Start of the party season

We went to our Parent and Toddler group last week. We don't always make it these days - to fit in playgroup, lunch and then go to something else at 1pm. It depends on the weather and our moods. Anyway, this week we managed it and the boys soon settled on their favourite activities. I have made a few friends there, a couple of whose children (will) go to the same nursery as A&G begin next year.

Alastair filling his car up with diesel, then taking his bird out for a spin.

Gregor sneaking in to the back seat. Wonder if this is a sign of things to come - Gregor the gooseberry?

Then our rather depleted Russian group had a little vodka and caviar and sweets to celebrate our success in mastering the language such that we can all book a luxury hotel room, ie with shower, in Siberia for two people. From left to right: Alla Steele (teacher), Athran (has Ukranian penfriend), Carl (granddaughter learning Russian at university, wants to surprise her this Christmas), Susan (took her grandson on the transiberian railway, wants to do it again), Mike (a Jehovah's witness, recruiting Russians) and me, the photographer, who wants to speak with my mother-in-law!

Then on Saturday afternoon Alastair the social butterfly had a party to go to. It's the child development centre where he was assessed before the summer and all the local area's children with special needs are invited. It consisted of a wonderful music session with singing/signing and instruments, then food, then presents. Assiduous readers may recognise Annie, the physiotherapist, in the background. As Misha was working, my sister Sue and her two, Allie and Will, kindly travelled up for the afternoon and looked after Gregor (and did all my ironing). Great.

And here we are about to rip into a Cadbury's mini swiss roll. It's funny to think that this time last year Alastair didn't eat. In fact, I suddenly remembered that it was at this party that he made his first breakthrough. With a Cadbury's mini swiss roll.....

And here he is playgroup this morning, getting his teachers to fight over him. His main one, Kirsty, is out of shot pretending to sulk because he didn't want to go with her. He has an emphatic shake of the head when he doesn't want to do something. And a wicked, cheeky glint in his eyes when he wants to be persuaded.