Summer holiday chums

Happy daddy's and their daughters

After a restful Friday night chilling out at home, our old friends Jake and Helen arrived with their little girl Isla on Saturday morning. Isla is two and a half months older than Eve. To be expected, at first they were a bit shy with each other, but it didn't take long for them to form a great friendship.

Playing with each others prams and babies - sharing sometimes works!

Within about 10 minutes or so they were both pushing their babies around the kitchen in their toy prams. It was great for Sam and I to see Eve having fun with a girl friend of the same age; this was really a first for her. Eve's best friends at nursery are both boys, as they are the closest in age to her in her class. 

The weather was warm so we wandered down the hill, through the cemetery woodland and over to Boca Bar for lunch. Eve slept whilst Isla ate lunch, but when she woke up they both had a wonderful time exploring the large restaurant space together.

 Playing at Boca Bar

From Boca Bar we headed over to Arnos Vale park. The rain held off pretty much which was lucky and we stayed there for a good long while, watching Isla and Eve enjoy the swings, slide, zip line and trampoline.

We walked a circular route through the woods, along the plateau and across the cemetery towards home. It was amusing watching Eve and Isla wandering off on adventures together. They both called each other by name, which was very sweet.

Happy hugs with Daddy

As soon as we walked in the door at home, the girls grabbed their prams and were off racing around, laughing and shrieking with delight, as only little girls can.

The girls enjoying jelly and strawberries at dinner time

This was our first sleep over with another child at our house and it went really well. It took Isla a bit more time to go to sleep, which of course was to be expected in a strange place. Whilst the girls slept we ate dinner, drank some drinks and had some laughs. Somehow I almost lost my voice and spent that evening and the next day whispering, which was all that I could muster. I think it's related to glandular fever that I've been suffering with this year, which seems to keep recurring. 

Both Isla and Eve slept all night, waking up just after 6am. I think they were both happy to see each other for breakfast. After the evening bath which they shared, they were both sad at having to leave each other.

Eve and Isla watching Mr. Tumble together on Sunday morning

Jake, Sam and I took the girls to the little park near our house on Sunday morning. It was already really warm at 9.30am. Being in the park on a sunny Sunday morning is so calming.

Jake and Isla

The Whitfords left at 10.30am to head back to Plymouth. Poor Eve was absolutely distraught when they drove away. We stood outside with her, waving and watching them go, and she just howled with sadness. It took us a good ten minutes to explain to her that we'd see Isla again. I think she will miss her new best friend.

The rather wonderful thing is that Eve and Isla can be summer holiday buddies. We usually see Jake and Helen once a year when the weather is good and we can be outside doing stuff. My Godmother, Vicki and her girls; Zoe, Lauren and Camilla all used to come down from London when we were small. They stayed in Fowey each summer. I have very happy memories of playing on the rocks at Ready Money Cove with them. I hope that Eve and Isla will enjoy such a friendship as we progress through the years.

Mr. Tumble

Eve's vocabulary is really coming on. By the time a week has gone she seems to have picked up a few extra words. She loves Mr. Tumble on CBeebies, and enjoys touching her nose, ears, eyes etc when told to do so, and loves to copy the sign language; especially the sign for 'thank you.'

Whilst Daddy slept on Sunday afternoon Eve and I went back to the old skool and watched 'Shall We Dance' (1937 Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers). I thought she would like to see the dancing and singing, and who would be better to see than Fred n Ginger?! As soon as she saw the ballerina's at the beginning of the film she got excited and said 'tip toes!'

Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire in Shall We Dance, 1937