The Streets of Oxford

From Queens Lane, looking onto High Street

Lewis Painting

Keeping the boy busy while sister is away at pre-school this morning.

An English Village

I'm constantly taking photos of this lovely little village.  It's one of my favourites.

Princess

Princess Tess is looking glamorous, and headed off to her friend's birthday party!

A Boy and his Train

 

Reward

At four and a half years old, Tess finally decided she was ready to give up her bottles.  Her reward - a castle for her fairies to live in.

I've never been that fussed about older kids having bottles.  If it makes everyones life easier, then I roll with it.  We only allowed her to have a bottle at bedtime, and when she was sad or upset she always requested one.  Many times we just gave her an empty bottle to suck on.  We had tried a few times before to get Tess to give up her bottles.  She almost did willingly take all her bottles to the toy store and trade them in for a new toy when we told her she could have absolutely any new toy in the store.  She thought about it for days but finally decided she would rather have her bottles.  That's how I know how important her bottles are/were to her.  I wasn't going to maker her give it up until she decided she was ready.  

This weekend she decided she was ready.  She bravely threw them all into the outside recycling bin.  Then she cried/whimpered herself to sleep that day at nap time.  When she woke from her nap, her fairy castle was waiting for her.  She hasn't requested a bottle since.  We are so proud of her!

Snow Day

Our one and only real snow fall this year happened a couple of weeks ago in early February.

This is Lewis's first real experience playing in snow.  He highly approved!

 Tess has been dreaming of playing in the snow all winter.  She even woke on Christmas day certain that there would be snow outside.  (There was none, much to her disappointment.)

It's hit and miss whether we'll get any snow during an English winter.  Last year we didn't get any snow, while other years we've gotten a good handful of snow storms. 

Cold fingers!

Tess stayed out and played long after Lewis got too cold and gave up and went inside.

Busy Hands

The busy hands of a two year old!  Lately these little hands have insisted on doing everything on their own (and they have usually been quite successful at most things they attempt to do on their own!)  Persistence and patience usually pay off.

Baking

This is one of their favorite activities.  We call it pretend baking.  I give them each a bowl of flour, then I fill a cupcake tin with different spices and baking ingredients.  I try to use spices and ingredients that are fragrant and different textures (cocoa, oatmeal, poppy seeds, cloves, dry rice, dry noodles, herbs, etc).  They love using their little scoops to choose their spices and mix them into their bowls of flour.  If I'm really feeling brave about a mess I let them add water to their mixtures. 

Patches of Light

I had just bought her this new swimsuit, so of course she had to wear it (with her socks, and winter gloves!)  She's like her mama and prefers spending time in warm patches of light.