MONTHLY PORTRAIT: september

I love these pictures so much, there was no way I was only choosing one for this month's portrait! Part dreamy childhood magic part Royal Tenenbaums...

DANCING CORALIE

Last week Coralie started her dance classes and I can't tell you how excited she was about it. She's been watching Josephine dance since she was a baby and she couldn't wait to get up there and do it herself. We found her the sweetest tutu in H&M and some little white ballet shoes, and she wore Phiney's old ballet cardigan - I love seeing the pieces that have such wonderful memories tied up in them getting passed down from Phiney to Coralie.

Coralie has been telling everyone about starting dance class, and she knew it would be around the same time Phiney started school, so we had a few tears on Josephine's first day as Coralie thought she'd be off to ballet too :( So sweet when Thursday came and I could tell her it was tomorrow...she must have told us all a million times on Thursday how 'me going dance class 'morrow!'

My Mum even made her a little bag for her ballet shoes with her name embroidered on. She took it to bed on Thursday night and spent most of her dance class with it clutched in her hands.

As Coralie is starting a bit younger than Phiney, we have joined the Mini Dancers sessions which means Mama gets involved too. It was so fun skipping round the room and getting to be part of the lesson with her. It does make it trickier to record however, but next week I'm going to anyway - because it's just too cute to not have video evidence of.

I don't think I'll ever forget her happy little face and she twirled and twirled at her first dance class...

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Josephine: Her first day of school!

Coralie: Her first dance class!

FIRST DAY: our little schoolgirl

On Monday Phiney started school. She literally hopped, skipped and jumped her way through the doors and I left beaming with pride for our baby girl. No tears were shed by either of us (at least I didn't until Ben sent me the sweetest, kindest text message about being an ace Mama an hour later!) and she bounded out at the end of the morning with just as much enthusiasm, exclaiming how she couldn't wait to go back on Tuesday.

We had a little wobble on the walk to school yesterday (which disappeared as soon as we stepped inside the gates) and on our way home today she asked if she had to go in every day, but I think she's just so tired. It's an exhausting thing this starting school stuff, and this afternoon she mostly led on the sofa watching Tangled. Typically she also has a stinking cold (after two months away from pre-school and not a single sniffle!) which isn't helping matters. I think Friday and two days off will pretty welcome.

I know Phiney will love school - she just has a desire to learn and find out more about the world around her - I'm sure she's always had it. Always so many questions and, so brilliantly, always so much understanding. Mostly though, we're just so happy for Josephine. So happy that she's happy, and so proud of her.

We love you so much Phiney! xxx

JOSEPHINE: september 2016

Tomorrow Josephine starts school. I can hardly believe that this time has come already, those four and a half years zipped by so quickly. Our baby has turned into the most wonderful girl - so funny and serious and laid back and stubborn and clever and silly and kind and sensitive. She has an unbeatable imagination and wants to learn and discover and understand as much about the world as she can. And she's so excited about starting school. About making new friends and learning how to write, and about playing in the playground and with the pretend shop in her classroom; about wearing her school uniform and her beautiful new school shoes.

We're all about to embark on a new adventure. And tonight I feel sad that the first part of our journey together is coming to an end - those carefree days, where I have Phiney by my side almost 24/7. Where we know everything about her little life. But I'm also so excited. Education is such a gift, and one Josephine will appreciate every second of. She is so ready for this next step and I can't wait to see what it will bring. What she'll love and the questions she'll ask. Her new little school is awesome, and I'm so sure she'll thrive there.

Our beautiful Josephine, We're so proud of you darling. What a brilliant little woman you are, and what a brilliant adventure awaits you xxxx

I snapped these on holiday in Scotland and I just adore them of her. Our beautiful girl, inside and out xx

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Josephine & Coralie: Out with the babies and their prams, finding so much joy in such simple things. Walking up and down the street, spotting birds and planes and chatting about the world. One of our favourite past times.

iPhone pictures this week as I didn't get out my big camera once...savouring every second before school starts!

BANK HOLIDAYS: lazy days

The last bank holiday of the summer, spent lazing in the garden in the sunshine. The girls bought some of their guys out, we had a picnic lunch and Coralie searched for bugs. Happy, lazy days.

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Josephine: Enjoying the lazy bank holiday Monday sunshine in the garden. Looking ever-so The Virgin Suicides-esque...

Coralie: Searching for bugs, always.

MONTHLY PORTRAIT: august

Sitting on the stairs in our Airbnb cottage in Scotland. They spent so much time there together - holding hands, chatting, scheming, laughing...I hope they remember. We'll cherish them forever no matter what.

SCOTLAND: sunday // trampoline

A last bounce on the trampoline before we packed up the car and headed back to the airport. I absolutely adore those last photos of Ben jumping with each of the girls. Look at their happy faces!

Such a wonderful, brilliant trip that we'll always remember. It was everything we hoped it would be. And I made a little film too, in case the girls ever forget :)

SCOTLAND: monday

We left our cottage to head back to the airport mid-afternoon on Monday, so we managed to squeeze in another adventure in the morning - before heading back to the house to eat an enormous lunch to use up as much food as we could!

I had read about the amazing Three Lochs Drive, that's open from Easter to September (I think!) and is a one way road that takes you past three different Lochs and through the most beautiful Highland countryside. The views were the best we'd seen, and there were places along the drive where you could pull over and see them better. There are car parks at each Loch and we decided to explore Loch Drunkie - best name ever!

It was such a lovely walk, along the edge of the Loch. We tried to be as quiet as possible - not an easy task with Coralie in tow! - to see if we could spot some red squirrels or deer, but I think we were just too noisy!

There were these amazing huge wooden instruments along the way too, which didn't help! There were bells that made different sounds, and two that made a cuckoo noise. Plus the huge Xylophone was a favourite with the girls.

The roads leading to and from the drive, which is off the main road, were really windy and fun too - very Top Gear-esque! Well, they would have been fun if the girls hadn't decided they were just too windy, and puked all over the back seats - in unison! - as we made our way home. Thankfully they were fine after that, but still - I had to drive the rest of the way home super slowly!