Sam and Charlie discovered how to balance balloons on their tongues-with this much ingenuity they are both no doubt bound for MIT!
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Xmas with the boys
Our xmas celebrations started with a bowling party on the 23rd with the boys, except Al and Conall who were missing due to illness. Lots of fun was had by all and it was wonderful to catch up with everyone one.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Oh what a month!
Things have been pretty busy in our house lately to say the least. The two major life changing events were matt and getting a permanent post in lincoln (yippee!!! and thank you to everyone who kept their fingers crossed!) and buying boudicca. We are all over the moon that matt now has a permanent post as lincoln's newest itu consultant, it means the past 6 months of worry and uncertainity are over. He has been in lincoln since july but initally on a locum basis but as of nov 28th he is there permanently. He likes the job and thinks there is lots of scope for growth and is looking forward to settling in there properly. Lincoln is a great city and we are all looking forward to getting to know it better and in time move there and make it our home.
The market is so bad at the moment that we decided not to sell the house yet but to buy somewhere for matt to stay while he is on call and when he has back to back surgery days and that somewhere is boudicca!! We had initally thought of a flat but all of the nice ones were out of our budget and came with too many restrictions about parkting pets etc. That is when we started exploring other options and came up with a narrowboat. Our good friends christine and tony who live on board there boat were fully of helpful tips and even came out boat hunting with us. Boudicca was one of the first boats we saw and despite seeing lots of others we always came back to her. She is so light and airy and seemed just what we were looking for. Everything fell into place and she is now ours and moored at a fantastic marina up in lincoln, about 10 min from the hospital. She has made such a difference to matt's on calls and going forward is going to mean that he does a lot less commutting. Sam and I are spending lots of time on her as well, whenever matt is on call we go up to keep him company. We have had a few teething problems with the heating but fingers crossed that is now sorted. We are looking forward to lots of family outings on her when the warmer weather arrives ( how long till summer!?) and to exploring the rivers and canals around the country.
Formal education has taken a bit of a backseat these last few weeks but sam has learned a tremendous amount about boats, going through locks, heating, engineering, geography and history not to mention water safety!
We have been so busy with sorting out the boat that xmas has jumped up on me. I am very behind with everything but hopefully it will all come together. All of sam's presents have been bought so at least the little guy is taken care of.
The market is so bad at the moment that we decided not to sell the house yet but to buy somewhere for matt to stay while he is on call and when he has back to back surgery days and that somewhere is boudicca!! We had initally thought of a flat but all of the nice ones were out of our budget and came with too many restrictions about parkting pets etc. That is when we started exploring other options and came up with a narrowboat. Our good friends christine and tony who live on board there boat were fully of helpful tips and even came out boat hunting with us. Boudicca was one of the first boats we saw and despite seeing lots of others we always came back to her. She is so light and airy and seemed just what we were looking for. Everything fell into place and she is now ours and moored at a fantastic marina up in lincoln, about 10 min from the hospital. She has made such a difference to matt's on calls and going forward is going to mean that he does a lot less commutting. Sam and I are spending lots of time on her as well, whenever matt is on call we go up to keep him company. We have had a few teething problems with the heating but fingers crossed that is now sorted. We are looking forward to lots of family outings on her when the warmer weather arrives ( how long till summer!?) and to exploring the rivers and canals around the country.
Formal education has taken a bit of a backseat these last few weeks but sam has learned a tremendous amount about boats, going through locks, heating, engineering, geography and history not to mention water safety!
We have been so busy with sorting out the boat that xmas has jumped up on me. I am very behind with everything but hopefully it will all come together. All of sam's presents have been bought so at least the little guy is taken care of.
Monday, December 01, 2008
The captain concentrating
Matt took to boating like a duck to water. He did a fantastic job keeping us on the straight and narrow-despite a crew who did things like drop a spike in the river, get the ropes wet and flood the loo!
Reviews of the river bank
This is the sort of view we had all weekend. It was so quiet and peaceful, that we hated to come back to dry land.
Getting to grips with the kitchen
The kitchen is small but has everything you need. The range is amazing and keeps the boat toasty warm.
Just chillin'
The dogs have adapted to boat life, though miko is not very keen on the getting on and off bit! Matt is going to build her a ramp because she is way too heavy to lift on an off each time.
Keeping an eye out for wildlife
This is rogue's fav place on the boat, he sat here all day watching out for birds and other wildlife.
Watching the world go by
Sam really enjoyed the weekend on the boat and spent most of his time at the tiler helping M. When it got too cold and rainy he came inside and played lego and and on his ds.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
So much to be thankful for..
this thanksgiving. I have a wonderful son and husband, fantastic family and friends and overall a pretty good life. We have had our ups and downs this year but if all goes according to plan it will end on a good note.
We have had a busy time since my last post, school work, and a variety of other things. I can't reveal all yet but watch this space. (not it isn't another baby or another puppy!).
We have had a quiet thanksgiving, though we did manage to make two pumpkin pies, a batch of chocolate chip cookies and guduruni. The best part is having either the pumpkin pie or the guduruni for bfast in the morning as they are both great cold the day after.
