Dear British Weather...

I have just returned home from the swimming pool with the littlest girl - and now it has started snowing. Really?! Come on. It is March. 

Easter bunnies made a couple of years ago - and rediscovered by the littlest girl during our most recent trip to the loft. Needless to say they have been rescued and bought back downstairs to live in the house...

After a couple of sunny days last week, on which some of us braved the school run without coats, our hopes had been raised that spring was properly on its way, along with thoughts of Easter bunnies and daffodils and the like. (And chocolate eggs, too)

So, please, I am asking you nicely, bring back the sunshine. Some of us have packed our gloves, hats and scarves away already. That is all. I'd be most grateful if you could.

And, moving on from the slightly absurd address to the weather, the weekend. How was yours?

The biggest girl went to a party, all on her own. How grown up. And, nice for all involved. Quieter house for a couple of hours, and she came home with a huge family sized slab of birthday cake to share (thanks Emily).

Inspired by the World Book Day shenanigans of last week, we went for a copy of the girls' current favourite book as a present, along with a birthday t shirt for the birthday boy, as requested by the biggest girl.

I know I've said it before, but these simple customised birthday t shirts are probably one of my smuggest presents of choice on the party front - cheap to make, personal, and super fast to sew (the one above was made within an hour of the party, as I'd forgotten to make it until then).

Whilst at the book shop, sucked in to the 3 for 2 offer (always good), we choose a couple of new books for at home. The Paper Dolls has got to be the best find we've had on this front in ages. An instant hit that has been read more times than I care to count over the weekend.

And, I couldn't resist the appeal of being like the nice mother in the book who sat and made paper dolls with her daughter. If you like a bit of sentimentality and a calm, satisfying (and free) cold weather activity to do off the back of it, then The Paper Dolls is the book for you. If you have small children, that is.

Saturday night was a friend's 40th - a lovely relaxed at home, bring something along kind of do. I had fun playing with a new cutter to make these chocolate cakes. And, some of them couldn't quite fit into the tin to take to the party...

...providing me with just the thing to go with a warming mug of tea now. And a ponder about the seeds we've just bought. Will the weather heat up enough to germinate these little seeds, I wonder, ready for a Blue Peter style sunflower competition (which you know will probably end in some gloating/sulking/arguments/sabotage).

Highlight of the day yesterday was probably the hour or so spent cutting out paper dolls for the girls to colour in. Really nice. Must do more of that sort of thing, and less of the running around doing jobs, nagging/shouting sort of thing I seem to do too much of.

They cooed over the (after thought) of a baby holding a teddy bear on the one I misjudged how long the paper needed to be, and so found a use for it. And then, of course, they all wanted one like that.

And now to open the enormous parcel of packing boxes and start filling them, in the hope all house move things go smoothly...

Bye bye old clothes - it's off to the charity shop you go...