Raindrops

It's been raining this morning. Perfectly timed for me to take photos of raindrops looking pretty.

Little Monkey's "mo bike":


The bird feeder dome:


And the indoors cover for the seeds:


After I was done the weather dutifully changed and it was lovely and sunny. I like it when it works like that.

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Packing for our little trip to Germany. It's a long drive so we will need snacks! Lots of snacks!

Spring - Selfportrait

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I've been playing with my camera. I tried to use it completely on manual. Normally I only go as far as aperture priority. That I use always so it was quite different. I even got out the manual to figure out how to change the aperture. Today's photo is not very exciting but I needed something that doesn't run away or gets bored.


Those are the envelopes for Big Monkeys invitations for her birthday party in May. Next month is term break and school only starts at the end of the month again so we have to be prepared and hand them out Friday.

Jack and the Beanstalk - 365 - 088

Yesterday was Big Monkey's performance of Jack and the Beanstalk at school.


Big Monkey played the role of Daisy, the cow. She was very, very excited as she got to wear a brand new proper cow costume.



She did a song with her friend, He's got the Blues.


I think the kids had a great time, occasionally they forgot their lines but they improvised like the pros.

Big Monkey's got a new haircut!

and it is short!

Up and Down

This is how the sky looked like this morning, all blue and spring like. The cherry tree in front of our house will soon bloom I reckon.


These are the flowers I found in the corner of my vegetable bed. I remember vaguely planting a few seeds here and putting in a spent plant from a pot. Now all those are blooming right now, and all at once.

365 - 087 Cakes

Yesterday Big Monkey and I made little sticky tartlets with Rollo's and chocolate buttons. There was quite some maths involved, so we felt like did something meaningful rather than creating something sweet, good for the soul but not the waistline...


There were 24 we made and this is what's left over this morning...

Now it's lunch time and it is gone. And it was yummy.

365 - 086 Spring is Gardening time

We went to the garden centre for the first time this year. And so did the rest of the neighbourhood (except Mrs Wookie, didn't see her but she must have been the only one). We had to queue up for the parking but once inside it wasn't crowded and there weren't any queues at the tills.


We went mainly to buy some more mud to fill up containers, potato planters and buckets for carrots. Oh and food for the cat. I found out that my kitty is now a mature adult... Who'd thought, she's only 8! We also bought a few tomato plants already, can never resist. Also some seeds, the kids chose sunflowers and I got some Russian doll gourd seeds. So far I've never ever managed to grow a pumpkin or something of that ilk so I won't hold my breath but I still will try...

30 Steps...

...from where I took my camera this morning I found this


My collection of tins or rather my late Mum's collection, she used them to store a variety of things from buttons, match boxes, nails and disposable plastic ice cream spoons that come with single serving tubs. I'm particularly taken by the later, why would you collect that? But to be honest I didn't manage to throw them away either, I have them stored away in a little plastic container and can't bear putting them into the bin. I mean if my Mum collected them maybe there is some reason to it? If you have an idea please enlighten me. I also love the blue Nivea tin. Apparently this is pretty much the same stuff as the very expensive Creme de la Mer. It's a very rich cream and it normally comes in tiny little containers which last for half a year if not longer. I can't think how long it would take to go through this amount of cream that would come in a container as big as this. I don't use it myself but I love the scent. I reminds me of my Grandma even though I can't remember her ever using it. Maybe she was the one who first got that tin but after several years of using it got tired of it and changed to something else. Can't say I'd blame her.

365 - 085 There is a ghost in my house...

Well, it is an old house...


I always had the feeling there were some ghostly occurrences going on...

Today I had the fortune to actually take a photo of one of the ghosts in her handmade Victorian style nightgown and cap. She actually made this herself last term in sewing club. ah, I mean a century ago under the dim lights of a candle under the strict eye of her Mother, the Doctor's wife...

Sorry, I couldn't resist. I treated myself to a new top from one of the local boutiques and I got it in a big paper bag with this Pop Art sign and picture of a woman. I thought that saying would come in handy soon. I am particularly fond of the psychedelic "o". How super, indeed.
Be prepared to see this some more...

Morning Routine

Saturday mornings are relaxed affairs, Daddy Monkey and Little Monkey scooter to the French Bakery to buy pain-au-chocolate and I make soft boiled eggs to go with that. It's something to look forward to the whole week.

Like father like son

When I picked Little Monkey up from nursery this afternoon I met Big Monkey's former teacher. She's come to help out for a bit, she has left after she had her son who is pretty much the same age as Little Monkey. Anyway, she commented how he looks like Big Monkey and how they both look like me. People generally say that and I think mostly it's true. But this photo, on this one he looks just like Daddy Monkey when he was a little boy. I'm sure Grandma will agree. Except Daddy Monkey didn't scream like that he says, although Grandma might disagree here...



Little Monkey isn't mad at me here, no, he is a big, scary monster and it will eat me all up. So I must run away. Now....

Good that he is in bed now, hehehe!

365 - 084 another day, another dirty face

This is how Little Monkey came back from nursery this afternoon:


Spot any similarities to yesterday? Any? His hands, however, weren't dirty instead his hair was. He had bright orange highlights, one at the back of his head and one on the side. Funky!
Ah, it's good to know they have fun in school. Little Monkey always does painting in nursery, always. So it figures he comes home covered in paint once in a while. His teachers tell me he does other things too but he never owes up to that.

365 - *083 silly

Now this is just another silly face that Big Monkey pulled. It takes hard negotiating to get her to pose for one photo or two. That's not too much I ask for, is it?

Spring is definitely happening

definitely

365 - 083 She must have had fun at school...

