Snnnnoooorrreee

I have to tell you about something that happened in maths today but I am so tired that this is all I will manage.

It is a very funny tale but I'll tell you tomorrow!
Meanwhile I have to get the

NaBloPoMo #30. Grand Finale

OK Here is my NaBloPoMo Finale!!!!! My last daily post for November!!!! Then the pressure is off. (What is the prize again for doing this??????)


Firstly, here she is aged 10. That's right, only 10. Just before our wedding two years ago.
(wow seems longer than that).And a year later aged 11 with her Dad and I at her Year 6 Graduation.

Phew!!!! And then of course you've seen her since then, growing like a weed and becoming more and more beautiful as the days go by.So that's our journey. From Birth to 12 in 30 days. I am so proud of my gorgeous daughter. Not just because she's a stunner, but because of the person she is too. She's loving and thoughtful, vivacious, hilarious, a good friend, a conscientious student and a reluctant piano practiser!!! She is perceptive about people. She instinctively knows how to make someone feel better. She is well mannered (mostly) and after an explosion of temper (yes, she is mercurial too) she is quick to apologise. We have a few years of rocky roads ahead of us to navigate but I know she is a great person and together with her Dad, her step dad and the rest of her extended family, grandparents, aunts and friends, (and a fair measure of Grace) we will hopefully get her through the tough teenage stuff.

I love you Baby Angel.

NaBloPoMo # 28: Hello? Did someone have a growth spurt?

December 2004 aged 9 and 7 months. At the airport with the hated 'unaccompanied minor' label pinned on her chest. Oh and the haircut from hell according to her! Actually it was a cute hair cut but she would insist upon tucking it behind her ears. Look at the length of those legs!!!!!

7.35am and one class awaiting results from my colleague (grrr) and another just not started yet. Only 10 pupils though.....and ...I fear it will be a late entry.....I gave in at 3.45am this morning.

Byeeeeeeeeee

NaBloPoMo #27: Australian Girl

September 2003. Now living in Adelaide Australia, my little pommy girl was making some big adjustments in her life. New school, new friends, more new teeth, a lot more freckles with increased exposure to the demon Australian sun. She was also now a seasoned traveller having started the holiday routine of unaccompanied flights to Sydney to see her Dad. (That nearly broke my heart the first time but that's another story.....)

This photo is about a year after the last one. I think she's losing her little girl chubby cheeks.
I'm not going to get you up to present day in what's left of NaBloPoMo unless I go yearly so be prepared for some radical changes!

Off to school and more report writing. Just how many ways can you say 'needs to focus in class'?

NaBloPoMo #26: Now With Teeth

October 2002 as we were selling our house in England and staying with Grandma and Grandad before making the move back to Australia!

Front two teeth now established. We went through snother messy time on arrival in Aus when the two on either side of the front ones fell out. They seemed to hang in...and I mean hang....for ages!

Will be going very quiet on the reading and posting front now as I am seriously challenged for getting reports in by Weds 9am. Will post pix once a day and that's all. See you all after the crisis.

NaBloPoMo #25: Gaparella

Well, I warned you. The beginning of the toothless period. One gone and one about to go. please note dubious Disney dress now being worn over T Shirts as this was taken in chilly February 2002.

Tomorrow I will zip forward 8 months to when both teeth were in and established. (Phew, a tough time).

NaBloPoMo #24: Six

Aged 6. A girl and her Grandad.
My Dad! Who will be here next Saturday...oh boy oh boy oh boy....


Now it has to be said that from here on in the photos move into the gap tooth, awkward phase and she will not like me posting them. She spent a long time with a mouth full of baby teeth and very big gums through which you could almost see the adult teeth hiding. Everyone else lost their teeth but the BA hung on til she was nearly 7. Once they did fall out the new big ones pushed not her mouth with speed and an exceptional lack of tact or subtlety I felt. It's really only now that she is starting to grow into her teeth.

So, my cute little girl is about to undergo some pretty hefty growth spurts and teeth changes...bear with her.....it all comes out right in the end :-D

NabloPoMo #23: The Den Under the Stairs

A couple of months off 6 years old and this kind of thing is the favourite game. Take everything out of the bedroom and transfer it to the hall; take everything out from under the stairs and transfer it to the hall. Now transfer many of bedroom contents to under stairs whilst hanging blankets over the bannister to form a wall. Wear most of wardrobe, regardless of weather.