Hope you all have a wonderful thanksgiving!!
We have had a busy time since my last post, school work, and a variety of other things. I can't reveal all yet but watch this space. (not it isn't another baby or another puppy!).
We have had a quiet thanksgiving, though we did manage to make two pumpkin pies, a batch of chocolate chip cookies and guduruni. The best part is having either the pumpkin pie or the guduruni for bfast in the morning as they are both great cold the day after.
Hope you all have a wonderful thanksgiving!!
Monday, November 17, 2008
Time flies when you are busy learning and playing..
The last 10 days have passed in a blur of home ed, mystery jobs, play dates, ski lessons and parades. Schoolwise things are ticking over and we are both enjoying the work. Math is starting to come easier to sam and he has really been enjoying education city. He has now moved up to year 4 math and english, which isn't bad considering that if he were in school he would be in year 3. He has been fascinated by the election and we have had long discussions about the role of the president and the difference between that way of governing and the parlimentary system here. He is still of the opinion that the obama girls need a pack of dogs, not just one and thinks it should be a mix of akitas, bull mastifs and st. bernards-I hate to think about the mess that a pack like that would create!! He has also decided that he quite likes it when I listen to newstalk radio in the car and is often heard shouting his opinion from the back seat-half the time he is right.
The ski lessons are going well, he has had three now and is discovering that while skiing is fun it is not quite as easy as he thought. He is itching to get out on the big slope but won't be let loose there until he passes this level. He is going again on sat in an effort to get him there before we go skiing for real. Our weekends in december are looking quite busy so he may not get too many more opportunities before xmas.
He marched in his first parade the other weekend. His beaver pack took part in the annual veterans day parade that the town has. He looked so cute, especially as he skipped most of the route! Will post a pick of him in all his glory, there is even a short video if I can figure out how to upload it to flickr.
The ski lessons are going well, he has had three now and is discovering that while skiing is fun it is not quite as easy as he thought. He is itching to get out on the big slope but won't be let loose there until he passes this level. He is going again on sat in an effort to get him there before we go skiing for real. Our weekends in december are looking quite busy so he may not get too many more opportunities before xmas.
He marched in his first parade the other weekend. His beaver pack took part in the annual veterans day parade that the town has. He looked so cute, especially as he skipped most of the route! Will post a pick of him in all his glory, there is even a short video if I can figure out how to upload it to flickr.
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Remember, remember the 5th of November..
for more reasons than just the gunpowder plot!! Yesterday as everyone knows we elected a democrat to the white house for the first time in 8 years! The next four years are going to be very interesting for the nation and the world. Talk about inheriting a job with a few problems. Sam is very excited about the prospect of a first pet and wants to email the obama girls and suggest that they get an akita. Somehow I think they are after something a bit smaller that doesn't blow its coat twice a year. He is very intrigued about what life will be like for the girls and has suggested that they be home educated as there will be lots to learn by living in the white house. That is quite a sensible idea but I somehow think that the first couple are going to be a little busy to have the time to do that.
Guy Fawkes day was a bit of a damp squib weather-wise so we didn't even have sparklers. The bad weather meant that there were fewer fireworks going off which pleased rogue. Hopefully now things will be quiet until new year's eve.
Guy Fawkes day was a bit of a damp squib weather-wise so we didn't even have sparklers. The bad weather meant that there were fewer fireworks going off which pleased rogue. Hopefully now things will be quiet until new year's eve.
Monday, November 03, 2008
Halloween Boy
For the first time in 7 years sam agreed to dress up for Halloween. He went to his friend Joe's party as a commando-complete with the face paint. He had lots of fun at the party and has said that if dressing up is always this much fun he may do it again next halloween.
We had a busy week catching up with peterborough friends who were on half term. On tuesday we met up with the boys and they had great fun Wii-ing and playing in the backyard. On the way home sam was delighted to find white fluffy flakes falling from the sky. Sadly for him it did not stick but it was a bit of a shock to have snow in october. On wed we were back in peterborough again, this time to Sacrewell farm to meet up with sarah and the girls. Sam and Christina rough and tumbled their way around the farm and georgie kept everyone in line!! We went on a spooky tractor ride complete with a walk through a haunted barn. We were all a bit unnerved by the giant spider webs and equally giant spiders!!
This week is equally as busy-today we had home ed group. In honor of guy fawkes day our theme was tudors & stuarts and the children all had fun brass rubbing, making rockets, pomanders and fireworks in a jar. Sam spent ages making a hama picture of miko and for once did not spend the session running headlong around the hall.
In addition to normal school work we also have a free screening of Wall-ee to go to and three mini jobs to finis. Matt has downloaded Then Adventures of Tom Sawyer for us to listen to in the car-it will be interesting to see if sam likes it, it is a great story but there are no gadgets and gizmos.
