The Red Lion

Few drinks at the pub with Alex, Chris, Jonathan, Claire, and their friends:

Christmas in London

There are a million photos from our trip - I've broken them all up into different posts to keep them manageable. I will let the photos show it all - the only words to say are that we had a wonderful time! A lovely English Christmas that delivered all the magic I had promised my girls (and my husband who we all know loves Christmas as much as any child!). And, a special thank you to whoever arranged the slightly milder winter weather for that week - it was cold but not it's usual freeeezing.

our home before we left

jetlag - boy, were we all hit with that!

my heart grows an inch every time I look at this sleepy matching PJs picture

Costume

Remember last summer's Ballet Recital?

Wish me patience and luck again - I just placed my order for this this morning:

Oh, and Grandma, I got the date: Saturday 9th June

Planting Dandelions

Just finished another book - 'Planting Dandelions' by Kyran Pittman. Her sub-title is 'Field Notes from a Semi-Domesticated Life'. It was a lot of fun - a delightful read for a mum. It's a memoir - the story of a woman who trades in a somewhat reckless, wild chapter of her life for marriage and motherhood(sound familiar?) She talks a lot about her path to moving abroad and raising kids in America when she's from Canada herself (again, sound familiar?) I felt like I could've written the exact same words in some parts. 

There's a chapter on everything - partnership with a husband, financial struggles, parenting milestones, in-laws, getting older, friendships. It's both a laugh and a cry. And while the whole thing is a huge celebration of family life, one of my favourite parts is where she says that on some mornings, as she opens her front door to grab the newspaper, still in pajamas, she's pretty close to just walking straight on down that front path, to the street, and away. Just leave husband, kids and home and waltz right off.

In quote: "You can love your husband and children with every breath in your body and still feel restless and detached sometimes. You can be a good mother and have daydreams of running, or simply walking, away. It's the ones who can't accept this paradox who have the most to fear"

And, to end the post on a lighter note, and since the book was very comical too, my other favourite quote. While discussing kids birthday parties at Chuck-E-Cheese: "Nothing says safe, clean and child-friendly like a snaggle-tooth rodent wearing a baseball cap gang-style". Ha! Exactly how I feel about that place!

Pick up this book - you'll finish it in a weekend and you'll enjoy it along the way.

Flowery First Birthday Party

I am becoming known for theme parties! In honour of Bryony's name being a flower, we had a Garden Party. The invitation was made with the artwork of Cicely Mary Barker, who wrote a series of children's books in the 1920s named The Flower Fairies, and included the Bryony Fairy:

I grew up with these books - would never have thought I'd have a Bryony!

Then we decorated the house with flower trimmings:

you can see my revamped chandelier here - so very Novogratz of us ;)

the favours - flowerpots with a lollipop and some seeds to take home

hung on the wall behind the favours

And I am also becoming known for making a theme cake:

Bryony's cake

cupcakes for the guests

Guests of Honour

the cake moment

Bryony had a whole huge petal and, see the video clip, finished it!

Bryony - One Year Old

Grandma, Aunty Milly & cousin Morgan came to stay with us for Bryony's First Birthday. Nanna and Grandad are always here at this time of year too so she was surrounded by family for the big occasion. We all cannot believe she is ONE! Lil' Miss is not so Lil' Miss weighing in at 22lbs and 70th percentile. She is my little delight. Always smiling, always happy and the prettiest little face to wake to in the morning. Boogie-Boo, we love you and HAPPY BIRTHDAY DARLING!

last one of these!

Grandma and Aunty Milly made sure that Bryony would be included with the big girls for the weekend by bringing her her own first Princess Dress:

 Excited COUSINS!

Inside Job

If you have not seen this documentary, rent it now! That's all I'm going to say in this post.