Monthly Archives: June 2010

Strawberry Fields Forever

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This year, to celebrate Father’s Day, we went to Crockford Bridge Farm, to pick strawberries.  And I think I’ve mentioned before that one of my daughter’s favourite and best things to do is eat.

So you can imagine how much fun she had picking (read: eating) plump, juicy, ripe, delicious strawberries.

I hadn’t been to a Pick Your Own farm since I was a really really little kid.  I think it had probably been about twenty years, and I was left wondering why we haven’t gone more; it was such good fun, and the fruit was so unbelievably tasty.  We ended up taking over two kilos home and we were still getting through them up until this evening.

And Crockford Bridge Farm was great – we’ll definitely go back later on in the season when they have more fruit and vegetables ripe for the picking.  The ice cream parlour wasn’t half bad, either.

But I think the photo that really sums up the day is one of little Roo, who, like I said before, just loved those strawberries.

Picnic in the Park

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Last February, my school friend Sarah told us all she was pregnant at a leaving party some friends threw for her.  She was emigrating to the US to marry her fiance Jason.  Pretty soon afterwards she flew 3000 miles West, got married, and last September, sweet little Connor came into the World.

Sarah and Jason

The week before last, they all flew back for a visit and I’ve been lucky enough to see them twice so far, with another trip out with them to London Zoo planned for next week.  And I’m going to take a moment to say that Connor is just the most handsome little boy.  My ovaries, my uterus. They glowed.  GLOWED!

Nomable

Anyway, broodiness aside, last Saturday, Sarah and Jason threw a 3/4 birthday picnic for Connor (since we’re not going to be there for his actual first birthday) in Regent’s Park.  It was a beautiful day and lovely to see everyone again.  On a whim, I took Ruby’s scooter along, which proved to be a wise move, and my shy girl had fun playing with my friend Tara’s son, even if it did take a sugar high from Connor’s cake for her courage to be sufficiently mustered.

Ruby and Josh

Next wednesday we’re all heading off to London Zoo for the day with the kids.  It will be the last time we spend with Sarah, Jason and Connor as they fly home the next day.  So let’s keep fingers crossed for sunshine and light breezes and for no problems on the Underground, and lots of smiles all round.

countdown

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I’m getting married in six weeks.  SIX!

And we still have so much to plan and organise.  So I typed out a list, and it’s gargantuan.  So huge, infact, that it’s divided into sections and subsections and there are more bullet points than I care to count.

But I’ve set myself a deadline: everything has to be done and sorted by 4pm on 23rd July.  That means the cake will be defrosting, the shoes sufficiently broken in, the bunting and lights hung, the tables set out and laid, the definitive seating plan put out for everyone to see, the champagne in the fridge and the pre wedding Lush beautifying products laid out for my mammoth pre wedding beauty sesh.

I’m getting there, though, slowly.  It’s oddly satisfying formatting the text from Normal to Strikethrough.

Tonight I’ve sewn twenty-five metres of bunting, and it looks beautiful.  I can’t wait to see it hung up.

The Gallery – Motherhood

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Just over two years ago someone came into my life and changed it astronomically.  I anxiously awaited her arrival for nine months, pored over baby name books and cherished every kick (even the ones to the ribs).  Then, one Wednesday afternoon in late May 2008, she arrived, screaming and red, but perfect, and with her she brought joy and love and happiness.

And since that Wednesday, I’ve watched as she’s developed from this helpless tiny newborn, wide eyed, colicky, and always hungry, to the charming, sweet, funny, fiercely independent (“TURN, Mummy, TURRRN” when she wants to do something for herself) toddler she is now.  Oh, and she’s still always hungry.

There is nothing I love more than being Ruby’s mummy.

Barcelona (such a beautiful horizon)

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This was our first lunch in BCN, we ate beautiful tapas and drank remarkably alcoholic sangria.

A couple of weekends ago, Ross took me on a much needed break to Barcelona.  I’d never been before, but it’s now one of my very favourite places.  And yes, I did have the Freddie Mercury song in my head the entire time.

We spent a gorgeous weekend wandering up and down La Rambla (and getting suitably ripped off! €18 ham as a starter, I kid you not), lounging about on the beach, and drinking unbelievably refreshing Sangria and Damm beer.  On our last day we took an open bus tour around part of the city and ooooohed and aaaaahhhhhed at all the quirky Gaudi buildings.  We didn’t take Ruby, and in this instance I am glad we didn’t – it was good to be able to stay out late at night, and not hide under shady umbrellas in the midday sun and drink and drink and drink.  But we could have done.  We saw family after family after family with children of all ages, and it would have worked well.  If only Ruby had a passport!

So, on to the photos!  I really got my tourist hat on, and I am pretty pleased with my shots.

Aforementioned Sangria

Where we got royally ripped off

Casa Batlló

The rest of my photos can be seen over on my Flickr page, Barcelona is beautiful, and my photos don’t do it justice, but I tried :)