Tales from the tube

I promised this would be a weekly post didn't I?
Unfortunately though, the tube has been pretty uneventful lately.
The only things I've seen recently are a middle aged couple having a full one make-out session on the northern line and a lady falling flat on her face at embankment station - neither of which I could really take a picture of. What a weirdo I'd be!

Anyway I came across this on my way home the other day.

really?

I'm sorry but isn't this a bit of an oxymoron?? I mean, doesn't having your bike on the tube kinda defeat the object of HAVING A BIKE?? So, by this guys philosophy could I drive my car on to the tube? At least with having your car on the tube you might say that there was far too much traffic and you had a very important engagement to attend. But the bike?, there are bike lanes! Come on man!!

Saying all of that though, his (what looks like) clay encrusted trousers did kind of intrigue me. What does this guy do for a living?
My mind wanders into the areas of undertakers and grave digging.
I'll leave it at that!...

Cold front

Engineers have been doing maintenance on the heating here for the last few days. It hasn't been too bad because the weather has been rainy but not too cold and we've made use of portable and fan heaters when needed.
Today though, when Ettien and I went to have breakfast I noticed that the vents were blowing cold air! As you can imagine the whole place was freezing cold within an hour!! To stop Ettien from getting a chill (his nose is already running) and allow him to have a full nap I moved his cot into the hallway.

I could hear him laughing and talking to himself when he woke up and when I went to get him he was full of smiles and giggles.

I remember being small (obviously not as small as he is) and being thrilled when I could roll around on a bed my mum had moved out from its normal place so that she could change the sheets. It felt like a mini adventure.
Kids are sad! :)

16 Months!!

Alongside his teething problems, my little man has turned 16 months today.

I'm telling you he has never been so much fun! This is definitely the best stage he has been at yet - admittedly I've said that about every stage, as and when they have happened.
He's such a joker and he has started to do these naughty/cheeky little things that have me busting a gut trying not to laugh whilst asserting my authority and trying to discipline him :)

His speech is coming on leaps and bounds. It seems like everyday he's saying something new or saying words clearer than he had been before.
He has started to call after his dad when he leaves the room and when he wants something from him (no, 'mummy' calling yet though. Hmpf!). His little voice melts my heart!

So here he is, that boy of mine, at 16 months.

Stuff he loves

1. 'Tighter, tighter' hugs (he clenches his bum instead of squeezing tighter. So funny!)

2. Constantly saying 'Who's that!' and pointing to inanimate objects.

3.  Eating mummy's breakfast after he's just finished his own.

4. Kissing mummy to wake her up (lovely!)

5. Sitting on mummy's tummy to wake her up (not so lovely!) 

6. Pouring EVERY bit of his drink onto a surface and then spreading it around with his fingers.

7. Pinching mummy - he laughs hysterically when I squeal.

8. Bath time.

9. Cuddles with mummy when he's going to sleep.

10. Dancing & singing 'The Wheels on the Bus'.

It feels like I did his 15 month post a day ago. Go easy father time!

Love you more and more everyday Mr!

Keep growing,

Mummy. Xx 

An update

I haven't been around lately have I?
Even worse than that is the fact that I can't even remember the last post I did *jaw drops!


So here's a round up...

A LOT, has been going on.
Craziness at work that isn't even worth mentioning and a problem with the site which has had me pretty agitated for most of the week.

I have so much going on at the moment, my brain feels pretty scrambled - expect a ton of waffling and spelling and grammar mistakes in this post. Apologies.
The biggest thing to happen this week, and the biggest reason for my fried brain is that Ettien is teething. He has been waking up a few times a night for the past week, crying screaming, and when he is actually asleep he's so restless that he's tossed and rolled right off of the bed! (no Ettiens were hurt in the making of this post)

the culprits!

miserable

more misery. 

We've had many tears and tantrums and he's not really eating his food - which means those teeth REALLY must be bothering him!
He's also continued his 'waking up at the crack of dawn' routine. It really doesn't work for me to have him wake up at 6/6.15am when I have to get up at 6.30 :(

The other morning when I came out of the shower I noticed he was no longer in the bed (he's taken to being in our bed as its the only way we can get him to sleep for longer than an hour and anyway I love having him cradled in my arms!)
I walked into the living room to find this;

I guess, like mummy, he had a lot of work to do that couldn't wait!

Everything and nothing

Have you ever had one of those days where you have everything to do, but nothing gets done? Well, that was me on Friday. I had a million things to do, but managed to do none of them!

