Whirlwind in red

If we were out and about when Little Planet was a baby, she would nap in her pushchair when tired. As she grew into a toddler and became much more alert to and engaged with her surroundings, napping in the pushchair whilst out became a rare event - the result of which was a very cranky toddler. So we tended to go out early and come back home for her 2pm nap, which she had in her cot in her room.

Now, at two years and two months, she is managing to go an entire day without napping but not necessarily getting super cranky as a result. This is great for us because it means we can be more flexible with our weekends and go out for longer days. Yippeeee! She's always been a terrific sleeper, but now that she's not napping her sleep is getting deeper and longer. She's wiped out by 6.45pm and often now falls asleep before her stories have been read. We're often having to wake her up in the mornings too.

We made the most of her not napping this weekend by going out and about for most of the weekend. On Saturday, we visited old Oxford University chums in St Albans - a lesbian couple with three young children, who Little Planet enjoyed playing with. And on Sunday, we went with another old Oxford friend, who was staying with us, to the Victoria & Albert Museum (where Little Planet had a ball splashing about in the courtyard pool), then lunch at Jean Nouvel's vibrant red Serpentine Pavilion, and then a stroll through Hyde Park. Back at home, we then enjoyed a visit with M's sister, who'd just returned from a 3 week vacation in France.

Here are some photos from our busy weekend:

Little Planet keeping herself occupied on the train to St Albans...

Little Planet (middle) and two of the St Albans' children playing with the dollhouse...

At the Victoria & Albert Museum...


Little Planet splashing about in the water at the V & A...


M and Little Planet at the Serpentine Pavilion...

Little Planet lounging around. It's a hard life being a toddler...