Today's creative endeavours

First, the annual egg tree. This year's is a bit lopsided, but it relies heavily on our ability to find a suitable branch, and this was the best we could find. It's decorated with a variety of eggs - some made and some bought - and some smaller hanging ornaments of an Easterish nature. We usually make at least a couple of eggs to add to it each year - we might do blown eggs this year - maybe if I can find some white eggs...

And then, there was brioche. Chocolate brioche. Sarah made these from her cookbook - they are a little heavy, but this might be because she used regular flour instead of bread flour (I pretty much let her get on with it, except some help kneading). They tasted pretty nice, though!

There was also sewing, of course, but that's over on the sewing blog...

End of a glorious week of sun

We've had a wonderful week of astonishing weather here - not going to last any longer, unfortunately - today the kids spent a large part of the day outside playing with friends in the front gardens and riding bikes, scooters, etc on the pavements and in the road. Olivia and her friend Eliza made elaborate paper kites, which they tested in the park and Sarah and I had a trip to the garden centre to find some colourful annuals which will tolerate the drop in temperatures and sunshine we are bound to develop any day now (i.e. pansies and primroses).

We tidied up the front garden and thre some flowers in some of the pots (you can't really see any in this photo, though). Just recently our neighbours have had their front garden paved for a driveway, and in the process, have put up a new fence to replace the horrid old one, and removed all the rather awful shrubs/conifer tree along the line between the two gardens. They are putting beds along both sides of the drive, so will plant some more appropriate, more attractive vegetation there, but it looks a bit bare at the moment - still, looks a bit nicer than what was there before. I am NOT an avid gardener, by any means, but I don't mind putting some plants in pots now and again...

Alex's Gardenland

This is a school project this term - to draw a plan for a garden, build a model and then write about how you built it (we have yet to do that stage). This is the model, obviously. Some help was given, not a huge amount - I helped quite a bit with the shed - and quite a bit of suggestion and direction was given, but amazingly, a lot of this is his work. I have a 6 year old who can make a model like this but can't write his name without backwards letters! Guess that shows you where his interests lie...

Ceramics day

My mother often brings fun things with her for the kids to do - this time was no exception. She bought some very inexpensive paints (closing out sale) and some little ceramic figures, and this afternoon the kids painted the figures. the ones above are Alex's - I understand he had some help with the eyes and someone helped do the outline of the white tummy on the penguin, but most of the work is his.

The girls worked entirely on their own, though advice was given and colour consultation and so on. These three are Olivia's...



... and these three are Sarah's. I particularly like the shell on the turtle.

Portobello Market

We had a lovely day out today - went up to Portobello Market and had a browse. Alex stayed home with Daddy and the girls and I went with Grandma. It was absolutely teeming with people - not suprisingly. We got there around 10 and by midday you could hardly move in places, but it was enjoyable. We poked through all the antiques - my mother likes antiques, not that she can afford London prices - and the new stuff and acquired a few miscellaneous bits and pieces, though nothing big. This is a pizza place with half a mini in their shop window - Olivia had a piece of pizza from there later in the day and it was very nice.



None of us is particularly interested in silver, but I like the way these pots were displayed... And here's my mom and Olivia wearing her new hat (a replacement for a somewhat similar (in style though not in colour) hat that unfortunately went missing, we think at Farnham Maltings Fabric Sale).

And a flower display I liked, and the wall under a bridge near the top end of the market - just a few bits and pieces, from our day out. I didn't take that many more photos - just too many people about to get any really good shots.

Tiger/Alexosaurus

Here's Alex just come back from a friend's birthday party - he had his face painted as a tiger (obviously) and is wearing his new shirt, which he got for his own birthday. Grr, watch out - Alexosaurus is about!

Birthday Party Weekend

Alex had his birthday party on Saturday, at Build-a-Bear Workshop - he's been asking for a BABW party for nearly a year, so it's obviously something he was really thrilled about. They had a lovely time, all of them making bears except one who brought a bear she had made recently at another party and got an outfit for it. Then we went to McDonald's upstairs and had some lunch and it was sorted.


And here's Alex with a boat he made from a kit he got as a birthday present - he and Sarah worked on that Sunday afternoon - it's come out fairly well.

