Child labour

What happens when toddlers dress themselves? Well a summer hat in January and her brother's wooly cardi mostly. She was a vision of loveliness as we hit the town.

The favourite toy of the moment is the Dyson. I have to put the timer on so they can have fair shares - occasionally the carpet gets cleaned too.

It's reached that time of year when I start to browse Rightmove and wonder about how to rearrange the house. My Gran used to want to move every spring and I think it's been passed down to me. The upside is that when I'd got the kids to bed the other night I did a bit of rearranging and turned the table round so we can get into the corner by the window. My plan is to move the chest of drawers upstairs but Isaac has decided it's great for climbing on and jumping off and won't let me move it - this is the problem when things only get half finished because the furniture that needs moving to make room is in the same room as a sleeping child.

The change of space has had a lovely impact on the play of the children and changed the dynamic of the room. I'm sure there'll be a few more tweaks but I'm glad I did it.

Isaac greeted the postman as a pirate this morning and then became a knight. When Matthew phoned the conversation was mostly, 'Arrrrgh' from this end. (Note knee protector as shield and wooden cross as sword - the boy is inventive.)

Isaac decided he wanted to do the washing up tonight. He was doing a great job until some things fell off the dish rack and the noise scared him. I'm all for cultivating this sort of play though!