We'd just been to Regent's Park yesterday (the playground with the curly whirly slide was where Brooke wanted to go) with Alyssa. We were heading back but Chris had to take Alyssa home and I was heading for the bus with the girls. So there came a moment when we had to go our separate ways. Cue total hysteria from Brooke. She happened to be strapped in the buggy but she went crazy. Arching her back, pressing her feet on the wheels so I couldn't push it forwards, screaming "Daddy! DADDEEEEE!" like we were rehearsing for Kramer vs Kramer or something. I tried to be soothing, to be reasonable and then to be stern. Nothing. Just "Daddeeeeeeeeee!"
So obviously I thought we'd pop into a London Souvenir Shop to distract them. Plastic red buses should do the trick, I thought. Taya was very happy, picking up glass ornaments and wildly spinning rotating displays of personalised door signs. Brooke continued to scream. I nonchalantly pushed the empty buggy around the shop whilst carrying this wailing four year old, trying to point out really exciting snowglobes, when Taya announced loudly "My need a wee!"
We hotfooted it out of there and headed for the public loos on Marylebone Road. Had the usual struggle with Taya who wants to lock herself in cubicles on her own. Brooke calmed down considerably and I was optimistic we would now get home quite unremarkably. We went to the bus stop and waited for the 27. It was at this point that Taya sat on the bus stop bench, lifted both her legs up above her head like a cat about to lick its own bum, and examined the scratches on her upper thighs she had got falling off a tree stump in the park.
"We'll look at that at home" I said. "Can you keep your pants private please?"
and right then I thought, this is the time of my life. If I could get my legs above my head I'd do it at a bus stop too. This is all bonkers and frustrating and altogether more fast-paced and much messier than I'd like but I don't want it to stop for a second. Well, maybe a week off would be nice but what would there be to make me laugh like this?
Schmaltz aside, we have been having a cracking time. Kew Gardens again, Bekonscot Model Village, Jubilee Family Festival (well this wasn't exactly cracking, I was really disappointed with Sainsbury's efforts on this actually), South Bank and today Marylebone Summer Fayre. Chris is in France so I have a few nights in front of me to finish reading the first Game Of Thrones book on my shiny new Kindle(lurve)and get on with my crochet. I have a welcome meeting at the girls' new school on Tuesday morning which I have a teeny bit of excitement about. I'm even looking forward to buying the uniform. But not the two pairs of school shoes which will no doubt be mega bucks. I won't have this freedom anymore though, to just bunk off for a day if I don't feel like doing the long nursery run and want to go to the pirate playground instead. I am well and truly on the cusp of the hamster wheel. The proper one, that tells me when we can and can't go on holiday, and that I actually do have to get out of bed before 7am if we're to have a hope of leaving the house on time. Best make the most of the next few months then I guess. And we are doing so. We have a caravan holiday in Dorset booked, and a few things left on the girls bucket list which are better suited to warm weather, like the lido, the water playground and going on a pedal boat on the Serpentine.
Photo time.
Kew
Bekonscot Model Village, which is amazing! I know I went there as a kid but didn't remember this fabulousness. Model village, playground, mini train ride.. this was a trip organised by Brooke's nursery. Excellent day out. They even have a house on fire being put out by a miniature fire brigade! The story telling they have achieved is superb. Gypsies, church fetes, brownie camps, day at the races, fairground, train stations, docks, seaside can all be found here.
Diamond Jubilee lunch at church was pretty cool.
And today's Marylebone Summer Fayre. Happy faces gallery ensues but doesn't capture the tearful moments when a) they were found to be under the minimum weight to do bungee trampolining b) the ice cream lady put Brooke's strawberry scoop into a pot instead of a cone and c) Brooke's leg got stuck in some in(s)ane vertical tube climbing net.
Oh and I need to tell the South Bank story. Mum and I took the three girls to the South Bank last Saturday. It may not have been my finest idea but Alyssa wanted to go to a new playground there and the sun was shining. Anyway, we did the playground and for lunch went to the inevitably heaving McDonalds. Which was right by Namco station amusement arcade so of course the girls wanted to go in and spend all my money. I managed to resist up until the dodgems. Given the height restrictions we had to put Alyssa in a car on her own, me with Taya and Mum with Brooke. Well the bell rang, the cars started and Brooke promptly hit her head and started screaming. I tried to navigate over to their car. Well, you know what dodgems are like, no gears, not much power steering, people crashing into you etc. No good. The operator had to stop the ride. The alarm rang as Mum and Brooke tried to get out of their car. Taya saw Brooke screeching and decided she should get off too. Out we got, the alarm ringing all the while, everyone else kind of bemused and probably wondering what were we thinking! Anyway, Alyssa carried on dodging and beaming and Brooke kept crying and Taya was distracted by a fruit string. Eventually we got out, Brooke cried all the way to Westminster tube station. We got on the tube, exhaled and then Alyssa brilliantly chirped "What are we going to do next?" Oh fun days.
So obviously I thought we'd pop into a London Souvenir Shop to distract them. Plastic red buses should do the trick, I thought. Taya was very happy, picking up glass ornaments and wildly spinning rotating displays of personalised door signs. Brooke continued to scream. I nonchalantly pushed the empty buggy around the shop whilst carrying this wailing four year old, trying to point out really exciting snowglobes, when Taya announced loudly "My need a wee!"
We hotfooted it out of there and headed for the public loos on Marylebone Road. Had the usual struggle with Taya who wants to lock herself in cubicles on her own. Brooke calmed down considerably and I was optimistic we would now get home quite unremarkably. We went to the bus stop and waited for the 27. It was at this point that Taya sat on the bus stop bench, lifted both her legs up above her head like a cat about to lick its own bum, and examined the scratches on her upper thighs she had got falling off a tree stump in the park.
"We'll look at that at home" I said. "Can you keep your pants private please?"
and right then I thought, this is the time of my life. If I could get my legs above my head I'd do it at a bus stop too. This is all bonkers and frustrating and altogether more fast-paced and much messier than I'd like but I don't want it to stop for a second. Well, maybe a week off would be nice but what would there be to make me laugh like this?
Schmaltz aside, we have been having a cracking time. Kew Gardens again, Bekonscot Model Village, Jubilee Family Festival (well this wasn't exactly cracking, I was really disappointed with Sainsbury's efforts on this actually), South Bank and today Marylebone Summer Fayre. Chris is in France so I have a few nights in front of me to finish reading the first Game Of Thrones book on my shiny new Kindle(lurve)and get on with my crochet. I have a welcome meeting at the girls' new school on Tuesday morning which I have a teeny bit of excitement about. I'm even looking forward to buying the uniform. But not the two pairs of school shoes which will no doubt be mega bucks. I won't have this freedom anymore though, to just bunk off for a day if I don't feel like doing the long nursery run and want to go to the pirate playground instead. I am well and truly on the cusp of the hamster wheel. The proper one, that tells me when we can and can't go on holiday, and that I actually do have to get out of bed before 7am if we're to have a hope of leaving the house on time. Best make the most of the next few months then I guess. And we are doing so. We have a caravan holiday in Dorset booked, and a few things left on the girls bucket list which are better suited to warm weather, like the lido, the water playground and going on a pedal boat on the Serpentine.
Photo time.
Kew
| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
| Having a "I can't walk! Carry me!" moment |
Bekonscot Model Village, which is amazing! I know I went there as a kid but didn't remember this fabulousness. Model village, playground, mini train ride.. this was a trip organised by Brooke's nursery. Excellent day out. They even have a house on fire being put out by a miniature fire brigade! The story telling they have achieved is superb. Gypsies, church fetes, brownie camps, day at the races, fairground, train stations, docks, seaside can all be found here.
| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
| Brooke looking longingly at the fairground. |
| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  | |
| Burning cottage! |
| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
| Hot cocklate time |
Diamond Jubilee lunch at church was pretty cool.
And today's Marylebone Summer Fayre. Happy faces gallery ensues but doesn't capture the tearful moments when a) they were found to be under the minimum weight to do bungee trampolining b) the ice cream lady put Brooke's strawberry scoop into a pot instead of a cone and c) Brooke's leg got stuck in some in(s)ane vertical tube climbing net.
| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
| So pleased! |
| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
| Taya's best happy face |
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| Atop the ferris wheel |
| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  | |
| Smiley Brooke |
| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
| Swinging with Casper |
Oh and I need to tell the South Bank story. Mum and I took the three girls to the South Bank last Saturday. It may not have been my finest idea but Alyssa wanted to go to a new playground there and the sun was shining. Anyway, we did the playground and for lunch went to the inevitably heaving McDonalds. Which was right by Namco station amusement arcade so of course the girls wanted to go in and spend all my money. I managed to resist up until the dodgems. Given the height restrictions we had to put Alyssa in a car on her own, me with Taya and Mum with Brooke. Well the bell rang, the cars started and Brooke promptly hit her head and started screaming. I tried to navigate over to their car. Well, you know what dodgems are like, no gears, not much power steering, people crashing into you etc. No good. The operator had to stop the ride. The alarm rang as Mum and Brooke tried to get out of their car. Taya saw Brooke screeching and decided she should get off too. Out we got, the alarm ringing all the while, everyone else kind of bemused and probably wondering what were we thinking! Anyway, Alyssa carried on dodging and beaming and Brooke kept crying and Taya was distracted by a fruit string. Eventually we got out, Brooke cried all the way to Westminster tube station. We got on the tube, exhaled and then Alyssa brilliantly chirped "What are we going to do next?" Oh fun days.