Weekend

It's been an absolutley blissful weekend, staying mostly at home, nothing too ambitious or taxing, just enjoying being a family of four, getting to know our little boy and making the most of the long evenings and the beautiful warm weather. There's a lot of pictures considering we didn't do very much and I make no apologies that so many pictures will feature the four of us. This blog is afterall is an online family album as much as it is a record of the things we do and that make us happy.
A quick run-down of some of the things we did include;
- Starting the weekend, in the best way possible, with an Acton Balti House Chicken Tikka Masala, eating outside with my wife, a beer and some wine
- You can just about make him out in the picture but we have a hedghog who's been making frequent, nocturnal, vists to our garden
- Having family time together, on our bed, on Saturday morning
- Getting a bit of Guardian time while Ruby has her early morning snooze
- A pick-nick lunch in Roundwood Park with some freinds and Monty the dog
- Sandpit time for Ruby at the Roundwood cafe
- Enjoying the afternoon sun in the garden
- Samuel doing plenty of sleeping and a bit of crying too
- It was very much a weekend for Pimms
- Sunday morning cycle ride to Queen's Park for more quality sandpit time for Ruby
- A beautiful vintage Messerschmidt we passed on the way home
- Ruby and Ibolya making Ginger Bread men on Sunday afternoon
- Ruby finding our world globe deeply fascinating
- Samuel and Ibolya looking gorgeous in the late afternoon light

Samuel Hits the Golborne Road

I'd been looking forward to this morning for a long time; when I take my boy (who if I've not mentioned it before is currently known as Samuel) and the rest of the family, for his first, inaugural, early morning, trip to the mighty Golborne Road, my official favourite road.
Ibolya and I took a pushchair and a child each and had a terrific walk from the top of Ladbroke Grove, down to Golborne, past the curb side bric-a-brac, through to Portobello. We met up with Sarah at the 'stall of their lady'- their favourite market stall and then we had coffee at the best coffee place in West London - Coffee Plant. On the way back I found and bought an original moon landing commemorative mug - which I think is a fantastic memento of this significant and very happy morning.

Wedding Anniversary

It's 3 years to the day that Ibolya and I got married. To mark this special day here are a couple of songs, both cover versions, that mean a lot to us. Chet Baker singing 'My Funny Valentine' and David Bowie's sublime version of 'Wild is the Wind'.

Sleep

These have been the most incredible and wonderful two weeks, all my time has been totally consumed by our two children. I wish time allowed me to record each day and every happy event but that would be time not focused on them or keeping on top of the house or even getting any rest. So here's a few pictures of how my little man has been spending his last few days.

Our Boy Meets His Friends and Family

Our little man (we'd finally decided on a name only for it to be resolutely dismissed by my family) has had a steady stream of people coming to meet him, among them some of our closest friends and many of his aunties, uncles, cousins and his paternal Granny and Grandpa.

Trips with Ruby

One of the many things I've absolutley loved about being off on paternity leave has been all the time I've been able to spend with Ruby. We've been to local play and music groups, hung-out with other local mums and tots in the park and been on some great excursions; giving Ibolya and our boy, lots of time to rest and recuperate. Here are a few snaps from Ruby and I'd trips to Kensington Gardens, to see Wolgang Tilmans at the Serpentine and go to the Diana playground and Kensal Green cemetery. An odd place, I know, to take a 19 month child but we were checking out boys names and it really is a beautiful and historic place, 10 minutes away on my bike.