Another exciting week in store (though no snow, I hope) as Grandma Kathy is coming to visit on Wednesday - the kids are looking forward to that (as am I, of course). And next week - no school as it's the half-term holiday. Expect a slew of photos, if I get my act together!

Now we are six

Chocolate, by request of the birthday boy - new recipe, looked kind of fun. Very easy, very rich.

Blowing out the candles - not a flattering picture of Olivia, but oh well, it's the only one there is of this!

Showing of his booty - lots of books, a few other things. No doubt his party on Saturday will gain him all sorts of tat lovely toys from his friends.

Sunny, melty day

We had quite a bit of sun today, though it was still cold, so there was a bit of melting - it was quite slushy by mid afternoon, though it's due to get down really cold tonight (-4C or so) so it will all freeze up again. But I love the way sunlight looks on snow - here it is in the morning before it all began to fall off the trees in big chunks - and drip on your head every time you walked outside!

Back to normal tomorrow, it looks like - school is open, and hopefully the airport will be working properly, as Geoff is due back from a business trip to Spain tomorrow evening. Poor guy missed all the snow - though I'm sure there will be remnants left when he gets back. They are predicting more on the weekend, but I think more likely the usual London kind - flurries or perhaps a light dusting.

More of the white stuff

There was indeed going to the park; there was building of snowmen; there was the making of snow angels, the throwing of snowballs and the general mucking about in snow while celebrating with all the friends from school not actually being in school. And of course, that merriment was followed by freezing fingers and toes and noses and piling of clothes on the radiator at home... Lots of photos (though not of the clothes on the radiators, I admit) can be seen here...

Snow Day

7am phone call from someone at school to say, school cancelled and did I have the password to put an announcement out on the local radio station (this is to keep from kids doing stuff for pranks) and could I call everyone I knew and let them know.


The kids, needless to say, are totally thrilled. We've never had school cancelled for snow before (which is fair enough, as we've never had a heavy enough snowfall to cause problems). There's about 8-10 cm on the ground (3-4") and it's still falling. They are saying we could get up to 15cm by midday and although ironically I laughed with my mom on the phone last night and said it would never happen here, I believe it now... Actually, when I went to bed I did think it still really looked like a snow sky and wasn't altogether surprised to see it this morning.





These photos were taken about 7.15am - it's darker in the photos than it was outside, though it wasn't fully light yet. The kids (who got out of bed and dressed faster than I've ever seen before and certainly faster than on a school day) had to go out and have a play, though I have told them we're not going to the park until later - 7am is a little early for me to want to troop to the park to build snowmen. Anyway, it's not like there's any danger of the snow going away - it's nice and cold out there.





It will be good for snowball and snowman building, too, as it's the right kind of snow - heavy and packable, but not too wet. Just right! I'm sure there will be even more photos later after our trip to the park. Now I know some of you live in places like Wisconsin, Colorado and Finland where there is proper snow all the time in the winter, but hey, this is London - it's pretty unusual for us. Apparently it's been 18 years since schools in this part of London had to be closed for snow. Or so I heard through the grapevine this morning!

Chariot/Snow

Bit hard to photograph, but here's a Roman chariot. Astonishing what kids will come up with to do when they are bored (this was inspired by Alex's current school reading book, which is called Roman Adventure). The girls made this from a shoe box. And some other things.

And here's the current view out of the back door - it had stopped snowing before, but seems to have started again. The kids will be very disappointed if it doesn't last until morning, so I do hope it does!

Cupcakes!

Alex wanted to make cakes after school yesterday - I convinced him today would be better, so here we are making some cupcakes. He did most of it, with some help and a lot of direction from Mummy. The cupcakes were chocolate, of course - if you knew Alex, you wouldn't need to ask!

And here's the finished product - about to be one cupcake fewer...

A day to remember

Looking forward to the events later today - and glad I'm not trying to be in DC myself to see them - exciting I'm sure, but the crowds - no thanks! I shall get my excitement through the wondrous medium of television, thanks very much...

I did do something today that I never imagined I might do, though - I hung an American flag outside my house (from the upstairs window). I've nothing against the American flag per se, I'm just not a flag-waving type of person in most instances. Oddly enough, despite that, I do own an American flag - this was from when my dad died - it's not the flag from his actual funeral (my brother has that, in a display case with my dad's military medals - but even if I had it, I wouldn't have hung it, as it was folded by a guard of honour at the actual service) but one that Nancy bought because she hadn't yet received the official flag and was worried we wouldn't have one. So in the end, there were two - but only one used at the funeral. As the flag I have was only folded by me & my kids in the fashion I learned in Girl Scouts, I wasn't worried about unfolding it and hanging it out. It's a full size flag, though - it's HUGE!!

