Another busy week ended with a full-on weekend participating in the primary school quiz night (where we started off in the lead – due to very clever friends, but soon crashed and burnt as more alcohol was consumed and the other bribes to the quiz master were bigger and more generous than ours!), and then entertaining one of my oldest childhood friends with her lovely family with sunday lunch and a nice fresh walk at the end of the day. All lovely stuff, but too busy for photographing!

Anyway, in this fourth week of the year, Willow is still showing rapid developmental progress. She sat on my lap unaided and waved goodbye to friends – not sure if this were a fluke or sheer genius. I have also realised that she recognises her name, looking around at me if I say Willow when not in her direct eye-line. She does not do this if I say another name. This must be down to all the attention she gets from her brothers, constantly shouting her name and kissing her!

She continues to feed well and I tried her with avocado with carrot and rice, which she devoured. She also seems partial to cauliflower cheese. I must say that my magic thermomix is making weaning an almost pleasurable business, but I cannot go that far! She still, however, remains loyal to her milk and loves a full warm bottle of the white stuff, especially when one of her brothers is feeding her, followed by a little play time and then a nice relaxing bath.

Meanwhile, I took the opportunity to take some pictures of the last of the snow before it finally melted at the weekend. Readers of the 365 blog may recognise some of these views, especially the house that had been burnt down by fire and was rebuilt and I had tracked its build progress throughout the year. And, of course, my old favourite, the view incorporating Didcot Power Station, which is soon to be decommissioned!

Now that the chilly weather has passed, we all decided to have a hair cut – though strict control was exercised throughout the whole procedure.

And now that we can all see clearly again, it was time for a little table football action which was our birthday present to Alexei (once I had turned the players round to face the correct way on the pitch). Though at least one boy is never far away from an ipad app.

Another birthday present from his godfather, was a water rocket, which was (quite literally) a blast. We were warned to stay well clear of the rocket for its launch was sudden and its flight path far reaching.