I had even used Thursday to prepare things that I thought might help me to get things done as I knew Ettien would try his best to make it difficult for me - my son's 'difficult' times always seem to coincidentally coincide with me trying to do something important. In this case, a presentation to do for work, a report, a whole bunch of bow making and other stuff for napmit.com and a thousand bits of housework which are not worth going into any details about - I figured that I'd have at least four solid chunks of time where I could cram some stuff in, his morning nap, lunchtime, dinner time, then of course after he'd gone to bed. I made him some mini quiches and a vegetable lasagne on the Thursday in hopes that he'd sit nicely feeding himself them for lunch while I worked away.

broccoli and tuna & sweetcorn quiches and vegetable lasagne

Of course when Friday came Ettien decided he wanted to spend the whole morning sitting on my lap, annoyingly pressing the keys on my laptop each and EVERY time I made a feeble attempt to type anything. And when nap time came, a usually 1 1/2 to 2 hour nap was only 20 minutes!! Grrrr.
Lunchtime was a total disaster, he'd eat neither the quiches (deciding he'd make crumble mix with them instead) or the Lasagne (which he just spat out).

I decided I'd give up for the day when he started throwing the portable heater around the room (don't worry it wasn't on, and yes it was very entertaining watching him) and lay down inside the shelf of the TV stand. He ended up falling asleep in my arms and I took the opportunity not to do some work but to have a cheeky snooze myself.

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em! (and oh how good it felt)

Xx

Easter

What a fantastic long weekend we had! The weather was a let down but I think we've been spoilt by the unusually sunny and warm days we've been experiencing lately so I really shouldn't complain.

new shirt & easter lipstick | A teething Ettien | Mummy's easter card from the baby | Yummy Easter cupcakes! | trying to get a picture of his outfit | zonked! (look at those lashes)

Ettien ate far, far, faaar too much chocolate! I was trying to play the responsible mother and limit how much chocolate he was having, but every time I turned around he was being given more by somebody different! Sigh* I
n the end I just gave in and prepared myself for the consequences. I figured by the evening he'd be either a) bouncing off of the walls from sugar rush or b) screaming with stomach ache. To my pleasant surprise neither happened and the only problems we experienced that night were down to his lower lateral incisors coming through (I sound smart don't I!)

As well as chocolate we were lucky enough to be given the cutest (see above picture) - and most delicious - Easter cupcakes from Dream cupcakes. Check out their website they have some amazing flavours and the sweetest names. The 'Oscar Oreo' cupcake is my FAVOURITE.

Another highlight from the weekend was having the opportunity to dress up. I decided I'd wear a new graphic floral shirt I bought from work and dusted off my MAC 'girl about town' pink lipstick. My look didn't hold up for long of course (having a baby means that smudged lipstick and bogey, food and drool stained shirts are common occurrences) but it wasn't through lack of trying.

Our Easter was filled with Family, Friends and FUN. Just the way we like it.

Hope you had a nice Easter too. x

London Stinks!

Is it just me or does this city really pong!?

When I say 'is it me' I mean, am I the only one that thinks that?, but to be honest I'm starting to wonder about the other meaning too. I feel like everywhere I go I smell something horrible. So maybe it is me??...Nah!
It's definitely London, don't get me wrong, I love this place. I'm was born and bred here, but man London ya' do reek sometimes.



A random pic of my shoes. They are nice though! :)

  I left work yesterday marching furiously blissfully skipping home and as soon as I stepped into the tube station I was greeted with the smell of old dirty feet. Yuck. I foolishly had hope that once I was on the train it would go, which either it did or it remained but had been completely overpowered by the overwhelming smell of body odour! My second train journey was even worse. I had to endure the 15 minute (a long time in the world of bad smells) journey home trying really hard not to gag at the smell of stale deodorant and garbage mixed with a woman eating what can only be described as 'cat pee' flavoured snack'a'jacks. (*note to snack'a'jacks. please, please, please discountinue the cat pee flavour of your crisps or atleast add a disclaimer to the packet advising people not to eat them on public transport)

I ended up fleeing as soon as the train arrived at my station - imitating Violet from Charlie and the chocolate factory after she chewed the experimental gum that turned her into a big blueberry - cheeks puffed out and bright red from lack of oxygen I fumbled through the crowds and out the station to the wonderful smell of fresh air...hold on...wait a minute...fresh air? Think again, more like the wonderful aroma of sick and stagnant beer!

London I luv ya' but ya do 'alf reek sometimes!!! (pinches nose with thumb and forefinger)

*it's quite fitting that this week a colleague at work sent me a link to a really great blog shitlondon.co.uk. Go check it out, it's very funny!