Lots been happening

We've all had colds. September always marks the beginning of the cold season in our house. First Matt, then Olive and finally me. I'm usually able to shake it off pretty quickly. But not this time, I felt awful and was knocked for six. I'm now downing zinc and vitamin C tablets like no-one's business. Hence the unplanned blogging break. I did start this entry weeks ago, so the date at the top is out of sync with what I'm writing about - it's now the end of Sept.

We've been puddle-jumping down on the farm.


All of a sudden Olive's squiggles and scribbles are starting to turn into recogniseable things and it's amazing! She did a portrait of me and Matt this week which was actually two little stick people! And has been drawing smiley faces! This made me feel amazingly proud! It's just wonderful to see this developmental shift happening. She's so cool!



Olive and Milo went to a party and had their faces painted. They are having a joint birthday party soon so Rebecca has turned this pic into a postcard for their invitations. It looks fab!



I had a birthday and we headed off to Copenhagen to celebrate. The challenge was to combine a romantic weekend with entertaining an almost three year old and I think we managed it. It did mean that instead of the Danish Design Museum and Louisana Gallery of Modern Art we ended up in Tivoli Gardens, but the sun shone, we walked loads, marvelled at how beautiful the Danish are, swooned at the gorgeous things on offer in Illums Bolighus and Illums and had a wonderful meal at Soren K in the National Library.

Me and Olive on my birthday in the Laundromat Cafe, Norrebro

On the carousel in Tivoli Gardens

Tivoli Gardens

My beautiful family

View from our room of the Royal Opera House

And the view at night

I've been reading lots. I was discussing books while down on the farm and was told that my reading material has really dumbed down of late. Which I guess is true. I was berated for not having read the new Coetzee, that Darkmans is still darkening my shelf and the only title from the Mann Booker Dozen I've read so far is The Clothes on Their Backs by Linda Grant, despite having worked on Michelle de Kretser's previous books while in Australia. I think motherhood has dumbed me down a bit. I'm aware of it, and it's perhaps why I have been thinking that I may look for some work in the New Year. I saw the last tv ad I did before I had Olive at the cinema (yes it was a dumbed down chick flick: Mama Mia) and it sorted of shocked me back into realising that I did have a different life before and maybe it would be nice to reignite that different life again. Only on a part-time basis, but there could be benefit for us all. But first I need to sort out what's happening at Olive's nursery. She just isn't settling into her new room, and it's not like her. I know they've had staffing issues, but she isn't bonding with her keyworker. I've given it almost a month and she's still not happy so I'm going to talk to the nursery manager this week and ask that they make some changes. Maybe with all of this on my mind it's no surprise my reading list is fairly lowbrow. But I've enjoyed each one of these books for their own different reasons: The Private Lives of Pippa Lee by Rebecca Miller, Exit Music by Ian Rankin, I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crossley, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson and The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton.

While we are talking books I have to report how shocked I was on a recent trip to look for some books on Autumn for Olive. I was envisaging something with some lovely illustrations, autumn colours, hibernating animals etc etc. Our local Borders has a really large children's department but did they have a single book on Autumn or the seasons? No! Not one! Shocking! The bookseller did his best, and was pretty sheepish but all he could suggest was a new younger version of Narnia, or a Ladybird version of The Wind in the Willows, neither of which were what we had in mind. He said they don't stock books like this because they don't sell. One of Olive's nursery themes for the new term is Autumn, and I'm sure that pre-schoolers and early readers in the borough have similar themes. Surely a beautiful table on Autumn, with some in-store reading session and colouring-in comps would reap some rewards? It's so chock full of character books, and the non-fiction offering seems to consist of dinosaurs! Surely there is mileage in this sort of thing for the character books even? There are beautiful children's books out there, I know because we do find them, but it's so disappointing that something so simple, and so important is missing from a major bookstore? I know that independents are better at this sort of thing, but as it's such a simple topic, and as I didn't want to have to get on a bus with O and we were in the area doing some shopping anyway it didn't occur to me that they wouldn't even have a couple of suitable titles. So we headed to our local library where we were rewarded with an Usborne book on the seasons and an Alfie story about weather. I've since found some good stuff on Amazon, but any other suggestions are welcome! We'll be moving on to Winter in a bit so I guess I should do my research now!

