In just a few days it will be time for Robin to go back to school in Amsterdam after the long summer break. She has grown considerably and her English is nearly perfect.

As a treat, we went to Sancerre for a pizza supper. All the old medieval buildings were beautifully lit.

After dinner, we walked through the dark streets. Robin skipped ahead, loving the excitement of the shadows and the warm evening.

Yesterday Hester, Robin and I took a picnic and spent the afternoon by the Loire. This fabulous river has many little beaches along its shores. There are islands between the wide fast-flowing section and the quieter part. 

This summer in the South of France, Robin learned to swim, encouraged by Els and Tim. She was well taught and used the current's flow to help her.

She brought her fishing net. Last time on this beach with friends, they caught several tiny fish and placed them in pools they had made themselves.

Robin set up her chair in the deep water and prepared to wait for a catch. When you are five, a few patient minutes feels a very long time!

Mama to the rescue! Hester fished for ages but the tiny things darted so fast under the weeds that it was possible to catch only one - and she let it go without meaning to.

As a distraction from intense disappointment, we unpacked our afternoon tea picnic: lemonade, grapes from Hester and Dan's wall and my plum cake.

There were water meadow flowers to photograph -

- and a dragonfly to inspect very closely. Hester rescued this one as it was being carried away downstream. We all watched as it used its front legs to wipe the water from its eyes.

After drying and dressing, Robin settled down to a little art work. Drawing is almost her favourite thing, although it's difficult to choose among swimming, horses, her kitten and playing with the many visiting children who have found their way to the family home in France.

She told us the story of Rapunzel's long hair as she drew the princess, the prince and the tower.

This is a new and very complex game, invented right there beside the Loire. It involves found objects (rocks and leaves) and a dice-shaped stone. Rules were made and discarded at a fast rate. I believe Robin won each round!

At about seven o'clock it was time to pack up and bring everything to the car which was parked in a nearby meadow. Robin did her bit. She carried her folding chair (which unfolded on the way), her swimming ring, the picnic table, her fishing net with flip flops inside AND her back pack.

You were so helpful, Robin, and such good company.

Travelling to Cornwall this summer meant we would see James and Tania and their daughters for the first time since Jess married three years ago. To be accurate, we hadn't met Elsie before. She was born in Canada, where James and his family have settled.

Ysella (6) and Tegan (4) had been waiting excitedly for the arrival of their cousins:

Ismay who is 4

and the newest member of the family Elsie who will be 2 in November. Our first meeting with our little granddaughter.

There were 14 of us walking and playing on the sand dunes at Gwithian Towans. Cornwall has the most beautiful beaches we know. I counted the family as they climbed the dunes, all 12 present plus Hugh and me.

The girls shared their toys -

- and picnicked on a rug in the sitting room.

Altogether now for a Crocs shot: Christian, Ysella, Jess, Tegan, me and Hugh. Two pairs of crocs are missing from this photo: Ismay and Elsie had returned the day before to Canada. Others in the family don't wear them. A mistake, we feel.

Most children need encouragement to overcome, or at least to control, their natural feelings of rebellion and frustration and even laziness.

These days parental guidance includes rewarding good rather than focussing on bad behaviour. Jess asked me to design and make a wall hanging for our two little granddaughters.

Six eggs wait in the nest while the birds move from pocket to pocket until they reach the top. The moves come as recognition of the children having been good - or having tried hard at something they have been asked to do.

When the bird has collected all three eggs of its own colour, the good little girl is rewarded with a small treat.

This was quite a big project, about a metre high (over 3 ft) and was the greatest fun to do.

Ysella chose the dark pink bird and Tegen has the lighter coloured one. They both entered enthusiastically into the game. When we went home after our New Year celebrations, Ysella's bird had almost reached the nest. Only two more journeys to do!

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When we weren't eating, walking or chatting, we played family games.

At floor level, we battled through games of Snap and laughed at Peppa Pig.

Toby played with Jory who adores him.

The little girls watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Some parts were very scary!

Christian helped set up a complicated run for the new toy hamsters.

We all played Headbandz. It was such good fun that no one wanted to stop.

Stacking Prickly Porcupines requires extreme concentration but Cranium needs wit, ingenuity and a big dose of daftness. Drawing with eyes closed, modelling and singing come easily to the Wests and the Berrimans!

We played all evening. At midnight, a dark 'stranger' brought in the New Year with coal and salt and a coin. The fireworks in London (on tv) were possibly the best ever and I felt very nostalgic for my home town.

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So many presents! Which to open first?

After a special late breakfast involving champagne, we spent the best part of Christmas morning opening parcels.

There were hats and gloves for the girls and lots of new games.

Our thoughtful family added to Hugh's library of books about beekeeping. I received poetry, novels and audio books, all of which were on my wish list.

Joe gave me this gorgeous stacking jewellery box.

Jess made me the heart-shaped earrings in the centre of the green layer. They come from her new range of porcelain jewellery.

We were all given pots of home-made jams, pickles and pastes which Jess had been making since the end of summer.

Here's the present we gave ourselves: this handsome Alessi kettle with its merry little red bird. I've wanted one of these for a long time.

Thank you, family and friends, for our wonderful gifts.

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It took about seven hours to drive from our village up to Roscoff where we took an overnight ferry to England. After anxiously following the weather forecasts and worrying about whether the snow and ice would prevent us travelling, rain arrived in the north.

The tiny streets of St Pol de Léon, not far from the port of Roscoff, were brilliantly lit for Christmas. The shop windows were shining with gifts and party dresses.

We ate a supper of mussels and fish in a little restaurant we know. They make delicious sweet and savoury galettes - pancakes made from black wheat served with salad or fruit and cream.

We sailed with Brittany Ferries on the Pont-Aven, arriving in Plymouth early next morning after a smooth crossing.

Cornwall was bitterly cold with frost and clear skies. I found it very beautiful in spite of the snow and the ice-encrusted pavements in Truro.

We had at last arrived home with ten days of family festivities ahead of us.

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Our nine or ten days together en famille were drawing to a close. We enjoyed ourselves right up to the last moment.       

Ysella and Tegen had a splashing good time in the paddling pool wearing their UV protection suits: no need for sun block cream wearing those.

They swung in the hammock and were sweet to each other for quite a long time.

They wore their prettiest sun dresses and ate my home made ice cream: gooseberry and elderflower (from our garden) and roasted banana flavours.

Ysella became a butterfly fairy with Jess's help.

Next morning Tegen had a last cuddle before the family left to drive to the ferry.

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