Rosie and I were playing with Toby's Polly Pocket and a Dash from The Incredibles Pez dispenser over lunch today. I was making them dance around and Rosie was laughing. My mindless dance melody turned into Tequila and I was making them dance on the table then jump into the air and shout "TEQUILA!" Rosie loved it. A bit later I saw her playing with the dolls. She was bouncing them on the table then threw them in the air and shouted "TA-KEE-AA!" Her first three-syllable word. That's definitely one for the baby book.
While reading London Peculiars I discovered what the small man-holes you see in front of a lot of houses in London are. They're coal holes. Apparently they're holes that lead to the coal storage in the cellar and were used for deliveries so that the coal wouldn't need to be taken through the house. So interesting. I love that kind of information. I imagine Indiana Jones trapped in some Victorian cellar as it starts to flood then he shouts "The coal hole will save us!" before escaping through the disused coal chute. I love it though it does sound a bit like dirty slang for gay sex - "making a delivery to the coal hole". Hmmmm.
If I take the short cut home from the village I pass a little cottage with a desk in the window. On the desk is a mug full of pencils, all perfectly sharpened. I can tell that they're used because they move around but the mug is always full of the same kind of pencil all sharpened to absolute needle-like perfection. For some reason I find them very calming. Something about that kind of organisation and perfection soothes me. I imagine the owner carefully sharpening each pencil before sitting down to write something marvelous. Ahhhh, and all seems right with the world.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Monday, January 29, 2007
Favourite Things
A few things that are lighting my fire at the moment:
Eve Lom Cleanser - Why did I wait so long to try it? Fantastic stuff.
Weleda Calendula Weather Protection Cream- Keeping the babies' cheeks from getting chapped this winter.
Challah bread - A Jewish bread that I allow myself to buy only occasionally because I can work my way through a whole loaf in one day.
Pilates - Every Saturday morning. No sweating, no bouncing but a great work out.
Perez Hilton - My trashy addiction.
Flash Dustmaster Extend and Reach - I've dusted all the picture rails, above the windows, on top of the bookshelves, tops of the wardrobes, cleared all the cobwebs...
Costa's medio iced latte with skim milk and a chocolate florentine - Every morning. They start making it when I walk in the door. Seriously.
Comice pears - I've never liked pears but there's a supplier at the Blackheath farmer's market that sells the most amazing pears and apples. I'm totally hooked on these and I'm already starting to worry about how I'll cope when the season ends.
Le Baiser du Dragon - The weather is finally cold enough to get away with my favourite perfume. Too heady for sunny days, I usually save it just for evenings but I can wear it now on cold, dark days. Delicious.
Eve Lom Cleanser - Why did I wait so long to try it? Fantastic stuff.
Weleda Calendula Weather Protection Cream- Keeping the babies' cheeks from getting chapped this winter.
Challah bread - A Jewish bread that I allow myself to buy only occasionally because I can work my way through a whole loaf in one day.
Pilates - Every Saturday morning. No sweating, no bouncing but a great work out.
Perez Hilton - My trashy addiction.
Flash Dustmaster Extend and Reach - I've dusted all the picture rails, above the windows, on top of the bookshelves, tops of the wardrobes, cleared all the cobwebs...
Costa's medio iced latte with skim milk and a chocolate florentine - Every morning. They start making it when I walk in the door. Seriously.
Comice pears - I've never liked pears but there's a supplier at the Blackheath farmer's market that sells the most amazing pears and apples. I'm totally hooked on these and I'm already starting to worry about how I'll cope when the season ends.
Le Baiser du Dragon - The weather is finally cold enough to get away with my favourite perfume. Too heady for sunny days, I usually save it just for evenings but I can wear it now on cold, dark days. Delicious.
Toby and J did some face painting this weekend. Tobes is supposed to have an ice cream cone on his face and J has a sun, rainbow and birds on his. They obviously had a good time.
Still fairly quiet here. J is in the States this week and this children and I have a busy week of classes, playdates and coffee with friends. Today we went to Monkey Music and then down to the playground at Greenwich Park. It's lovely to have these days to just focus on the children.
