Colours

The theme in the Gallery this week is Colours.

During our stay we’ve been passing this massive sculpture on a daily basis. Its very impressive and the vibrant colours attracts your gaze instantly. During one lazy afternoon we watched the hotel promo video on loop and learned that it’s been assembled using over 3000 pieces of hand blown glass. The artist, from Seattle, flew over with his team to put it all together and the whole operation took about 2 weeks! (Personally, I would never have that kind of patience… But then I’m not an artist). It’s meant to symbolise all aspects of life in the sea.

Through the Eyes Of A Toddler

Nov27

The theme in the Gallery this week is Eyes.

It immediately made me think of this photo that I used in a post a while back. I can’t even remember which post it is now but one comment on it has stuck with me every since:

Life seen through the eyes of your child is like seeing life all over again.

It is completely true. Z is completely fascinated with all that he sees. Everything is new and wonderful and is a brand new adventure.

We are usually always in a rush. Isn’t everybody? We are rushing to be on time, or to get there slightly early for once or rushing because we are late. Little Z usually puts an absolute stop to the rushing by declaring “Look! Wow…nice”, or words to that effect.

Like the time he made me drop everything just to point out that Alexander Meerlov was on TV

Or like this morning when he made me stop trying to strap him into his car seat to make me look at the “birdie” that was perched in the tree merrily chirping.

Or like the time when he was utterly shocked and amazed that the washing machine had, in fact, broken!

Or how he just watched the water during a trip to the lakes in complete silence. (For about 30 seconds)

Check out the other entries by clicking below…

Autumn

Nov6

Autumn is meant to be beautiful. The changing colours, with all the reds and golds of nature making up the landscape. The change from long days to long evenings and the change from summer days (ahem!) to long cosy nights in front of the fire.

I actually don’t like Autumn very much. I’m not a fan of long nights and dark mornings. I much prefer the warm weather of summer and don’t really get very excited about falling leaves, or the colours or the cosy fires. I am a bit of an Autumn grinch.

There is one thing that I do look forward to at this time of year though. Something that only appears for a small period around now.

Black peas.

They seem to only surface around bonfire night for some reason even though I’m pretty sure neither Guy Fawkes nor the houses of parliament at the time had any fondness for it. The other thing about them is that I’ve only ever found them in the town I grew up. And maybe the odd surrounding town. They look and feel like normal peas but are dark in colour and have a very different taste. Best eaten with salt and vinegar it sounds a slightly disgusting food to anyone that’s not tried it.

I took this a few days ago to send to my friend that now lives in the south, mainly to remind her of what she was missing. I didn’t send it in the end, feeling slightly mean about it.

And, if you’re wondering, they taste amazing! If anyone knows why they’re available around this time of year then I’d love to know.

Check out the other entries by clicking below…

Frightful

Oct30

(To the tune of Bohemian Rhapsody)…

I see a little silhouetto of the hoover
Scaramouch, scaramouch, will you do the fandango
Now mums plugging it in, very very frightening me!!
Balamory, Balamory
Balamory on TV

I’m just a toddler, everybody loves me
He’s just a toddler from a normal family
Spare him the noise of this monstrosity
Easy come, easy clean, will you let me Hoover?

NO!!!!! will not let you hoover – let me hoooover!
Will not let you hoover – let me Hoover!!
Will not let you Hoover – let me Hoover!!
Will not let you Hoover – let me Hoover!!
Never let you hoover – *Sigh*
Never let you hoover…
No! No! No! No! No!!!

Oh mom! Oh mom! (Say mummy darling, mummy!) let me go…

Oh woolly and tig, this hoovers got its eye on meeeeeeee. On meeeeee! On meeeeeeee!!!!

Yes, Little Z is still terrified of the Hoover.

(Sorry, I’ve had Bohemian Rhapsody stuck in my head ever since I saw the theme for the Gallery this week was Frightful!. Well, actually, I thought it was “Frightening!”…till I saw the other entries. Oops.)

Check out the other entries by clicking below…

Books

Oct23

“What’s the red book?”

The morning after I’d arrived home with a 3 day old Baby Z a health visitor came knocking on my food at precisely 9am. I remember this very vividly because we’d been up for most of the night with our little party animal who had night and day confused. He’d finally given in about 6am and both the OH and I were exhausted and shocked by how much work this little bundle of joy was creating. Didn’t babies sleep at least 5 hour stretches? Little did we know.

Anyhow, the very perky health visitor was now sat in our front room talking me through various things and giving me about a hundred pamphlets and books to add to the hundred I’d already brought home with me from the hospital. SO much information. When was I going to read it all? How was I going to raise a baby? I barely had time to read it all. And I hadn’t even had a shower yet!

And she kept referring to a red book. What the hell was that? I knew I had a big green book. She shook her head.

“No, no. You should have a red book that the midwife wrote in. Did she not show you?”

I dunno. I was all high on morphine For the first day in hospital, and distracted with trying to pick out a name for Baby Z. I looked around a bit more hoping it would magically show itself. After sifting through even more papers I finally found it and she showed me the baby growth charts and explained how I could take Baby Z to clinics to get him weighed. Oooh.. Ahhh…I’d heard about this from my friends. Suddenly I was interested in what the very eccentric looking lady had to show me.

This became my favourite book during the first year of Baby Zs life. It probably still ranks in the top 3.