We had a busy week catching up with peterborough friends who were on half term. On tuesday we met up with the boys and they had great fun Wii-ing and playing in the backyard. On the way home sam was delighted to find white fluffy flakes falling from the sky. Sadly for him it did not stick but it was a bit of a shock to have snow in october. On wed we were back in peterborough again, this time to Sacrewell farm to meet up with sarah and the girls. Sam and Christina rough and tumbled their way around the farm and georgie kept everyone in line!! We went on a spooky tractor ride complete with a walk through a haunted barn. We were all a bit unnerved by the giant spider webs and equally giant spiders!!
This week is equally as busy-today we had home ed group. In honor of guy fawkes day our theme was tudors & stuarts and the children all had fun brass rubbing, making rockets, pomanders and fireworks in a jar. Sam spent ages making a hama picture of miko and for once did not spend the session running headlong around the hall.
In addition to normal school work we also have a free screening of Wall-ee to go to and three mini jobs to finis. Matt has downloaded Then Adventures of Tom Sawyer for us to listen to in the car-it will be interesting to see if sam likes it, it is a great story but there are no gadgets and gizmos.
Monday, October 27, 2008
en garde!
Today we went on a field trip to Donnington Le Heath, a small manor house now owned by leicestershire county council that once belonged to one of the men involved in the gunpowder plot. Today's session was all about the gunpowder plot and life in stuart england. There were costumed characters to talk about different aspects of life and needless to say sam most enjoyed the talk by the two soldiers. This is him brandishing a sword-don't worry it isn't real!
do I really have to eat that?
This is the woman who was talking about domestic life in stuart england. The children were happy to find that the pork pies and ham were on the menu but not so happy to learn that chamber pots were dumped out of upstairs windows!
whose bed is it anyway??
Came up this morning to make the bed only to discover these two making themselves comfy!! They do sleep with us at night but not usually like this!
getting comfy
Miko settling down for a mid morning nap. She doesn't usually nap under the covers but it was chilly this morning and sam thought that she might be cold.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Ready to hit the slopes
Yesterday we took the monster to Tamworth Snowdome to get his first taste of skiing in preparation for our trip. Managed to outfit him very reasonably from H&M and TJ Maxx. The snowdome provided the skis and boots. His first lesson was a fun taster session and he and his classmate spent the hour getting used to being on skis and going down a very gentle slope. Sam had a ball and he can't wait for his next lesson. He spent a lot of the lesson on his bottom but he was very good natured about it all and he didn't want the lesson to end. We are going back in a fortnight.
Down we go
Here he is heading down the slope, it was just high enough to be fun but not so high that it was daunting.
Down we go-literally!
Sam spent quite a bit of the session in this position. He perfected the art of falling from a standing still position! At one point he toppled over and took out his row of classmates!
Learning to snow-plough
By the end of the session sam was looking quite confident on skis and even managed a snow plough.
Sledding Fun
At the end of the session the children were let loose with small inner tubes and they all had great fun sliding down we go the small slope. Sam had an absolute ball skiing and wanted to carry on. He had to be placated with another lesson in two weeks time. Money and time allowing we are going to try and take him a couple of times a month until we go skiing. We took out a membership of the snowdome for him so at least the lessons are cheaper than they would have been otherwise.
2008_0911NapaBalloon0047
thank you mk for letting me share these amazing pics of your bday balloon ride in napa valley.
Monday, October 13, 2008
More happy news...at least we think so
After many years of talking about it we are finally going on a family ski trip. We are going to Garmisch in Germany for a week in Jan and to say that sam is excited is an understatement. He is willing to skip xmas and go straight to Jan-an unheard of thing for a boy who loves presents as much as he does. We are going to go to either tamworth or milton keynes so that that he can have a few lessons before we hit the slopes because despite what he thinks he cannot ski. Having played enless hours of family ski on the wii he is convinced that he can really ski-should be interesting to see if that holds true! We have already kitted him out very reasonably thanks to H & M and TJ Maxx. We chose Germany because it should be less crowded than france and it is where I learned to ski, and it is somewhere that matt has always wanted ski. We are going to be there for his 40th so may need to sneak a bottle of champagne out on the slope.
As we are going to germany sam has decided that he needs to learn german so we have added it to our wed morning language lessons. He seems to be enjoying them and has started to drop french words into everyday conversation as well as making words sound french by putting a le or la in front of them. It is very cute.
Another piece of success-have managed to persuade sam to dress up for the halloween party we are going to. He has agreed to dress in miliary camaflage as it is not really like dressing up. He is even considering letting me put green/black greasepaint on his face like real soliders have. Matt can't decide between being a pirate and indiana jones but I have decided to go as a fairy godmother. Unbelieveably I still (sort of )fit my lovely pink worth advisor's dress (last worn 1986)and with the addition of some wings, a magic wand and a few seams let out it will be a perfect fairy godmother's outfit. It should be a fun party-will be sure and post a few pics.
As we are going to germany sam has decided that he needs to learn german so we have added it to our wed morning language lessons. He seems to be enjoying them and has started to drop french words into everyday conversation as well as making words sound french by putting a le or la in front of them. It is very cute.