On Sunday we're off to Woolley Grange again. We went last year and loved it. It's such a fantastic place to do a lot of nothing. I'm looking forward to getting on the trampoline with Toby this year. I had a go last year but it was just a few months after my cesarean and I had to take it easy for fear that my guts would fall out. This year nothing will hold me back.
We're also taking our wellies so we can do some hiking around the grounds. Rosie even has a tiny pair of Kate's old wellies so I'm sure we'll all get out there and stomp around. I'm also really looking forward to the food. They have the most fantastic butter. Everything is organic, in season and locally produced and it is amazing. I'm living on soup and salad this week so I can really enjoy myself while we're away.
Friday, January 26, 2007
I've been tagged
Elizabeth has tagged me which means that I have to take the nearest book, open it to page 123 and type 6-8 lines of text. The first book I grabbed was a library book called London Peculiars by Peter Ashley but it only goes up to page 117. So I grabbed my other library book, The Debutante Divorcee by Plum Sykes. I'm obviously doing some very light reading at the moment. Page 123 only has a small amount of text and here it is in full:
"I hate Bungalow 8 anyway. I couldn't get in with Christopher. He was too overweight," said Marci, wiping her tears with her lace cuffs. Then, looking at me desperately, she asked, "How long does it take to have reflection, exactly? Three weeks? Could I be done reflecting by Thanksgiving?"
Now I tag Nikki, Dad and Xavier (though X, I know you have other things on your mind).
"I hate Bungalow 8 anyway. I couldn't get in with Christopher. He was too overweight," said Marci, wiping her tears with her lace cuffs. Then, looking at me desperately, she asked, "How long does it take to have reflection, exactly? Three weeks? Could I be done reflecting by Thanksgiving?"
Now I tag Nikki, Dad and Xavier (though X, I know you have other things on your mind).
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Just a day
Things are pretty calm here at the moment, which I like. I think it's good for the children to have plenty of routine boring days to stick together all of the more exciting ones. Gives us a nice base to start from and I always enjoy the break.
This morning Tobes had nursery and Rosie had Sing and Sign at Mycenae House. After the usual grumbles and grumps about putting on coats, shoes, etc we made it out the door in time, dropped Toby off at school and got a great parking space. Very good start to the day. Sing and Sign went well. Rosie is really picking up the signs. The teacher is a bit manic though. Almost a caricature of a baby music teacher, very enthusiastic and slightly scary, but Rosie loves it. Afterwards Rosie is always exhausted so we headed over to Costa. I had dreams of a quiet coffee and a trashy mag while Rosie napped. Not to be though. One of Rosie's friends, a little girl called Lily, was there and they played and squawked and had a brilliant time.
Toby was having lunch at school and I soon realised that I didn't have time to take Rosie home to feed her but I hadn't brought anything out with us. We ended up going to a new cafe in the village and getting a jacket potato with plain tuna. Rosie was happy. When we picked up Toby he was not so happy. Apparently they had something yucky for lunch at school, Tobes wouldn't eat it and therefore did not get dessert. Oh, there were tears. Lots of tears.
Managed to calm Tobes down with the promise of a snack then realised that Rosie had done a poo. Nowhere to change her so ended up changing a very messy nappy on the front seat of the car. Finally piled the kids in and took off for Homebase to get some DIY stuff for the flat. I've finally got the urge to sort out the flat and have been hanging photos where I want them rather than on the handy hooks the previous owners left in the walls.
As we were leaving Homebase Rosie did another massive poo. Where does she keep it all? All they had was a very grotty bathroom floor on which to change her so it was back to the front seat of the car again. Twice in less than an hour, what are the odds?
Now we've come home, the children have had their afternoon snack and I have a date with a toilet that needs a new flush handle and a door that needs to be draftproofed. Just another day.
This morning Tobes had nursery and Rosie had Sing and Sign at Mycenae House. After the usual grumbles and grumps about putting on coats, shoes, etc we made it out the door in time, dropped Toby off at school and got a great parking space. Very good start to the day. Sing and Sign went well. Rosie is really picking up the signs. The teacher is a bit manic though. Almost a caricature of a baby music teacher, very enthusiastic and slightly scary, but Rosie loves it. Afterwards Rosie is always exhausted so we headed over to Costa. I had dreams of a quiet coffee and a trashy mag while Rosie napped. Not to be though. One of Rosie's friends, a little girl called Lily, was there and they played and squawked and had a brilliant time.
