And so the first week of the holidays has bitten the dust, and all is well.
Tomorrow we go camping for a week, it's the first time for the kids, which I can't believe.
They're gonna love it, and with a little help from Math and Cath Go Camping I think I'm pretty prepared. Famous last words...

Happy Birthday to my little sweetheart, 5 today!



We had Connie's Party on Sunday, hottest day of the year so far...



I was all set to make it difficult for myself, making hand made sausage rolls a la Jamie Oliver when Ali set me straight; "just whack a sausage in a bun, make it easy!". Best advice ever. A whole lotta Tescos Finest chipolatas and fresh rolls from the 24hr beigal bakery on brick lane plus king size tomato ketchup (and a few bottles of cava for the grown-ups) later and we were all happy campers. I did make cupcakes, and I did make a cake - although Connie HAD to have a store bought Disney Princess cake as the main event...

The weather was so good, and it was a lovely chilled out picnic, with egg and spoon and sack races to liven things up. A medal for all, cause everyone's a winner baby - that's the truth.



And then there was the face painting... I now believe it's essential.

I found a fantastic face painter, Shantala Sacco 07980 179338 who I would recommend to one and all.

She was absolutely lovely, the kids all loved her, and man she gave good face. She is very talented and a league above most of the face painters I have come across.

I've told you about this great idea before, but here's a recap:

Rentabuggy was launched in 2008 by a couple of smart ladies to allow families to ease cash flow and rent top selling pushchairs on a monthly basis.

By hiring a pushchair, it takes out having to spend money on a big pushchair but it also means you can afford the one you may want. Their top two best rentals are Phil & Teds Vibe and the Bugaboo Bee. You can rent the Bugaboo Bee for just £30 Per Month when the retail price of this pushchair is £420. They also now offer a service that if you hire it and you like it you can buy the pushchair for a discounted retail price. Nice.

They also provide holiday rentals Nationwide on baby equipment including Highchairs, Travel Cots, Stairgates and more.

They have a SPECIAL OFFER on for April only, which is if you rent one item from their 'Holiday Rentals' then you receive a second item half price! The great thing is, your holiday rental dates can be for whenever, as long as you book in April!

So for all you organised peeps who have already decided on your holiday dates, hurry! cause the offer finishes at the end of April...
For more information, please visit www.rentabuggy.co.uk

A big congratulations goes out to my lil' sis Olivia and her partner Jeremy on the birth of Sylvie on the 17th April in New Zealand.
6 days late, but an hour to deliver - when she makes her mind up she doesn't mess around!
Can't wait to see the pictures, and wish I was there to have a squeeze (a gentle one of course).

Decorate an egg as a storybook character, setting optional - so went the brief. And then game on. Several eggs later Frankie's Elmer was born.
Meanwhile Connie created "Sleeping Beauty". Uncanny resemblance, no?

I remember well my first Mother's Day, Frankie was only a month old and I had just recovered from the emergency ceasarian. I had just had a job interview in a design studio the week before with Frankie in the front pack/babycarrier thing (A leopard print lined Tomy number as I recall). A surreal experience, it was the first time I had really left the house properly since the birth and I felt very tender physically and emotionally. I got the job, and was due to start within two weeks. In fact Frankie was 6 weeks old when I started. On my first morning I handed Frankie to a childminder I had only spoken to on the phone and cried the whole way to work. I was only to work three days a week, but those three days were long ones. often I wouldn't get home till 9 at night, and would bring work home to finish late at night in between feeds.
Needless to say I was a mess.
I would express milk four times a day in the toilets at work and keep in the fridge with everyone's lunches. I still managed to make all Frankie's food - he never ever had a jar of baby food. I started Oh Baby London when I was six months pregnant, so I was fitting that in around my new job. Internet orders, wholesale orders, Spitalfields Market and the Brick Lane Up-Market on the weekends. When I look back I think it was little wonder that I burst into tears everytime I took Frankie to see the doctor at the baby clinic.
Just to make it clear, I didn't have a choice. I had been self employed before I had Frankie, so I had no maternity pay. Boo.

Anyhow, I've gone way off the point.
My first mother's day came and went. No card, no flowers, in fact not a mention.
Ah, yes, I remember it well.

People may say Mother's Day is a shameless marketing ploy, but to me it's really important. I think it's important to have special days where we focus on one thing - otherwise everyday just blends into the next and there goes life. I love birthdays, making someone feel special for a day - that's golden. Likewise, having the kids make a fuss, tell me they love me, make me breakfast in bed makes it all worthwhile.