Don't they have water at school? To wash your hands, your face? Big Monkey came back like this today:


Wow, this looks like they had fun. Her friend had orange hands and forearms. They painted the sarcophagus's they made for their Ancient Egypt project.

365 - 082 Spring portrait

I think I caught up with my photos.
Today was lovely and sunny, a real nice spring day.


This is how we started but she only let me take photos of her if she then was allowed to monkey around for the rest of the photos.


I have to confess in this case I like the monkeying around photos a whole lot more than the sweet posed one.

365 - 081 Swimming lessons - badge week

Tuesdays Big Monkey has her swimming lessons. We've now changed to private lessons and her progress is a lot better than previously in the group.


Now this is not the pool we go to. Unfortunately. I took these photos on our recent trip to St Lucia. This was the most perfect pool I've ever been in. Notice the view? Infinity pool over Marigot Bay... Well, Big Monkey's teaching pool isn't anything like this.


No palm trees, no sailing yachts gently swaying in the distance, no fancy cocktails with little umbrellas... Instead there is a tiny glass window with a few stools in front for the parents to watch their kids, two cramped changing rooms and tea and soft drinks to buy but that's the end of luxury. The water is warm though, the teachers are lovely and they teach very well. Big Monkey enjoys her lessons and that's what counts.
Yesterday they all got tested for badges. Big Monkey had to swim lengths, about 10 times she said, swim in her pj's, do the jump where she has to keep her head above the water and a few other jumps. She's already done the diving last week so now she's done another badge which we will sew onto her towel once we get it next week.

365 - 080 Siblings

Some days, some hours, some minutes these two get along very well. Some days not at all but there's a point in the day when one of them is missing the other one terribly. Last Friday shortly before his bedtime Little Monkey insisted to get Big Monkey from her friend's place on his scooter and in his wellies (nothing else) "right now!". Daddy Monkey fetched her when he was already in bed so now he asks every morning whether she's here to make sure he won't miss another round of building a pillow train. Big Monkey has spent several afternoons wailing that she's bored and when is Little Monkey coming back to play.
Other days there's so much screaming I can't even hear what's been happening. A friend recently threatened with a change of schools to the wrong side of town. Round here's normally the Monkey enclosure (obviously) or the wandering Circus. Luckily it always stops or I'd move to the zoo...

365 - 079 Trains!!

Guess what we did on Sunday? Yep, train tracks and it was the best one yet. At least that's what Little Monkey said.

365 - 077 Daddy Monkey lets off some steam

The last two nights we've all been sick, one after the other. Last week was Daddy's turn. He coughed and sneezed and he was generally a very unhappy Monkey. So you and I might retire to the comforts of your bed but not Daddy Monkey. No, he gets out the tool box. To rip out a few floor boards to see what's under there.


Ah, yes the excitement of power tools... Apparently it relaxes him. Whatever works, eh? He did use the steam inhaler and drank lots of hot tea so it wasn't all DIY and deconstruction there.

365 - 068 bow and arrow

When tidying up I found a bow and arrow from Central America. I can't remember anymore where exactly I bought it, it's been a long time ago. But I took the tips off and now Big Monkey rides through the house clearing it from everything bad and unwelcome. I'm not entirely sure what exactly but she is very good with it. She hasn't included her little brother... yet...

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We had lovely sunshine the last days, but that doesn't mean it was warm.


I had to scratch ice from the windscreen, not so nice. It's my parking spot as well, all the cars a bit further away were free of ice...

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On Monday we went to the library again and made a puzzle, that Big Monkey got for Christmas.




It's the biggest she's done so far and it took her a while. It's 200 pieces and quite a bit of sky. She started it a few weeks ago but didn't finish it because Little Monkey "tried" to help. On Monday he was out to visit a friend of his so it was the time to get it done. Big Monkey insisted on working on the sky and ground too not only the horses. Unfortunately we had to take it apart straight away as we didn't have any space to keep it for longer. At least Daddy Monkey was home so could have a quick look before it was put back into the box.

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On Sunday Little Monkey and Daddy Monkey cleaned out the fish tank.


Little Monkey insisted on the little ponytail on the top of his head, it looks pretty he says. It certainly is very cute.
He loves helping with the fish tank, he has a little magnetic algae scrapper with which he cleans the glass and then he helps hovering inside. This involves a lot of instructions for the fish to swim this way or that. Which they never do so he has to say it a bit louder and even louder and maybe even a bit louder...

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It's been a while since I last posted, it's mainly tiredness that keeps me from doing things. But I do take photos every day or at least most days.


This one was last Saturday, Big Monkey managed to look sweet on one photo, the others are her usual mental ones.

365 - 062 It doesn't matter

Little Monkey goes to "p'ay out'ide". With his Lola backpack of course, he has some toys in there just in case. But "it do't madder"... Not sure why it doesn't matter? He says that all the time now. First time he used it was in a situation which made him sound very naughty. So I told him off, big time. Now I think he didn't mean it that way but I still have no clue what he means with it... Very confusing. Seems to be just a filler to say something.

Project 52 - Selfportrait

My first one; and the first photo uploaded that I took on my new iphone.

Spring - 365 - 060

It's Spring I insist and the plants agree. See the rhubarb is coming up.


I absolutely love the leaf on the left, how it is crumpled up, so pretty. It's poisonous maybe if I put it on my broccoli plants then the squirrel won't eat them anymore? At least we will have rhubarb crumble to look forward even it we won't have much broccoli.




Happy about all those signs of Spring, today there was sunshine even though it was very cold.

Not so happy about this though:

While I was out in East London this morning I suddenly realized that I had put my jeans with the pedometer still attached into the washing machine. All the time while I was out I tried to convince myself that I was mistaken. Sadly...


See the line going through the display? That is its new water feature...


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