Toby was having lunch at school and I soon realised that I didn't have time to take Rosie home to feed her but I hadn't brought anything out with us. We ended up going to a new cafe in the village and getting a jacket potato with plain tuna. Rosie was happy. When we picked up Toby he was not so happy. Apparently they had something yucky for lunch at school, Tobes wouldn't eat it and therefore did not get dessert. Oh, there were tears. Lots of tears.
Managed to calm Tobes down with the promise of a snack then realised that Rosie had done a poo. Nowhere to change her so ended up changing a very messy nappy on the front seat of the car. Finally piled the kids in and took off for Homebase to get some DIY stuff for the flat. I've finally got the urge to sort out the flat and have been hanging photos where I want them rather than on the handy hooks the previous owners left in the walls.
As we were leaving Homebase Rosie did another massive poo. Where does she keep it all? All they had was a very grotty bathroom floor on which to change her so it was back to the front seat of the car again. Twice in less than an hour, what are the odds?
Now we've come home, the children have had their afternoon snack and I have a date with a toilet that needs a new flush handle and a door that needs to be draftproofed. Just another day.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Friends in high places & Toby saves the day
What a fantastic day we've had. It started yesterday morning when I realised that this was the last weekend of the Hockney exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. I rang the gallery to try and book tickets only to be told that they were totally sold out. Oh poo. I emailed Elizabeth to let her know because we were hoping that they would come with us then I resigned myself to missing the exhibition, which is said to be an important one for Hockney. Very disappointing.
Well, a few minutes later Elizabeth emailed back to say that her boss is on the board of the NPG and maybe she could ask a favour... By that afternoon Elizabeth's boss had called the museum director and arranged for complimentary tickets to be waiting for us. Very cool. Not only would we get to go but we would go as VIPs with no time limits on our visit. Very handy when you have a total of three children in tow.
This morning we decided to drive into town and parked at the Savoy Hotel. Parking in London is always a challenge and they have public parking at the Savoy along with the valet parking so we dropped off our keys and headed out. We met up with Elizabeth, Andrew and Mary Catherine at the new National Gallery Cafe for lunch. The children's macaroni and cheese was not a hit. The cheddar was too mature and they had added leeks and breadcrumbs on top. Toby wouldn't take a single bite after asking 'Mommy, what's this stuff on my pasta?!' Mary Catherine did a bit better but there was lots of mac and cheese left over. The adult meals were very tasty and the hand-churned ice cream with toppings for dessert was fantastic. Next time we'll just go for extra scoops of ice cream.
After lunch we moseyed on over to the exhibition. The place was heaving. It was obviously a very popular show. When we entered the exhibition Elizabeth and I noticed a very arty looking elderly lady with a lovely wicker shopping basket on wheels. The lady was obviously in her 80s or later and was very well dressed in a black and white houndstooth jacket and big black hat. She was a tiny woman but you could tell she was a real character. Elizabeth was admiring the shopping basket and as we passed I overhead the lady talking to her companion about the time she shared a lemonade with Picasso! Obviously a real character.
The exhibition was fantastic and had works from each of Hockney's periods including many paintings owned by the artist himself. Mary Catherine had brought her sketch pad and pens and the museum had given the children crayons and activity books so whenever we found a bench we would stop so the children could draw. We had stopped in my favourite part of the exhibition, Hockney's recent portraits, and Toby was drawing away when I heard someone say 'How wonderful! You must always encourage them to draw!' I turned to see the arty elderly lady from the entrance. I was so pleased because I had hoped to speak to her. I love slightly mad eccentric older people as I absolutely hope to be one myself one day.
The lady was really charming. She's half French, half Aussie and has lived in London for over 50 years. She started drawing when she was seven and has been drawing and painting ever since. She illustrated children's books for a while and has had a few shows of her paintings. She spent seven years perfecting a painting of St Paul's Cathedral but the recent cleaning of the building has completely changed the look of it so she's not sure she'll ever be able to complete it. You can tell that we chatted for quite a bit and she asked about the children and said that I must encourage them to be artistic. Such an interesting woman.
