Our week in review

Outside our window: It's definitely Autumn now.

Time to collect conkers and making funny things with it.

From the kitchen:  Right now, it is still way too chaotic to plan ahead, so I go and buy some basic stuff and then throw something together. Beef stew is just right for the chilly but sunny weather like we're having now.

In the learning room: Big Monkey has been chosen with two of her class mates to represent the school at the Maths Olympics. We're pretty proud of her considering she only started this school in April and it is all in a different language.

We've been creating: Little Monkey has done his very first drawing of a person. That big one is me. I think a diet is needed...

I crocheted a bag and felted it, not sure why the colours have come up that garish it's a lot more muted and nicer in real life.

Things we did: We had Missus Wookie visiting, we showed her a bit of the area. Visited a castle and an air field for sailing planes, had ice cream and taught her how to crochet.

Baby Monkey had her physio, an appointment with the eye doctor, the second set of vaccinations... but luckily her Pekip Course started too. So it wasn't all serious stuff. I had no idea what it was and I still don't really know but there are songs, toys and other babies so we think it's fun. Oh, and they all are nekkid. Not sure what the idea behind this is but hey Baby Monkey had a good time looking around.

Favourite things: Monkeys who like each other and don't fight.

Monkeys who brush their hair.

Happy playing Monkeys.

Books to read a hundred times

Recently I found this hidden in Big Monkey's book shelf:

I had been searching for this for ages, for a while I had to read this to Little Monkey every night, it has such a fun rhyme even though it's simple and short, I never get tired of reading it hence I searched so desperately for it. This made me think of other books we love to read that I don't mind reading every evening two months in a row.

This is my absolute favourite. So sweet and  so prettily illustrated. By now I know it by heart and even though I haven't read it for a while I still know most of it. This is very helpful as when I "read" it to Baby Monkey and the light is dimmed. She doesn't care yet for seeing the pictures so I get away with telling it without actually looking at the pages.

Another favourite is the Gruffalo and the Gruffalo's child. Sadly the Gruffalo is currently suffering the same fate as Each Peach, Pear, Plum. It's hiding somewhere and I can't find it even though I know it must be in a book shelf somewhere in the house. 

These ones, too are firm favourites.

Do you have picture books that you've been reading to your children hundreds of time and don't mind doing so?

Hipstamatic Friday

Baby Monkey is learning how to grab and reach for things. And shove it into her mouth.

Says it all that tshirt

So true!

Wörlitz

We decided we had been in the house trying to sort out boxes for long enough and went on a trip. 

Baby Monkey was a tad bit shocked at the idea it looks like. But the bigger Monkeys were their usual self.

It's very nice there, a big garden with islands that one can get to on on little ferries. Being the last few days of summer there weren't that many flowers but the waterlilies were beautiful.

Looks like Baby Monkey wasn't totally convinced that trips like this are a good thing. At least she can be assured that she still gets fed.

Today

Baby Monkey found her thumb.

Look! Ahead!

This is big news even though it might not look like it to you. For the first three and a half months of her life Baby Monkey has only ever looked to the right. Always. No matter what creative method the nurses at hospital tried to turn her head to the left or straight ahead, it didn't work.

Not the toy placed to keep her head in place, nor the rolled up blanket.

In case you're wondering why she sleeps on her tummy, that's because she was on a monitor all the time therefore there wasn't the concern about SIDS. At home she sleeps on her back of course.

Hallowe'en is coming...

Not that I celebrate Hallowe'en especially if this is what's to come... I'm quite used now to the fact that my pedigree cat, who I bought while living in a flat because "she doesn't want to go out much, she'll be a indoor cat" brings her catches home on a regular basis. Somehow nobody told her that Ragdolls aren't supposed to catch mice. However, she does and I often find mice hidden between the cobble stones outside. Doesn't bother me. No, not one bit. The song birds I found twice, they bothered me slightly more. But, but that my car now starts in the fun, that is a bit much. Way too much. Especially the things it catches.

This is what I found stuck to the grille when Baby Monkey and I came out of the supermarket:

eugh! A bat, to think we drove around with this draped around the front. How is that even possible? I thought bats fly on radar, all really good, all clever? Must be Dopey... I know, Mr Bat, you are all protected and what not but boy, you are ugly!

No back isn't better either. Although that fur sure looks fluffy. Didn't try to touch it though. I mean I watched that movie recently about that virus that came from a bat, you know. What was it called, that was scary too.

*sigh*

Visitors

The other day Mummy Duck took her little ones on an adventure. Over the road and into our garden.

What excitement. 

Clearly not for everyone though.

Daddy Monkey and a few neighbours had to find the hole in the fence and persuade the ducks that they should go home again. Their owner wasn't home at the time so no easy walk through the front door for them. They clearly enjoyed their trip. Must be all the lovely wildlife we have in our  weeds  bio garden.

This one just because.

A game of pooh sticks

Summer has suddenly come back and so we decided to go for a walk beneath the castle Eisenhardt.

It's a really lovely walk and it's possible to take the pram along except when we decided to walk around the tower because we thought it was time to head for the ice cream shop right now. Then the way got very steep and small and bumpy but Daddy Monkey managed to get Baby Monkey safely up the hill. Just when he thought he has done it we faced a set of steps to get up to the street.

On the way Little Monkey collected lots of sticks which he and Big Monkey dropped off the little bridge to see where they would go and which one would be fastest.