Another piece of success-have managed to persuade sam to dress up for the halloween party we are going to. He has agreed to dress in miliary camaflage as it is not really like dressing up. He is even considering letting me put green/black greasepaint on his face like real soliders have. Matt can't decide between being a pirate and indiana jones but I have decided to go as a fairy godmother. Unbelieveably I still (sort of )fit my lovely pink worth advisor's dress (last worn 1986)and with the addition of some wings, a magic wand and a few seams let out it will be a perfect fairy godmother's outfit. It should be a fun party-will be sure and post a few pics.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Some good news amid the gloom..
In an effort to bring a little light to this dim and dark time I thought that I would impart a little good news. It is not anything major but just something to bring a smile rather than a frown . The first piece of good news is that after lots of false starts sam has finally mastered telling time!! We have done telling time on and off for a couple of years but in the last month it all just clicked. He now wears his watch everywhere (thank you auntie lynn!)and takes great delight at annoucing the time at various intervals.
The other piece of good news is that he can also now confidently tie his shoes! We taught him how to time them last year but it never really stuck but now he has it down pat. He got to show off his skills at the airport last week when they made him take off his shoes at security. I am all for being on the look out for potential threats but really-other than making toxic smells do most 7 year old boys pose a threat to national security... I think not.
We have been pottering along with school work and are now into the fraction zone. He seems to be enjoying fractions but all that could change next week when we cover adding adding and subtracting them. It is a good refresher course for me because fractions aren't something that I used on a daily basis, at least not in their written form.
The other piece of good news is that he can also now confidently tie his shoes! We taught him how to time them last year but it never really stuck but now he has it down pat. He got to show off his skills at the airport last week when they made him take off his shoes at security. I am all for being on the look out for potential threats but really-other than making toxic smells do most 7 year old boys pose a threat to national security... I think not.
We have been pottering along with school work and are now into the fraction zone. He seems to be enjoying fractions but all that could change next week when we cover adding adding and subtracting them. It is a good refresher course for me because fractions aren't something that I used on a daily basis, at least not in their written form.
Reunited
Last weekend I took sam on an international playdate. His very best buddy Alex and his family have moved to Ireland for a year and sam was missing him terribly, so when I saw that ryan air could fly us there for £20 roundtrip for both of us I booked the flights. Matt very graciously agreed to stay home and doggie sit and have a little daddy time. We went for just one night but managed to cram in lots of playtime and catching up. Sam was so excited to see Alex and Conall and was on a real high all day. Despite getting up at 3:30 he didn't crash until 9:30 that night. We spent our day in dublin at the zoo and a variety of playgrounds. They boys had a blast running around and playing and seeing the animals at the zoo. The weather obliged by only drizzling very slightly and being on the whole pretty okay. It was lovely to catch up with Miriam who and to see the boys and we can't wait until they come back at xmas.
Is this boy happy or what??!!
Sam was on a complete high from the moment miriam and the boys picked us up at the airport, despite having gotten up at 3:30 in the morning to make the trip. Here he is showing how happy he is to be reunited to two of his very best buddies.
Going for a ride
All the boys had great fun climbing on the wooden elephant in the playground, despite the many times they all slipped off due to the light drizzle.
Too cute!
Sam and I have seen elephants in zoos before but neither of us have ever seen a baby elephant. This one was so cute and was very playful. It was constantly trying to toss things up with its trunk. Miriam and I could have stayed and watched it all day.
Off for a stroll
The baby elephant was so cute-it really enjoyed throwing the sand up in the air to make a sand shower.
Mother and child
Conall was the first to spot this mother peahen and her chick. It started to drizzle while we were watching them and the chick quickly disappeared under its mother's wing.
Who are you looking at?
I wasn't sure who was watching who here. The meerkat enclosure is connected by a viewing window to the restaurant and they seemed as fascinated by watching us as we were by them. The boys were completely captivated and had to be dragged away after lunch!
Sunday, October 05, 2008
A public service message...
If only I could decide who to vote for-think I am going to write in Mr. Buffett with Hillary for vp!
Monday, September 29, 2008
All hail the new leader..
Upon picking up sam from beavers he greeted me with the news that he is now lodge leader by virtue of the fact that he is the oldest in his lodge. He is very excited to be in charge and thinks he is going to have a tough job keeping the boys in his lodge quiet. Those of you who know sam will find this hard to believe but he is actually one of the quietest boys in his pack. I am quite sure that his troop leader must be deaf, there is no other way she could survive the noise week after week! We are very proud of sam and know that he will do a good job.
This weekend sam had his friend dan to stay and I am pleased to announce that they actually slept!! They had had a busy day, going to the movies, playing lego, bike riding and dsing so they were tired by the time bed time came round. They were both up at 6 but played their dss quietly and didn't come check on me until 7 so that was okay. Sam had a blast and it was a pleasure to have dan over-both boys are planning another visit very soon.
Schoolwise sam has now finished Singapore Math 3A and with 3B we are now entering the realm of fractions and simple geometry. I think he enjoys math more than he admits to, he certainly likes the challenge of getting a problem right.