When we were leaving I heard a voice saying 'Goodbye Tobias! Goodbye Rosamund!' and turned to see our lady again. Very kind and what an amazing life!
After the museum we strolled around Trafalgar Square and the children climbed up to the lions. Toby loves the lions. Then we all went to Villiers Street for a coffee. As we were leaving the coffee shop J suddenly realised that he couldn't find his keys. He went back into the coffee shop and searched the floor. I searched through the other coats and bags but no keys. For some reason I hadn't brought my keys out today so if we couldn't find J's keys we were in for a very long night. We had checked our coats at the museum so J sprinted off to see if they had been turned into lost and found. Just as J ran off Toby asked what was going on and I explained that we had lost the keys. Toby said 'I know where the keys are.' 'Really darling?' I said but I was more interested in what he was going to say than actually thinking he knew where the keys were. 'We left them with that man where we parked the car,' Toby said. What a brilliant boy! He was absolutely right!
Andrew sprinted off to try and catch J but Jason was long gone. I told them that we would catch up with J at the gallery and said goodnight, laughing at our forgetfulness and Toby's amazing memory. By the time the children and I found J at the museum he was wild eyed with worry about the keys. I told Toby to tell J where the keys were and I swear Jason actually blushed when he heard. We had both just completely forgotten about leaving them at the carpark with the attendant. Thank goodness our gorgeous boy was with us. Toby really did save the day.
So we made it home with no problems and the children fell asleep almost as soon as their heads hit the pillows. Such a great day out with great friends. Couldn't really ask for more.
Well, a few minutes later Elizabeth emailed back to say that her boss is on the board of the NPG and maybe she could ask a favour... By that afternoon Elizabeth's boss had called the museum director and arranged for complimentary tickets to be waiting for us. Very cool. Not only would we get to go but we would go as VIPs with no time limits on our visit. Very handy when you have a total of three children in tow.
This morning we decided to drive into town and parked at the Savoy Hotel. Parking in London is always a challenge and they have public parking at the Savoy along with the valet parking so we dropped off our keys and headed out. We met up with Elizabeth, Andrew and Mary Catherine at the new National Gallery Cafe for lunch. The children's macaroni and cheese was not a hit. The cheddar was too mature and they had added leeks and breadcrumbs on top. Toby wouldn't take a single bite after asking 'Mommy, what's this stuff on my pasta?!' Mary Catherine did a bit better but there was lots of mac and cheese left over. The adult meals were very tasty and the hand-churned ice cream with toppings for dessert was fantastic. Next time we'll just go for extra scoops of ice cream.
After lunch we moseyed on over to the exhibition. The place was heaving. It was obviously a very popular show. When we entered the exhibition Elizabeth and I noticed a very arty looking elderly lady with a lovely wicker shopping basket on wheels. The lady was obviously in her 80s or later and was very well dressed in a black and white houndstooth jacket and big black hat. She was a tiny woman but you could tell she was a real character. Elizabeth was admiring the shopping basket and as we passed I overhead the lady talking to her companion about the time she shared a lemonade with Picasso! Obviously a real character.
The exhibition was fantastic and had works from each of Hockney's periods including many paintings owned by the artist himself. Mary Catherine had brought her sketch pad and pens and the museum had given the children crayons and activity books so whenever we found a bench we would stop so the children could draw. We had stopped in my favourite part of the exhibition, Hockney's recent portraits, and Toby was drawing away when I heard someone say 'How wonderful! You must always encourage them to draw!' I turned to see the arty elderly lady from the entrance. I was so pleased because I had hoped to speak to her. I love slightly mad eccentric older people as I absolutely hope to be one myself one day.
The lady was really charming. She's half French, half Aussie and has lived in London for over 50 years. She started drawing when she was seven and has been drawing and painting ever since. She illustrated children's books for a while and has had a few shows of her paintings. She spent seven years perfecting a painting of St Paul's Cathedral but the recent cleaning of the building has completely changed the look of it so she's not sure she'll ever be able to complete it. You can tell that we chatted for quite a bit and she asked about the children and said that I must encourage them to be artistic. Such an interesting woman.
When we were leaving I heard a voice saying 'Goodbye Tobias! Goodbye Rosamund!' and turned to see our lady again. Very kind and what an amazing life!
