Once again, it’s been a while. How dare life get in the way of blogging?!
Well, it has its ups and downs and while there was plenty of anxiety upon hearing that my mom had to have major surgery, we were very relieved that she got through it successfully and is now making a good recovery. Family matters and is a priority for all of us, so that as my mom has been there for her mom in the UK in the last years, there is no question that I would step in to help out in the meantime – and we’re so pleased that our daughters feel the same way. In fact, without my middle daughter stepping up and taking over my granny’s care until I could get there, things could have got pretty hairy. In any case, it all means I am spending a good deal of the rest of the year in England, sharing the care – and we all actually seem to be enjoying the opportunity to spend time together, four generations in harmony, which really is quite something!
Just before I left, little Mireille had her 1st birthday! We had a little get-together to celebrate and I enjoyed using the theme of her main present – a collection of small classic animals – to decorate the table for our brunch.
I made some animal-shaped iced biscuits for the occasion, used owl serviettes and printed out place-mats (that I laminated) from Martha Stewart’s website (!) that have Steiff stuffed animals all around the edges. Mireille enjoyed looking at them!
Animals seem to be more interesting to Mireille than cars and she enjoyed playing with them 
There were other presents, too. A headscarf that is still a bit big (she needs to grow some hair LOL!) and a book… 
Mireille’s book this year is one I think is extremely cute and I’m happy to promote it here: 
Having been practising for a year, our little granddaughter is now also walking! But the thing she enjoyed most on this visit was a little wooden footstool made by my husband in his woodworking class as a teenager! It was good to push around, climb onto, ride on and excellent to stand on to reach higher up the bookcase… and for stacking cups 🙂 
The Little Wash-House 
Cute photographs. Those are very lovely! I like your ‘keep calm and carry on knitting’ as well!
Thanks to my good friend Elaine who supplied the coaster at a time that turned out to require just that! 🙂
Hope your mother is well on her way to recovery – I am sure that she feels better just knowing that you are there.
Congratulations to the little birthday girl – she is a cutie!
Oh Mel, she’s adorable….and I can’t believe she’s one already….time flies! Looking forward to seeing you when you’re back!
Ich glaub, man muss die Kleine in Narkose legen, um mal ein Bild von ihr machen zu können, das nicht verwackelt ist! Selbst mein “Sportmodus” war ja überfordert, wie du dich sicher erinnerst.
😉
Better late the never , Happy Birthday Mireille !!!!!