Little Rascal

22 months 25days

Not only has my little monkey covered her tummy in felt tip pen, she managed to do so whilst she was fully dressed, felt pen shoved inside her vest. She did then quickly strip. Mainly so she could retrieve the lost pen, I suspect.

She was at nursery this morning. She cried as we got to the gate, cried more when we went in the room, but let me put her at a painting table and put the apron on. She got really cross when I left, but still was sat at the table. Half an hour later, I got a call from the nursery to tell me that she'd setteld a lot quicker than previously, and whilst not happy she was not beside herself and had gone back to doing her painting. She'd done a dirty nappy and was unimpressed at them changing her, but I knew she would be the first time they tried. When I went to pick her up, they said she'd although she definitely wasnt totally happy, they'd had a couple of smiles and a few more words than other times. She wouldnt sit with the other children, for snack or lunch - they think she's intimidated by it as she wont do anything where they're all together. But we've come up with a strategy for helping her feeling comfortable to eat, working up eventually towards her hopefully sitting with the others. She's trying really hard to handle this, and she can see there are things there she wants to enjoy. Very proud of her. Small improvements, but i'm so very very proud of those improvements

After nursery we went for a walk and got some lunch for her. She was flitting between being full of beans, running along very quickly and coming up for "I'm getting tired" cuddles. After not very long, she was fast asleep. While she was sleeping I did a couple of jobs, including going for a parcel in the city. She woke up when I put her back in the car and was rather disorientated and rather insistent she wanted cuddles. So we stopped at a cafe for a drink and a little walk, she chatted to some ducks, and we headed for the car with a much happier Katie. A quick trip to our post office for another parcel (photo book of our holiday - yey!) before we headed home. And the drawing. Shortly to be followed by a bath

(The "one year ago" is the first time I took Katie to one of our now regular haunts, the garden centre with fish & soft play - I went there this morning for coffee and a play with Ava & her mummy whilst Katie was at nursery!)