This weekend sam had his friend dan to stay and I am pleased to announce that they actually slept!! They had had a busy day, going to the movies, playing lego, bike riding and dsing so they were tired by the time bed time came round. They were both up at 6 but played their dss quietly and didn't come check on me until 7 so that was okay. Sam had a blast and it was a pleasure to have dan over-both boys are planning another visit very soon.
Schoolwise sam has now finished Singapore Math 3A and with 3B we are now entering the realm of fractions and simple geometry. I think he enjoys math more than he admits to, he certainly likes the challenge of getting a problem right.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
A margaritaville state of mind
If you have looked at the blog over the last two days you will realise that we have been in Paris drinking boat drinks and singing our hearts out at Jimmy Buffett's concert at the New Morning Jazz Club. To say that we had fun is an understatement. I can't remember the last time I was able to escape reality so completely and just throw myself in the moment.
Sam stayed with Matt's parents and had a ball as well. Due to the Eurostar disruptions they kindly had him for an additional night as we had to spend the night in london prior to our train to ensure that we got there early enough to get on the 7:30 train. We were in Paris before lunch and after dropping off our bags ( and calling the monster) we went out shopping and enjoying the autumn sunshine. It was a glorious day and we not only had a yummy lunch but window shopped to our hearts content. After a bottle of champagne (thank you t & l!)and a quick nap we were recharged and ready for the concert. The doors opened at 7, the concert started at 8 and we got there at 5:30 to experience tailgating parisian style. I can honestly say that I have never had so much fun waiting in line. We talked to everyone and found a few cyber aquatances from the buffett form that I lurk on. One woman I was chatting to shares my birthday and another couple are stationed at Kaiserslatern in Germany where we were stationed when I was little. Talk about coincidences. Everyone was super friendly a very merry as most people had brought refreshments. There were beach balls going back an forth down the line and across the street and the locals took it all in their stride. The crowd was very good natured and in control but if the same thing were to happen in anyother major city the police would have been there in a heart beat giving everyone a warning.
Managed to get right up close when Jimmy and the band arrived and am kicking myself that I didn't push my way up front and ask for an autograph-next year I won't make the same mistake.
The venue held about 300-400 people but it didn't feel full. We were pretty close to the stage and had a fantastic view. The atmosphere was electric and jimmy and the band really seemed to be enjoying themselves. They played for 2.5 hours solid and could have gone on longer. The audience joined in on every song and we all knew all the words! I usually can't remember what I ate for breakfast but once I start singing a song I know all the words. Matt took a few videos on the camera and once he figures out how to upload them on to flickr I will put them on the blog and youtube-just ignore my singing-I may know all the words but I don't sound that great!! We left the concert full of life and energy but starving as our only dinner had been a few potato chips while tailgating. Did we head to some quaint parisian after hours dinner or bisto-no we headed for the golden arches. I know we shouldn't have but we were both dying for fast food.
All in all it was a fab weekend and we can not wait for a return trip next year. So a huge thank you to matt's parents for having the monster and to Mr. Buffett et al for coming to paris and putting us all in a margaritaville state of mind.
Sam stayed with Matt's parents and had a ball as well. Due to the Eurostar disruptions they kindly had him for an additional night as we had to spend the night in london prior to our train to ensure that we got there early enough to get on the 7:30 train. We were in Paris before lunch and after dropping off our bags ( and calling the monster) we went out shopping and enjoying the autumn sunshine. It was a glorious day and we not only had a yummy lunch but window shopped to our hearts content. After a bottle of champagne (thank you t & l!)and a quick nap we were recharged and ready for the concert. The doors opened at 7, the concert started at 8 and we got there at 5:30 to experience tailgating parisian style. I can honestly say that I have never had so much fun waiting in line. We talked to everyone and found a few cyber aquatances from the buffett form that I lurk on. One woman I was chatting to shares my birthday and another couple are stationed at Kaiserslatern in Germany where we were stationed when I was little. Talk about coincidences. Everyone was super friendly a very merry as most people had brought refreshments. There were beach balls going back an forth down the line and across the street and the locals took it all in their stride. The crowd was very good natured and in control but if the same thing were to happen in anyother major city the police would have been there in a heart beat giving everyone a warning.
Managed to get right up close when Jimmy and the band arrived and am kicking myself that I didn't push my way up front and ask for an autograph-next year I won't make the same mistake.
The venue held about 300-400 people but it didn't feel full. We were pretty close to the stage and had a fantastic view. The atmosphere was electric and jimmy and the band really seemed to be enjoying themselves. They played for 2.5 hours solid and could have gone on longer. The audience joined in on every song and we all knew all the words! I usually can't remember what I ate for breakfast but once I start singing a song I know all the words. Matt took a few videos on the camera and once he figures out how to upload them on to flickr I will put them on the blog and youtube-just ignore my singing-I may know all the words but I don't sound that great!! We left the concert full of life and energy but starving as our only dinner had been a few potato chips while tailgating. Did we head to some quaint parisian after hours dinner or bisto-no we headed for the golden arches. I know we shouldn't have but we were both dying for fast food.