But today, for the first time in quite a while, I am happy to boast a little about my American-ness. As many Americans in Europe (and elsewhere) will understand, it's been very tough being a liberal American in the recent past - I'm not pleased with our previous President or most of the decisions taken while he was in power, so it's a nice change to have such a positive statement being made as the election of a young, intelligent, liberal person as president. The fact that we finally have a non-white President is just icing on the cake. (Personally, it's the intelligent & liberal aspects that truly excite me - who'd have thought the US would have elected someone so far from the middle of the road?)

Anyway, I look forward to watching coverage of the inauguration later today and just hope that my fellow countrymen & women will give this intelligent and honourable man the chance he deserves to try to undo some of the damage done to the US at home and abroad over so many years where those at the helm considered so little the role of such a power throughout the world in favour of lining pockets at home. [Run on sentence, I know, I know.] I strongly believe that as the most powerful nation in the world, the US has a responsibility to act wisely and responsibly and set a good example for all nations and it makes me happy, and yes, even proud, to have elected a person who at least intends to lead us in that direction.

Big Bed on the Floor

This is where the kids decided to sleep last night - they piled all their duvets and a big stack of quilts on the floor, and piled in like puppies - it was actually very cute and there is just enough space to make it not too squashed...

A Rant about Seasonality

We had a very frustrating shopping trip today, Olivia and I, most of which I will spare you the details of (though in retrospect, it's sort of funny - a lot of unsuccessful errands - I came home, told Geoff about them all (poor him) and finished by saying the only thing that was really successful was I did find a new black bra - pulled it out of the bag - and it still has the flipping electronic security tag on it so I have to go back to the shop to have it removed! (it's one of those ink kind, so forceably removing it would probably ruin it)).

Anyway, what I will complain about is gloves. One of the items on our list was another pair of gloves for Olivia - she has one, but they are a little small in the fingers, and anyway, sometimes one gets misplaced or they get soaking wet, etc. Now, in case you are living in India or something, and aren't aware of it, January in the UK can be pretty cold. Particularly this year. The high today was about -1C. Ok, it's not Antarctica, but hey, it's cold. Guess how many shops I looked in for kids gloves (I lost count after about 6). Guess how many had any. Guess what they did have - their SPRING lines. Did I mention that it's January? Did I mention that the high today was about -1? Two supermarkets I was in briefly were putting out Easter Chocolates. Easter is in April. It's January. I HATE this. There should be a law. OK, enough said....

Kids dancing

They like to make up dance routines to pop songs...

Snow day

...which doesn't mean the kids are off school or anything - it's only a tiny bit of snow. But it was enough to make them want to get out of bed and get dressed promptly, despite it being the first day back to school after the Christmas holidays. Here they are after breakfast playing outside in the snow - it's not really as dark as it looks, though it was very overcast -- looked like it was going to snow again - and behold! it is snowing again - gently. Don't think we'll get a lot more, but it's a very snowy sky up there, so you never know. At least it's better than the delightful icy, freezing rain which blew into our faces all the way home from dropping the kids off....

Anyway, there was enough snow to make this rather small, but intensely cute, snowman - he's about 10 inches high. He'll probably melt before they get home from school, but you never know - it's been pretty cold lately, he might last...

Tea Party

Olivia hosts a tea party for Flora (the owl), Bubbles, BlueBear and Favourite Blankie (don't ask me how a blanket drinks tea - just accept that she does - and that she's a girl).

Non optimum tree...

The irony of the Christmas tree is that my favourite view of it is when I turn the other lights off in the room and there's just a soft glow - you can see the ornaments a bit, though not in detail, and everything is soft and gentle. Unfortunately it's a) difficult to enjoy this way for any length of time, as it's too dark to read or sew when the lights are off and I can't stare at a tree for more than about 10 minutes without getting bored and b)impossible to photograph - with the flash (left) you get the garishness of the room and without (right) you just get some bits of light. Oh well!