Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Under the weather

Greg was not looking well enough to go to school this morning, so he stayed at home. He's got a nasty cold and cough, although miraculously his spirits lifted after a very short while at home. Curiously after a few hours our other loyal foot soldier had reported in sick from school!

So we had a house full this afternoon, which naturally we have dispatched off to bed early!

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Top Grade

Lewis is desperately fond of Lego, and he's forever modifying his collection of vehicles. If you look out on his blog you might find this turned into a crane lorry or a pipe laying digger or.....

Monday, January 29, 2007

Partners in Crime

Lunchtime today with Miranda from a sequence that comprised me getting in close, followed by her trying to touch my lens! I was looking at the 'thumbs' and thinking what a descriptive sequence they were - sometime there's one that stands out, and other times it's just the moment that is being described.

I love my manual focus lenses as they create vastly better images, but with my fading eyesight and her quickening reactions it's proving something of a challenge!

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Those toothies are giving me gyp!

The stress lines are showing in this picture, poor little Miranda! There was a great shot a frame before this but sadly the focus was just off and a bit distracting - she had an incredibly pained expression. When you see the set of teeth that she has, you wonder just how she manages to eat anything. But under normal circumstances those six little teeth all at the front can devour food as quickly as Gregory

Saturday, January 27, 2007

Mrs Mippy looking at Mrs Chippy!

This morning as the sun came up we were talking about a cat called Mrs Chippy that sailed down to the Antarctic on Endeavour, Shackleton's thwarted mission to the South Pole.
So this is from lunchtime when Miranda decided to show me another picture she had found of a pusscat in one of her books.

Friday, January 26, 2007

Competitive!

The boys love playing games after tea, and Lewis loves winning more than playing! Top trumps are a particular favourite, and tonight we played the Outer Space version, which can prove mentally demanding - do you know your Quasars from your Black Holes?

Well Lewis does, and as you can see here I had two hands free to hold the camera, Greg had two cards left, and Tiger had the rest of the pack!

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Bottoms Up!


A view of Miranda from the organ grinder position. She's very good at diverting attention from what you may have in mind for her, as in... "I'm thirsty, not hungry!"

There's something about those grubby little paws though that makes me laugh. So perfectly formed, so primative, and soooo mucky!

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Mr Lippy

Gregory in his chainmail jumper with quizzical look on his face! He was in a very funny mood tonight, as though he'd eaten some strange magic indgredient that had affected him.

We've been reading Harry Horse's Roo story this week (following his sad demise) which Greg found very amusing this evening. Terrible to think that someone could bring such happiness to others, yet need to take their own life, ...at just 46.

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Digital Display

It's difficult to capture Miranda's little bits now as she moves so fast, and as is about as co-operative as a small puppy. So here's an arty detail whilst I have a chance. Those toes will never be as small again...

Monday, January 22, 2007

I'm forever cleaning windows

Miranda gazing through the Study window in Stepford Wife mode!

Obviously I jest, ....normally after lunch and she has been released from the captivity of her high chair, I can hear the sound of those go-cart wheels as she spins the thing around, in anticipation of my arrival. Today she was in luck, and we chased around the living room as she got more and more giddy! Then I need to sit down and have a snooze

... in my dreams!

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Anachcronistic

It's not every day I open my email and find such a lovely picture waiting for me, but tonight this arrived from my sister Juliet. I have precious few pictures with myself in, and this one is a gem, so thank you Toots! Me and Mrs Mippy, plus assorted members of my clan

Saturday, January 20, 2007

My Helper

Lewis has been wearing his toolbelt today, as we've been repairing fences after the winds of the last few days. It's great when you get some help with all the odd jobs, but it'll be even better when I can get the two of them to go out and do them without my involvement! Oh happy days...

Friday, January 19, 2007

Nearly there!

She stands and wobbles momentarily, and has the confidence to think about doing other things - but then it's BUMP! and she's back on the floor again. Progress is so noticable at the moment though that we're all saying "any minute now....this weekend maybe....!"

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Tempestuous

It has been very stormy here today, with very high winds and heavy rain passing over. It was quite scary when we woke at dawn with howling winds banging the trees into the weatherboarding on the house - and now we've got a few fence panels to repair into the bargain....

No new pictiures today, but I took this one on the weekend on our walk, so here's Mr Tem"pest"ous himself ....Gregory!

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Son rise, Sunset!

It's Lewis' turn on the blog tonight, as he's been a very good boy! We needed to get a new homework regime in place and things happened gracefully tonight - despite Miranda having fairly acute teething anxiety!

