Ishy!

When we go to the park, and have done the swings and the slide Miranda usually says "ishy, ishy!" which I have now come to recognise as the rocking fish. So as I've been in London all day, here she is from last week giving ishy a work out...

Tonight Gregory read "Little Beaver and the little Echo" to me for bedtime story - what a champion reader that boy is turning out to be. He takes some very big words in his stride, although often gets his b's and d's mixed up - which naturally remind you just how primitive his skills still are at present...

Noddy's sixpences!

Tonight we had a Noddy story for bedtime read. It had some very big words for a little boy to tackle, but Greg read the story beautifully. He's mission focussed, and I can't get over how much progress you can achieve at times, and conversely....

Lewis too has been making a lot of effort it has to be said, writing a nice piece about Shackleton's boat The Endurance tonight. He's got his sights set on an OA, but slightly dejectedly he came up to me and said "I've made a few mistakes, ..I probably won't get an OA"

Fruit bat

Devouring orange at lunchtime, I had to call it a day at four!! Oranges that is not photos... She certainly loves fruit, and still goes hunting in the undergrowth for blackberries when we're out walking.

Time :: Capsule

Since we're on a nostalgia trip, this is one from my neg archive that I found looking for pictures of the Isle of Skye. This was Caroline's first camping trip with me (with anyone I think?) from the days when she'd do anything for me. We camped in the foothills of the Cuillin mountains on Skye, and the wind was howling.

The tent we'd borrowed from my brother Chris. I think we had to tie the tent to the car for fear of it blowing away....

Hey them were the days....

If I could save time in a bottle....

Could almost be our clan at Llantephan, but it is in fact the other Brown Clan from about 35 years ago. (This is me, Chris and Joanna)

There's a marvelously iconic feel to this image, which I guess must have been shot on transparency film. The file has newly been scanned by Chrispy Strudel, who's still looking for excuses to use his new Coolscan. Notice how the emulsion is degrading if you look closely.

Tonight we've been down to Barry and Janis' for a bonfire and fireworks. It's been a fantastic day again, and tonight it was quite warm despite being dark and November.

Peek a Boo to you too!

Hiding from me as I stalk her with my camera, Mrs Mippy is no match for my superior hunting skills.

One day when I am older I shall remember this as one of the halcyon days, although in fact it was merely a shard of time when the spark ignited a reaction.

Photography, don't you just love it!

Mippy's Truckstop

Today Greg is helping me write the blog.....

Miranda is playing with Lewis' pick up truck on Mum and Dad's bed, and she's looking very cheeky today. Dad took this photo at lunchtime when I was in school. Today I had lessons with Mrs Broderick, and she taught us all about being friends with other people, and being nice to other people...

I'm enjoying school and singing is my favourite activity!

Tonight I've just been reading Gregory Ghostgum for Dad

Love from Greg

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?