In Australia we call this 'making a cubby'. In the UK it is 'making a den'. In the US I believe it is called 'making a fort'. It seemed to come naturally to the Baby Angel. I have been recently horrified that the Small Boy and his mate from down the road, have no clue as to how to make a cubby!!!! And they are 8 and 10. It is a sad state of affairs. I blame X Box. One day that machine will mysteriously break down and the warranty man will discover the best part of a bottle of nail varnish inside the 'works'. :-D

The other thing I remember from this time is that the boxes of carefully labelled and sorted toys from the family room would all be utilised in a myriad of forms in a game and then they would gravitate back to the boxes. Any box really. In a sort of 'Toy Soup' as my friend used to say. From time to time we would sort them all out again and there would be exclamations of delight as items missing for weeks were uncovered in the bottom of the 'wheels' box.

Off to snooze before trying to knock off some Year 9 English marking. Countdown to exams is HERE!!! :-(

Note to Self

Never drink two cans of Red Bull in a four hour period. My heart is still racing today and I don't know how much actual sleep I got.
Did manage to mark a few maths assignments though. (snooooooorrrrrrre)
Will try to get my Baby Angel post up later today but must now go and mark medieval models and english media homework. Reports due next weds and all the calculations still to be done. After that exams to be written and modified. After that exams to be marked.
Who thought November was a good month to hold NaBloPoMo?????......still, I've stuck with it so far............................

NaBloPoMo #22:The Slightly Disturbing Disney Outfit

Christmas aged 5 and a half. The Cinderella dress (purportedly) sent from Australia in the Christmas parcel by BA's lovely Dad . Boa of unknown origins but I do remember she got two that year, pink and white, and I found feathers all over the house for MONTHS!!!

This photo is highly representative of most of The Baby Angels' play for the next few years. She was BIG into dressing up!!! And while previously she had been happy to be Virgil from Thunderbirds or Robin Hood...by 5 and a half it was all about pretty dresses. Nothing to do with me...I made her the Robin Hood outfit!!!!!

NaBloPoMo #21: Starting School

This was taken by the Head Teacher of Baby Angel's first school in the UK. She walked around and took every child's photo for inclusion on their annual school report. I think it is one of the best pictures ever. It is also one of the only things about her early schooling of which I actually approved.

I'm not sure if she was quite 5 when this was taken. They start school in this part of England at the ridiculously early age of 4. And I mean, if you turn 4 on August 30th, you can start school in the first week of September. Oh well, alright, they may take you in the second intake, in the 3rd week, but that's it. AND after 2 weeks of either mornings or afternoons, you're IN full time.

In your class of course, there may be children who turned 4 the previous December. They're almost 5 and you're only just 4. Now I'm sure I don't have to tell you what a HUGE difference in maturity THAT age gap is, especially if you're a boy!

Of course, you don't HAVE to start them in school that year. You could hold them back a year, after all schooling is not compulsory at 4. But when they start the following year, they go straight into Year 1 with their cohort. That means no Reception class, skip a whole grade, because the funding for Reception comes from a different funding body and you are only funded by them for the year that you are 4. Have you ever heard anything MORE ridiculous in your life?

So let me see, my precious young boy (shall we say for example), has only just turned 4. He can't sit still for 5 minutes and his main occupation is roaring around being a Jedi knight or a train and hitting anything he comes in contact with, with a sword. He hates anything like craft or drawing and is still struggling somewhat with the concept of sharing his favourite toys. Occasionally in the afternoon he still likes a nap. He snacks throughout the day. Birthday parties are stressful for him, especially his own, and usually bring on a melt down as he cannot control the large numbers of children in his house. On the other hand he is loving, affectionate, bright and has excellent language skills. But he is only 4.

Do I start him in Reception with his friends with whom he has played from birth? Even though he will be entering the hard old environment of S-K-O-O-L with it's Phonics and writing programs, 'sit on the mat and listen' time and enforced play (and eating) breaks? At least there is 'free time' in the afternoon where he can choose his activity....unless it involves running around being a Jedi Knight or a train because that would be too dangerous for the classroom. Or do I keep him at pre-school for another year and then at five pop him straight from that wonderfully understanding, individualised and specialist environment into Grade1 where they sit in chairs ALL DAY and there is NO play corner and the only other activity you can do when you have finished WORK is read a book?????????????????????

