This has been a week of contrasts – and I must admit I’m feeling exhausted!  We started the week on good form with happy children.  I even did a solo bedtime that was calm and fun – usually they are a bit frantic when you’re on your own!

But by mid week, Sophie was under the weather again.  Cue the worst thing about being working parents – Matt and I scrabbling around with our diaries to make sure we could stay home with her.  So I spent Thursday morning in a lengthy work meeting – handing over childcare with Matt at Victoria station, so he could spend the afternoon in the office.  Poor Sophie.

Having said that, after a bad night and sad morning, Sophie was on pretty good form all afternoon so I had a rather nice time at home playing with her in the Autumn sun in our garden!

By Friday she seemed better and had a good day with her childminder, but she then had a really bad night and a pretty rough Saturday.  Not overtly sick, but generally sad and unsettled.  Alex, on the other hand, was brilliant all day – happy, polite and well-behaved!  Matt took him swimming and to Brixton market for lunch whilst I stayed home snuggled up with Sophie.

Then Matt took over baby duty, and I took Alex out to Brockwell Park for the first “Hobofest” – a great little music festival of local performers, including Bea from one of our favourite music classes!  It was a beautiful afternoon, and we had a great time lounging on the grass, eating ice cream and watching some amazing bands.  Can’t wait till next year.

Sophie thankfully brightened up a bit and had some fun in the garden, discovering Alex’s old trike:

After a great sleep (at last), today was much smoother, with a trip to Crowthorne for Sunday lunch with Granddad and Nanny Michele.  As usual, Alex and Sophie love seeing their dogs:

And Alex enjoyed feeding the big fish in their pond and watching the little fish in their aquarium!  The children had a lovely time, and we all enjoyed a delicious lunch (although I did kick myself for forgetting the high chair as it’s quite challenging eating a roast with a baby on your lap!)

Here’s Sophie having a walk with Nanny Michele:

A trip to the local park concluded the day – and now the children are both tucked up in their beds.  Am keeping everything crossed that everyone is on fine form in the morning!

Before I sign off, one thing I want to remember from today…  Alex was biting his nails earlier (naughty boy!) and he accidentally pulled his thumb nail too far – resulting in a rather sore thumb.  He got quite upset, so we put a “Cars” plaster on his thumb – then Matt told him that when we took the plaster off in the morning his nail will have grown a bit and it wouldn’t hurt anymore.  I think he’ll regret telling him that – as Alex kept popping out of his room when he was supposed to be sleeping to tell us that his nail had grown a bit.