What goes around...

OK so it's a little similar to one posted a number of weeks ago, but there's a reason. It being Halloween, and this year it marks our 20th Anniversary, since that liaison in a darkened lane somewhere near Guildford.

Tonight we had four course dinner with the boys (Mippy unfortunately was in a terrible state so we got her OTB much earlier) and reflected on all the things we've got right over the years.

We also had a game of top trumps which Gregory seemed to be rather good at - it's normally Lewis' forte, but Greg has obviously been paying close attention!

Healthy dinners

We were having a laugh at Breakfast time about a middle aged couple I'd seen when I was out at Lakeside last week. Her to him, "What do you fancy for your tea? ...Fish Fingers?" Him, sad look of dispair, which she took for yes, but we all knew meant NO!

So this is Lewis tucking into his Spinach and Ricotta canelloni with carrot and red cabbage salad.... !

Cut & Carve

This should have been yesterday's picture, but I'd forgotten that I'd taken any pictures....zzzz! This was the pumpkin that Barry and Simon and the gang grew, and kindly gave us.

Lewis carved it with help from Greg and Miranda, and then made it's innards into Pumpkin Gnocchi with a Roasted Pumpkin seed starter! The gnocchi I have to say was particularly fine.

Lazy Sunday afternoon

It's been very gray here today, wet and miserable. So we've done mainly Lego and pumpkin carving and that sort of thing. I was supposed to take photos of the various things we'd made but as it's time for bed (and having had a six o clock start on a Sunday) I'm happy to settle for this one taken at Portland a few weeks ago.

Interconnecting spaces

It may look like a scene of total devastation, but it's just bliss for the Brown Clan. Lego smeared evenly over the floor of the study, and an almost endless source of amusement.

Vignette

Me and Mrs Mippy sandwiched together. Tonight she was most distraught, and not sure if it was because she was a shade off colour, or because she'd been excluded from playing Lego.

Any how I liked last night's montage and thought these two worked well together - up//down strangeness//charm

Answers on a postcard please....

Hello Sailor!

Frames no dst2092 and 3 respectively, as Greg gets his portrait taken at teatime, and then gloats as he realises that his tattoo is on display! They have been to the Library today for some sort of activity/event, and this is just before bathtime and the end of the experience!

A piece of Cake

Lewis was busy with his Lego again today, and wanted his picture taken with his creation when I got home. He's dreaming camper vans and boat trailors, so what does that tell you about Half Term?

Read his story here

Watch out Jamie....

At lunchtime Lewis was poring over a cookery book. After several run through the ingredient lists, he announced "I've found one that we can make.... as long as Daddy will give us some of his Cider!"

My interest rose, the cake in the book did indeed look nice....

I wasn't expecting it to look quite as good as this when made, and boy did it taste good, but I should also point out that he made and cooked it mainly on his own (with a bit of help from Mum.

Rose tinted spectacle

This one from the weekend, it's such a cracking view of Lepe that it deserves better than to sit in the out-takes folder.

The kids almost look arranged, but this one was as I found it, and fractions of a second later they were off to do something different.

Here we go round the Mulberry Bush

A lovely sunny day, so we had a long walk from Yew Tree Heath, via Ferny Crofts over to Pigbush, and then on to Denny Wood before having lunch (here).

This is one of my favourite oak trees. What the motley crew are doing I am not sure, but they are not looking at the camera!

Don't come any closer!

Kids and stones and water. A classic combination!

When we were on holiday Greg threw a large stone up in the air which came down on his head. Naturally we laughed, before rushing to attend to his bruise, but he does not seem to have learned. They love throwing stones and the m,ore dangerous it looks the more fun they have - best not worry eh!

Last of the Summer Whine

I expect this will be almost the last "chippies on the beach" for a Friday night. It's getting dark pretty early and the clocks must be going back soon! The sunset was lush at Lepe and we had a nice walk down towards Gull Island. A man set off in his canoe with fishing rods as we passed, and it looked like bliss....

After sunset he was still there drifting along the Solent, but it as nearly time for home. Lewis asked me why it was still light if the sun had gone down, and it reminded me of the moment at school when I realised that planets going around the sun had a certain similarity to the electrons we'd been discussing going around the nucleus....

Is there life on Mars?

I look up to my Dad!

It may look like he's laying on his chest, but he's squinting slightly as his gaze is upwards! And what rugged looks he has, when his face is taught!

So maybe I've found the ideal portrait format - lean against a wall look upwards on an autumnal day - must patent it.

Sunshine

As I've been out all day in Birmingham, I'm posting a portrait from our summer hols of Greg. A bit of sunshine at the end of the day is just what I need.

Practice makes perfect..

I've been out all day today, so new pictures, and this is an out take from a few days ago. Just notice Lewis' confidence with a rolling pin, and Miranda's confidence in front of the lens (draw your own conclusions!)

Lewis was my champion in school today, as he got all his spellings right (traffic, capital, specific, library, national, sensational, occasional)

Mr Soup-a-sonica

Greg giving our soup a good stirring! I'm confident that one day we'll have our own restaurant and we'll make it a family affair. I might be able to stretch my hand to a little silver service and sommelier duties, but the kitchen will be staffed by "the clan"

The bigger Picture

Greg has been making astonishing progress with his reading of late. This morning at breakfast time he managed "Sentinel Vintage Lorry" with barely any help. It's quite exciting at the moment with Mippy learning to talk and Greg really showing an interest in learning.

