Porridge Spiders, a warning.

Half way through my porridge this morning and one of the slightly burnt grains of porridge (there are always a few are there not) began to look a bit suspicious. It was only on very close inspection that i realised it was indeed a spider (dead, well dead). Obviously i picked it out but I have to say i was put off most of the rest of the bowl. What gets me though, is it would have been so easy to miss, I mean if the girls had had it they would have eaten it for sure. And I was very nearly convinced it was just a regular grain. Watch your porridge carefully. they are masters of disguise.

Flamenco

Ruby and Coralie have been given the most lovely Flamenco outfits by their Grandad Noble after his latest trip to Spain (Gorgeous photos will be forthcoming as soon as I load them up). So today I thought I would put them and their Friend Hannah through their paces! Starting on You Tube we found some great videos to watch and soon they were stamping and strutting away. The video below was their favorite, you have to watch it and while you are at it why don't you stand up and do a few moves, if they can, you can. It is very educational, watch the ears dancing as well, I recon if you can do that you really are an expert.

Bananas

And there I was imagining, Giant, life size bananas stalking helpless humans. Never mind, quite amusing.

Oh Yes

I forgot to say, Ruby can draw. She has suddenly developed the skill of drawing people that are recognisable, with heads, eyes, arms and legs sometimes ears, hair, hands, and Brian gets a body and belly button. It was quite a shock the first time it happened. I saw a person on the paper and looked around to see who else was in the room.... but we were alone. It feels like a bit of a milestone, she is now able to express herself even more clearly in another format, very exciting. Today she even managed a snake and a snail although I have to admit that if I had not seen her do it and heard the running explanation of her drawing I would not have been confident of the interpretation.

Last week

Well last week was VERY exciting. I got to go out in the evenings loads (thank you thank you thank you mum for sitting in). Like never before, in fact possibly more than in my pre motherhood days. Its quite good fun isn't it?

The River Cafe was of course fantastic. I don't expect I will ever go again but it was just lovely, pity I couldn't have any of the lovely wine, but the food was scrumptious (pork and tuna thing for starters, pigeon for mains, and a lemon tart that i have to admit was better than the one I made last week).

I got to go to the theatre courtesy of my lovely sister. A fab night out, although getting to the venue i did feel like Sammy country mouse going to visit Johnny town mouse. I have been away from London so long, it feels very foreign to me and i had to keep asking where i was!

The Nigerian wedding (congratulation Wole and Elizabeth) was great too. Lots of dancing and singing, the best bit was when the bridesmaids and groomsmen (including an none Nigerian friend of mine from university) had to dance their way into the reception.

The girls had their first real train experience. In fact a total of four trains that day when we we went to visit Naomi and Joel (me and two toddlers on the train for and hour each way!! I hope you are impressed). Ruby predictably wanted to paint the train pink and was most disappointed that it was yellow.

The list goes on......and now, back to life.....which is OK, nothing special but nice.

First Shoes

Yesterday Coralie was treated to her first pair of shoes by her grandad. She absolutely loves walking around in them. This weekend Coralie has progressed from 3 or 4 steps to 20 + consecutive steps and this transformation happened as soon as she put her new shoes on for the first time.

Profiteroles

I impressed myself last week by making profiteroles. Actually I made 72 profiteroles! it was quite a sight i can tell you and they didn't taste too bad either although probably not perfect, it was my first attempt. The occasion was my friends hen day, which went very well, or at least she was reduced to tears at one point so i think it has to be deemed a success. (I now have very pink toes that Ruby loves after my time in the Spa) This also meant Brian had to look after the girlies form 8.00am- 11.30 pm all by himself (though i did pop back to help with bathing) and he did very well but he is not in the mood to load up the pictures to show you.

I am very excited because on Saturday I am being taken to the River Cafe in London by my dad as part of my birthday present. I am very excited by this as I love using their recipes but will have to try not to order something we cook already so we can compare the two. I may have to write about what it was like later. I am also excited because the following Saturday I will be at a wedding, also in London, which sounds I think like it will be a bit of a university reunion...... and.......wait for it.........mam and Hannah are looking after the girls so we can go as proper grown ups!!! (my friends will have their children but never mind) I am sure I will be anxious and worrying a bit, but not too much. I hope mam and Hannah are prepared for what they have let themselves in for hahahahahah. I do fancy a reunion, and a wedding.

It was an accident

Ruby was lovely this morning, we went to the botanical gardens with a friend and We were full of the joys of spring when we got home ( which may partly account for what happened next). Over lunch Ruby got dressed up in her long ballet skirt and started spinning urgently requesting 'some ballet music mummy'. So I turned on Classic FM, as you do, that was when it all started. It was lunch time requests. I suddenly became possessed by a strange spirit of adventure and did something I have never done before and made an online request. Thinking that was all I had to do that was ok. Well sure only until they ring back! (canny so and so's ask for your phone number when you request), and the next thing I know I am on national radio talking about shepherds pie and requesting swan lake music. I was mildly traumatised to say the least ( I hate to hear my own voice, I sound like an old man with a cold) but I am sure I will get over it. Ruby needless to say danced for ages to classic FM but when the request actually came on was too obsessed by the washing up to dance to it.

And the moral of the story is. When the spirit of adventure takes hold and you decide to go with it then you have to be prepared for the consequences however mundane the adventure may have seemed at first it can be worse than you think.