Monday, May 28, 2012

2012: Week 21

At last Spring has arrived. #nofilter by MAStapleton
At last Spring has arrived. #nofilter, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.


It has been, it has to be said, a most rubbish spring. Rain, more rain, and then when we thought we couldn't take it any more, more rain. 


I took this picture in Greenwich Park on my way to Thing 2's sports day. It was an absolutely glorious day. I even got sunburned and was even, dare I say it-- hot. Needless to say, the rain resumed just in time for Jubilee weekend. What are you going to do. We just got on with it, regardless of the rain.


When I took the picture, I didn't realizse that I had lined up the sun and the bloom. I only saw that once I got home and downloaded the picture to my computer. For those of you who don't know what the #nofilter hashtag means, that's just a fancy way of saying, "I didn't monkey with this picture at all to make it look like this." 

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Happy Birthday Thing 2!

Happy 9th Birthday Thing Two!

Another year has passed, and it's another milestone. This one is the last single-digit birthday he'll ever have. Time flies when you're having fun.

Just as I do every year, I went back to see what I wrote about Thing Two a year ago, to see how much has changed, and how much  has stayed the same.

The more things change:
1. We went through a huge "Tudor phase" this year, such is the pitfalls of living in England, and particularly in Greenwich, the birthplace of King Henry VIII. We visited Hampton Court Palace twice and the Tower of London, all within six weeks. I'm proud to say that I can now name all of Henry's wives and what happened to them. (Divorced, beheaded, died. Divorced, beheaded, survived.)
2. He certainly has learned how to travel and get around. The other night, when I asked him how he would get from Heathrow to home by himself, he said, "I'd hire a taxi." Well done.
3. His sense of humour and sarcasm is extremely robust. The other afternoon, we walked past a young child whose balloon had just popped. Apropos of nothing, he said, "The balloon popped. And so did someone's happiness."
4. He's becoming a more adventurous eater. The other day he wanted to try sushi, "Just to try something different," he said. (In the end, he opted for the safer option: The sausage sandwich.)

The more they stay the same:
1. He is still, and will probably be forevermore, Mr. Movie.
2. He is still, I'm very happy to report, Mr. Math.
3. He still loves to help me in the kitchen when I'm cooking. Even better, he now occasionally wants to cook for everyone. Happy days.
4. Green is still his favourite colour, tigers are his favourite animal, and Arsenal is his favourite team.
5. His tenacity in trying to get better at the things he can't do is pretty impressive. He's not enthusiastic about it all the time, but at least he gives it a go.

Happy Birthday Thing 2. May you have many more.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

2012: Week 20

Happy 9th Birthday Thing 2!

Monday, May 14, 2012

2012: Week 19

2012: Week 19 by MAStapleton
2012: Week 19, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.
A view from Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight.

Sure the Bank Holiday weekend was wet, grey and miserable-- like most of the spring in England this year-- but we had a good time just the same.

Thursday, May 03, 2012

2012: Week 18

My first election voting as a British citizen. Exciting times!

Sure, the polling station was empty, with a slight air of resignation and boredom. But after securing our British Citizenship a year ago, I didn't care-- this was the first time I got to actually vote in an election after living here for more than 13 years. This was a big day for me, and definitely my highlight for Week 18.