In the sandpit

A totally 'on the hoof' image for today. Usually, Richard and I look after Luca on a Monday and Frieda on a Tuesday. But Marianna's work patterns are changing, and she needed us to have Frieda with us this morning (and will need the same again for a few more Mondays, looking ahead).

So we had both of them with us from 8 a.m. until lunchtime, when Marianna picked Frieda up (and Luca promptly subsided into the pushchair, where he slept deeply for an hour and a half).

These two are alternately very affectionate and playful together, and ferociously territorial. "Mine....!" is a familiar term now, sometimes yelled as the furious accompaniment to hair-pulling or toy-grabbing etc. Jack and Ruth had both phoned me yesterday, rather tentatively, to let us know that their weekend away all together had included a few confrontations, and to watch out for flashpoints today.  Little do they know how clearly I remember the same patterns from their own childhoods :-)

There were a few skirmishes early on, though mercifully no one got too upset (or too hurt), and there was much practising of turn-taking, prompted by R and I. After that, Richard and I took them both to the park to work off some energy, and all was pretty harmonious after that. Thank goodness the playgrounds are open! This time last year they were all padlocked up.

I love this image: Luca and Frieda each lost in their own schemes, and Richard watching with a smile from the sidelines.