how we ended up with 5 and some happy snaps

My mum and sister ended up being crazily generous and rather hyped up and girlie with the three of us out together! We ended up in a rather inadvertently lewd and hysterical pile as we were talking lenses and I said Greg already had "a long one" and Floss then asked if he had a "wide one too". The guy behind the counter looked totally aghast and then we realised the other less appropriate meaning and totally fell apart, with tears pouring down our faces and my mum (doing the same) but trying to calm us down - to no avail. I was so embarrassed that I was bright red whilst dying of laughter and Flossy just kept gasping for air saying, "I can't breath!". Very silly behaviour from grown women!!

So we were looking at the DSLR's which I knew I would need to get really great shots and I kept saying I wish they made a hybrid that I could keep in my handbag at which point my ridiculously generous Mummy said I needed a little one too. I think she's expecting a LOT of photos of the children.

In keeping with the mass hysteria, Ma decided she needed one too and Flossy naturally followed suit. So there we were with the hunka munka Canon 500D - aka the Rebel T1i -  and three little Panansonic Lumix (or Lumii - being the plural - or so we think (we of course almost died with laughter again at the clever (?) play on words). They're very cute, tiny and red (named Ruby, Scarlett and Garnet).

As we chose a bag, a card for the big one, cards and bags for the 'rouge' girls and other essential bits and pieces, Flossy started to wonder if she really wanted Scarlett because, in her experience, with her brand new (I mean a total of 50 photos taken) little Kodak at home she could never manage to catch her puppies properly and then lo and behold another Canon 500D ended up on the counter, only hers came with two lenses! Remember, I didn't need another as Greg already had a 'long and wide' one! So we now had 5 cameras on the counter and all the bits and pieces and had to get all the accessories for Sarah's Rebel too! As we walked to the counter with the huge pile the salesguy (who continued to argue that he would make no profit as we'd squished him so much on price), cheekily asked if we needed a tripod! I think I was the tough one - even though it wasn't my money - and insisted we really had enough.

The bill was scary! But my mum and Floss seemed completely unfazed. As we walked out giddy with delight at our purchases, Flossy and I suddenly realised we'd lost someone, Ma, and there she was reclining, happily on a huge plump sofa back in the furniture department. Naturally we couldn't leave her there unattended, so we joined her for a little rest and fell apart laughing again.

Now, I absolutely acknowledge that everyone reading this may be sitting without so much as a flicker of a smile on their faces.  It really could have been only funny to the three of us there, the staff of Hardly Normal and the security cameras that probably cracked under the pressure of what they were capturing but I do hope someone out there thinks it could have been even a teeny bit funny!

So here I am a very happy, lucky and loved girl. I had a super day with two dear friends, Lizzie and Av, coming over in the morning for yummy Polish cakes that Greg had picked up, a delish lunch with the crazy members of my family and a relaxing evening playing with my new toys. I also had a great chat with my friend Kylie who is living in Abu Dhabi. Thanks dear friend.  You topped the day off brilliantly. Such a great day.

Please let me know if you think there is an improvement in the photos.  I have abandoned my lovely pretty books by the bed and am reading the Rebel manual for FUN!!

And now I really must let my head hit the pillow.

E x

It's my party

and I'll smile if I want to!!!

These, of my shiny, clean, 'jamie clad babies, taken on my new little camera - Ruby!!
Just wait 'til I tell you all about our trip to Hardly Normal!


I'll be back as soon as the battery on my other new camera charges!! I know, the other new one. Can you believe it? I can't.

I must be the luckiest girl around.

whoa woosie

This dear baby girl with the deep, thoughtful and worried eyes came into our world almost 12 months ago.  And my heart was full. 

Taken seconds after she was placed in my arms.

This sweet angel in her bassinette on the way to her new and forever home in Australia.  She gave little smirks, with lips sealed, but was too deep in thought to give proper smiles.

But I couldn't help but smile all the time.

This pretty one has always slept happily thorough the night (on her belly, I know what the books say, but this is the way it was done in Taiwan and she could already flip over if I tried to put her on her back!). 

And she gave me joy.

This darling child was still wondering what on earth had happened to her.

And I kept her close, so she could feel my deepening love and would know she was safe.

And then one day this cherubic little face just came alive.  All smiley eyes and gummy toothed.

And my heart dissolved.

She learned to laugh and I laughed through tears of happiness.

 (wearing half the laundry basket - including her Daddy's undies - both legs in one leg hole!)

