September 2014 - Indian Summer!

 

September was a wonderfully busy, warm month full of lots of activities enjoyed with our family and friends.

 

Robin started her new nursery on Highbury New park this month. She took to the space and teachers immediately and Philip was lucky enough to be able to take a day off work and accompany Robin on the Nursery outing to Paradise Park Safari.

 

Matthew, Tessie and Jacob visited London and it was great to hang out. We had a parents only night out at the Town hall Hotel and then the kids got to see each other for Sunday lunch. It was so wonderful to finally meet little Jacob and these two have begun their friendship. Blake look particularly pleased!

 

 

 

 There were two trips away in September. Lucky us!

The first was a truly brilliant weekend away with the KVAM gang. we headed to Suffolk to go on a yurting weekend and it was one of the most enjoyable weekends we have had in ages. The kids were so happy to be roaming around in our little paddock and we were happy to let them enjoy the outdoors during a remarkably warm Autumn weekend. They children really impressed us with how well they all got on and it made us so happy to know that they all feel so happy and comfortable with each other and all the parents. Our favourite activities included Blake skinnydipping in the chilly sea, Crabbing at  the pier, wonderful fun meals and BBQ at our yurt camp and stories by the bonfire. The beaches were so beautiful and the towns very quaint. Overall our first yurting experience was a huge success!

 

 



Crabbing with Dada



 

 



Robin climbs a tree by herself for the first time

 



Windy Fish and chips

 

Towards the end of the month Philip had a business trip to India and so the children and I decamped to Centerparcs for the week with Nanu and Nani. We filled the 5 day trip with plenty of activities and I really enjoyed sharing a bed with Robin on the trip. It was lovely to feel her sleeping snoring self next to me. Master Blake had a room and en suite all to himself! We enjoyed the "Sub tropical swimming paradise" the most with Robin on the slides and Blake splashing all over the place.

 

Nanu had fun cycling around with Robin and Blake in a trailer and they loved being transported around in luxury!

 

Robin also astounded me with her confidence, patience and bravery holding some of the rather large owls during our on bird related activity of the week! Meet Indy below...

 

 

First time on a Balace Bike

Robin with Indy

 

 

The month concluded with Robin's third birthday. She received her "treetop house" as she calls it for her birthday and has loved it. We had to say goodbye to her cot which was sad but our little baby is growing up!

 

 

 

Happy 3rd Birthday to our baby girl

Robin's birthday was a busy one! Following a wonderful Frozen singalong birthday party yesterday with some of her very good friends, we had a day of gifts (balance bike!) swimming, a bit of Frozen during Blake's nap (of course) then a trip to Kenwood house today. 

Robin has been enjoying a series of books called "Katie and..." which introduce children to famous painters and works of art through Katie's adventures at the gallery. Robin told us she wanted to visit a gallery for her birthday, just like Katie. With a lovely cafe garden, looking at the paintings in the house, some hide and seek and teaching Blake scooter skills, Kenwood House was perfect during this Indian summer birthday.

It was as warm as the day she was born.

We finished off the afternoon with an ice Cream of course at Marine Ices in Camden and right now a slightly sugary Bo doesn't want to go to bed in her new treetop house. But that's ok, it's only her birthday once a year :)

We love you and your dancing hop. The way you say I love you and your sweetness.

Love always, Mummy Daddy & Blake 

Blake turns 1

Philip spent a good long while putting together this video which sums up the past year; so many wonderful emotions contrasted with levels of tiredness that it's impossible to describe!

http://youtu.be/o8RqYSZ4Fc8

Our little boy has been such a wonderful, joyous, fun, and cuddly bundle, we are grateful for him every day. He has shown us just how much a little person can be so demanding but so patient and loving and accepting all at once.

