Photo heavy weekend

We had a really adventurous weekend, as it was so lovely and unseasonable.  We went to Spitalfields Market on Saturday, where we failed to buy anything except lunch and a coffee.  I want a work box, but by the time we went back for it, it had gone.  Simon bought one on ebay instead, which is in Hove - we are sending Jim to pick it up, hopefully it will be here soon.

As you can see, we found the giant fibre glass rabbits, and had lots of fun on them.

I thought we might be a bit more calm on Sunday, but no.  We went to the Bunny Park after church where we saw the animals, Lucy had a minor meltdown, and we played for many hours on the swings.

We then went to Kew, where we had the first picnic of the year.  Bit cold, but with a coat on, it was lovely, and of course a real bonus to be eating outside during February.  Harriet is now a big girl, actually, and can drink from a carton of orange juice, without my help thank you.  

She is now walking, Harriet fans, which is exciting and depressing at the same time.

The main reason we went to Kew wasn't just to tire the children out so they'd stop bugging us for ten minutes, we wanted to see the orchids.  They were very beautiful.  I let Lucy take some photos, which are a combination of rubbish and actually not bad.  They are available for viewing on Facebook, these are mine.

I wonder why I am knackered all the time.

All work and no writing

12 blog posts a month?  I must be a moron to think I've got the interest in writing and the time to do something committed like that. 

Well, it's nearly the end of February and this is the first time I've written anything.  It's not like I've not been busy; we went to Paris to see my grandmother, took a whole lot of beautiful photos of our lovely little girls in the snow, read a whole lot of books including French Children Don't Throw Food, about which more later, had friends to stay, been to Spitalfields Market for the first time, been for a late lunch with a very dear old friend and the girls, which I think has put him off having children for ever and ever, and worked and worked and worked.

I can't think of much to write about - I want to write a piece about French Children Don't Throw Food because it's changed the ways I think about parenting, but I don't have the energy at the moment.  I think I need to re-read it first, and maybe have a look at some of her sources, especially Françoise Dolto, although I'll have to brush up on my French before then.  I'm not sure I'm quite up to reading about child psychology at the moment, especially as I'm downstairs, listening to Hattie shout a bit - she is exhausted, and dropped off in my arms, then when I tried to put her down, woke up and started shouting.  I've left her for about 7 minutes now, I think I'm going to have to go back upstairs in a bit.  Apparently, this controlled crying is anathema in France; I don't like it at all and rarely do it, as it doesn't really work.  She does self settle after a few minutes though, and I suppose I've got to let her learn to do it, otherwise I'll be sitting next to her when she's ten, holding her hand and waiting for her to drop off.  My friends do that with their three year old - madness.

I might try writing again on Tuesday - fewer distractions.