Stray Summer Pics 2013

The weekend after the London Zoo we popped down to Bournemouth to see a new baby and a new kitchen. We camped, the girls were not on their best behavior and our beach day had rubbish weather.

Everyone in the tent still asleep except for my bladder.

The new updated iPhoto has taken away the photo dates and I am behind on my cataloging so I am not sure when any of these were taken.

I had a bag repaired in town in this amazingly leather shop. I forgot my ticket and I felt really guilty that they had to search for it, the chap said that having the ticket would have not made a difference. Good thing to remember.

I made a couple of clouds with silver linings and sent this kangaroo off to baby Olive.

The girls are making wrapping paper for their gifts for G's birthday or it might have been fathers day. P carrying all the cards and breakfast things up stairs.
It was the first time she has done it next year she is going to try the milk jug.

Hope those Pj's still fit.
She has turned chunk over the summer.


CM

London Zoo in July

We have a friend, The Lion Man who because of where he works gave G and us family tickets to London Zoo.

We will go on my birthday! said G, but then it rained.
He dragged out making a decision about leaving till I had to say,
AM I MAKING A PICNIC OR NOT?
G finally saw sense.
But it's my birthday I want to go today he sighed occasionally.

We headed out the following day, which was now officially the hottest day on the planet in London.
Parasol out.

A complimentary ticket means you enter the exit work your way round and head out the same way. You start at the penguins. Well jell for their pool, can you see how hot it was?

Want to see a monkey up close, take a turquoise parasol.
Didn't get any close up pictures, they move so fast. It was a bit of a commotion involving a keeper and a strong telling off.
Poor monkey and parasol still in one piece.

This lot are funny they just play stare.
We took refuge in the Aquarium.

The Zoo features in lots of old movies and I went there with Mum when I was little. It has changed so much there is little to remember but two buildings stuck out but I can't remember if that is old movie or memory.

Walking round the back of the giraffe house is nostalgic, the brickwork and archways are so familiar and actually on this pathway in the heat I thought I will come back when it snows.
Make mental note to read about this building.

The girls were on their best behaviour, some children just wanted to bang on the glass and adults, waving at tigers? Really?
Actually we were lucky to see the tiger, he hung out in his glass box for a few minutes looking at this crowd, yawned and then jumped into the undergrowth where it was much cooler and he could not be seen from then on.

T loved the goats, P not so much.

At the end of the day I said they could have as many turns on the Merry Go Round for being so good in the swelter and in company as The Lion Man threw off his days work and walked round with us.

Penny loves the horses and managed three turns. It is ££££.

My mum tells me that when I was little we arrived at the zoo first thing in the morning which meant that I had the panda to myself, which I do remember and it was chilly day. I remember more the polar bears. They were so big, so white and furry. They were lazy and their paws were the size of dinner plates. I told mum they were no longer there and probably not alive. I could hear her raise an eyebrow as she enquired over the chimps tea party and camel rides! Muttering something about it all being about the animals. Giggle.

We took the train home from Camden and T held The Lion Man's hand all the way back, talking about all the animals in his zoo, I don't want to disappoint her yet.

I think it was a novelty for him to be in charge of chatty little ones on a boiling rush hour tube train as apposed to big lazy lions in the Okavango Delta which would be his usual hang out.

As we walked back both men wearing similar attire, accompanying pretty blonde haired children, it occurred to me as I brought up the rear with the empty picnic things, the parasol and the bags that I looked like the nanny/surrogate.
Made me chuckle.

Best day.
Thank you.

CM

Early Summer Hols

A few pics from the first few weeks of the summer break.

I bought these wooden wine glass carriers from the shop around the corner and T fills hers and treats it like a museum. P not so much.

I found this photo in the paper, if you live in the UK you will recognise it as the stage set for CBeebies. Not the sofa. It was in an auction, I don't think reached more than £500.
Amazing.

P made me laugh all summer long except for the bits where I was yelling at her.

Then it was G's birthday.

We went off to buy a new toy for each of the girls to play with, T chose an orange wig to go with a mermaid dress she has and she made P buy a crown to go with the Punzel outfit she has.

T is learning that if the wig looks waist length on the box that doesn't mean it's like that when you put it on you head and it won't look like Ariel's.

P will sleep in that crown.

CM

Cute Girls Hairstyles

I watch this when ever a new video is posted.

Don't bother to click the link unless you are with someone who asks you to do plats, braiding or buns.

T can easily manage to put her hair in which ever style she wants which is now annoying because I want to sit and do her hair all the time. Not that either of is have the time for my sausage fingers.

She has been able to plat her own hair since 5years old because she practiced on the fringing at the end of the rug in her room. Then went onto practice on any grown up girl who would let her.

We both watch the videos and got super excited about this one.

This is my new fav photo of her. She still has no front teeth and needs her apples chopped.

We lost patience in our mother daughter bonding and took the straws out before her hair was bone dry. She is supposed to look like Merida.

I am sure it was wetter when we took it out and it was poker straight again by morning. Another time maybe.
Both girls are desperate for bow and arrows but I am not sure if I am ready for that one yet.

CM

First of the HOT Days

So I thought I would take the girls to one of those over priced little theme parks that spring up in areas of waste land.
I took them on the hottest day of the year so far.

Not my best ideas as I am very sympathetic to T who struggles with the heat and the big slide was very very hot.

Not that it bothered P but they both did much better on the trampolines.

This is me under parasol whilst they looned around in an actual room of bounce.

It really was so hot. It took a lot of persuasion to get them to leave but they managed too with the lure of a strawberry milkshake to cool down.

We must have sat for an un rushed half hour. I had tea and air conditioning and they ate crap in a box for a lot less money than the trampoline.

That parasol continues to last, indoors and out.
This summer I think it went everywhere with us.

CM