All in all it was a fab weekend and we can not wait for a return trip next year. So a huge thank you to matt's parents for having the monster and to Mr. Buffett et al for coming to paris and putting us all in a margaritaville state of mind.
the man himself
I was so close, I should have barged in and got his autograph but I was being unusually polite. Still this was closer than we expected to be.
jimmy
The big guy took time to greet the crowd before going into get ready for the show. By this stage there were probably about 200 or so of us tailgaiting on the street. Don't think that the good folk of paris were prepared for beach balls, sharks and inflatable monkeys flying around in the street.
waiting for boat drinks
I am not really grumpy honest!! Just enjoying the warm autumn sunshine and wishing that I wasn't dressed in black from head to toe.
license to chill
We had a lovely relaxed lunch sitting in the sun near the opera in paris. Here is Matt looking very chilled.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Parrotheads in Paris
Just back from an amazing weekend in Paris. Will blog in more details later complete with pics and our videos but here is a taster of what we were doing. The concert was out of this world and we are both already looking forward to next year!!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
I think I am going to stop listening to the news..
The first theng I do in the morning is to fire up the laptop (okay I do get out of bed first-most mornings anyway!) and put on the morning news on BBC Radio 5. It seems like each morning it gets more and more depressing with ever more worrying financial and political news. I have found that I am starting the day more worried and stressed than ever and I have decided to find a more cheerful way to start the day-if only radio margaritaville were playing at that hour of the morning. I do like to keep up with the news but there never seems to be anything good to report tenhese days, life is challenging enough with out being constantly worried about the big picture. Any suggestions for a cheerful radio station without a lot of news?
The boys throughly enjoyed themselves at the warhammer day the the NEC on Sunday. Sam managed to purchase everything on his list and he and matt have even got most of it assembled and back sprayed ready for painting. I had lots of fun out shopping with the girls, though it was very strange not having a little boy in tow. Didn't do much actual purchasing, but lots of gossiping and window shopping. We even treated ourselves to lunch at Wagamamas-it is so nice to have one on our doorstep.
This week has been quiet as we are carless. My car failed its mot last week and am unable to drive it until the problem is fixed as the mot expired just after it was tested. The parts are in now and it is going to the garage tomorrow so hopefully we will have it back by thursday. Sam has really been enjoying this website: scratch.mit.edu, it is a site to help children learn how programming works and it allows them to create their own cartoons, games etc. Sam has made several cartoons and we are now trying to figure out how to make a game. Watch this space-if he manages to will post a link.
The boys throughly enjoyed themselves at the warhammer day the the NEC on Sunday. Sam managed to purchase everything on his list and he and matt have even got most of it assembled and back sprayed ready for painting. I had lots of fun out shopping with the girls, though it was very strange not having a little boy in tow. Didn't do much actual purchasing, but lots of gossiping and window shopping. We even treated ourselves to lunch at Wagamamas-it is so nice to have one on our doorstep.
This week has been quiet as we are carless. My car failed its mot last week and am unable to drive it until the problem is fixed as the mot expired just after it was tested. The parts are in now and it is going to the garage tomorrow so hopefully we will have it back by thursday. Sam has really been enjoying this website: scratch.mit.edu, it is a site to help children learn how programming works and it allows them to create their own cartoons, games etc. Sam has made several cartoons and we are now trying to figure out how to make a game. Watch this space-if he manages to will post a link.
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Summer's officially over..
as if the copious amounts of rain were not enough to tell us all that summer is over the return of all sam's activities just confirms it. This week saw the start of home ed group, art and beavers. Tennis has started back too but sam has decided to rest this term and play with matt and I rather than have formal lessons. I wasn't too disappointed as they have reverted to their 9am on a sunday morning at the outdoor court slot and I am not sure that either of us would enjoy them if the weather keeps up like it has done. We have also gotten more serious about school work-especially math. I think the break has done us both good, I am more relaxed and sam is slightly more eager to work.
Sept is going to be a busy month for us-the boys are going to the big warhammer show at the nec (while I go shopping with the girls!), Matt and I are going to paris to see jimmy in concert and sam's friend dan is coming to stay and at the beginning of Oct sam and I are popping over to Dublin for the night (as you do) to visit Miriam and the boys. The tickets were only £20 return for both of us so we figured it was too good a bargain to miss Matt is going to stay home with the dogs and enjoy some much needed daddy time.
I have a new knitting project underway as my cousin and his wife are expecting their first baby. I am so thrilled to them and know that they will make fantastic parents. I had forgotten how absorbing knitting can be, I am sure that I am going to have rsi by the time I finish the blanket. I should be able to get a lot done on the way to paris as we are going by train rather than flying.
Miko's tv watching continues, tonight she was mesmerised by the Star Wars movie sam was watching-it was part 2 clone wars I think. She obviously prefers sci-fi to crime though as she slept and snored through csi miami.
