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Adorable singing soft RSPB bird toys with authentic birdsong, I saw these in the Natural History Museum shop the other day and the blackbird’s song transported me to age 11 walking home from school, socks drooping, as the winter nights drew in. They are also available online from here for about a fiver. Lovely!

Blackbird

Great tits (see post below)

not so common House sparrow

Sex text?

Yes, the question mark is deliberate, I really had no idea what to write. 

The grandfather has decamped to the seaside for the week and will probably get snowed in, so the coast is clear. 

I managed to get away long enough to drop into Bravissimo and get measured and actually purchased a new bra in RED!

Image: Bravissimo : Tango plunge bra by Panache

No, that’s not me, if it were, I’d be having sex! 

So back to the sex text, what the f*** does one write... I ended up sending: 

“I want to taste your plums” to The GR whilst he was in the shower, he was impressed to have received any correspondence at this time of year, (he’s moping around at home without work) but less so when he saw it was from me. He burst out laughing, not the desired effect but I laughed too which broke the ice between us, always a good starter. Sadly he followed this with: ‘Sorry love I just knocked one out in the shower.’ 

I've just knocked out this post this evening whilst he’s popped to Tesco to get me chocolate because yep - its that time of the month again.

So I have a week before I try again any suggestions for sex texts gratefully received! 

Books we’re reading presently

Guess How Much I Love You, the tale of two hares by Sam McBratney.

and

The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

New Years Resolutions.

The usual waking on New Years day bleary eyed and remorseful after too much of everything bad and good with vows of never again and nurofen were not on the cards for me this year. I spent 2009 ensconced in new motherhood, which entailed exercising rather a lot, eating rather well or should I say little and drinking even less, so that previous years resolutions (that only really lasted a month at best) such as get fit, give up smoking, go to more exhibitions, have all been encompassed by looking after Erbie.

For 2010 I think on what leaf needs to be turned, what I hope to improve, feeling rather sanctimonious it dawns on me that my grown-up relationship is rather lacking, which leads me to day dream on the possibility of a blog entitled:

‘Make time for an affair with me’ or ‘How to seduce your husband daily’

I ponder how I’d start this perhaps a naughty text, or sexy underwear, booking a room in an hotel or a babysitter even. A flirtation of saucy letters under a nom du plum delivered by post but then my ideas run out.

Initially, for the first part after Erbie was born, I had no libido, a shock after having a monsterous one during pregnancy (much to my frustration as after reaching a certain size The GR couldn’t look at me without seeing ‘woman with child’ which to him could not be on the same page as ‘girl with whom to have sex’. He went out a lot, the ‘Rabbit’ came out a lot, perhaps a by-product of which was producing such a happy baby.

So I vow to try and rekindle my partnership this year and perhaps even have sex more than twice. I’ll start with a sexy text, something I’ve never sent, but I think I’d best wait until The Grandad isn’t sleeping on our sofa any longer, the bedroom no longer being a sexual space (Erbie’s cot is in there). Then I’ll try and get some sexy underwear, something that will involve getting a babysitter, as after breast feeding I’m not even sure what size I am anymore, and bra fitting avec small child so far hasn’t proved a possibility, I expect that will be another post.

Happy New Year everyone!

Russell Square in Winter

I love London...

Snow

I can’t say we’ve really been affected much by the snow here in central London, it settled for about 5 minutes then turned to sludge. Some of the parks have crisp white blankets of frost in the mornings and I have been wearing my new Wellington boots everywhere, even to supper at Kettners on Monday although I changed into my red Mary Janes at the bar. 

I went to a quick Christmas party before with a fantastic view over the old site of Middlesex Hospital:

IMAGES: WEM

Oh Christmas tree.

Having started off with 2 baubles, one red and one blue, gifts from Christmas past one saying ‘Baubles to Christmas’ and the other ‘Merry Whatever’, I was a bit worried our Christmas tree might look a little bare this year. I usually have a theme, for example, one year was shells and bells, one year – minatures, alcoholic ones, that was fun, if a little pricey but not really suitable now we are parents. Twin mum had a box of old decorations that were going to whomsoever wanted them from which I rescued the gold baubles. I found some hand beaded black angels in an art gallery up the road for next to nothing and I had some odd birds, make of that what you will. 

The GR was unsure of my black angels (made by South African tribeswomen) but I liked them. I filled in the gaps with fondant stars, (roll out shop bought Royal icing then press out star shapes with a cutter and dry out in a very low oven for a couple of hours and paint with melted white chocolate). When I started to put a doilly around the base The GR got very agitated but when I covered most of it up with an image of Maurice Sendaks’ Wild Things he was happy. Erbie too, he points at the tree and says ‘star’ and goes ‘boum boum boum ’ at the Wild Things.

Catch-up in brief

The Grandad is here which is jolly, having a grandparent for Christmas that is pleasant to be around and easy going. Sadly he is here because he has left his second wife (mother-in-law number 2). So things are a little cramped but cosy. Erbie is loving it. The Belle Mere has made contact via text and has gone away for Christmas and New Year and Epiphany, so all quiet on the Western front as it were. We got a Christmas tree in a pot from Covent Garden which was great fun. The GR carried it back and got mud all down his new coat. I decorated it in gifted baubles, fondant icing stars, black angels and birds. I'll take some photos later. I managed to get Christmas cards made and sent, not very seasonal but hey. My best friend from the States came to visit and met Erbie for the first time, she has a mane of golden hair so he roared quite a bit in her presence. She came bearing wonderful gifts and we spent some time feeding ducks in Regents Park and wandering around our old haunts on Marylebone High  Street. I've managed to do some Christmas shopping, still have mince pies to make...

Christmas Cards

I make my Christmas Cards every year, which used to involve me thinking of something witty or a scapel at very least. Now however I can barely scrape an idea together let alone an evening of cutting and sticking. These Beatrix Potter ones rather caught my eye, but have sold out already darnit. I shall try and garner an idea at the craft fair tomorrow, if not it will be a fuzzy London photo with Christmas emblazoned across it in a brown envelope .

 

Beatrix Potter Chrstmas Cards

Alphabet Blockers

Alphabet Blocks by Bob and Roberta Smith for the Tate. 

I find alphabet blocks strangely desirable. I could get some for Erbie but these wouldn’t really do, charming as they are, they only contain letters to make the statement ‘Make art not war’; which although carrying the right sentiment wouldn’t make for good standard educational alphabet learning, just random words such as Worm Karma or Kmart.