The Red Sea

blog out

Sorry to my blog readers for missing the whole of november, this is not like my mummy at all, but she is trying to update it now. Her excuse is that she was very poorly after our holiday in Eygpt (she had almost a week off work sick in bed) and has not been able to face looking at the photos, let alone re-living the trip by blogging about it.
The holiday in sharm was lovely with beautiful sunshine and blue sky every day. I enjoyed myself immensely and my usual day was as follows: up early, cheerios, dancing around the room, second breakfast of croissants by the pool, swimming and doing laps around the pool, sliding down the water slide, lunch, short nap, down to the beach to play in the sand and jump on waves, made some sand pies, then back to the room for dinner bath and bed (with a canape interlude). Phew! Mummy and Daddy had a rest from following me around during the 'short nap' period. My favourite bit was on the slide when Daddy pushed me down at the top and Mummy caught me at the bottom. This game could be played for hours.
Anyway, a couple of photos should follow this of us on holiday at the Hyatt Regency in Sharm el Sheik, if Mummy can face it.

My Great Granny Rogers

I went to vist my mummy's grandma in Cambridge. She is 90 years older than me so she knows a thing or two about stuff. Mummy and I took the train from Kings Cross which was very exciting, I mostly relaxed on the seats occasionally looking out of the window to spot a cow or sheeps.
Gt Granny Rogers met us at the station and then we walked back to where she lives. I played in her flat and watched a naughty squirrel come and eat the seeds she had put out for the birds. Gt Granny Rogers let me have a cadburys chocolate finger which was so yummy and went everywhere.
As we left I had a long look in the goldfish pond and we were lucky to make our train. Who picked us in London, well Daddy of course in his big shiny car.

Suffolk

The Aldeburgh Seaside, Suffolk

Whilst in Suffolk we went for a trip to the pretty seaside town of Aldeburgh armed with my small sailboat. All the fresh air that we breathed for the 20 minute journey there made us starving and the first thing we did on arriving was queue for some freshly fried fish and chips.


The Aldeburgh chippie is a stone's throw or a quick-2-year-old bolt away from the beach itself. There was a significant queue but it moved quickly and in no time we were choosing between large cod/med haddock or large cod/large haddock. We sat and ate our delicious lunch on the pebbles in the warm October sunshine. You'll be pleased to know that I ate a good share of Mummy's haddock even tho I was sharing an extra large cod with Daddy. The fish was perfectly cooked, firm not soggy and not at all fishy in taste with a crisp light batter and rested on chips which were thickly cut and very potato-y.

Later I sailed my sailboat on the little pond and we all went to the Aldeburgh farmer's market to see Grandpa's honey on sale. It was proudly displayed on the counter next to the till however there was not time to look around properly as I'd decided I was tired and it was time for a major cry/wail/square mouth session.

I had a good nap as we went back to Sudbourne and perked up enough for a game of croquet on the lawn.

Some of the weekend was spent foraging: I collected sloes, wild plums and crab apples from the surrounding hedge rows.
I also enjoyed a round of croquet and a spot of hammock relaxing. I have included a link to the rules of Oxford croquet and point out rule no 4 to the aunties and uncles. http://www.oxfordcroquet.com/coach/synopsis/index.asp

The aunt 'n uncle gang went for a cycle ride to Orford.

Uncle Jack got stung on his head by one of the infamous bees. In case you don't know, Grandpa keeps bees at the end of the garden. This held up the match for 10 minutes or so but Uncle Jack was not going to be stopped by a little old bee.

little pumpkin

Grandpa bought this pumpkin especially for me. The plan was for Mummy and Daddy to take it home but it wouldnt fit in the car. It took 2 people and a wheelbarrow to get it back to the cottage so after all that effort the least I could do was pose for a photo.

shrooming in Captains Wood

The next morning Mummy, Maggie and I went looking for wild mushrooms. It was lovely weather, warm and sunny. Peter, with his brown felt hat and stout stick looked a likely mushroom expert which he said he was, and he set off at a pace that was tricky for me (a 2yr old in purple butterfly wellies) to keep up with. I spent most of the hour and half walk being carried by Mummy and I decided to let 'Baggy' carry me a few times too. Mummy wished she had a backpack to carry me. Baggy wished she had brought a mushroom guidebook.

After much funghi later, we all knew which were poisonous (an excellent specimen of a death cap was discovered but one keen picker), but were sketchy on 'good' ones. Mummy decided to stick to waitrose own brand. Mummy and Baggy agreed the group was too large and too weird to carry on so we headed back spotting a group of 50 deer along the way. I relaxed fully and fell asleep on Mummy's shoulder (what a treat) and she was quite crippled by the time we reached the cottage.

See this site for the wild mushroom picker code of conduct http://www.britmycolsoc.org.uk/files/Pickers_code.pdf

Orford Ness

I went with Mummy and Daddy to visit Grandpa in Suffolk. We drove up the M11 in pouring rain and it took all afternoon. I cried when the rain drops came down on the windows in menacing way, I guess because the noise was incredibly loud.

