nov, 28th - conversations with a two year old....

day 1018 / 117:

me: Limi, please use your inside voice (i.e. stop shouting), dada is on a work call

Limi: it wasn't me shouting mama, it was Whimsidaisical. i keep telling Whimsidaisical to stop shouting over and over again but he just keeps on doing it.

me: so, it was Whimsidaisical shouting, not you.

Limi: yes mama.

uh oh, we have an unruly brown bunny in the house.

p.s. my mum knitted one of these scarf bibs for each of the girls. i love them.

nov, 26th - deck the walls.....

day 1016 / 115:

it's beginning to look a bit like Christmas around here......since the girls and i won't be spending much time at home in December, we've opted out of a real tree this year. i was inspired to make a graphic tree on the wall after seeing this version and this one too.

i foraged for some baubles that had fallen from the trees in our neighbourhood (any idea what they are?) and planned to place them at intervals all over the branches. but, the tree used up a whole roll of black MT masking tape (from here) and i ran out on the final branch......for awhile there, i was tempted to use a black marker to finish off the line but instead i decided to fill the space with baubles.....

i do love how it accidentally turned out; that Limi helped to make it and that it cost about three pounds. but what i love most is that Limi proudly tells people that we made a tree when they walk in the door.

nov, 25th - offspring....

day 1015 / 114:

you have to love group pics of children under four......there is always the why-are-you-making-us-do-this attitude on a number of levels.....

we had a good friend back from South Africa over the weekend and we tried to get a group shot of all the offspring.....above, is the best result 

but what i love more than the end results are the behind the scene pics of various adult hands trying to keep the scene from descending into total meltdown.

hope that you had a wonderful weekend. x

p.s. oops, sorry pam and an about the shoes on your couch.....

nov, 21st - clever clogs....

day 1011 / 110:

our friends have almost finished renovating their house.....i posted some before pics here and here. they have nailed it! completely and utterly....i did say on my last visit that if it was my home, i'd probably never go out! and what's even more impressive is that they've also had a small baby to deal with at the same time. hopefully i can convince them to let me show the end results here.....they must be so chuffed.

nov, 20th - the olde bell....

day 1010 /109:

after our walk on Sunday, we had lunch at The Olde Bell. i've wanted to try this pub for ages, ever since Ilse Crawford revamped it in 2008 and pictures of the restaurant booths wrapped in Welsh tapestry blankets appeared in every interior magazine i opened. given how much i've thought of this place, you would have imagined that it was hours away, down some dirt track that you can only reach by donkey but in fact it's an incredibly easy, forty minute drive down the M4.

the interior of the pub was just as i pictured it, rustic yet polished; a limited palette and design that both blends with the 1135 building and also seems current and original. as their website says, they have used 'local furniture makers and materials' to make this pub authentically English. we sat in one of the blanketed booths while others were eating off solid tables made of English oak. i like this place and the fact that diners ranged from grandmothers to teeny tiny babes and everyone seemed to be having the closest you can get to a family, home-cooked Sunday lunch.

lunch was good, we had traditional roast beef followed by chocolate brownie served with lavender and honey ice-cream....we could have lingered except for the wriggly baby and bouncy toddler. 

in Summer, they offer barbecues in the garden and they even have a tire swing....this place was made for us.

nov, 19th - river walks....

day 1009 / 108:

i'm going to photo-bomb you with pics of our walk on Sunday. it was the loveliest, most glorious day on this generally muddy island: crisp air, blue skies and bright sunshine. we headed out of London to have lunch with my sister and niece but before lunch, we found a fantastic walk along the Thames.....

it's a magical stretch of the river with lots of ducks (we even stopped for a lengthly chat with a local who gave us a lowdown on all the breeds), a lock, wooden bridges, boats and even calves that wander down to the river to drink......we were enchanted and are already planning picnics in Summer on the little islets.

Limi was almost camouflaged by the yellow Autumn leaves.....

we spent a few hours exploring, stopped to feed Claya and played a fast-paced game of I Spy. again, my sister was the one to introduce me to a version of 'I Spy' for kids who can't spell yet.....we play using colours and descriptions e.g. I Spy something with a beak or I Spy something black and white.......Limi loves it.

 

and finally, we stopped on the bridge to wave at the boats sailing by. Limi was completely charmed by everyone waving back furiously.....this is definitely one of our new favourite spots.

nov, 18th - snap snap....

day 1008 / 107:

two new toys arrived for the girls last week.....(i might be trying to brainwash their future interests). little sapling make the type of wooden toys that i have searched high and low to find: simple, handmade, amazing quality and hopefully something that will last a lifetime. ordering them from the states was a bit of a pain (please find a European stockist LS) but worth the effort.

the teether is one piece of hard rock maple which the company has educated me is: naturally anti-bacterial, non-allergenic and non-toxic. i also found some other shapes that i would love to buy for friends: tooth, bat, bird, aeroplane. the digital camera is just as clever. it's made from solid wood (maple and walnut) and finished with jojoba oil and beeswax. the lens moves to 'focus' and Limi loves to 'show me the pic' on the screen. an added plus is that for every toy sold, they plant a tree through Trees for the Future. 

this feels like a bad sponsorship post....which it's not.....i just like this company and the fact that they are obviously thinking about what they are doing.

hope that you had a brilliant weekend. x

nov, 10th - and 100 days....

day 1001 / 100:

hot on her sister's heels, Clémence reached her own milestone of 100 days....and here are the pics of her in these vintage bonnets.....

i found out before i had Claya, that our friends were hoping that we would be more challenged this time around as they felt that Limi had been far too gentle on us. Claya has disappointed them by being a fairly chilled baby....(for now! if there's one thing that i've learnt it's not to be a smug parent as it soon comes back to bite you).

in 100 days, she has changed our family and all of us. Limi has become a big sister and learnt to be fun yet gentle (mostly) with her baby sister. she is kind and says things like: 'don't worry little one, i'm here and your mama is coming now' and already Claya looks at her with a sweet smile and blossoming adoration....and yes, also sometimes pure terror when Limi is giving her an especially enthusiastic squeeze. 

i three months, she has developed an infectious giggle (with a snort that she will hopefully outgrow....although Claya, if you're reading this one day and haven't lost your snort-laugh then we love it honey!). but there is no laughing at bath-time because she is too busy focusing on her kicking. it seems that she takes her splashing very seriously and we both end up getting soaked. sleeping is still hit and miss although, it hasn't been helped by her sister bringing home plenty of winter bugs from pre-school. her co-ordination skills are galloping along.....hands and feet have been discovered and she hates it when we hide her hands during dressing. hair tugging is now getting ferocious with a iron grip and rattles are becoming favoured toys. car journeys seem to be less tedious and are helped by Limi providing us with a running commentary: Claya is looking out the window/ closing her eyes/ keeping her eyes wide open etc.....

but finally, what she is best at is chatting.....constantly.....with plenty of different sounds and what appears to be complete conviction that we understand what she is saying.....

she is an utter honey and besides stealing my beauty sleep has not been too tough on us at all....so far....*holding BOTH thumbs*....let's chat again in another 100 days.

p.s. i still love these bonnets....and the stories they could tell....