Birthday Exhaustion

What a weekend she's had! Friday was her pony ride, Saturday was the family trip to the Highland Wildlife Park (pictures to follow) and today it was presents, bike riding (and racing Grannie on the scooter--video to follow ;) and cake at Grannie's. She got (from lots of people) a new bike and scooter, a doll, a kids ironing board & iron, a Peppa Pig and an Elmo rucksack, a necklace, books, a magic wand, a book & magnetic letters, 'plant a jungle kit,' a card with GOOGLEY eyes & a (planned) 'pass the parcel' game getting a unstuffed squeeky-racoon dog toy she can tormet the dogs with now for HOURS! It was a fabulous day to turn THREE and thank you all for the phone calls, cards & parcels. She loved it...and claims it's Ailsa's birthday tomorrow.

She made 'crafts' at Grannie's with her new 'skizzors', some glue that smells like fish (copydex? A British thing), cardboard & party cups, got to feed the chickens and have some Grannie-lap time. Her cake was a giant 'french fancy'..good times were had by all. She informed me 'she had a happy day.'. Guess we can't ask for more than that!

'All done!'

And she's off!!!

Blue sky?

In the car we hit a patch of heavy rain, but with blue sky in site. Isla yelled from the backseat 'see mom, I said I should have brought my umbrella!' (We'd had a bit of a heated discussion on why she thought she had to bring her umbrella and I'd told her she couldn't)...cheeky 2 year old!

Scotland in February

For Isla's birthday we took a family trip to the Highland Wildlife Park in Aviemore. There's still snow on the hills up north.

Pre-birthday fun

Breaking out the bikes at Grannie's

Landie fun

Again

So, having some friends up I got ambitious and took everyone (4 dogs, my 2 girls + friends) for a walk at the farm we call 'the beehives'. It was all going swimmingly until 3/4 of the way around Kiwi disappeared. The rain was starting and lambs needed fed, so we just headed home. After the usual phone call to inform Ali that she'd run off, we fed the sheep, took my friend's girls home and headed home--but decided to do one last farm check for Kiwi.
As we rounded the driveway she came bolting out of the path. I stopped the car, got out to open the boot and yelled for her---nothing--so yelled again--only to hear the girls giggling in the car. The stinkin' and filthy dog had jumped in my open driver's side door, over my seat, over the armrest and was inbetween the car seats in the back seat leaving a caked trail of muddy footprints and body prints all over the car!!!!! Some choice words were muttered and she was dragged out and put in the boot, where she promptly hopped over the backseat, back to her spot between the girls....leaving another trail o mud over the boot guard...she was once again removed, threatened with her life and put in the back.
She'll be on cage detention for a few days I think!!!!
It just doesn't help that both girls think it's hilarious to have the dogs ride with them on the back seat. Ailsa giggles away when any dog gets close enough to touch.

Sisters

 Isla reading to Ailsa.

 Our little Vet doing a check on Charlie.

 Ailsa loves the drum too!

 Her new knashers....the other front one is almost in now too.

Sunday walks

The great pine cone collector!

Adventures

The snow has melted (although it has snowed again today) and we've ventured out again. This time Thing 1 went up the big hill but came back down!

Bribes

We've been doing more work on the house--insulating, fixing floors, etc..I've discovered the joiner comes earlier and stays later if I bribe him with food. This week it was cinnamon rolls, frosted mississippi mud, peanut butter/chocolate chip cookies and lemon bars. He'll be back next week to do some more work. I need to get more flour!!

February days

The weather is still cold and wet a lot of days and with Ailsa still on two naps a day we spend more time inside than I would like. Isla decided on Tuesday to wear a ponytail ALL day long. This is her computer pose as she watches Sesame Street.

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510 and sun just setting over town. The long dark winter might just be ending. Hoorah!!!!

Monday morning laundry fun

If you can't take the heat....

Yup--could she get ANY closer?? I assume dogs are smart enough not to burn themselves!!

Productive days

Today we woke to snow and so despite our best efforts to take the dogs out, it didn't happen. HOWEVER, as we lit the fire, we decided it was as good a day as any to give Charlie a bath. She ended up playing in the front room with us for quite awhile much to the girls delight...she was even made to wear Isla's 'superhero' glasses. Kiwi did her best to singe herself on the stove. Not a dog who was meant to live in Scotland--maybe that's why she runs away so much, she's trying to find a warmer climate---I hear ya, sistah ;)

Teeth

So, Ailsa's troubles this week have been compounded by what we discovered today is THREE teeth--two top incisors and one front tooth. We can only assume the other front tooth will be following shortly. She seems a bit more happy now that they've broken skin and explains her love of Calpol (a baby painkiller/fever reducer) recently!

Fun with Grannie

Mom got to have (as daddy puts it) 'a half-day off' to go grocery shop and look for Isla's birthday present in Stirling. Naturally, the rest of the family was dropped off to visit grannie-who we've decided must be on some sort of list at Early Learning Centre, to receive one of every new product they have. She promptly found this craft kit to entertain Isla (and daddy--Ailsa takes super naps in daddy's old very dark/warm bedroom at Grannie's). By the time mommy returned there was a whole collection of colored maize puff creations. Daddy has really missed his calling in life! Kindergarten art teacher would have suited him perfectly.

Isla got to pet lambies and we had lunch--only leaving when Ailsa threw up all over mom in the barn...oh well, it was a fun morning.

Clever or Dangerous?

So, the girls have been sick with high fevers, runny noses and coughs since Monday. We've only left the house to go to the doctor. (Who says it's a virus and it will go away--the UK equivalent to Latin America's 'liver' diagnosis). Isla has been getting more and more cheeky by the day as she starts to feel better (Poor Ailsa though seems to be getting worse--she's really red, hot & uncomfortable so she cries when she's awake--which wasn't very long today-although she thinks yelling 'BOO!' And 'chasing' Isla is hilarious no matter how clogged up she is.)
So, as I have been talked back to too many times this week, I've said more than once 'if you're learning naughty behaviour from tv, we'll not watch tv anymore.". Well, this morning Isla was once again sassy and I asked 'where did you learn that?' To which she paused for a moment (2 year old mental wheels whirring) and said 'Playgroup'. She waited for my response which I didn't give, and she said 'guess we won't go anymore!'. HONESTLY--this was her logic to not have to go back to playgroup 'where I leave her'....she's some kid!

My first car