Still sweltering

The heat wave continues. It's becoming absolutely miserable. I'm sitting in the living room next to an open window with the fan on high and still sweating. I have found a way to beat the heat though - develop a very high fever and get the chills. Last night I woke up shivering. I had been feeling ill all day and my temperature shot up when I went to bed. Tobes is ill too and J took us all to the doc's today. We now have three prescriptions between us and will hopefully be feeling better in a couple of days. Hot and ill, what a combination.

In happier news, Toby's fourth birthday is on Monday and we're having his party on Sunday. It's a Lazytown theme of course. The flat is too small for a bunch of kids to run around so we're having the party at Pizza Express in the village. The children will make pizza and then we're going to fly kites on the heath.

The caterpillars are doing very well. Amazing how quickly they grow. We're expecting them to start making their cocoons in about 7 - 10 days. Very exciting. They're in a special little cup with their food and Toby carries them from room to room, showing them around. He had me read The Very Hungry Caterpillar to them the other night and afterwards he said to them, "Now, that's what you're going to do guys!". We have a butterfly habitat that we move them to once they make their cocoons. It's all very sweet and Toby is really enjoying it.

Nikki is in Kent this week working on a children's outdoor play. She's actually building the sets and they're camping onsite. I hope she's managing to keep cool.

Our family is expanding

Now grandparents don't get too excited. When I say that the family is expanding I mean that we are getting a pet. Or rather some pets... five caterpillars. Toby has been asking for a pet but J and I are not quite ready for any more mammals in the house. We discussed fish but in the end Toby opted for caterpillars. Over the next 4-6 weeks we'll watch them make their coccoons and then become Painted Lady butterflies. The plan is to release them in Manor House Gardens. Unsurprisingly their names are Sportacus, Stephanie, Ziggy, Bessie and The Mayor. I bought them from Insect Lore and I have a feeling that we're going to become very good customers.

I'm melting

First off, let me just say how incredibly hot it's been here. We set a record on Wednesday for the hottest day ever in July. It got up to 95F. I can hear the Texans laughing but that is soooo hot without AC. If this seems garbled, there are lots of typos or I just don't make any sense it's because my brain has melted.

Things have been ticking along. Nikki took yesterday off from work and went down to Cambridge. Went to The Orchard (of course) and saw Jenny, Jack & Kate. The children formed a little gang with other kids who were there and they chased "bears" under the trees, ate tons of strawberries, did some drawing, got into some stinging nettles, played Lazytown and had a brilliant time. Rosie was right there doing her best to keep up. I put her down on a picnic blanket and she shouted at the children when they ran past, pulled up the grass and ate quite a few strawberries too. It was so nice to sit back and watch them play. I've spent my whole life looking forward to days like that.

And speaking of special moments, a few nights ago we all four ended up in our bed. It was a bit squashed but at one point I woke up with a child on each side of me and they had each thrown one leg over me. Lying in bed with a baby under each arm. I know I'll never forget that moment or the feeling of those two warm little bodies holding on to me. We're so blessed.

Been busy

We've been having too much fun to blog lately. We went to Spitalfields Market and met up with Mary Catherine et al, we all got together again the following weekend and went to Tate Modern. MC's Nana is over from Atlanta so it felt like a good 'ol American get-together.

On Thursday night Nikki went out with some colleagues to see the new Rosamund Pike play. I love Rosamund Pike. She's so smart and stylish and beautiful and seems so poised and witty. (And no, Rosie wasn't named after her but she obviously didn't put us off the name.) After the play Nikki was having drinks at the theatre bar chatting with some other theatre and film folk when 'Ros' came over to join them!! She had worked for one of the people in Nikki's group so Nikki spent an hour drinking and chatting with Rosamund Pike!! Nikki was a very good sister and risked looking incredibly uncool by getting an autograph for her big sister.

Nikki has been working loads but managed a day off on Friday and we took the kiddos to see Treasure Island which was being performed in Greenwich Park. We had a picnic then watched the show and it was really good. Tobes has been sword fighting ever since.

Yesterday we went to a children's festival in SE London and saw the real Stephanie but only a fake Sportacus from Lazytown. It was still very cool and Tobes had a fantastic time.

Today Nikki and I went off for a girls' day and did some marathon shopping. I've been hearing a lot about a discount store called Primark so we went on a pilgrimage to Bromley to check it out. It was fantastic! There was a very funny moment when we went into the changing rooms and were told that the limit was 4 items each... I had 12 and Nikki had 14.

We're having a heatwave

To use a phrase from Elizabeth - it's Africa hot here. It's hot. It's sticky. There's no AC and it's bloody miserable. I've reverted to my Texan survival instincts:

1. Take the car everywhere, even just down the road to Toby's school, because at least the car has AC and it's much more comfortable than walking.

2. When making a drink first put in as much ice as the glass can hold. The actual drink is secondary to the ice.

3. Always, ALWAYS have a cold drink to hand.

4. Shower whenever the mood strikes.

5. Never leave the house without sunglasses.

6. Don't move unless absolutely necessary.

Nikki arrived on Saturday and has settled right in. She started working today. It's very strange to have her here in London but not have her here with us all day. I spoke to her a few hours ago and it sounds as if it's going well. She's hoping to get some kind of work schedule this week and we can then start planning the summer.

We're planning to do a girls weekend in Italy. Looks like we'll have a little mascot on the trip as Rosie is very much a Mommy's girl right now. Won't go to sleep at night without me and if she wakes in the night it has to be me there to comfort her. I went to pilates last night and could hear Rosie screaming as I walked down our street. Poor little thing was doing that hiccuping thing that children do when they cry really hard. Almost broke my heart. Don't think I'll ever go to pilates again.

She'll be here in a few hours!

J has just left to go get Nikki at Heathrow. In just a few hours she'll be here! I've been doing some last minute tidying, preparing Nikki's room, making up her bed. I can't believe that she's arriving tonight.

The article in Practical Parenting came out today and I love it! Much better than the article in Eve Magazine. There's a whole two-page spread about me and a photo in the table of contents. I'm really happy with it. It's a lovely keepsake of my pregnancy with Rosie.