Big school for my little big girl

This morning I dropped Olive off at her new nursery class "Big Playschool". It's a big change as it's not only a new classroom, with new carers, but a new building too up at the school. Because of this it feels quite momentous. She's going to be going swimming, having French lessons, lots of trips and excursions to the library and museums on top of the art and music they currently do. She's growing up so fast! I felt very nervous about this change, and even found myself tossing and turning last night thinking 'will she be ok in the pool with someone who isn't me, will they know what she means when she wants Dougie?' Olive has been very reticent about it, but she has spent the whole of August spending periods of time there to settle in, and although not excited about it, last week a switch flipped and she was sort of resigned to the fact she was going there and that she won't see Sarah there.

It was raining this moring and Olive was bouncing around the kitchen making the funny noise she makes when she's nervous. I can't really describe it, she used to make it as a baby when she was trying to soothe herself and now she does it when she's unsure. She seemed subdued when we were getting ready, but got excited when I reminded her that all her friends would be there too, and that they were going out to visit a soft play place today. When we got there, one of her friends was coming running down the road so they both ran in together which was really nice. Everyone seemed really friendly, and although a bit shy, Olive was happy. We found her new peg and hung up her spotty raincoat and put her new red wellies underneath. Then straight away she got stuck in to playing a cooking game in home corner. The staff said it's us parents who need to settle in now! I really hope she has a lovely day today, my little big girl.

The Tiger Who Came to Tea and the last day of summer

It really felt like summer had decided to muster all it's strength and go out with a bang on Saturday. We woke to blue skies, sunshine and hot, hot heat. A chance to give those summer frocks and sandals a last gasp before autumn boldly steps in. And what a lovely day we had.

We took Olive to see a production of the Judith Kerr book The Tiger Who Came to Tea at the Bloomsbury Theatre. This is one of my all time favourite children's books. I was given my copy by my aunt who was a primary school teacher and always brought us books, crayons etc whenever we saw her and who I inherited my love of books from. I just love the illustrations and the 'sing song ness' of the words. It's a much loved bedtime favourite of O's too so she was really looking forward to it. And it didn't disappoint. From the stage set to the costumes everything cleverly mirrored the style of Judith Kerr's illustrations. Even the tiger costume was like a real life version of the drawing. They faithfully followed the original story, just adding in a few devices to give context, for example they used a clock on the wall to show the day going past with the Mummy adjusting the hands and all the children in the audience counting the chimes. There was lots of singing, and a wonderful bit when the Tiger put the radio on and everyone got up to dance with him. And of course all the favourite lines were there "Once there was a little girl called Sophie, and she was having tea in the kitchen with her mummy" and "and he drank all of daddy's beer" (always makes me laugh!) At that wonderful bit at the end when they have bought a big tin of tiger food in case he should call again, Olive stood up and shouted out "But he never did!" Enchanting! Look out for it as I think it's touring.

We then went for lunch at the Peyton & Byrne cafe at the Wellcome Collection. I wish I had taken some pictures of the exquisite cupcakes on offer there, and of the beautiful eau de nil coloured packaging that we took some home in.

Then the rest of the day was spent at a birthday party at the Hackney City Farm where Olive enjoyed a treasure hunt in the woods and was captivated by a friendly calf who happily let her stroke her for ages.

When we got home we eked the day out for as long as possible, playing bubbles with Olive in the garden and drinking a bottle of pink fizz from our French holiday at the beginning of the summer.

And just as quickly as that hot summers day had arrived, it went. We woke to rain and a chill in the air on Sunday and it was as if Saturday's sunshine could not have been. So after a quick romp round Victoria Park and a purchase of a joint of beef from The Ginger Pig, we watched movies on the sofa and stayed indoors.

First day of autumn

Today is the first day of autumn. How did that happen? Summer seems to be getting shorter every year!

Goodbye summer fruits, ice cold rose, barbecued lamb, the smell of suntan lotion, bare legs and paddling pools.

Hello English apples, big reds, shepherd's pie, the smell of woodsmoke, woolie tights and kicking up leaves.