Sept is going to be a busy month for us-the boys are going to the big warhammer show at the nec (while I go shopping with the girls!), Matt and I are going to paris to see jimmy in concert and sam's friend dan is coming to stay and at the beginning of Oct sam and I are popping over to Dublin for the night (as you do) to visit Miriam and the boys. The tickets were only £20 return for both of us so we figured it was too good a bargain to miss Matt is going to stay home with the dogs and enjoy some much needed daddy time.
I have a new knitting project underway as my cousin and his wife are expecting their first baby. I am so thrilled to them and know that they will make fantastic parents. I had forgotten how absorbing knitting can be, I am sure that I am going to have rsi by the time I finish the blanket. I should be able to get a lot done on the way to paris as we are going by train rather than flying.
Miko's tv watching continues, tonight she was mesmerised by the Star Wars movie sam was watching-it was part 2 clone wars I think. She obviously prefers sci-fi to crime though as she slept and snored through csi miami.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
TV addict-but it is not who you think!
Now that we are fully paid up members of the tv brigade again you would that thought that a certain young man would be glued to the set 24/7 but strangely he isn't too bothered about watching it. He certainly has not asked to turn it on and we have not had to down tools at any point to make sure that we don't miss a particular programme. The family member that would be glued to the set is miko. She sits and watches attentively no matter what is on and will even sit staring at the set when it is off, almost as if she is waiting for it to come on! She doesn't mind what she watches, everything seems to grip and enthrall her-just thank goodness she hasn't figured out how to work the remote or I am sure that she would watch it all day! I have never seen a dog watch tv like she does, it is so funny.
We had a fantastic weekend, went down to the in laws on sat for fils bday party. Sam was delighted to get to play with his cousins and the sun actually came out so we were all able to sit and enjoy the garden. On sunday Matt and his dad went to watch England vs. South Africa at Lords while sam, matt's mom and I wandered around london. First stop was here: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/UK/kensington/index.html, it is the most amazing grocery store ever (harrods food hall doesn't count as a grocery store). I have been to whole foods back home but none were as big as this. The whole top floor was a food oourt complete with sushi bar, oyster bar, Italian restaurant, gelato bar, coffee bar and so on. We had eleveness and lunch up there and both were very yummy and surprisingly good value. The other two floors were devoted to groceries of all varieties as well as several self service food counters. It was foodie heaven but at a cost-you would need a wheelbarrow full of money to do your weekly shopping there-to quote MK-it is whole paycheck!
We also did whistlestop tours of the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum. Sam wasn't feeling very well so our visits were quite short. He was boiling hot and just wanted to be out in the fresh air. He did manage to come away with a fluffy baryonyx to add to his collection. It is cuddled next to him as I write this, just hope the dogs don't spot it in the night!
Now that most everyone is back at school we have started to get more serious about lessons again. Came across this site www.funbrain.com which has lots of good math and english games and sam is really enjoying them. The math games are great and they are helping to reinforce the math facts that he should already know but seems to forget on a regular basis! We have also started using www.livemocha.com for french-it seems good so far and while it is not aimed at children the beginner level is easy enough for him to understand. I am also trying to introduce a little creative writing which is proving a difficult task. He is great at using his imagination to make lego creations but can seem to turn it to writing. Each day I give him a doodle and ask him to make a picture out of it and then write a few sentence about the picture. He has managed to make two cars and a plane so far!! Perhaps he is destined to become an engineer or a graphic designer.
We had a fantastic weekend, went down to the in laws on sat for fils bday party. Sam was delighted to get to play with his cousins and the sun actually came out so we were all able to sit and enjoy the garden. On sunday Matt and his dad went to watch England vs. South Africa at Lords while sam, matt's mom and I wandered around london. First stop was here: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/UK/kensington/index.html, it is the most amazing grocery store ever (harrods food hall doesn't count as a grocery store). I have been to whole foods back home but none were as big as this. The whole top floor was a food oourt complete with sushi bar, oyster bar, Italian restaurant, gelato bar, coffee bar and so on. We had eleveness and lunch up there and both were very yummy and surprisingly good value. The other two floors were devoted to groceries of all varieties as well as several self service food counters. It was foodie heaven but at a cost-you would need a wheelbarrow full of money to do your weekly shopping there-to quote MK-it is whole paycheck!
We also did whistlestop tours of the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum. Sam wasn't feeling very well so our visits were quite short. He was boiling hot and just wanted to be out in the fresh air. He did manage to come away with a fluffy baryonyx to add to his collection. It is cuddled next to him as I write this, just hope the dogs don't spot it in the night!