Do not start me on the Southampton LEA (Local Education Authority) and Portswood Primary School (circa 1999) in particular. Although the above experience did not apply to the Baby Angel as she was that little bit older (4 years and 4 months), was a girl which helps with the whole 'sit on the mat' thing, and was inclined to a bit of drawing and painting anyway (unlike our friend's son), many parents were faced with this kind of choice. Of course, you start them at 4, there's really NO choice, but what a terrible way for their school experience to begin.

The Baby Angel fared pretty well through her first year, although our friend's son did not. He was a lovely little boy, he was just not ready for school and he was on a Special Education plan for behaviour >:-( by the end of Reception. He was also not physically ready for the skill of writing and, being bright, was painfully aware that other children were way ahead of him.
"I am the only one in the class," he sobbed,"Who can't do an S and it's in my NAME!!!!" Fortunately he picked up reading really quickly so his self esteem was not completely shredded. No, that happened to our OTHER friend's son!

Baby Angel on the other hand had another journey. Her first year was ok. In Year 1 however I would ask whether she had done any painting (for example) at school today.
"Oh, Mum," she exclaimed (aged 5), "We don't do painting...we're in Year 1! We do WORK."
Now this may sound amusing until you realise that she was not under any 5 year old impression that cut and paste and making junk model animals for the class zoo was 'work'. No, she meant WORK. In your book or on your worksheet, with a pencil, and get a tick or cross at the end. Oh and what can I do when I've finished? Puzzles? Plasticene? Construction materials? Drawing or craft? Ah yes, read a book. (But I've read them all!!!!)

Being a part time worker at the time, and because she was keen for me to 'help', I volunteered for the classroom one afternoon a week. Woah. What an eyeopener. Baby Angel's teacher was the most delightful, conscientious, caring first year out teacher you can imagine. Her supervisor, the Head of the Infant School (Junior School...ages 4-7) was on the fast track to professional success and hand in glove with the LEA's (and as a direct flow down, the Government's) new drive for Standards in Education. She ran the show.

To put it in context: education in the UK had undergone a radical change. OFSTED, the dreaded Office for Standards in Education and The National Curriculum had replaced the 'touchy, feely', 'warm, fuzzy' school based curriculum of the 70s and 80s. Lessons were to be 'objectives driven' and every child, no matter what age, was to know the purpose of the lesson they were undertaking. This led to stories of OFSTED Inspectors asking Nursery School children what the 'objective' of their digging in the sandpit was!!!!!!!!!!!! (True story..at my Mum's pre-school...child looked at the aging gentleman as if he was an idiot and replied " I'm DIGGING.")

The Literacy and Numeracy hour were imposed. Fifteen, fifteen, twenty, ten, went the chant. Fifteen minutes of whole class text based activity, fifteen minutes of whole class word or sentence based teaching, twenty minutes of independent group work and a ten minute plenary (mustn't forget the plenary.....woe betide you if you forgot the plenary). OFSTED descended on schools for a full week every three years and everyone was put through the wringer from Boss to lowliest Dinner Lady. At the end the school was given a rating and the 'findings' were published in the local press for all to see. Schools were ranked on their OFSTED results and the yearly statistics from their SATS tests (Standardised Assessment Tests??? I can't even remember what it stood for) which were given to every child of a certain age between the hours of x and y on a certain day every year all over the country.

SATS were another nightmare. For 6 weeks before the SATS tests, all curriculum halted while we underwent revision and BOOSTER groups!!! These were designed to get those kids who were not quite up to scratch, over the line for their target level at their age. Talk in the playground, amongst Mums was not of the lovely story Johnny had written but of his predicted SATS level. ("Baby Angel is predicted to get a Level 2C in maths which is just fine although most of her class should get 3A.") In Year 2 my daughter was trained in how to undertake standardised tests. It makes me sick to think of it.

As a teacher, I was dragged into the whirling torrent myself. I celebrated when my half my Special Ed group scored age appropriate results for their SATS. I bought SATS based practice books for my mathematically challenged daughter. I wept with stress and anxiety to my Head Teacher when OFSTED were about to arrive on our doorstep and I glowed with pride when being one of the top 2% of teachers in the country who achieved a Level 1 for their observed lessons. (If I taught at that pace with that much preparation for every lesson...I'd be dead in a year).

