Tag: neve

a-wobbler

Neve at Rosie's birthday party The enduring image of Neve at the moment has her walking backwards and forwards in a wobbly manner carrying things. Preferably, things that are just a little too heavy. And then finding a step or ledge upon which she can sit.

She loves to chase, or be chased around the sitting-room/hall/kitchen circuit — and Lola is happy to oblige. Or she’ll go on a trip around the kitchen table with a little bag with some interesting items in, waving goodbye with a “Ciaii” and then waving hello with a big grin as she rounds the table.

Oooooooo-dahh!

neve the gardener Such is Neve’s current favourite vocalisation. Or it least it was a week or so ago; it’s possible that now it is *our* favourite vocalisation and she has moved on, wondering why on earth Mum, Dad and Lola have abdicated from proper speech to wander round the house calling, “Ooooooooooo-dah!”

Neve is now, of course, awfully grown up, having reached the grand age of one a couple of weeks back. We had a lovely party on the day with all the old Thursday group and Tom, Esther and Grace.

Neve and Lola in the paddling pool This weekend has been a scorcher — let’s hope it doesn’t represent the entire summer — and Neve has been as happy as Larry (probably: I’d have to admit I’ve never actually met Larry). We got the paddling pool out and she and Lola had a great time playing in there. Neve has learnt to stand, and she would pull herself up on the sides of the pool and stand until she lost her balance and fell back on her bum with a splash. She liked that.

Then, on Sunday, we moved her cot into Lola’s room (henceforth, “the girls’ room”) and she slept there the night. For the first time in four years, Isa and I had the bedroom to ourselves: a very odd feeling but one we could get used to!

Neve the Beve

Neve is in an adorable phase. She’s nothing but big toothy grins. She leans forward to accept a kiss, often inviting one herself. She has a wide range of conversational vocal sounds, though no actual words save for prototype mama and dada noises. She says “Hiya” a great deal (so perhaps she does have a word), and “Oooo Dah”. She laughs if you play peekaboo or similar. She loves to hava a bath; and she really loves to roll and jump around on our bed.

A weekend in Cambridge

Up. Croissants for breakfast. Fixing TV to wall with £30, “lifetime guarentee” bracket. First drill out two new holes in the universal backing plate as the universe does not actually include our telly. Then work out required height of wall fixing, drill out holes, fix mounting thingy to wall, assemble rest of bracket , hang telly, note sag on bracket means telly to low for tallboy to sit underneath as intended. Confirm this by going upstairs, transferring contents of Neve’s tallboy to the spare (which we plan eventually to ditch), then manouver Neve’s downstairs. Calculation is correct: it doesn’t fit. Unhang telly, disassemble bracket, unscrew mount, drill two new holes, re-fix one vertical-screw-gap higher, reassemble bracket, rehang telly, cofirm tallboy fits easily under. Bodge bracket to stop it presenting telly at 10 degrees off horizontal.

Go for relaxing drive to St Neot’s and its historic beaut Lidl. Rethink decision to take main road there and scenic route back when caught in traffic jam on A483. Manage to cut out after a half-mile/-hour and join intended return route, the B1046. Serendipity. A fine route: good roads, lovely villages and country. I can’t see why anyone would take the big A roads, but I’m glad they do. Lidl’s found and raided: parmesan, olive oil, a waterproof cycling jacket, … All bargains, though a lot of bargains are not cheap. Back downthe 1046. Home around six and Isa’s getting us all fed while I get telly running so Lola can watch a bit of Bianvaneve before bed. Then it’s kids to bed and fractious, weary parents to follow.

Sunday morning and emptying long Ikea sideboard thing we used to use for hifi as Dave is coming to pick it up: we’re offloading it. He comes, we load it up, I go with him to help him decant. Back and Isa is distraught and ready to take kids to park: Neve must sleep,Lola must stop whingibg, I MUST COME, TOO!

Trundle-trundle, swing-swing, Zzzzzzz, trundle-trundle, and we’re back. Isa cleaning, me setting up hifi in tallboy. Lunch. Then a change and to the front garden to put gatepost back up. Neve comes out, too, and Lola is playing with Sophie around the various gardens. It’s warm and sunny: the first day of spring. Gatepost done, gates rehung. Minimal spot of weeding then back to sorting front room.

Once hifi working, clear out old chest which was housing waiting hifi kit and repurpose as toy chest. Isa takes over rearranging room while i put seed potatoes out to chit and make some dinner. Pretty relaxed dinner followed by the usual, but slightly later than usual, bedtime routine. Downstairs again and Isa and I rewatch the excellent gangster film with Jude Law and Paul Newman about the hitman father and his son, the name of which escapes me, of course.

And then to bed.