Now that most everyone is back at school we have started to get more serious about lessons again. Came across this site www.funbrain.com which has lots of good math and english games and sam is really enjoying them. The math games are great and they are helping to reinforce the math facts that he should already know but seems to forget on a regular basis! We have also started using www.livemocha.com for french-it seems good so far and while it is not aimed at children the beginner level is easy enough for him to understand. I am also trying to introduce a little creative writing which is proving a difficult task. He is great at using his imagination to make lego creations but can seem to turn it to writing. Each day I give him a doodle and ask him to make a picture out of it and then write a few sentence about the picture. He has managed to make two cars and a plane so far!! Perhaps he is destined to become an engineer or a graphic designer.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
All hail Dave..
was the mood in our house this afternoon-at least from the monster that is. For those not in the know Dave is a tv channel that seems to show car programmes like Top Gear and Fith Gear almost non-stop. From what I can see they intersperse them with intellectual quiz shows at the weekend. Regular readers will know that sam loves Top Gear so was over the moon today when after only two months I finally got around (not that i was procrastinating) to having an antena installed and we were finally able to get Dave. Matt is at work tonight so we had a Dave-fest complete with popcorn to make up for the fact that we didn't get to the movies this afternoon as planned due to the late arrival of the antena guy. Not having watched real tv over the past two years (programmes on BBCi player don't count) sam was unprepared for the amount of commercials-several times he asked why we couldn't just skip them and get back to the show! There is something to be said for watching programmes on line afterall!
Other than the excitement of getting the tv sorted out today and the dishwasher fixed tomorrow it has been pretty quiet since my last post. We have done a little bit of school type stuff everyday and on monday (a holiday here) sam and I gave the house a thorough clean while matt was at work. He was such a trooper and such a big help that not only did I let him choose the movie to watch (Revenge of the Sith again) but I also treated him to pizza. Just hope he doesn't expect the same treatment each time we do a deep clean!
I think the summer really is over-I looked out this morning and noticed that the leaves on our neighbor's tree are already starting to turn, not only that but the horse chestnuts are already starting to drop conkers. Not to complain or anything but we haven't really had summer so was hoping for a warm sept-guess that isn't going to happen so will have to start sorting out fall clothes. Just hope we have a mild winter without too much rain!!
Other than the excitement of getting the tv sorted out today and the dishwasher fixed tomorrow it has been pretty quiet since my last post. We have done a little bit of school type stuff everyday and on monday (a holiday here) sam and I gave the house a thorough clean while matt was at work. He was such a trooper and such a big help that not only did I let him choose the movie to watch (Revenge of the Sith again) but I also treated him to pizza. Just hope he doesn't expect the same treatment each time we do a deep clean!
I think the summer really is over-I looked out this morning and noticed that the leaves on our neighbor's tree are already starting to turn, not only that but the horse chestnuts are already starting to drop conkers. Not to complain or anything but we haven't really had summer so was hoping for a warm sept-guess that isn't going to happen so will have to start sorting out fall clothes. Just hope we have a mild winter without too much rain!!
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Andrew Cope and Lara
Another week another author! This monday went to Loughborough library to listen to a talk by Andrew Cope, the author of the Spy Dog series. He was amazing with the children and held their attention from the moment he opened his mouth. He brought with him his dog Lara who was the inspiration for the Spy Dog series and she was without a doubt the best behaved dog I have ever seen. She allowed the children to pet her and laid down quietly throughout the whole talk. He had never even thought about writing a book until getting Lara and it was seeing her silly behavor while watching a James Bond film that set his imagination going. If only our dogs would inspire me like that! ActualIy I could see Rogue and Miko as a doggie bonnie and clyde or Indiana Bones and his sidekick.
Sam really enjoyed the talk and was awed to meet Andrew and at the end and to chat to him about our dogs.
Sam really enjoyed the talk and was awed to meet Andrew and at the end and to chat to him about our dogs.
Listening intently
I was very impressed at how attentive the children were and how respectful they were of Lara and not touching her. All of the children had really good questions for Andrew and some of them knew the books so well that it was scary! Lara was amazingly well behaved, neither of our dogs would have been nearly so calm and quiet.
Meeting Andrew Cope
At the end of the talk Andrew signed book for the children. Sam was excited to speak to him and was even more thrilled when Andrew asked if he had dogs. Sam then regaled him with stories of Miko and Rogue and how they were so much naughtier than Lara.
Newest members of our zoo
Went out one morning this week to discover these guys making short work of the nastursums, they were everywhere. I don't think I have ever seen so many catepillars in one spot before. Sam put one in his bug barn and is observing it, it has now gone into a cocoon and we are waiting to see if it is a butterfly or moth.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
A taste of what we saw today..
We spent the afternoon in nottingham watching this show. It was so funny that I nearly wet myself laughing. The artemis fowl books are perfect for boys (and mums!)-www.artemisfowl.co.uk.
sam and eoin colfer
Today I took Sam and his friend Dan to see Eoin Colfer's one man show 'Faeries, Fiends and Flatulence' based on his Artemis Fowl books. If truth be told, I am not sure who was more excited, the boys or I. Sam and I have listened to all the Artemis Fowl books and I have just read the latest one in the series. They are fantastic books and work on lots of levels so that sam and I can both enjoy them. The show was hilarious, I spent the whole hour and a half laughing-I think some of it may have gone over the boys' heads as it was about the behavor of little boys-some of the observations he made could have been about sam! After the show we waited in line to get our books signed and eoin colfer very kindly posed for this pic. All in all it was a fantastic day out and sam regaled Matt with all of the stories over the dinner table.
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