Well done special girl!

We had an appointment with O's physio this evening. I was very nervous as it's been really difficult to motivate her to do her exercises for a while now. The Thomas stickers just aren't cutting it and we have been slacking off. It has been a cloud hanging over me every day, trying to pick the best time to coerce my wonderfully strong minded (!) two year old to do leg lifts and various other repetitions, feeling that I've been failing miserably, and trying to compensate with lots of running, jumping in the park, swimming, music and movement and dance lessons. I was feeling that I should be doing better.

But, the physio said her legs are looking wonderful! She is walking beautifully, her muscles are completely strong on both legs, her movement is perfect and aside from some slight marking on the front of her foot from injections there is no sign of any remaining damage. Her legs are also now the same length! I am so, so relieved by this, as there was a huge difference for such a little person back in October of last year. She has made terrific progress. And best of all, she doesn't need to continue with the exercises! Hurrah! We just have to make sure she takes lots of exercise and her muscles continue to grow fit and strong. And now that we have a diagnosis, if she has another attack, we'll be able to have treated quickly so hopefully it won't leave her with as many problems as it did last year. We're down to seeing her various specialists now every three months which is great!

And as O lay on the table, smiling away and chatting as she was subjected to yet another round of poking, prodding, bending and examining I thought once again how lucky we are to have such an amazing little girl. She's never once complained about any of her appointments (and at one point there were many, on a weekly basis) has always done what was asked and just been far more understanding and cooperative than you can expect a two year old to be.

My little Olly Boo you are a complete star!

Songs for Matt

Matt and I met on a ski-ing holiday in Meribel. That's the more romantic version of events. In actual fact we met in Tufnell Park, at 3 o'clock in the morning, outside my best friend Aitch's flat. Aitch had organised a minibus to take a dozen of us to the airport and I was late, of course. Everyone seemed to be rushing around, flapping, trying to squeeze skis, snowboards, boots etc into the weeny minivan and I could hear Aitch on the phone yelling 'Bin where are you???'. Amidst all of this I noticed a gorgeous, dark haired boy sitting on Aitch's wall, cool as you like, watching the mayhem. Matt. I spent the rest of the journey stealing sneaky glances at him and thinking I want to get to know you.

He was the cool, snowboarder dude, just back from a season in Canada, I was the dorky novice skier wearing my flatmate's salopettes and Aitch's brother's 80's turquoise ski jacket. I'm still not sure how it happened but copious amounts of red wine and sno vodkas defintely played their part. We kissed for the first time in front of a logfire in the chalet when everyone else had gone to sleep. The second time he said "This is going to be trouble".

When we got back to London my flatmate said 'You're in love!' and I tried not to think about it as M was living in New York. About three weeks later I got an e-mail from him saying he'd been headhunted, was coming back to London and did I want to meet for a drink? I met him outside Finsbury Park tube station and he looked handsome in a vintage suit. We went to the Faltering Fallback pub and drank so much we got invited to their lock-in. He came back to mine. And the rest as they say is history! Ten years later I love him more than ever, he's the most amazing husband, partner, friend and wonderful, caring father. This is my mixtape just for him on Valentines Day.

Us 10 years ago

The Luckiest Ben Folds Five
Late in the Day Supergrass
Sexy Boy Air
Get Myself Arrested Gomez
Time of Your Life Greenday
Whip it Devo
Head in Your Hands Money Mark
Ayesha Death in Vegas
This Love Liz Fraser and Craig Armstrong
Today Smashing Pumpkins
Back in Black ACDC
A Little Less Conversation Elvis
Take me Out Franz Ferdinand
Pacific 202 Williams Fairly Brass Band
There Will Never Ever Be Another You Chett Baker
Blister in the Sun Violent Femmes
Furryvision Super Furry Animals
Goddess on a Highway Mercury Rev
I Am The Walrus The Beatles

Us today. One of my favourite recent photos, it's a Polaroid stuck on our fridge taken at a wedding on a narrowboat in the summer

And of course, our greatest achievement - the monkey

Procrastination

Uh-oh, what am I doing on here??? I'm supposed to be writing my essay. Why is blogging so secretively addictive? Matt is now calling me "The Geek". He came home from the Arsenal game last night (they won 2 nil) and said he could hear our mac keys tipp tipp tapping as he opened the front door.

I've got lots of notes, and am quite enjoying flicking through my journal, textbooks and jotterings while listening to an i-Tunes playlist. But it's not getting my essay written! Atomic by Blondie at the moment.


