Without further ado...

...a few pictures from my family's visit earlier this month. The above picture shows my dad, Mark and the Podlings watching cartoons on the laptop. I always feel sorry for my dad when my parents come to stay because he has to put up with my mum and me talking constantly! He's a patient man! My dad has a tattoo on his arm from his old army days that Tom has become quite obsessed with. He now wants me to draw a lady on his arm just like Grandad's. Not likely sonny boy!

My sister slept on the sofa bed in the play room, which meant she had the dubious pleasure of having Lily dumped on her first thing every morning. As you can see, Elaine is not used to having to deal with toddlers at the crack of dawn! Auntie Lainey became Lily's chosen best friend while she was here, which I think Elaine enjoyed, but found quite exhausting at times!

Mum and Dad slept in the lounge during their stay (the lounge has been named The Music Room by the Podlings, probably because it's where our piano lives). It can get pretty chilly in there at night, so I lent Mum my big red shawl so she could curl up with her book before bedtime. She loved the shawl so much she told me I'd have to frisk her for it when she left! I hope she doesn't mind me posting a picture of her in her pyjamas, but I love how cozy she looks in this picture.

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By the way, the porcelain doll you can see on the chair in the background of this picture was made by my mum a few years ago. He's called Joey. She sanded him, set his eyes, eyelashes and hair, painted him, made his clothes, the works. There's nothing creative my mum can't do...she's very talented!