After the museum we strolled around Trafalgar Square and the children climbed up to the lions. Toby loves the lions. Then we all went to Villiers Street for a coffee. As we were leaving the coffee shop J suddenly realised that he couldn't find his keys. He went back into the coffee shop and searched the floor. I searched through the other coats and bags but no keys. For some reason I hadn't brought my keys out today so if we couldn't find J's keys we were in for a very long night. We had checked our coats at the museum so J sprinted off to see if they had been turned into lost and found. Just as J ran off Toby asked what was going on and I explained that we had lost the keys. Toby said 'I know where the keys are.' 'Really darling?' I said but I was more interested in what he was going to say than actually thinking he knew where the keys were. 'We left them with that man where we parked the car,' Toby said. What a brilliant boy! He was absolutely right!
Andrew sprinted off to try and catch J but Jason was long gone. I told them that we would catch up with J at the gallery and said goodnight, laughing at our forgetfulness and Toby's amazing memory. By the time the children and I found J at the museum he was wild eyed with worry about the keys. I told Toby to tell J where the keys were and I swear Jason actually blushed when he heard. We had both just completely forgotten about leaving them at the carpark with the attendant. Thank goodness our gorgeous boy was with us. Toby really did save the day.
So we made it home with no problems and the children fell asleep almost as soon as their heads hit the pillows. Such a great day out with great friends. Couldn't really ask for more.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Your mission, should you choose to accept it...
I've been trying to find a particular wallpaper and it seems impossible. We had it in our bathroom when I was growing up and I loved it then and would love to have it now. It was black and white, in the toile de jouy style but instead of frolicking sheperds or ruined castles it featured various styles of toilets. My favourite was a toilet that looked like a real throne, fit for a princess. It was fabtastic (actually that was a typo but it really works!). It was cool and quirky and gave you something interesting to look at while you were sitting there.
I've tried ebay and various vintage (god I hate using that word for something from my own lifetime) wallpaper shops from New York to Paris to Tokyo. Nothin'. Anyone who fancies a challenge please have a go and see if you can find it. I would love to have it in black and white but would take it in any colour. Even just something similiar would be great. I want my toilet wallpaper!
I think I've been looking at wallpaper for too long tonight. Saw some beautiful stuff but no toilets. My eyes are feeling like they might actually have wallpaper paste in them so think it's time for bed. So glad to be back on blogger. Night night.
I've tried ebay and various vintage (god I hate using that word for something from my own lifetime) wallpaper shops from New York to Paris to Tokyo. Nothin'. Anyone who fancies a challenge please have a go and see if you can find it. I would love to have it in black and white but would take it in any colour. Even just something similiar would be great. I want my toilet wallpaper!
I think I've been looking at wallpaper for too long tonight. Saw some beautiful stuff but no toilets. My eyes are feeling like they might actually have wallpaper paste in them so think it's time for bed. So glad to be back on blogger. Night night.
At last!!
I've been trying to update the blog for ages but blogger has been playing up. Finally got the time to do some troubleshooting and here I am. So much to say so here are the highlights:
First and foremost
We have a walking girl! Rosie started walking last week. She still prefers crawling but will walk a few steps on her own now and loves to walk around while holding hands. She's also made a leap in her talking and is adding new words to her vocabulary every day. I've started consistently signing with her and she picks them right up too and is really enjoying being able to communicate with us.
Happy birthday to me
Last week I turned 36. That sounds so strange. It's like saying last week I turned into a chicken. It just seems so unreal that I could be so old. OK, OK, I know it's not really that old but it sure sounds old. I got some lovely gifts and cards from J and the children and then had a day out on Saturday with my friend Natasha. We indulged in a three hour lunch at the new National Portrait Gallery restaurant that has views over Trafalgar Square. It was fantastic. I had the mixed game terrine with chutney to start. Then I had a slice of apple, onion and sweet potato pie with butternut squash puree. It was all delicious and we had timed it just right. We were there from 2-5pm so we saw the sun set and the lights come up. Big Ben looked so beautiful. Afterwards we went to the Velazquez exhibition at the National Gallery. I had heard mixed reviews but I really enjoyed it. I thought it illustrated well his evolution as an artist and I do like royal portraits anyway. I wore my new Celia Birtwell dress with jeans for the day out and realised that I was perfectly dressed for the Hockney exhibition at the NPG! Oh well, next time.
