The Ringer

Lucy is Amelia's ringer. She completely copies everything she does. If Amelia gets naked...Lucy does, if Amelia needs a plaster .. Lucy does! She will copy what Amelia says , especially if it has made Duncan and I laugh. We call he a ringer and her standard response is 'No, you is a ringer!'

She is so desperate to be just like her sister - I dont know what she will do when Amelia goes to school in September :(

We went to Alison's work the other day to see all the animals. It was AMAZING! Chinchillas, mice, rtas, hamsters, hedgegogs, degas, fish, turtles, snakes, lizards, geckos, chameleons, baby tortoises, a monitor lizard, a iguana, chickes, ducks, turkeys, geese, guinea pigs, wallabys and goats! The girls just loved it! They held and stroked everything they could - Amelia was just fearless so her little ringer joined in too! They held all the soft, furry animals first, then fed lots of fish and moved into the reptile room, next thing I know, Amelia is holding two baby tortoises, one for each of them!! They loved them and kept sitting with them on their laps. They held and stroked snakes and then we saw the bearded dragons, who were just fabulous. We gave them a bath (one of them pooed - Lucys fave bit of the day!!) and had them out for ages. The Alison got out her monitor Lizard, Roxy who was just beautiful. She got her lead out and we took her outside!! But she then managed to slip her lead in a pile of breeze blocks .. queue a lot of lifting and pulling before a naughty Roxy was found and put safely away! We then saw most of the outside animals, though we didnt have time to see the rabbits and chinchillas, or we would have been there for another hour!! Alison couldnt believe how fearless the girls were - they were happy to touch and hold (and sometimes kiss!) everything!! It was so fabulous for the girls as they really got to interact with and see the animals properly by touching them. Amelia cant believe that Alison works there - she wants to work there too!! It really was brilliant!

When we play, Amelia and I tend to put on little voices for things ... Lucy has started to join in .. but she has developed a strange little voice, its kind of French. I have been trying to capture this on video but she wont do it. In this clip.. I am being the baby...AGAIN and Lucy is being the Mummy, you can hear how she says 'you want a cup?'. She also has a cute little way of saying hello - gor to get it on video!
Amelia is growing and growing in confidence, we went to a party at the weekend and she kept asking to go to see the balloon lady on her own to ask for balloon animals , and yesterday she wanted to ask the librarian why we couldnt check a book out on her own. Its so cute how friendly she is becoming, saying hello t oher little playschool chums in the playground.
I had a lovely birthday too. The girls told me all the presents as soon as they got them - Lucy even showed me her card!!! But I got a few lovely surprises . Amelia gave me a card specifically so she could have a piece of pink fluff that was attched to it and they gave me a jewellery stand, I think, so they can help themselves to my necklaces with greater ease!
Amelia-ism
'Mummy can I have some of your make up on?'
'No Amelia, when you are beautiful you dont need make up'
'If I get as ugly as you I will wear your make up then.' Cheers.
Lucy-ism
'We dont like you Mummy, you're stinky!' Charming.

Catherine & Rhys Wedding

The wedding was last week. The girls were the cutest bridesmaids in the whole world! They walked in before Catherine & Dad, Amelia virtually dragging Lucy along! Then when they got to the front and sat with us, Amelia announced loudly, 'We wernt scared AT ALL!' which got a good laugh!

The ceremony was quick, and Amelia spent the whole time whispering 'Your my best friend to Scarlett'! But Catherine and Rhys looked stunning and so happy.

I took so little photos so I am hoping the professionals got LOADS of good ones - there are actually none of me!!!

The reception had a large courtyard all the children were playing it, but the floor was gravel. Most of the children were sitting in it, throwing it and pushing it about like sand - the hems of their dresses are BLACK! But they had a great time running about and playing.

After a yum dinner we tried to get Lucy asleep several times, Duncan pushed her about in the buggy... I made her lie down in a quiet room - I even took her for a drive, but she was determined to stay awake! So we gave up .. the evining started and they loved the dancing!! Then we camped out in a comfy room and they found the fruit platter on the buffet - they were eating fruit salad at 9 oclock! We stayed until 10.20, and they had really had enough - but it was brilliant to stay so late - all in all, an amazing day!!!

Sleeping on the floor and living in a box!

It was time for Lucy's nap and Amelia decided to make her a camp bed. She meant 'sleeping bag' by this and had made Lucy a bed on the floor. Lucy was utterly insistent that she would sleep in it ... and she did! She didnt move from the position she got into it! I wondered if she would want to always sleep like it ... but she was back in the bed at night - so it cant have been to comfy!

We get all sorts of shenanigans at night .. we have gone up, only to find them each in bed with a pair of my high heels on in bed, last night Lucy fell asleep in her Tinkerbelle costume! We can hear so much talking and giggling down the stairs! Amelia always falls asleep next to a big pile of books.

We got a new BBQ last week - a new toy for Duncan .. and true to a childlike stereotype, the girls loved 'the box'. They played in it all afternoon, ate their lunch in it and ate their pudding after dinner in it! After that ... it was pretty disgusting and had to be binned .. but its true what they say, the children really do love boxes!!!