Our Rose often assumes a rather relaxed posture whilst eating. This is her favourite, with her leg up on the table - I can't say it looks that comfortable (for someone as inflexible as me, at least). 
So we mentioned we might blog a photo of Rose's hair after Ana had 'done it' (I think that is the technical term). 
Like a tiger springing upon its prey, Ana leaps towards the glass of dirty water, to add that certain splash of life to her artwork. Even if she starts off with a paintbrush, most of Ana's paintings tend to hand painting before too long!
Ana still loves puddles, and occasionally even goes splashing without her puddle suit on... oh dear! Even more washing to do...
Ana and Daddy had great fun one Sunday afternoon making this Thomas the Tank Engine game. Ana coloured in the lakes and some of the stations. 
Ana does like to take pictures, and when she concentrates, produces some pretty good shots - particularly given that the camera is about the same size as her head... So here we are, posing for our three year old.
Rose loves Ana's hairclips. 
Rose is getting truely excellent at communication - despite using relatively few words. (At this point it is limited to Muma, Daddy, and hi.) Nevertheless, Rose can generally get her opinions across to us. 
We are so looking forward to the spring weather and the opportunity to speng long hours at the park once more. The multiple layers of clothing required to keep them warm in sub-zero temperatures makes for almost as much time getting them dressed and undressed as at the park itself!
Here are the girls awaiting their breakfast - Rose wearing a panda backpack and Ana in her spotty dressing gown.
I just love this photo of Lara, surrounded by toys and chaotic birthday guests - and looking very happy!
Ana's third birthday (yes, we still haven't anywhere near caught up on this blog) was celebrated with a few friends and with the decoration of a number of little cakes. They used strawberries, chocolate icing, smarties, and lots of sprinkles! 
Here is Ana tugging Rose over the meadows by the church. She was pretending to be Thomas the Tank Engine, one of her new heros.
Ben is learning that if you try and have a rest while the girls are awake, you will be climbed upon. 
Lara heard on the Olney grapevine that the hardward shop had two sledges left, hidden out the back - only accessble with a secret password and a significant sum of money. (Well perhaps not the password, but they were hidden). After this aquisition, sledging became significantly more stable. A jerry-rigged garden rocking horse had previously served as our sled.
Here is Ana with her snowy representations of Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus - he's at the front, lying in his snow manger. Ana was quite upset when they melted - she really loves the Christmas story!
Lara and I woke up early after returning home to Olney following our tour of the country over Christmas. So we got up and started to make the girls' Christmas present from us - a dolls house. Then Rose woke up. And then Ana. So we all 'helped'. 
Rose on Boxing Day at the farm. What a great snow suit - keeps out most winter chills.
I've been experimenting with high dynamic range photography - merging multiple photos of the same scene - some over exposed, some under exposed, to more accurately capture the detail of the scene as we perceive it with our eyes. Here's one example of what I'm talking about.
Gran's old bike is getting easier to peddle, now that Ana's legs have grown a bit more. What a great bike - they don't make them like that anymore... I loved it as a kid, and it is nice to see Ana loving it so much.
Look, Rose. You do it like this!
You can just see Ana thinking "I wonder what else could be in the bottom of this stocking?".