On Sunday, Jenny & Kieran came down with their children and we all went out to lunch. They brought me some lovely gifts too including a navy sweater vest which I think I'll be wearing a lot this winter. We had a great time chatting and causing chaos at Cafe Rouge and the children played very well together as usual.
I know there's more
But I've had a terrible cold for over a week and I'm overexcited about finally getting into blogger. I can't think of anything else!! Well, J is in New York this week so I'm sure I'll be back again soon. Hope you're all well!
First and foremost
We have a walking girl! Rosie started walking last week. She still prefers crawling but will walk a few steps on her own now and loves to walk around while holding hands. She's also made a leap in her talking and is adding new words to her vocabulary every day. I've started consistently signing with her and she picks them right up too and is really enjoying being able to communicate with us.
Happy birthday to me
Last week I turned 36. That sounds so strange. It's like saying last week I turned into a chicken. It just seems so unreal that I could be so old. OK, OK, I know it's not really that old but it sure sounds old. I got some lovely gifts and cards from J and the children and then had a day out on Saturday with my friend Natasha. We indulged in a three hour lunch at the new National Portrait Gallery restaurant that has views over Trafalgar Square. It was fantastic. I had the mixed game terrine with chutney to start. Then I had a slice of apple, onion and sweet potato pie with butternut squash puree. It was all delicious and we had timed it just right. We were there from 2-5pm so we saw the sun set and the lights come up. Big Ben looked so beautiful. Afterwards we went to the Velazquez exhibition at the National Gallery. I had heard mixed reviews but I really enjoyed it. I thought it illustrated well his evolution as an artist and I do like royal portraits anyway. I wore my new Celia Birtwell dress with jeans for the day out and realised that I was perfectly dressed for the Hockney exhibition at the NPG! Oh well, next time.
On Sunday, Jenny & Kieran came down with their children and we all went out to lunch. They brought me some lovely gifts too including a navy sweater vest which I think I'll be wearing a lot this winter. We had a great time chatting and causing chaos at Cafe Rouge and the children played very well together as usual.
I know there's more
But I've had a terrible cold for over a week and I'm overexcited about finally getting into blogger. I can't think of anything else!! Well, J is in New York this week so I'm sure I'll be back again soon. Hope you're all well!
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Happy 2007!
I can't believe the holidays are over. I feel like I never really caught up and now it's all over. We did have a really lovely Christmas and new year though. We went up to Cambridge for new year's eve and stayed with Jenny and Kieran. Toby had so much fun with Jack and Kate. We even put all four children in the bath together (pictures to follow one of these days!). The kids did really well and were all asleep by 8.00 and slept through just past midnight so we got some grown up time. Some other friends came over and Jenny prepared a gorgeous meal of duckling and red cabbage. There was loads of champagne and buck's fizz and lots of laughter. My head didn't feel so great the following morning but it was worth it.
On new year's day we all went out to lunch and met up with some other friends we hadn't seen for a couple of years. They recently had their third baby so there was lots of talk about what it's like with three children. It was so great to see so many old friends and to catch up. We had all been friends back when J and I lived in Cambridge, long before any of us had babies and before all the other couples had even married. So many good memories. I remember one summer when one of the guys rented a house boat and we had a huge party on the river with an Elvis impersonator. The highlight was when Elvis stood on the prow of the boat and sang Proud Mary as we rolled down the river waving to all of the bemused passersby on the riverwalk. It wasn't quite such an uproarous time yesterday but it was lovely to see everyone, to sit and eat, talk and laugh and see all the new little faces around the table with us.
And now it's a new year. My resolutions for this year are to take better care of my health and wellbeing, to spend more time just having fun with the children, to spend more time with J as a couple and to investigate the possibility of having a baby privately. My birth experience with Rosie was quite negative so if we do it again I'd prefer to go private rather than National Health. I need to find out if that's possible without needing to remortgage.
And since it's been ages since I posted a photo here is our latest family portrait. Please excuse the big copyright stamp across it. I think the photographer must be getting tired of me nicking photos from his website.
Hope you all had a great new year and all the best for 2007!
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