We arrived at the Ness around 5pm by which time the sun was out. We looked at the spot where Grandpa operated the Orford Ness ferry in the summer. I jumped in some puddles. Then I tightrope walked around the edge of the pier and examined the murky cold-looking water below. Mummy was worried I'd topple in but Daddy said I wasnt stupid - which I am not. Daddy gathered pebbles for me to throw in the water to make big splashes. We got quite cold with the east wind and headed on to Sudbourne for a roast chicken dinner.

a reminder of me when I was new and it was taken on 29 september 2004:

more birthday pictures

Me and Grandma

Me and Daddy

The next day

I had a moutain of presents to open and made a good start bright and early (6.45). One of the best things was some farm yard wrapping paper and I named all the animals before ripping the paper off.
After that I jumped on the bed and on mummy.

Later that day Daddy's family came to celebrate and we went to the pub. Everyone bought me a present. Grandma had got me a till which beeps and has real money and a credit card. I've decided I love roast beef and yorkshire pudding, this is my special 'happy' yorkshire pud and gravy face. I enjoyed it so much that Uncle Hamish gave me some of his - him giving tasty food away from his plate is almost unknown. (Infact Daddy & Mummy say they have NEVER seen it happen before in the 8 years they have known him. I think this is because I am very cute and get away with stuff.)

This is my mummy and I am giving her a really big hug. My tummy is full and I am being loving.

I am 2

I turned two over the weekend and my parents threw me a party and indulged me pretty much the entire weekend. You should see the mountain of toys - its great! Mummy was rather frazzled after 16 of my friends had eaten, drunk and played to their fill.

All the balloons were popped within 30 mins of the start and alot of bread was chewed. It was emotional at one point with all my friends around singing and celebrating with me so I decided to have a little cry.

The Hannafords in Surb

I spent another warm september afternoon playing in the garden of the Hannafords. They were very nice to me, Marguerite gave me a stripey lolly and Gabe pushed me around the garden in his car. It look quite a long time to get there but it was worth especially when Rolo and friends appeared (the guinea pigs).
After we left Surbiton we went to the Thames Festival. This is me and Daddyjumping in front of St Pauls and then looking supercool on the wobbly bridge with London bridge in the background. I loved pushing my little buggy over the wobbly bridge and trying to knock tourists' ankles. At the festival I watched swing dancing, bubbles, and a small dog.

hampstead in september

The past weekend was beautiful with warm sunshine and dry summer smells everywhere. After going to Mimi's party I went for a run on Hampstead Heath with my pink buggy. By the way I got Mimi this really cool baby mermaid set with combs and flowers and everything. It was specially for big girls cause Mimi turned 4.

Anyway, I made it to the top of Parliament Hill and you can see me and Daddy with the London skyline behind us - it was the clearest I'd ever seen it (with maybe the exeption of Christmas Day 2005) in the background you can make out the gerkin and the barbican towers.




I then stood and watched the kite flyers and pranced around to avoid having my photo taken. Don't you think I have the most wonderful eyelashes you ever saw?

edinburgh festival

Hi, I went to the literary and tv festival in Edinburgh a few weeks ago. And then spent 24 hours in Glasgow partying. In Edinburgh I had a great time, played on a trampoline, then on the swings and slide, then on the climbing frame - all of which were in the garden of my friends' house. I loved running all over their house too; thanks Florence, Rosie and Isabella! We went to see the Gruffalo play together which I enjoyed a lot, especially the Sharing a Shell story and the Gruffalo in the woods. I got a bit confident and went right to the front, but then a really scary dinosaur appeared and I ran fast into mummy's arms. I was a bit of scaredi cat.
Glasgow was fun as I met some very big dogs (wheaten terriers) and stayed in a boutique hotel. I liked jumping on the bed at One Devonshire Grds very much indeed.

mummy's birthday

This is one of the pink fairy cakes that she made for her party. I helped eat them and I opened her presents.

Me & Charlie

This is me and Charlie playing, first on my red bike and then dancing

having fun in the central park playground @ 96th

Daddy and Jameson went for a run around Central Park and mummy and me played on the climbing frame in the park with some new yorker toddlers. I loved going down the slide (and got really hot as it was 94 degrees anyway, and I loved turning a big wheel to make an awful screeching sound.

it wouldnt be a holiday

without a picture of me eating spagetti bolognese

this venue was on main street in Canandaigua, Eddie's Bar & Grill

Loon Lake

We finished off the holiday with Becca & Mike's wedding at Becca's Aunt's house on Loon Lake. Here I am looking gorgeous with my eye on Mummy's margarita cocktail and here is Mummy and Daddy looking tanned and relaxed.

more photos of the lake
holiday

On Lake Canandaigua

After NYC we flew north west to the fingerlakes and had a very sweet apartment overlooking the biggest lake. Nearby there was a small sandy beach where I liked to play every morning. I was still getting up really early which was great because we were on the beach by 8.30am. Mummy and Daddy looked a bit weary but nevermind!

Niagara Falls

We went to Canada for the day to the Falls and I went on the journey behind the falls and I went on the Maid of the Mist. I didnt think much of the last one as it was a bit scary with all the water roaring and pounding around. I pretended to be asleep on Mummy's shoulder.