her back onto her front for the first time today. Charlotte is lagging a little behind but is getting better with tummy time.

Bedroom moves

With the grandparents leaving today they helped us with one more job. We re-organised the bedrooms. Charlotte and Claire have now moved into Louise's old room. Since we have had our last overnight guests for the year we have moved Louise into the back bedroom. This gave us the opportunity, at last, to get her a proper bed. Whenever we asked what sort of bed she would like she replied "Elmo". When she came home today we surprised her with her new bed and bedding. She seems pleased!

Grandparents leave

The new work-daycare routine is working out well and Alison continues to enjoy work. Charlotte and Claire are enjoying their new daytime surroundings and are experimenting with trying to roll over.
Louise continues to enjoy playing dress-up and seeing her friends. Later this week she will see the dinosaur exhibit at the Durham museum of Life and Science as part of a parent/daycare outside class.
Little Nan and Grandad are coming to the end of their four weeks with us and have been a great help. They say they have enjoyed the "fun" of looking after three children! They are coming back for Christmas with us, so they obviously were not joking.

Daycare has started for Charlotte and Claire

Charlotte and Claire started daycare last week and seemed to enjoy their first 5 days. Alison continues to get back into the work routine, with it being better than expected. We now have an extensive morning routine including first dropping off the twins, then dropping off Alison, then Louise before Guy finally gets to work.
The grandparents have continued to be a great help and are enjoying their stay. We also had Alison's friend Kimberly come down from Maryland to see us.
Louise has continued to make great progress with potty training, she is now wearing big-girl panties whilst at daycare. She says she wants to "keep Dora dry". The lesson seems to be that it pays to buy panties with a children's TV character on the front!

Little Nan and Grandad arrive to see the twins

We have been busy with the arrival, last weekend, of Little Nan and Grandad from the UK. They are staying with us for four weeks. They have been a great help this week as Alison went back to work. Charlotte and Claire start their new daycare next Monday.
Louise continues to do well and the big event this week was the butterflies at daycare hatching from the cocoon the caterpillars made. Louise every morning asks to see how the butterflies are doing - a budding naturalist. Louise is also doing well with her potty training; she is giving us advance notice sometimes when she wants to use the potty.