My greatest sorrow is that my daughter missed out on her Infant Education. There was no daily art or craft activity (Art...one lesson per week....objective? making tints...children paint in a series of little square boxes adding a bit more white to the basic colour each time.......I kid you not...I was THERE for THAT lesson in Year 1), there was no literature based themes, no conversion of the classroom to a jungle or the barnyard from 'Charlotte's Web'. No classroom pets, no growing sprouts from the top of an egg shell, no dress ups, no cellophane stained glass windows and every week for 40 minutes the children were let out to play on the wooden "Pirate Ship" which was off limits during normal Recess and Lunch for Health and Safety reasons.

I miss many things about the UK. I miss my family. I miss my wonderful friends. I miss the TV and radio! I miss the history all around you at every turn. I do NOT miss the education system for young children. Maybe it has changed? Has it eased up at all? Has the pendulum swung back to a more moderate position? Do let me know any UK readers.

Just to offset this I must add that there was an accountability to the system which was admirable and is often sadly lacking here in Aus. In particular the UK were miles ahead in the priority and expertise they applied to Special Ed. Many of the curriculum materials released to support the Literacy and Numeracy Hours are excellent and I still use them here in Aus. But the day I am told by a Head of Infants that, "If you want sand trays in Year 1 you'll have to go to a Steiner school," I throw up my hands in despair for the loss of our children's childhood and its replacement by government statistics.

NaBloPoMo #20: Fabulous Four

My Mum and I both love, love , love this age! Mum was a very successful Pre-School (Nursery, Kindergarten...depends on your continent) Director before her retirement and so she is a bit biased as this is the age she dealt with in particular. In fact, the BA even went to her nursery, a fact for which I am truly grateful, especially given the formal nature of the 'real' school she commenced later in the year (more about that tomorrow).

I have actually started a post about other issues but it requires time and thought to put opinions together so it will have to wait. Due to the vagaries of Blogger it will load in date order however so I will put a short post linking to it later. I don't know why I don't start these things on Word.

Meanwhile, the weather widget seems relatively accurate at the moment. It is muggy and warm as I sit here wasting time I should be spending getting my nutritious, low fat lunch together and putting my face on for school.

Let's hope the Year 8s are in better form than the revolting Year 9s yesterday. I have them for 3 double lessons, but at least they are all different subjects!

NaBloPoMo: #19 Easter Tulips

Here's The Baby Angel at nearly three years old. She is a complete treasure. Trawling through the albums full of pictures for scanning, I am stunned by how poor many of the shots are. I don't think I realised at the time. They just helped me to crystallise memories which are clear as a bell in my head; it's only when you try to select for scanning purposes that you notice the fact that she is a tiny dot in the middle of a print or that her face is covered in shadow or washed out by a flash or fuzzy because you were on a train when you took the photo!!!! They help me to remember, but they make damn poor scanning fodder. This is one of the few up close shots so it has actually scanned well.

Now I have lots of other things to post about but I'm just sneaking this in now (during lunchtime) before I get ready to tackle the Year 9 double lesson of History I have timetabled after lunch. Having already had them for 3 lessons before recess I am emotionally drained and may not be capable of posting ANYTHING by 3pm!!!!! As one of them said to me

"Five lessons of history in one day is too much for anybody Mrs A."

This afternoon we're tackling Ned Kelly, the iconic Australian anti-hero. Wish me luck.

NaBloPoMo #18: Christmas Bubble Girl

Two years and 7 months. Still wearing the wrap around denim dress (I believe in getting wear out of clothes :-D) and about to blow bubbles all over Grandma's cat. This was such a fun age. Mind you I also recall it was when she hit the 'terrible twos'...about 6 months late. At that point I suddenly understood the myth of the 'changeling', the baby that the fairies had taken and replaced with a wicked imp of their own. Who was this monster of a child? Where once you could direct or redirect with a gentle voice and a new distraction, now I was carrying her bodily out of people's houses under my arm! This was the age at which she made the famous remark "She's gone! Good! The fat bottomed old cow." (over heard by a friend and referring to me as I went to pack the car having argued with her about leaving the friend's house). At least her language skills were good.

Gotta go for now. I am being accepted into the Church of Christ as an official member today. So I can run the Kidzone officially :-D

NaBloPoMo #17: Of Many Schemas

More scanner news. I have moved the settings up to 1200dpi and reduced the scan area. Does it look any better?????

