A busy weekend for Gemma so far. Friday saw the extension of pal Bella's day visit into an evening jostling around the living room and a partial sleepover, as parents Anna and Dom came for dinner.

Saturday? A bit of Humpty Dumpty dives into the big pool swimming lessons, a romp around Waterstone's children's book section with Rio and co., and dinner with Paul, Jenn and Isaac and assorted guests.

Sunday's been a nice combination so far: a little culture at the Serpentine, a workout in a Hyde Park playground, and lunch at one of Gemma's fave Chinese restaurants, where the chopsticks get a workout. As we blog, Gemma's enjoying a nice long Sunday afternoon siesta.

A few new skills and games:

Correctly identifies most main colours, says a few of them too

Enthusiastic blowing of bubbles in pools, bath, cups

An emerging interest in having things counted

Despite a spotty history with large bodies of water, Gemma's taken to her recent swimming lessons with reckless enthusiasm and abandonment (the latter when falling over the poolside into the barely ready arms of her mother. She's using the gear to good effect. Getting the hair wet it a different proposition: Gemma doesn't seem to mind getting completely dunked underwater, surfacing to the instructor, but her stroke of choice - the doggy paddle - is apparently selected to keep water off the face and our of her hair.

Counterbalancing all this is a newfound hit and miss approach to baths. Once a reliable evening activity, we're now subject to the unpredictability of a two year old tantrum schedule. Good hollerin' though. Amazing decibels out of that wee frame.