We spent the first few trips up and down the stairs today battling with a very very cross Elsie who wanted to be carried. She is quite capable of going up and down stairs herself now, so we persevered through the tantrums – there were about three of them – and now she is going up and down herself no problems and no fuss. Amazing! In the middle of tantrum number two we were both getting a bit freaked out and said what we normally say when things get hard, “What would Dr Tanya do?” “She would turn going up stairs into a really fun game that she would love to play.” So Rob did, he went up before her and made it seem so much fun that she followed with only the least convincing of protestations!

But I’ve just taken her up to bed, and she went up by herself, carrying her own milk, climbed onto the chair herself, sat and drank her milk herself (first time not on one of our knees having a cuddle) – and was totally fine. It’s brilliant, but really brings home how quickly she’s growing up. Soon she’ll be moving out, getting her own place, getting a job – she needs me so much less than she used to and soon she won’t need me at all. Terrifying.

This is another pic of Elsie and I at Bargefest.