In with both pairs of hands

Miranda getting a little practical assistance from Lewis in the cake making Department. Last night when I came downstairs from putting Greg to bed, I asked him what he was doing (expecting him to be reading his story book) and he announced he was reading recipes, that he was planning to cook!

Tonight we've been to the beach, and although it was dark early, it was lovely and quiet with hardly a whiff of breeze. We had a picnic of homemade mushroom and horsechestnut burgers with chips and a rather tasty pumpkin pie with pecans.

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Woof Woof

The light was very harsh when I took this picture of Mippy today, after a painting session in the kitchen with the boys. Clearly Miranda has taken my hints about using a paint brush quite seriously, although I'm not sure about using paint as make up!

We had a call from Gran earlier, asking if we'd received the comment she'd not managed to leave on the blog... no Gran we didn't, but do try again. As Lewis will tell you - practice makes prefect!

Partners in Cwime

Miranda's begining to exploit her charm on the boys, and they easily fall it. She likes to hold their hand walking down the street, and act it up. She's most fond of strolling with Lewis, but this was just after I intercepted her and Greg, marching and laughing along with each other!

Concentration

Lewis resplendent in his Wales rugby shirt, as he practices his ball control skills. He used to be rather clumsy with a ball, when he was younger, but he's getting much more co-ordinated these days!

It's been very wet here today, with those big heavy rain drops cascading down. This evening though it was beautiful, and we had a walk alomng Shore Road, and just as we got there Braemar came out coated with a glowing orange sunset - compared to all the big boats this one is a real gem

Monkey Mipp at tea time!

Today I'm testing the video capability of my blog. This was recorded at tea time today with my old Nikon point and shoot - so there's no sound on this. However I'm rather amused by this very simply edited sequence, which records Miranda in suitably upbeat mood. I'm going to do a sequence with Caroline tomorrow - that will be fun!

I'd be interested to know how this downloads - if anyone can let me know...

ps this was edited using SimpleMovieX for Mac

Surf duders!

Another first for Miranda today, as we spent the day at Portland canoeing. Unfortunately the camera stayed in the car, so this is a record shot as we got back to the car, after a tiring session. Miranda just wouldn't look at the camera, and I wondered "What exactly am I trying to do here?" - and not for the first time! Lewis making good progress on his own now too, so it's all worth the effort.

She really enjoyed herself and could be heard squealing with delight from up on top of Chesil Beach.

We stopped in at Weymouth for a stroll on the beach and chips and beer, and watched the fishermen unloading their catches. They had some enormous crabs and sack loads of whelks

Handfulls

If there's a moment that defines Mippy's late summer/ early autumn it's this one. Taken today whilst we were out in the forest Miranda it would appear is still obsessed by Blackberries - and we're not talking "oh there's a juicy blackberry, I must have one!" - it's much more than that!

Blackberries are now well and truly past their best, but she hoovers them up as though they were aphrodisiacs. She clearly loves eating them, and her little face lights up as she captures them. Her hands and face, stained red with the juice!

Miranda would appear to be following in her brother's footsteps as lunchtime today she helped Mummy to make some cheese scones for our lunch. I wonder if she'll be as useful with a paintbrush?

Tonight we've been down to Lepe, and it was a superb sunset, one of the best we've seen in ages. The sun over Gull Island and looking towards Lymington marshes was a fantastic blue and orange spectacle.

It's groovy man!

Today in my email I received a piece of music from my old pal Dorrien Davies, so I'm going to share it with you all - however you'll need a Windows Media Player to listen to it. It's called the Brown Blues and is dedicated to my boys and girls! Check out Dorrien's blog here

Take me for a spin

Greg taken yesterday with my favourite portrait lens - the Nikkor 35mm f2

I could shoot hundreds of frames with this lens and never get bored with having to focus the lens. Deleting the outakes and seeing the ones I have missed by failing to focus at the required time is a different disappointment. This is what it's all about - catching a moment in time.

Big news of the day I almost forgot was.... Miranda had her first wee on the big boys lavatory!!! She looked most satisfied when I noticed the sound and gave me a big smile - handclaps all round!

Plucky

This captures some of Mrs Mippy's mischievous charm, that combination of cheekiness and self confidence that emerges as personality.

Today I came out of my office at lunchtime and she pretended to hide in the bookcase. It's a game we often play walking down the street, but she obviously didn't realise that she was doing it back to front, ....so her face was hidden with her body exposed! Would have made a great video sequence as the laugh at the end was a uproarious!!

Posting letters at lunchtime

After lunch we normally have a walk or bike ride down the road, and today it was down to the postbox to post some letters. She seems to have a blue tongue, which is normally a reflection of a blackberry moment, although I don't recall her finding any today on our stroll - they are in the main past it.

Miranda wasn't too keen on popping the letters in the postbox, she wanted to keep them, however Big Bad Daddy soon despatched them!

What did you do in school today Greg?

Greg was very excited tonight, wanting to tell me that he scored twice in netball! Sometimes it's hard to get him to open up, but other times he can hardly wait until bedtime to give me the news...

He seems to be enjoying himself with his learning at the moment, taking lots of interest in his writing, his reading and his pronunciation. Keep it up chappie!