Each year we see a ladybird the day before Coraline’s birthday. The first time was the evening before she was born on my bedside lamp. I thought we didn’t see one this year, but maybe we did. We saw this butterfly on Saturday which looks like a ladybird and is made of flowers! Butterflies symbolise transformation amongst other things. It does feel like things are taking off for Coraline at the moment after she’s begun walking. I like this mix of butterfly and ladybird. The ladybird is about true love, abundance and blessings, good fortune, being patient, persistence, allow ..read more

     Coraline is five years old today. She doesn’t know it’s her birthday and she doesn’t know she’s got presents as she does not yet understand these concepts. She does know she’s safe and happy and is loved by us. She knows she loves food, toys and TV. She knows the streets which lead to our house, or to our old house or to Margaret and Dave’s house. We know by her tears when we pass by but don’t go in. So we try not to take the roads leading to our house, unless we are actually going home. She knows when she hates something or when it makes her mad. She knows she doesn’t l ..read more

     Happy 45th Birthday to Kevin! The owners of our Airbnb have let us roam their garden on the river as well as the annexe we are in as they are away, which has made for an amazing day. Kev you are incredible! .         ..read more

     Old hair, new hair! Thank you @nadiathesalon, she looks beautiful! We picked up Coraline today from Margaret and Dave’s in Surrey for the weekend to stay with us at an Airbnb here, then she’s back to stay with them for more holiday time!          ..read more

     Our last morning in France before getting the ferry home. My dad, younger brother Ed, Kevin and I have had a fabulous road trip through Normandy to Brittany for a week. It’s been picturesque at every turn. Sadie, Charlotte and Chantelle have kindly run the shop whilst we’ve been away! Coraline has had her own wonderful holiday at our old neighbours’ Margaret and Dave’s house in Surrey. We will see Coraline again tomorrow in time for Kevin’s 45th birthday and Coraline’s 5th birthday this weekend! .         ..read more

     I have been approached to be a guest on a podcast in the next few months. It’s about educational toys. It was suggested I could come on and chat about how Coraline is developing fine/gross motor skills and how she can learn whilst having fun through play. I had an initial chat to the host earlier this week. I began the call by saying: “What about children who don’t really play? Could we do a conversation about that? I mean Coraline sits with books, and presses musical toys, but she doesn’t really engage in play. She wouldn’t sit and play with things, and she doesn’t hav ..read more

     4th wedding anniversary today! Swim and sundowner at Sidmouth after preschool. Followed by champagne back home which we were given at our wedding and reminiscences of the day .         ..read more

  Shropshire, visiting my dad, April 2022    This week’s blogging question, “What kind of pram do you use for Coraline?” A @mountain_buggy swift. It’s thirteen years old and used to belong to Coraline’s cousins. Kevin takes it all terrain, all gradients! It is epic! She’s a bit big for it but still fits and we make it work as it’s so good for all terrain. Seen here visiting my dad in the Shropshire Hills. Coraline is doing 10-20 steps indoors or in the garden but is not yet walking e.g. in towns or on countryside walks. She will be 5 years old in August. We also have an Excel E ..read more

  Shropshire, visiting my dad, April 2022    This week’s blogging question, “Have you changed the way you do anything recently?” Yes! We have put posters up in our kitchen where we write up in pen every wonderful new development Coraline makes. They are called “Awesome April”, “Marvellous May” and “Joyful June”. For example in June, “Preschool said that Coraline’s Physio came in and said, ‘yet more progress,’ as Coraline was lifting her own knee when she was working with her on going up steps, instead of her knee being lifted”. Also in our June list, “Coraline is smiling loa ..read more

     This week’s blogging question is, “Do you have a lot of paperwork for Coraline?” For me I am going to use the analogy of when I was caught in a wave on Bondi Beach many years ago. I was near the shore. The shore was in reach but I felt myself swirl around in the wave, out of control. I felt myself dragged along the sand. Finally I emerged. Stunned. Over the past year and a half with the paperwork I have to do for Coraline, the chasing calls I make and the chasing emails I send, I am in and out of this wave. Mostly in it. My emotions go from 0-100 with another email unheed ..read more