I love being a Mother, I love the purpose, the motivation, the joy, the work, especially now I have my sleep back.

What to do on a miserable half-term holiday day? Have a little friend over, make chocolate chip muffins and watch 'Up' on DVD of course!

My baking skills are (ahem) not particularly extensive, so when a recipe works I feel the need to talk about it. I Googled chocolate chip muffins and Nigella's recipe came up. We left out the cocoa powder (double chocolate seems a bit full on for a day indoors) and these babies worked out a treat. Perfect recipe for baking with kids - a throw all the dry stuff together, throw all the wet stuff together, mix and bake. Simples! (OMG - the power of advertising)

And 'Up' - what can I say, I laughed, I cried. It's a beautiful thing. I am a veteran, a connisseur of kids movies after 7 years of them, and to anyone just starting out I have one thing to say: see 'Up'. It's gorgeous.

Here's the link to Nigella's wonderful muffins...

Connie "Did you know elephants can fly?"
Frankie (laughing) "No they can't!"
Connie (indignant) "Yes they can; Dumbo's an elephant and he can fly".

I was having a conversation about pets with my children yesterday. We were debating who would have to pick up the poo if we got a dog. Of course I drew the short straw, and was complaining about it.
Connie said "well lets get a cat then, because they don't do poo"
Frankie and I cracked up "yes they do!!" we said.
Indignant, she replied "well, I've never seen one do it".

Cute.
Am wondering if there's an idea in breeding non-pooing cats. I'd buy one.

Yesterday, walking up Brick Lane, I found this old record player being sold on the footpath for £15. I couldn't walk past it, I had to have it.
So now the kids have it in their bedroom, and are totally in their element. With a big stack of old singles from the 70's and 80's we played musical statues, and they were still dancing around this morning before school. Nice thing about it is at £15 it's fine for them to be the DJs - and they're loving being in control. They're discovering all this old music for themselves, finding music they love.
Let the musical education begin....

I took Frankie and Connie to see The Gruffalo at the Apollo Theatre on Shaftesbury Ave today (thanks to some Lastminute.com £7.50 tickets)
I wasn't that keen on it myself, don't get me wrong, I love The Gruffalo, it's just that after reading it 1587 times, it just lost it's spark. So I was unprepared for how totally fantastic the stage production is. Great acting, hilarious and damn good music. What more could we ask? Good seats? Got them too.

Go and see it. I mean like, really, go see it.

Having just got my little lovelies off to sleep, here I am spending my quiet 'me' time with a glass of wine, Ugly Betty (an episode ahead on E4) on my laptop in Club Penguin playing the 'Astro whatever' game to earn Frankie points to buy a Puffle for his penguin. Are you with me? If you have a kid approaching six you soon will.

And I don't do computer games. Ever. Until now.

Here's Frankie's first Photoshop creation.



Not bad for a littl 'un.
For a great piece of freeware for kids, kinda like baby Photoshop, try Tux Paint. My kids love it, and I like the idea of them learning how to use the computer by being creative rather than just by playing computer games.

How about this for an idea: cushion the financial blow of buying a when buying all the many, many things a new baby seems to need by renting the buggy.
Genius.

So you can rent the buggy monthly - and we're talking a black Bugaboo Bee for £35 returnable deposit and £25 per month. I love it!
You can even rent one for a UK holiday, and anyone who has done the old take the buggy on holiday thing will now be heaving a sigh of relief...
What clever ladies.

Click here for their site, and click here to read their blog.

I am on this never ending quest to get Frankie and Connie to expand their food repetoire. I try... I fail... and then sometimes, like last night, I succeed...
I went for dinner last week at The Albion cafe on Redchurch Street, which might I say I recommend for the lovely service and good, wholesome, well priced menu. So I pushed the boat out and tried Kedgeree. Not really my kinda thing, curried smoked haddock, rice, egg, but being in a Brit food cafe and eating with a Brit and seeing that the Australian waitress raved about it I thought why not. And oh yes, it was good.
Being prone to a bit of obsessive behaviour I couldn't get it out of my head for the rest of the week and hatched a plan to get Connie and Franks to eat it too.
My favourite recipe maker Jamie Oliver has this recipe, which I cooked last night, (minus the chilli), with miraculous results. My little darlings watched me cook with horror on their faces, "disgusting" they told me, and then those little sweethearts ate it all up like it was the best thing since sliced bread.