Dearest Blake, a very happy birthday to our little boy.
With love from daddy, Mummy and Bobo x

July 2013 - more summer fun and the lead up to Number 2's arrival

July was an amazing month in London. Sunshine and outdoor fun. I was getting pretty big and immobile at near full term so I started maternity leave the second week of July. Janita Masi was here for three weeks and we had lots of fun together.

Kaka's (Rashmi dada) annual summer BBQ

 

The 2011 NCT gang

Aoife and Robin's first trip to the little angel theatre to see We're going on a Bear Hunt!

Dinner at Diwana, Drummond street. Somewhere which was open before Mummy was even born!

Welcome to Leo!

Parliament Hill Lido

First Ice lolly!

Second!

Our last walk as a family of three through Regent's Park

Kissing Noodle

Robin's first modelling shoot for Poppy Children

June 2013 - Summer begins and we have a Trullo Adventure in Puglia

The beginning of the month saw Philip and I take a trip away for our 5 year anniversary. We had a lovely weekend in Bilbao/San Sebastien, while Robin had a wonderful weekend with Nana and Nani.

Summer made a hint of an appearance finally!!! Robin and Daddy enjoyed some outdoor time.

The fountains at King's Cross and Robin's favourite little hut at Highbury Bandstand

Watching Peppa Pig with Noodle

Our Puglian Trulli adventure: After a little panic at Gatwick with overweight luggage and bit of a run to the plane, we had a great plane trip our to Bari and a wonderfully behaved little Robin, excited to go on a plane.
The journey the other side was fairly easy and before too long we arrived at our gorgeous trulli house which we rented for a week. We were greeted by several Italians, with varying English skills, all keen to show us round the lovely garden and pool and our "'ouse" for the next week.

The house was near Cisternino, a gorgeous little hill town, just the perfect size for us to wander around and Robin loved running through the little streets. We had ice cream in one of the squares nearly every evening and there were a couple of great places to eat and a wonderful wine shop. Really, a perfect small town to be right next to, with beautiful views of trullo and the local countryside.

I like this town!

Our little bench and some stairs which led to the roof of the Trulli. Robin didn't try to climb up them at all, despite us being slightly worried about the sheer drop!
She spend a lot of time trundling around our gorgeous garden and patio with her buggy and also another which some kind people had left behind before us. Fun was had playing with water and taps and stones as well as just being able to freely roam a large area of grass and of course, splash in the pool.

 The pool was a little chilly for me but these two are brave and had lots of fun splashing and swimming!

Outdoor nappy change with a view - Ostuni

We visited quite a few towns over the week but were never too far away from a lovely lunch at our villa or afternoon play around the pool. We think Cisternino was our favourite town (luckily) but also visted Martina Franca, Ostuni and Locorotondo. We had been to these last time we were in Puglia, in 2009 but the weather was very different in February!!



Shopping for amazing Buffalo Mozzarella and Burrata and the market in Martina Franca

 

 

About as deep as mummy got into the pool



Il Frantoio, a place we vowed to return to after our 2009 trip. Who would have known it would be with our gorgeous Robin!

We really were so sad to come home after a wonderful week, eating so well, Robin being an angel, sleeping well and loving her time with us both and the "'ouse". Plane journeys are easier now as long as we have a seat for Robin and enough entertainment and S-N-A-C-K-S to keep her occupied.She seemed to understand she couldn't just get up and run around which we were grateful for.


Masi arrived from Australia mid month! Robin was very excited to see her after having lots of facetime with her at Nana and Nani's house and perfected her school girl grin!

Daddy went to Glastonbury at the end of the month which left Robin and me to enjoy some solid time together. She is such a lovely joy to be with, we had an amazing weekend hanging out locally. We went to Abigail's house to have brunch with Charlie, our neighbour's son, Finely's birthday party, swimming and a lovely Sunday evening dinner with The Price's. Daddy returned home on Monday having been away since Thursday and was so happy to see Robin!

First Limbo at Finley's 3rd Birthday Party

First juice from a carton! Intense concentration needed



Reunited



A few random pictures from the month: