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

Coralie: Searching for bugs, always.

SCOTLAND: my sleepy doe

A few captures that I love of Josephine in her beautiful Sleepy Doe PJs. I must get Coralie a pair of these too. Phiney loves them, and I love the style, pattern and quality. They just perfect!

The house we stayed at in Scotland made the perfect backdrop for photos, especially this beautiful bedroom of my dreams (seriously - I took photos so I can one day re-create it!) That Bed Knobs and Broomsticks bed, that Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe wardrobe, the huge mirror that both our girls loved parading in front of!

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Josephine: Finding, holding and rescuing the beetles from the pathways (and placing them very carefully in the grass, where they wouldn't get stood) was one of Josephine's most favourite things, and something she tells everyone when they've asked her about her holiday.

Coralie: Smelling, touching and examining all the pretty wild flowers on each of our walks.

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Josephine: In our beautiful Airbnb cottage, on our Scottish adventure. Watching the rain pour down. Both the girls loved those window seats and looking out at the countryside. So much to look at, so much to be amazed by.

Coralie: Taking in every detail on one of our walks.

TOO MUCH FUN

Sometimes hanging out at the meadow is just too much fun, and you really don't want to go home. I want to remember the happy faces, and dorky faces, and grumpy faces all the same. And she may look sad and fed up, but boy she's still beautiful. I just love these photos (and love how they show just how stubborn and dramatic she can be sometimes!)

OUR HOLIDAY: josephine

Josephine in the sea; how I'll remember her this holiday. No matter how cold it was, she was straight in there, barely a shudder! Collecting seaweed, jumping the waves, laying in the shallows and splashing as much as she could.

She was so awesome this holiday; barely a cross word and so much smiling and laughter. She ate pizza and ice cream like it was going out of fashion. She collected shells and dead crabs that she found along the shore, and she caught little fish with her new pink net. She climbed rocks and drove a boat; she rode a horse, jumped and jumped on my grandparent's trampoline and spent way too much money in the arcade. She was such a brilliant big sister too, and took that role very seriously; showing Coralie how to do things, encouraging her to take one more step into the sea, holding her hand and building sandcastles especially for Coralie to squish.

Our beautiful Josephine - born to live by the sea, with her mermaid hair blowing in the wind.

OUR HOLIDAY: part two

Josephine is obsessed with horses right now. I think I've mentioned here that she has an invisible one called Isobel, and when you go into her room in the morning her bed is likely to be filled with them (unicorns and My Little Pony included) and a copy of Pony magazine. When she grows up, she wants to be a horse rider. So Ben and I planned a special treat for her. This was the stables my Dad and my aunties would ride at when they were on holiday in St Ives when they were small, so it's a pretty special place.

Phiney was so excited when we told her at breakfast. Her horse, Flora, was beautiful and she jumped on her like a pro - no hesitation or nerves. Ben had a huge and rather grumpy horse called Tonto and he said that as they were trekking he would see her slowly let go of the reins with one hand an stroke Flora on the back :) She trotted too, and came back full of how amazing and wonderful it had been. How lucky we are to be able to offer our girls these kind of experiences.

Coralie wanted her own horse too and so the brown one in the field is hers, in case she asks you. We went off to enjoy a yummy ice cream at the local tearoom with my grandparents while Ben and Phiney rode, but I can't wait for Coralie to be old enough and we can all go together.

This really was such an awesome morning. Magical...