Oh yes.. all is well in my world.

Today was a day and a half.
We took the kids to the Whitechapel Gallery to see the Elizabeth Peyton exhibition. They were in the mood, the novelty factor plus a bribe had them acting almost civilised. Then on to Hyde Park for a picnic and Jeff Koons Popeye Series at the Serpentine. If ever there was an exhibition that the kids would like it was this. They broke the golden rule and couldn't help but touch (to tell the truth I wanted to myself), but another high five for a successful choice.

I've never been to the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain, but heard all the bad press. Turns out to be the best thing since sliced bread for kids.

And then this lovely lady rocked up and it was game on.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in the Princess Diana Memorial Playground AKA Neverland; THE best playground in the whole of London.
Lovely.

We are going camping, and Frankie has done a list of all the stuff we'll need.
We were talking about it in the playground yesterday, and I have now decided to start an ultimate camping list starting with:
- earplugs
- self inflating queensize airbed...

All contributions more than welcome...

So I completed the London 10K run on sunday. Woohoo!
Have never done it before, and man was I nervous. 25,000 people were there, it was amazing bordering on terrifying for a panic attacked, two-child bladdered novice like me.
It was kinda like childbirth, at 9K I spotted a guy getting medical attention and thought death was entirely possible, but mustered up some calm within the storm and drove on through. I felt totally empowered after. All those people lining the streets cheering really, and I mean really, helped.



Frankie wasn't too happy to see me go but later when he saw me running and ran a bit alongside he loved it. He did a lap around the park with me this morning, I hope I'm going to influence him to be a fit, sporty little guy.



By the way, don't know who that guy is, muscling in on my photo, but I think he likes me.

I went on a school trip of Connie's to The Little Angel Theatre to see Handa's Hen - which to a puppet show cynic (I have always had to fight the boredom, even as a child) could have been 30 minutes that dragged for eternity. But, to my surprise, I honestly loved every minute. The two girl's performing showered us infectious joy, and the children were transfixed, their beautiful reactions brought a tear to my eye.
Go see it if you can.
Anyhow, back to the point. Great Saturday activities are like buses, there are either none or three in a row.

Take this Saturday - I really don't know what to do:

The "I'm Sure It's Gonna be Creative, Beautiful and Totally Civilised" one:
The Little Angel Theatre are having their "Little Angel Summer Party" and if Handa's Henexperience is anything to go by, it'll be a truly lovely event.
Here's their blurb: "Join us for an afternoon of activities including puppet making, theatre tours, performances, puppetry demonstrations and home made cakes. Join in with the theme of "Angels and Devils" by dressing up in your best fancy dress. And it all kicks off at 1pm with a parade of giant puppets by our Saturday Puppet Club. And best of all...its all FREE!"

The "Wow Factor But It'll Cost Loads in Rubbish Food" one:
London City Airport host the British Airways sponsored "Fun day 2009" complete with London's only Airshow. This is tough, the airshow will be a killer for the kids, a memory making thing - but apart from my own totally neurotic fears about standing underneath planes doing things planes aren't meant to do, there's also the hotdog, candy floss, expensive extras worry. It's a bit of a turn-off. But the airshow, I can see the kids faces already.

The "It's Close To Home And Would Be Really Easy" one.
Actually this one looks really good, even if it is close to home.
The V&A Museum of Childhood (yes, sorry folks our part in the exhibition of Contemporary Kids Clothing has finished sadly) are having a festival this Saturday called "New Voices". Heres the blurb: "Watch Museum Gardens come alive with music from around the globe, DJ’s, dance troupes, mime artistes and storytellers. Join in arts and crafts activities and sample delicious food. Saturday 4th July, 12-5pm"


What's a girl and kids to do?

Hope this gives you a few ideas...

Happy 4th Birthday to my little princess.
We had the birthday picnic yesterday, races again this year and frankie pretty much won them all (helps to be a couple of years older, although boy is he fast - my boy, my boy). At one point we had to physically hold him back so the smaller kids could have a chance. He was tanked up on sweets and cupcakes, which I was a mug for putting out. Next time - no sweets, no way, no how.
Connie was very well behaved though a proper little princess apart from taking her clothes off and streaking around a few times, and she loved her cake as you can see - not the most ambitious cake, but it's the one she wanted.
We filled the paddling pool and even though we had a tropical downpour and it drizzled away throughout, everyone had fun, splashing and racing in the rain.