Here she is at 2 years 4 months surprised whilst 'reading'. I love the way they surround themselves with everything they're going to 'need' so they don't have to get up too much! Here we have a blanket (hand embroidered by my Aunt....thank you D), a dolly (dress made by Grandma), some paper with drawing/writing on it (under the dolly), assorted books and easy access to the phone!

There is something grey and cordlike hanging over the arm of the chair which I cannot identify but she was always carting around bits of rope and sundry DIY supplies for no apparent reason. Her favourite activity was putting things in 'bags'. Her foot obviously, as evidenced by the last photo, her head occasionally, assorted blocks, rocks, toy screwdrivers and play money along with a selection of soft toys on most days. We called it her 'transporting schema'.

Or it could have been part of her 'enclosure schema' which involved wrapping her self in things...in this case a curtain ("Where is she????")....before springing out to giggle and shriek hysterically ("There she is!!!"). I have had to crop this photo for the sake of decency which is kind of a shame because you don't get to see the red wellington boots which were her only item of clothing at this point. That was another of her 'schemas'; the 'disrobing schema'. I toyed with the idea of posting a gallery of shots where she is carrying her clothes rather than wearing them. In a number of contexts! The zoo, the park, the front garden, the back garden (not quite so bad).......does anyone else have trouble keeping clothes on their child???????

Nowadays she is pretty good at staying dressed. LET'S HOPE IT STAYS THAT WAY. hahahahahahahahahahaha

I have decided to make my NBPM title congruent with the date so I don't confuse myself (easily done). I am also watching my counter with glee as the days tick down to Mum and Dad's arrival!!!! Now all I have to do is get all this marking done, exams and reports written and my house cleaned and then it will be Christmas.

How's YOUR NaBloPoMo going???

The Garden Afterwards

If you've had a chance (or the interest) to watch the old video I uploaded last night, you will know I mentioned the work we did on that old garden. Well, here are a few snaps from Nov 05, approx 3 years later. The place that the BA ran to in order to show us her swing set was at the bottom of the garden, to the right of the blue seat. As you can see the grass is well established now and there are a couple of big flower beds encircling the upper terrace and a set of stairs leading down through the middle to the lower terrace. Unfortunately, we never had the time or the resources to finish the lower terrace but its always nice to leave something for the other people to do!!!!
In this picture you can see my washing line again (sigh, always full) and the last bed I did before I left. Those are hibiscus in there. I was hoping to create a hibiscus hedge against the wall at the back of the house.

In our current house we still have a long way to go but it is nice to see that you made an impression somewhere!!

NaBloPoMo#13: Two Year Old.

I just ain't feelin any love from this scanner. I now have it set at 600dpi but my lovely clear analog print has come out like a cubist masterpiece. Grrrr

Here is the Baby Angel at two. Now, I may be biased but I think she is 'bonny' as they say in the north of England.

Do not ask me why she has her foot in her handbag. It is a teddybear head handbag given to her by her great aunt and was a great fave. As a shoe.

She is also wearing her first ever nightie, a present from Grandma on her birthday.

I can't wait for us to get to 4. That's when the digital images kick in!!!!!!!

Hmm. I seem to have got out of kilter with my posts. Today is the 15th but I am up to #13 only. Perhaps my late BSM threw me out!!!!????

NaBloPoMo #12: By Request

Firstly, thank you from the Baby Angel and I for all your kind comments. We are thoroughly enjoying choosing these photos and sharing them with you. But today's is by special request of my Mum.

Now this is one of those staged studio portraits which you put on your Christmas card and a series which I thought came out quite well despite the cheesy background. The key is the dress.
At 18 months old it was only just fitting the BA at the time this photo was taken but the shot below shows it's significance. In another lifetime I wore that dress, at the tender age of one, as we embarked by boat, for Australia. My Aunt had bought me the dress in the Blyth markets if I am not mistaken (feel free to correct me here either of you if you are reading). And here I am in all my glory, wearing it.
It's made of organza and has borne up very well over the years I think. Very Christmassy in red and white. There is another sensational photo of the BA wearing it, but I chose this one because she was smiling and, having just got her to do it, I didn't want to revert to a pensive shot!!

I'm hoping the dress will still be around when BA has her babies.

