Elly drawing

Elly the musician

Elly learns that Xylophones are for music and crayons are for pictures

Outside Elly's window

Fun in the snow

Merry Christmas

and a Happy New Year.

Love from us.

xxx

Waiting in the queue for Santa

Sunset at the Tate Modern

Elly cruising to the fridge

Look who's close to walking by herself!

Look what Mummy made

Not me....the hat! Mummy did a crochet course recently and has been having some fun with what she can now do!

Look what I made

Elly celebrated her birthday with her UK friends today (somewhat
belated) and I made her a Dolly Varden (or for some, a Barbie) cake.

She had a lovely day and more photos will follow.

Having a swinging good time!

Cheeky!

Hospital incident #3

This is now my third rollerblading incident.

The first two were in Australia a long long time ago (ie. before getting married). The first was a literal head-on collision with a fellow skater, breaking my cheek bone, and the second was a manhole cover that caused an abrupt stop and a ripped-up elbow. And each time we skated off to Melbourne's finest trauma hospital, the Alfred Hospital for a patchup. We were hard-core back then.

But now I'm older, though apparently not wiser. Should I still be doing this?

Friday night and I was out skating with the London Friday Night Skate team. Perhaps 10 meters short of the final junction I took the right side of the road to get to the front of the stationary traffic. Not sure how, but I ended up on the median strip where little round stones are embedded in the concrete. I landed on my right arm and one of the stones opened up a fairly big hole, perhaps the size of a 50 pence (or 50 cent) piece. Couldn't really see the wound that well due to the angle, but I could see underlying muscle... and blood, though not that much (dripping rather than spurting)

Hmmm... time for hospital and stitches again. Damn.

Our first aid team decided that I wasn't worth cleaning up, and did a fantastic job of wrapping me up instead. They (rightly) refused to let me skate to St Thomas' hospital, and got me into a reluctant taxi instead - for some reason he didn't want blood everywhere. Neither did I - I also preferred it to stay inside me.

Seven hours of NHS sponsored waiting later and I emerged - 9 stitches and an armful of bandage. Whilst on the 5:30am train home, I realised the really painful part was still yet to come - explaining it to Elly that daddy can't lift her or bathe her. And explaining to mummy just how dangerous skating can be...

Having lunch at the Teddy Bear's picnic

In the play pool

It's 30 degrees outside and Elly loves her play pool.

Waiting for the train with Daddy

Playing in the park

Happy Father's Day

Father's day in the UK is in June - that means Steve will be celebrating the Aussie Father's Day while we're in Oz.

There are Wombles on Wimbledon Common

After seven years of searching we finally found a Womble on Wimbledon Common.

Uncle Bulgaria (pictured with Elly and Steve) came out of his hole for the annual Wimbledon Village summer fair this year. Naturally we had to stop and grab a photo.

...having a ball

Having fun at Gymboree

Glastonbury

It was May Bank Holiday weekend and we packed up the family (our first trip) and headed off to the West Country to check out the home of everything new age, the heart of mystical Britain and where unicorns abound - Glastonbury.

In the middle of town there is an oasis of green hidden behind medieval gates - Glastonbury Abbey; now only ruins, the grounds were alive with tourists from all over the world wandering through amazing structures that merely hint at the grandeur that used to create awe and inspire people throughout hundreds of years.


Also on the grounds, though destroyed/mislaid during the dissolution of the Abbey, the reputed graves of King Arthur and Queen Gwenhwyfar.


Also in Glastonbury, on the way to the Tor is Chalice Well - a small garden paradise that surrounds an ancient well - we drank deep of the cool waters (it was a warm day) and bathed our feet in the healing pool.

And finally the Tor - we staggered up to the bottom of the Tor - there was no pram access, so we had to take turns climbing it. It's a long way up.

But we made it...

...and what a view!

On Glastonbury Tor...

...in a field of buttercups.
And wearing a cape...

Elly's new travel cot/tent???

We bought a new travel cot for Elly that looks a little like a tent - very cool and very comfortable! Though not sound-proof.

Pub meal

Elly enjoyed a lovely pub meal at The Star Inn (near Newbury) on the way to Somerset.

...the best baby in the world

Probably?