Basking in the sunset at Calshot is one of my favourite themes...

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Eat up!

She's supposed to be eating her cake, but has taken to feeding the organ grinder instead, which naturally she thinks is very funny!

Monday, January 15, 2007

Smile

One of those "butter wouldn't melt......" moments as little Miranda starts to get excited about the prospect of a little playtime after lunch. She's getting quite good with her buggy now, we managed about 10 complete circuits of the living room before she fell down today! She'll be out on the street soon....!

Sunday, January 14, 2007

In the bleak midwinter...

The middle of January, and who'd have thought we would have weather like this? It was a glorious morning so we walked from Beaulieu Road Station over to Denny Wood, played on "the Dragon" for a while and then headed back to the Beaulieu Road Inn for lunch. Simple peasant fare washed down with beer, who could ask for more...

Saturday, January 13, 2007

Greg strikes

This shot was taken by Gregory at teatime, and shows the scribe in unusually humorous mood! What's not showing in the frame of course the Rum Punch, the elixir of life (depleted)

Friday, January 12, 2007

Mucky Miranda...

Finger food in our kitchen tonight, with Miranda wearing an off the shoulder Broccoli number with matching Bib! If you're wondering how her hair has so much body, now you'll know the answer...

Thursday, January 11, 2007

That looks like good fun!


There was much squealing and wailing after tea time tonight as Miranda pushed Greg around in the Lunar Buggy. It needed to have Greg's weight inside it, otherwise she would have fallen over.... Now she knows what to do, and we can't seem to stop her toddling along!

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Going for it!

It's considerably easier to show things being done, than not being done! Here's Mrs Mippy trying to walk away from the kitchen sink duties, and then remembering that she can't quite make it to the other side of the room.....without crawling!

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Still waiting for liftoff!

We are very close to those first few steps, but despite lots of effort and encouragement from the boys, she's quite determined to keep us guessing. Lewis reckoned he saw a wobbled balance and step, and we have lots of scooting around perimeters, but as yet nothing that needs outdoor shoes.

Books are something she's very keen on, and none of those babbyish ones with thick pages - what she like is small regular books, and she sits turning the pages delicately. It seems to matter not whether it's a Spanish English dictionary or Fireman Sam, it gets the same attention.

Monday, January 08, 2007

He's Warped...

A slightly unusual take on Gregory at Calshot with those lovely beach huts behind...! Half the fun of photography takes place in the darkroom, or the Lightroom as it's now called!

Sunday, January 07, 2007

Write that's your lot!

Greg is making very good progress with his reading and writing at the moment. Fortunately coinciding with Mrs Mippy being a little more independent, as it's surprising how much time it takes to sit down next to him and get those words and letters formed in an orderly manner! Not only is he enjoying writing but he's doing alright with his Flash cards and reading from some of Miranda's books too. Now we have to fed the fire!

Saturday, January 06, 2007

Dreamer Boy!

This photomontage of Gregory reflects the madcap monkey that he is, part dreamer and part clown. His expressions range the full gamut of human emotion, and I don't think I have ever felt the need to make an image that wasn't already there for him. However this one, created in a moment of idleness (before yesterday's picture) is a winner.

Friday, January 05, 2007

Riding the wave!

Lewis and I have been having a bit of bit fun with Photoshop, and this is one of our portraits. Don't worry there wasn't a tornado over the Solent!

I feel a bit of a new theme coming on.... watch this space!

Thursday, January 04, 2007

Random Abstract

Continuing the "names" theme a while, this picture was created via the images online at Flickr http://flickr.com/photos/jonbrown/ and courtesy of http://metaatem.net/words

Check it out - it's a fun tool!

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Spooky

This one from our recent visit to the Science Museum as I've been stuck in my office all day long, trying to get back into work mode... I love the multi layering in this picture, the combination of mysteriousness and those mice and the greeny tint to the picture gives it a spooky edge!

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

What's in a name?

Lewis "I Maxwell" Brown on the left taken at the Science Museum a few days ago, contrasted with Gregory "Sea More" Brown at the Aquarium in Bournemouth over Chrsitmas.

We are still looking for Jane....

Monday, January 01, 2007

Roll in the New

First shot of the year, and start as we mean to go on..... It's Calshot and we're on the beach again in the glorious sunshine. We had a nice walk all the way along the beach and up to the Power Station, where it was blissfully quiet. The boys threw stones to make patterns in the water and even tried to make a pair of water skies!