NaBloPoMo #11: Winter Warmers

November 1996, 18months old. Grandma bought us this new coat; I think I still have it in my box of 'treasured and special clothes which I can't bear to give away'.

We're about a third of the way through NBPM and I'm only up to 18 months. Oh dear!!!

Also, I've had a special request from my Mum, who, even with the help of my detailed instructions in the sidebar, would rather give me her comments over an international phone call than leave them here on the site!! So, the next one I post will be at the same age but with special significance.

Speaking of my Mum (and Dad of course) they will be here in 19 days!!!!!!!! Less than 3 weeks!!!
I'll have to get one of those countdown thingy widgets. Does anyone know where I can get one?

NaBloPoMo#10: Ferry to the Isle Of Wight

September 1996. The Bestie was over in the UK for a visit and we decided bravely to take the Baby Angel over to the Isle of Wight for a day out. Taking the car was expensive and the weather was lovely so we felt that a foot passage, with stroller was the answer.

We packed all essential baby items; drinks, snacks, nappies, wet wipes, changes of clothes....you know the drill....and headed for the quay where we paid the extra money to catch the hydrofoil over, thus limiting the boring travel time which so vexes one and a half year olds. There was only one problem, after sitting for what seemed to be an inordinately long time on the vessel, waiting for it to depart, I thought to ask a steward whether the hydrofoil was running late. He looked at me strangely and it hit me like the proverbial thunderbolt, we were on the wrong boat. The hydrofoil had departed on its 20 minutes run over to the island some 15 minutes before. We were on the slow car ferry which took an hour in the crossing. :-(

Thus began a day so full of minor disasters and frustrations that it has entered the annals of our shared history as 'That Bloody Trip to Isle of Wight'. For one thing we completely misjudged the size of said island. We had thought we would catch a bus over to the other side where there was a lovely beach and spectacular views of 'The Needles'. Unfortunately I had not checked said bus timetables and our destination was eventually determined by the end point of the very next bus leaving as our tiny charge tired of sitting in her stroller and tried furiously to use the main road and bus stop as a playground. This bus, which had seemed a life savers as we got on, turned out to take the most convoluted route across the island EVER and we were trapped in its confines for the best part of yet another hour!!!!

During this trip. The Baby Angel, ever the mover and shaker, decided that she would run up and down the bus. Being a responsible parent I prevented her from doing this for reasons of her safety and the comfort of other passengers. As a result she treated us to a 4000 decibel protest for the remainder of the trip. I tried every distraction trick known to man or mother at least, but that girl knew she was being restrained. She was not impressed.

During this time, the Bestie and I had had no morning tea and lunch was knocking on our gastronomic doors. Whereas we had packed plenty of baby snacks, there was nothing in the bag for us! It was already after mid day. Determined not to be the one to 'spoil each other's day' we gritted our teeth and made harassed attempts at humour. Eventually we lapsed into a grim silence.

We arrived in Ventnor, on the south side, around 2pm. I kid you not. Baby Angel was in need of a nappy change and a proper meal which required some heating by the restaurant or cafe which we expected to find on our arrival. They were mostly shut. Had I mentioned it was September? the tourist season is well over by then and everything on the Island was gearing down. We eventually found haven in a pub/hotel on the esplanade where we immediately breasted the bar and ordered stiff drinks. Everything seemed manageable after that.

The hotel heated our baby food, I changed the BA on the floor of the ladies room (no baby facilities here!!) on a chage mat which I later sterilised, there were few guests so the BA ran happily around the tables and chairs of the empty dining room whilst the Bestie and I relaxed visibly over a bottle of chardonnay and views of the Atlantic.

We managed to spend an hour on the beach after lunch and then we had to brave the return journey. However, fed and watered and spoiling for a nap, the BA was a much more acquiescent passenger and even graced me with her first 'phrase' as we passed by the Blackgang Chine Amusement Park on seeing the waterwheel for the sawmill, "Look Mummy, round and round."
By the time we reached the Quay to catch the hydrofoil (we went to the right dock this time) she was out for the count and the Bestie and I breathed a huge sigh of relief.

On the way back we added up what we had spent in bus tickets and hydrofoil etc and worked out that we had saved ourselves about two pounds fifty over the Car ferry option and saved little time as we had not caught the hydrofoil to begin with!!

But you can see from this smiling picture that the Baby Angel has made the leap from baby to toddler. Stay with us for more pictures from her 'journey'.