This last month has been all about holidays, completing challenges, spending time with family and just having fun together. The girls have enjoyed our trip to the Isle of Man where we completed our gold postbox challenge, a weekend away in Bristol hunting for the Shaun the Sheep sculptures and a week with Auntie Fizz and their cousins. I love seeing the four cousins together – despite the age gap between my nieces (who are 9 and 11) and my daughters, they have a wonderful bond. My nieces love to help look after my girls and the four of them have had such fun together – playing in the park, going swimming or jumping in the ball pit at the soft play centre.
Sophie is beginning to join in more with imaginative play rather than just knocking over Jessica’s carefully constructed mini world (although there are still times when she does just that!) Their favourite game seems to be chasing each other around the room and then grabbing each other for cuddles – unfortunately though this often ends with one accidentally knocking the other over resulting in tears!
Jessica is very much the protective big sister and can be quite bossy at times – “No Sophie, you mustn’t do that! Mummy be cross!” whereas Sophie just wants to join in with whatever her big sister is doing. Of course we also have the moments when they annoy each other, but these are easily outweighed by the moments when they are happily playing together and being loving.
Jessica (3 years 11 months)
- Needed to go to hospital for a heart check-up after our holiday as her oxygen saturation levels were low at our routine community nurse check. Thankfully her heart function appears to be fine at present, hopefully it was just a blip.
- Seems to have inherited the performing gene – making her way over to the raised area in the hotel restaurant during breakfast where she stood with her arms outstretched and announced “Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to my show! My name is Jessica and I’m going to do some ballet.”
- Managed to climb up the spiral staircases at the castle we visited on holiday all by herself.
- Enjoyed building sandcastles with Sophie and burying Daddy in the sand.
- Loves looking at the Shaun in the City app on Daddy’s iPad and naming all the sheep.
- Is already getting excited about her birthday next month – “It will be my birthday soon! I will be 4!” and has her heart set on a Bing Bunny house playset, asking Mummy every day if we can go to the shops and buy one.
- Enjoyed going swimming with her cousins and was quite determined to try and swim a few strokes by herself with her armbands on.
Sophie (1 year 9 months)
- Loves to have her hands and feet kissed and will hold out her hands for me to kiss during nappy changes.
- Gets very pleased with herself at little achievements – managing to pick up food with a fork, putting a toy in the toy box when tidying up – and shows her delight by holding out her arms, giving a big grin and saying “Ta-da!”
- Had croup during the first few days of our holiday but Calpol and snuggles in the big family bed helped make her feel much better.
- Loves to dance along to the theme tunes of CBeebies programmes and makes up different moves each time – some of which are very funny to watch and sometimes it looks a bit like she is trying to practice Tai Chi!
- Has started to go through the picky stage with eating – she used to eat whatever was put in front of her but will now say “No!” quite forcefully and push her plate away if it’s not what she wants.
- Is becoming more independent – “No! Me do it!” is a phrase we are starting to hear more and more!
- Has learned how to go downstairs by herself and will sit on the stairs bumping down and going “Bump! Bump!” at each step.
Hasn’t Sophie changed this month? Oh my goodness, she looks so grown up, all ‘pre-schooler’ rather than toddler if that makes sense. She is such a cutie pie.
You must have been really worried about Jessica. I thought about you all so much when I spotted your status on Facebook just before her appointment. How sweet of her to offer a ballet show. Don’t you wish you had a little one’s confidence sometimes? Life would be so much more fun (and probably pretty chaotic, too!).
Brilliant that you found an app for your Shaun the Sheep challenge.
Xxx
Thanks Mel – Sophie certainly is growing up fast! I was so anxious over Jessica’s appointment – it was a huge relief when everything was fine. I love her confidence with performing too – she put on a show for us this afternoon and it was lovely to watch her 🙂
Kids’ shows are great aren’t they? Mine insist on being filmed these days, or filming themselves and we then watch their performance all together, he he!
Jessica won’t always perform in front of the camera but if she does, she loves to watch it back again! 🙂
Aww! They are just the cutest! They have such a lovely relationship and look like they get on so well!
They are both growing up so fast x
Thanks Kim – they are so lovely together 🙂
“Me do it” is the bane of my life lol!Glad to hear they’re both feeling better,my daughter had croup a few months ago.Awful isn’t it?Love the “ladies and gentleman” line that must have been so funny x #ftmob
Thank you – croup is horrible but thankfully Sophie didn’t have it too badly. I loved the “ladies and gentleman” line too – it’s been repeated again this week followed by a mini show! 🙂
Glad Jessica was okay. Hope the other guests enjoyed her ballet show! Sophie’s dance moves sound hilarious – love toddler dancing! #ftmob
I love toddler dancing too – they’re just so uninhibited and happy 🙂
Such lovely pictures – so nice to see siblings playing together and getting along x
Thank you Rebecca – it is lovely to see how happy they are together 🙂
Ah your girls are lovely 🙂 and aren’t cousins just the best? We are lucky enough to have our siblings living close by so we get cousin play time at least once a week. Sounds like you have been busy this month! Becky x #ftmob
Thank you – how lovely to get cousin play time so often. I wish my sister lived nearer so our girls could get together more frequently.
Sophie seems to have grown up so much recently (well to me it seems like that) – Martha keep’s saying “No! Martha do it!” or “Martha help” whenever I try to feed or dress her, I love that she’s becoming more independent too.
I’m glad all is well with Jessica’s Heart Function, she is amazing – she’s my inspiration. xx #siblings
Aww how lovely that Martha is getting more independent. Thank you for your lovely comment Gemma, continuing to keep you all in my thoughts as you get ready for Martha’s next step x
Oh bless them, the look so cute walking along hand in hand in their matching red waterproofs. And I love the photos of them playing together in the sand. The summer definitely seems to bring siblings together I think, as they get to have so many fun adventures together. x
Thanks Lucy – it is lovely to see them having lovely adventures together over the summer 🙂
Oh that last photo is just so sweet, I love a sibling hand-holding shot! They get on so well together, and so lovely that Jessica looks out for Sophie so much. My girl’s always telling her brother what to do, too – he tends to ignore her completely! xx
Thanks Jocelyn – how funny that Boo tells Little Man what to do and gets ignored – that happens with my two too! 🙂
Lovely pictures, especially the beach one at the end. They seem to be very close, which is lovely to see!
Thank you – it is lovely to see that close bond between them 🙂
Awww such a lovely update, Sophie is a month older than Boo and it’s so nice to read how she is doing! I love reading about Sophie and Jessica they always seem to be having such fun together – I always wanted a sister when I was little! I love the photo of them on the swing with their cousins, so cute!
I am glad you had a great August and that everything was fine with Jessica’s check up
Thanks Jenni – it was lovely to see them having fun with their cousins 🙂
Absolutely love the last photo 🙂 They always look so close in photos, and it always seems that Jessica is taking care of Sophie. Glad that everything is okay with Jessica’s heart function, how worrying x #siblings
Thanks Sara – it is lovely to see how protective Jessica can be 🙂
What a lovely update :-). The love between your girls is obvious. It must be such a treat watching them interact and looking out for each other; especially Jessica for Sophie. It really is fantastic how quickly they grow and change; and even more how closer they grow.
What fun they must have had with their cousins too. Imaginative play is so intriguing to watch, isn’t it. 🙂 #CommentLuv
Thank you – it is lovely to watch them together and especially when they are having fun with their cousins 🙂