Day: July 31, 2014

Lola set her alarm for 05.47 this morning. When she came downstairs, I asked why she’d set it so early and she said, “so I could see you.”

*HUG*

Sorry, girls, for the gap in your life story. It’s been going well — just that I’ve not had the time to stop and write it down. Very busy with work; transformation at BMJ. I’ve been promoted: now Head of Operations. Trying to hire people and juggling a million projects. Then there’s been lots of DIY: the TV cupboard, Neve’s bed, various other jobs.

Lola was eight last month. A lovely, caring girl who has really blossomed this year, developing confidence with her music and her body and with performing. Mrs Hubbard was a great teacher at the right time; Lola attended her dance classes, enjoyed singing with the choir, and came on strongly with the piano. She’s become a voracious reader, centred around the Harry Potter series, which she’s read four times through this year. It really shows in her vocabulary, which is very rich.

Neve is five and phenomenal. Cheerful and energetic, very funny; an incessant talker, narrator of her life and the imaginary lives she weaves around toys and props. Tells us she loves us all the time, is forever coming for cuddles. I suppose this is the last year of her infancy and we will lose that wonderful whatever-it-is that defines those early years. She’s very smart; starting in year one in September and already reads quite well and writes a little. She is a natural artist with a great eye for colour; she’ll plan and carry out all sorts of arts and crafts projects: painting pictures, making collages, sticking things together, making models. She does have her difficult moments, particularly if she’s hungry, tired, or under the weather.

Lola and she are great together; prone to some fairly clichéd sibling rivalry in which I recognise some of the dynamic that existed between me and Tom. At the moment they are both mad on the songs from Frozen. Neve in particular needs only a casual “The cold never bothered me, anyway…” from me and she’s off on an extended performance of “Let It Go” complete with arm flinging and great dramatic expression. It’s hilarious.

We’ve spent a week in the Peak District which was lovely but slightly dampened by fevery nastiness for me and Neve, pokey accommodation on a smelly farm, and, well, dampness. We’ve had lodgers: Anton and, currently, Valeria. Isa has been helping out with Mrs Smith’s art class at St Philips, and has just accepted a job as part-time TA there, starting in September. We took Lola to Whipsnade for her birthday treat; it hasn’t really changed in the thirty-odd years since I’ve been there. We’re off to Somerset for a week soon, with a stop in Devon to meet Amy (and family) who is over from Australia. Isa’s not seen her for ten years.