Tonight make it magnificent. Tonight, make me tonight
Oh your hair is beautiful
Ah tonight
Atomic

This is playing in one of my favourite bits of the movie Trainspotting. Renton is dancing in a club called Volcano (it rankled me at the time as Volcano is in Glasgow and Trainspotting is set in Edinburgh), having given up smack and discovering that he's almost missed rave, and in walks Kelly MacDonald, magnificent in a shiny silver minidress. His jaw hits the floor. I love that moment. She walks outside the club and he follows. A cab pulls up, she jumps in, leans over and says "Well?" So much attitude! I saw that movie in Leicester Square with the most lovely boy that I knew from home. I hadn't been living in London for long and I was moping over someone else. He had been trying everything he could think of to cheer me up, sent me flowers (he didn't know how much that got my hopes up and how they crashed down when they weren't from the one I wanted them to be from), let me cry on his shoulder, fed me grapes in the sun in Battersea Park, held my hand in the dark, took me Ceilidh dancing - oh the tunnel vision of the young, why aren't you able to see what could be right under your nose? Andrew McK where are you now and what are you doing?

Before that it was Positivity by Suede

You say what you want to say
Your diamonds are drops of rain
Your smile is your credit card
Your currency is your love

And the morning is for you
And the air is clear
And the birds sing for you and your positivity

And the cars crash for you
And the sun is free
And the sirens for you
Yes the world spins for you and your positivity

I bought the album this is from when we were living in Sydney, I think it's called A New Morning. It reminds me of sitting on our roof terrace drinking beer with Matt. Lots of Suede songs remind me of Matt. We used to listen to their first album Suede in bed when we first got together. Love So Young and Metal Mickey.

One funny talent I have is the ability to remember lyrics. I only have to hear a song once and I can sing it back pretty much word perfect. Means at the moment my head is full of earworms which are the theme tunes to various CBeebies programmes.

Oooh now it's Teenage Fanclub. This really takes me back!

i-Tunes is a wonderful thing. But this isn't getting my essay written and I only have today while O is at nursery to do it as tomorrow I'm hoping to see a friend for coffee, go to Liberty to buy a special birthday present, and a Valentines mission for M, and, I also need to bake a huge batch of brownies to take with me to the birthday weekend.

I'm signing off now, it's Sunday Morning by the Velvet Underground. And now Marlene on the Wall, Suzanne Vega. I am definitely, definitely hitting the books now. No, I am, really.

Favourite places - Columbia Road

Today we visited one of my favourite places in London - Columbia Road Flower Market. One of the oldest markets in London, it's held every Sunday from early morning till around 2pm. It's very close to where we live and a 5 minute walk from Old Street Tube. Columbia Road itself is a charismatic Victorian street lined with quirky shop fronts and cobbled road. The stall holders set up their wares along both sides of the road and on a sunny morning it's full of buzz, atmosphere and barrow boy cries.


It's the best place to find cheap bedding plants, shrubs, bulbs, trees, pots and garden things. It also has fantastically good value cut flowers, which really last.



We always start here at Treacle.


They have the most amazing cupcakes and eclectic homewares - a mix of scandi, shabby chic and Poole Pottery.

Its Olive's favourite place on the street - for obvious reasons!


This shop is called Supernice and has a good range of decals and prints. It also stocks funky mugs, bags and melamine ware.

The stalls were full of Cornish daffodils and narcissus today.

And primulas in jewel bright colours.


These Dutch tulips were stunning.


I loved the way they looked poking out of this girl's red leather bag against her blue jacket.


One of my favourite pubs is here too, fabulous food.


I always make a beeline for Bob & Blossom. Their own range of striped t-shirts, leggings and all-in-ones is so bright and soft. They also stock a wide range of Katvig, Miniature and other children's clothes. I love their retro toys and you can always find small treasures in the baskets of goodies on the floor - great for stocking fillers, treats and party bags.





Jones Dairy has wonderful artisan bread and cakes. I'm still drooling at the amazing mince pies they had at Christmas time, so festive topped with star shaped pastry and a dusting of icing sugar like snow.




Columbia Road also has some interesting gallery spaces.


I liked this, it reminded me of Tord Boonjte.



I loved this black and gold shop window.


We usually end our trip at this corner of the market. There's always some music, a band, violinist and today and accordian player. Don't you just love the expression on his face!
Olive loves to dance to the tunes and Matt and I sit and watch and sip our coffees. It's the best place to while away a sunny Sunday.

Small things

Recent events have been making me think how important it is to live in the moment, find joy in the everyday and really cherish the small things that make me smile. Life really is too short to spend too much time worrying about the future. And Florence's thoughtful post made me consider this even more.

So things which are making me smile are:

Olive, as ever, but especially when singing "The Wiggly Woo Song". Just love the way she pronounces 'worm' as 'wum' and 'garden' as 'gaahden'. I don't seem to have passed on my rolling Scottish r's!

Spring flowers everywhere. Daffodils, tulips, crocuses all poking their way out into the sunlight this weekend.

Olive and Milo planting snowdrops in the Hackney City Farm garden today. The gardener exclaiming "Such little hands!" when O picked up the trowel.

The sound of Matt bathing Olive and reading her a bedtime story. So much laughter and chuckling drifting up the stairs. His wonderful, gentle voice.

Looking forward to a dear friend's birthday party next weekend.

Discovering a fab new bookshop and the haul of books I brought home with me.

Seeing a bumblebee - in February! The early spring sun warm on my back.

The bright red shiny Kickers we bought for O today.

A text from my sister.

What is making you smile today?