This darling, angelic, cherubic, pretty one is my daughter ... and she fills my world with peace and joy and love and happiness all day, everyday.  I can hardly believe it.  And she is so close to being ours forever, on paper anyway.  She has, of course, been mine, in my heart, from the moment I laid eyes on her very first photo.

Love you Woosie- woo - to the moon and back, forever and ever.

Oh and to keep it real, she's sometimes none of the lovely things I just said!  She still gets into the toilet whenever possible.  She draws on her body all the time.  She ruins all of Tiggy's things.  And she has a sweet-tooth that makes her reject everything else until she's completely ravenous - and then she'll cave in - but only a little.  Monkey!

One more sleep ... I'm hoping that we can look at camera's in the morning.

lazy days

8 days ...

Nobody in my family has asked me about the camera (although I've certainly put it out there)!

In the meantime I dug up a random oldie saved in Picasa. I didn't deem it blog worthy at the time. I wonder why. With new eyes I like it better. It was hot, they were relaxed; I think you can see it on Tigs pretty face; and calm, although Woo was struggling to get Tiggy's Croc on ! They were peaceful and happy and united. They were the lazy days, before the whirlwind of school began. Days that drifted easily.

We're less tense about the school hustle and keep surprising ourselves by arriving at school 'early' early. We even had time to park a way away from school and scooter in today. We're all pretty content at the moment, although today I know Tigs will be tired. He was up very late with friends who are returning to England plus I am missing him. Perhaps I'm tired too.

Anyway for the picture lovers, hope this will do.

8 days ... still hopeful.

l'appareil photo est mort

my camera is dead :(

It's a sad day. Lil'Silver has gone.

Photos will be thin on the ground until I am blessed with a new one(I must rely on friends forwarding them to me or Greg letting me use Black Beauty). It's my birthday soon, I'm hopeful ...

I would love to share pics of the weekend at Sorrento where we shared a great day with our friends, who are out from England.


I would love to share photos of Lily and Woo walking hand in hand through the museum and melting my heart completely.


I would love to share a photo of Woo hugging "Baby Joon" (who is six months younger and almost the same size).


I would love to share photos of us all lounging lazily on Sunday in front of two laptops, the TV and a portable DVD player and thinking at once, how relaxed we all were, and how terrible it was to be sitting behind black screens allowing information to be tube-fed to us.

I would love to share a photo of me randomly arriving a carpark where Flossy takes her whippies for obedience (Ha!) training, without having spoken to her for 24 hours, only to discover her awaiting the road-side assistance van with a flat battery. And her casually asking if I had jumper leads and me replying, "Sure do!" Both of us stunned and simultaneously unsurprised by the serendipitous event unfolding.

All of these would typically have been captured for posterity and for sharing with my blogging friends by Lil' Silver. C'est triste.

As an aside, why the French? I don't really know. I did watch a heartbreaking, achingly sad French movie, very late last night and fell asleep to it without turning the TV off - and without seeing the end of it - perhaps it improved - I cried into my pyjama sleeve. Peut-être.

Countdown the days to my birthday with me - 12 to go.

girl things

I really enjoyed putting this little bundle together for a friend to give to her friend, a new Mummy.

I hope the baby enjoys them too!

jam drops

sweet treats for a friend

tiggy's view

I just uploaded my photos and came upon a series taken by Tigs. He seems to have a great 'eye'.

 Mexican Blood-flowers.

 sunlight

The other day Tiggy said: "Quickly Mummy have a look at the TV." With my back to him, I answered that I was too busy cleaning the fishtank. Siphon drawing water out rapidly. Trying to avoid vaccuuming Spotty up. "Quick Mummy" he calls again, more urgently this time, "Just use the eyes in the back of your head"!
It all comes back to you, doesn't it?

boo!

We're here, haven't vanished completely. I thought I'd pop in and say hello quickly.

It's hot here, too hot for my liking, and I'm only just coping with the heat and the start of school.

Tigs has already told me he's 'bored' and that school is 'bored-ing', through a bucket of late night tears. I'm sure his teacher will start 'extending' him in the near future, but it's all a bit of a cake-walk for Tigs at the moment. The one extraordinary thing for me is that Tigs now seems to have an appetite like a horse, even the crusts are going! It's only taken five years.

I'll be back soon with some sewing, if my camera behaves (a new one is on my birthday list please!!)

Keep cool -or warm if you're a northern hemisphere reader :)

E x