This week has seen Heidi happily roll onto her front and stay there for sustained periods of time, getting the hang of trying to use arms and legs to motivate herself.  No moving from A to B yet but at least she has got the hang of it.  And rolling back again too which removes the need for us to assist her unless she calls out.

 

One method of moving that is progressing however, is her backward bum shuffling and so that is now meaning she can move from the bottom of her cot up to the top to get at her toys which are stacked there.  And she brings her bedding with her, leaving the dummy behind.

 

She continues to eat well and happily goes through some pureed cottage pie, pasta, lots of different fruit and vegetables and seems to like them all.  Even fruit and veg and meat in one mushy meal.  It is a messy process though and she loves to smear her hands all over, grinding it in, with the occasional sneeze fit.

 

She had her first meeting with other toddlers on Friday this week, where Rachel and she attended the Jolly Babies class in the village hall.  It was her first time and there were six other babies there as well.  New rhymes have been brought back to the house and she (and the others) loved the music and singing.  It will be ballet classes next.

 

I understand that there is another article on Freddie in the Wetherspoon magazine this month.  When I drafted the last one in July they contacted me and asked who they could do a profile on who works for CLIC Sargent and could I suggest one.  Our contact was mainly with Sam, the Play Specialist, who helped Fred whilst we were in Bristol.  She arranged to look after him when we popped out and perhaps he woke to find us missing.  She got him lots of different toys and other things to try and keep his mind stimulated, and from getting bored.  I have not seen the article in any form (other than the draft Sam kindly emailed me) so it may be of relevance and is on the lines of “A Day In The Life Of…”.  I did submit some photographs as they requested, so I will have a look when I am next in a Spoon.

 

As a result of that article I was contacted by CLIC early this week to find out whether Rachel and I would like to go to the CLIC Ruby Ball, to celebrate 40 years of CLIC and Malcolm Sargent Homes.  It is at The Brewery in London so I will be attending.  Rachel was not keen to go all that way and leave Heidi so I’m going with Fred’s godmother Frances.  We were very kindly invited to be guests of J D Wetherspoon for the evening, so that is a nice acknowledgement for the article.

 

It looks to be a really good evening as the tickets are £150.00 each normally, with an “unlimited champagne reception from 1830h and dinner with fines wines” afterwards.  It is a black tie event so I have wheeled out my faithful dinner jacket and patent leather shoes which have served me well on my social circuit.  There is an auction and raffle and other fundraising events during the night, plus guest speakers and entertainment.  The starting bids on some are pretty eye watering on my budget, but I guess I might have a go in the draw.  The guest list looks good with lots of well known people going, but I’m not sure who they all are.  I can always Google them on my ‘phone quietly if they get the chance to speak with me.

 

The five shrimps that I bought for Heidi’s fish tank suffered substantial losses during the two or three days they lived in the tank.  They were too quick for the fish most of the time, but every now and then we’d peer in and see a carapace and black eyes bobbing about with a tail attached which was sad.  The rest of them were later found in bits, in the filter when Rachel cleaned it out.