Perfect girlie picnic activity? A nail-polish-a-thon of course!
A different colour on every nail...
Even the boys couldn't resist Ali's neon nail varnishes.

What a great bank holiday weekend:
- Sunshine
- Carter's Steam Fair in Victoria Park - cheaper than the standard modern fun fair and infinitely easier on the eye.
- Robert Morris at the Tate Modern - art the kids can call a playground.

My running days were abruptly brought to an end when I tore some fibres in the bottom of my calf.
What was supposed to take four days to heal has now taken two weeks and counting.
What do I do? My perfect working Mum fitness schedule has been obliterated. I pick up Frankie and Connie every day after school, and so have to pack a full days work into five hours. Being a single Mum early morning or evening workouts are not an option. Given my 5 hour working day gym sessions or yoga (and yoga I think would be the answer to all my problems - er mental and physical) are an out of the question time luxury.
So here I am, losing muscle by the minute, willing my little calf to heal, and hurry up about it.

We just spent a magical four days at Paraparaumu Beach, with Frankie and Connie getting to know their 94 year old Great Grandmother Connie (or "big Connie" as little Connie calls her now). She loves them to bits - of course they are the best kids she's ever met and they love her right back.
Once again we were blessed with late summer sun, with only one seriously stormy interlude.
It was the classic Kiwi Bach experience, and for kids, it really can't be beat.
Blew away my cobwebs and induced a feeling of calm not felt for many a moon.

Here's my little bushbabies. I took them for a walk and picnic today in the bush reserve I used to walk in as a little kid. It was such a nostalgic trip. The smell of the bush and the sound of the birds skyrocketed me back to age 7. Boo for my lost youth, and why the hell have I been away for so long?

The kids and I are on holiday in New Zealand. And my homeland has been turning on a lovely late summer for us. (Touching wood as I say that. If it rains tomorrow New Zealand, just blame me).
This country sure is a fantastic place for kids. Frankie and Connie are running free and wild, loving the space and loving getting to know all their family.
I am sneaking in a fair amount of work late at night (or early in the morning depending on your timezone), and am trying to tell myself that this could really work, running Oh Baby London from the other side of the world. It could, it really could.
The hard thing is when you've been away for such a long time, we're talking 15 years here, it's hard to know where home really is.
This holiday though is very hard to beat.

I am queen of the mismatched sock, not in a cool Little Miss Matched kinda way, in a "surrendered to the enormity of the challenge of matching socks" kinda way. It is well known that it is rare to find me with matching socks (even sticking to "black socks only" I still can't match by style), but now as a mother I am sadly passing this on to my children.
I try. I really, truly, try. But this morning I was struck dumb with disbelief as I tried to find matching socks for Frankie and Connie in their sock box that contains hundreds of socks - none of them matching. Connie has days of the week socks, and I could not find one matching pair. Monday - Sunday all present, but alone. Why is it so hard? Am I missing some matching gene that other people are born with? Are other people quite so matchingly challenged? Am I just lazy?
I want to throw them all out and start again, either in the "one colour only" mode or "conciously mis-matched", but it seems such a waste to get rid of all these poor lonely socks.

On our photoshoot last week I thought I'd sneak in a family portrait. Most of the results had me cataloguing all "work" I would have done if I was that way inclined, but this one makes the grade. Just nice to have some pics of me and my two honey bunnys.

Today we woke up to the heaviest snow fall in 18 years, and it's beautiful.
Meanwhile, my mother tells me, in New Zealand they are having the highest temperatures on record.
Yikes.



A mammoth snowball fight, boys against girls...



...and Frankie was crowned Champion Snowball Thrower... Spot the snowball, a couple of seconds later it was in my face. Mmm, lovely.

So, here's the top 10 baby names for the UK for 2008 (from Bounty):
The ten most popular names for girls were: Olivia, Ruby, Grace, Emily, Jessica, Sophie, Chloe, Lily, Mia and Lucy.
For boys, the favourites were: Jack, Oliver, Harry, Alfie, Charlie, Thomas, Joshua, Daniel, James and William.

Here's my favourite baby names, many inspired by the lovely babies I have known of the same names:
Girls: Connie, Piper, Caitlin, Mimi, Cassidy, Eliza, Pearl, Hannah (but, of course!)
Boys: Frankie, Teddie, Lewie, Harvey, Ren, Gabriel, Valentine, Sweeney, Luca

Whaddaya reckon?