Vive La France!

Yes indeed, Vive la France, Vive Chabal... Sorry Auntie Helen that Wales got trashed yesterday at the 6 nations. It was fun to watch the game en France. xoxo. Louis

Mes parents d'Amouuuur...

Who cares about Rugby?

Thanks Uncle Adam and Auntie Helen for letting me sleep on your very comfortable rug, I know Wales was playing rugby but it was just all too much for me...

Yummy Mummy redefined

Before I knew how to spell “motherhood”, I had a picture in my mind of what being a yummy mummy would be like. Hell, I even read the Yummy Mummy’s Survival Guide by Liz Fraser whilst pregnant, which I found rather entertaining.
The truth is now that I am “living the dream”, let’s just say that my standards of what defines a Yummy Mummy have dramatically dropped.
So Ladies… here is a quick test to see whether you qualify for the CYMC (Coveted Yummy Mummy Club). If you can identify with at least 2 of the following statements, then congratulations, you’re in!

1. Your push chair costs the price of a small car and is due an MOT after 6 months (I am NOT joking)
2. You carry a baby changing bag that doesn’t look like one, nor clashes with your clothes/coat/pram
3. You did try to cram the contents of your changing bag into your pride and joy designer handbag, then realised baby poo and Fendi don’t agree – but hey the thought was there!
4. You can actually remember which day you last washed your hair this week
5. You had your colour and cut done less than 3 months ago
6. Ditto for your pedicure
7. You have mastered the art of painting your nails WHILST driving (that’s for you, Jules!)
8. You can fit in your pre-pregnancy jeans
9. You can fit in your pre-pregnancy skinny jeans (triple Bonus Points here - just hide muffin top with baggy tops)
10. You can do your make up in 90 seconds flat
11. You can do your make up with 4 or less cosmetic items
12. You wear earrings most days
13. You wear MATCHING earrings most days (triple Bonus Points)
14. You still find the time to watch your pre-baby favourite TV shows (Lost/Gossip Girl/Lipstick jungle/Spooks – delete as appropriate), albeit in 10-minute stretches and at the most random hours. Thank God for V+!
15. You have gone out shopping and actually purchased something for YOU, not Bongo – no matter how unrealistic a buy it was (yeah, that silk top from Zara isn’t going to cut it with a 4 months old who’s started to dribble for England and France together!)

Go on then… what was your score?

The Solid Circus is in town

Well, our Louis is now eating solids. We started last Sunday with plain baby rice, which he wasn't too keen on. Then auntie Julie came to visit and made us try cousin Arthur's fruity baby rice and... magic, Louis looooved it. So now we mix all sorts of fruits with it in the morning, then around 4:30pm, he has a puree of vegetables. Mummy spent 2 hours on Thursday steaming all sorts, and so we have a fabulous apple-pear-blueberry combo, as well as a delectable courgette/butternut squash and carrot/parsnip on the menu.
After a couple of meals, Louis found out how fun it is to blow raspberries with his mouth full so I can now fully appreciate why our friend Melissa (who's little one is 9 months old) calls it the Solid Circus!

A la recherche de la courge musquée

Et bin, depuis une semaine, notre Louis mange de la bouillie pour bébé à base de riz le matin, mélangée avec une compote de fruits; et vers 16h, il mange une purée de légumes. Hhmmm... et moi, je me suis tapée 2 heures de cuisine à la vapeur jeudi après-midi. Résultats?
Purée pomme-poire-myrtille
Purée carotte-panais
Purée courgette, courge musquée

Ahahaaaaa… je vous entends déjà. Courge QUOI ??
Et bien oui ici tous les bébés se développent le palais sur de la courge musquée (butternut squash) alors je vous illumine : Courge Butternut dite musquée - Variété américaine, assez tardive, fruits cylindriques, terminés par un renflement plus ou moins prononcé. Chair jaune orangée, ferme et tendre à la fois, ils ont un goût musqué qui font de cette variété une des plus savoureuse, surtout en purée, gratins, ou même crus à la vinaigrette.
Vous aurez appris quelque chose aujourd’hui !

Bernard le renard

Ce matin nous avions un invite pour le petit dejeuner...

4 mois déjà

Louis a 4 mois aujourd'hui et depuis hier, il attrape ses pieds, ce qui veut dire qu'il passe maintenant ses journées à faire ca donc c'était pas trop difficile de l'immortaliser en vidéo avant le bain hier soir...
Louis is 4 months today and has just learned to grab his feet so it is now pretty much all he does all day; it wasn't hard to capture it...

Let it snow...

Well today was a very special day. Overnight, we had 8 inches of snow - the most snow London has seen in 18 years, according to the BBC - and it kept falling pretty much all day. All transport got cancelled, which meant most people couldn't get to work and so we went to the park with Grandma and Grandad and Bertie the dog, then had a lovely pub lunch. I hope it snows again tonight!!

Aujourd'hui c'etait magique: pendant la nuit nous avons eu plus de 20cm de neige, un record inegale a Londres depuis 18 ans! Donc pas de transport, Jon est reste a la maison et moi j'ai pris Loulou et on est alle se promener dans le parc et ensuite on a mange dans un pub avec les parents de Jon et nos amis Adam, Helen et la petite Ella.

Who Let the Dads Out?

Well actually, a cool dude called Mark Chester, who decided that dads should have a chance to meet up at an all-dad playgroup on saturdays. His idea has now flourished and there are WLTDO meetings across the country. Check out the website (http://wholetthedadsout.org/). I am hoping Jon will try out the one in Teddington!

Cheese, Sausages!!!!!!!!!

Cousin Toby

Louis a un petit cousin, Toby, qui a maintenant 2 semaines et que nous avons été voir ce week end.
Louis has a new cousin - Toby, born 12/01 - and we went to meet the little one this week end and took loads of photos!

Louis with Uncle Jimbo:

Cousin Thomas and his beloved tractor:

The Three Boys Together