No internet.
No laptop.
Therefore no blogging.
Normal service will be resumed very soon (hopefully).
Tuesday, 16 November 2010
Saturday, 23 October 2010
Celebrity
The Turkish people generally love children. And I mean LOVE them. It is not uncommon for children to be fussed over and kissed and their cheeks are pinched by random strangers on the street (men and women and other children).
Can you imagine the reaction when you add into the equation a blonde-haired, big blue-eyed boy in a baby backpack?
Wherever we go people point and stare. They talk to Jack, kiss him, pinch him, slap him (affectionate slapping is common here). They pick him up, walk him round, sit him on their lap, play games with him.
When we are out people regularly want to take photos of him. Sometimes they ask us to take photos of them with Jack in the backpack. We feel a bit like celebrities!
Jack is loving all the attention. He is flirting away and smiling at anyone who fusses over him. What a shock he is going to have when we get home!
Can you imagine the reaction when you add into the equation a blonde-haired, big blue-eyed boy in a baby backpack?
Wherever we go people point and stare. They talk to Jack, kiss him, pinch him, slap him (affectionate slapping is common here). They pick him up, walk him round, sit him on their lap, play games with him.
When we are out people regularly want to take photos of him. Sometimes they ask us to take photos of them with Jack in the backpack. We feel a bit like celebrities!
Jack is loving all the attention. He is flirting away and smiling at anyone who fusses over him. What a shock he is going to have when we get home!
Friday, 22 October 2010
Istanbul - Rumeli Hisari
Too tired to even post photos. Here is a link to some on fb: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=240832&id=514584623&l=de058a74d2
Istanbul - Blue Mosque
No time for a long update but here are some photos of the stunning Blue Mosque:
Thursday, 21 October 2010
Travelling
We arrive at the airport exactly two hours before our flight yesterday morning only to find that it had been delayed by 2 hours. And then delayed by a bit more. The excitement about going on holiday to somewhere exotic suddenly diminishes slightly as we face the prospect of entertaining Jack for over 4 hours in the airport and then another 3.5 hours on the plane.
After paying out our lifes savings on lunch in the airport, Jack helpfully decorates the floor of the restaurant with our food. Time to make a quick exit and head through to departures. Where there are uncomfortable chairs. And shops. And nothing to entertain a small boy with. Hold on a minute. Tucked in the corner of the departures lounge is a Hamleys. They have toys outside for children to play with. We are saved. Jack spends a delightful hour playing with a piano mat (Simeon quite enjoys it too). Two Hamleys staff then make it their mission to entertain Jack with bubble machines. He is a bit bemused. The other passengers and decidedly unamused.
Finally time to go to our departure gate. The lady sat next to me it wearing a furry coat. Jack strokes it like a dog. For twenty minutes. Fortunately she quite enjoys the attention and amuses Jack while we wait.
In the queue to board the plane Jack makes another friend. A small boy travelling with his family smiles at Jack and he smiles back. Jack giggles, the boy giggles back. Both are delighted with their new acquaintance. We board the place and the family with the small boy are sat behind us. Both Jack and the boy are excited. Jack spends a large part of the flight standing and looking at them between the seats. He reaches out a hand. And steals some wotsits. Repeatedly. I'm a little embarrassed. Jack throws all the food I've brought him onto the floor but continues to be offered food by the small boy which he gratefully accepts. He sucks the wotsits and then tries to feed them to me. How delightful. Have you ever tried entertaining an active 1 year old on your lap in the economy section of a budget airline? I can tell you its rather a challenge. Jack behaves rather well (apart from the food stealing) but by this point is really rather tired. As am I.
We land. We go through passport control where there is no queue and Jack charms all the staff. We collect our baggage and go to meet Carrie. Finally we are here. Just a hair-raising taxi journey to go and we are done. What a day. What an adventure. What to do now?
After paying out our lifes savings on lunch in the airport, Jack helpfully decorates the floor of the restaurant with our food. Time to make a quick exit and head through to departures. Where there are uncomfortable chairs. And shops. And nothing to entertain a small boy with. Hold on a minute. Tucked in the corner of the departures lounge is a Hamleys. They have toys outside for children to play with. We are saved. Jack spends a delightful hour playing with a piano mat (Simeon quite enjoys it too). Two Hamleys staff then make it their mission to entertain Jack with bubble machines. He is a bit bemused. The other passengers and decidedly unamused.
Finally time to go to our departure gate. The lady sat next to me it wearing a furry coat. Jack strokes it like a dog. For twenty minutes. Fortunately she quite enjoys the attention and amuses Jack while we wait.
In the queue to board the plane Jack makes another friend. A small boy travelling with his family smiles at Jack and he smiles back. Jack giggles, the boy giggles back. Both are delighted with their new acquaintance. We board the place and the family with the small boy are sat behind us. Both Jack and the boy are excited. Jack spends a large part of the flight standing and looking at them between the seats. He reaches out a hand. And steals some wotsits. Repeatedly. I'm a little embarrassed. Jack throws all the food I've brought him onto the floor but continues to be offered food by the small boy which he gratefully accepts. He sucks the wotsits and then tries to feed them to me. How delightful. Have you ever tried entertaining an active 1 year old on your lap in the economy section of a budget airline? I can tell you its rather a challenge. Jack behaves rather well (apart from the food stealing) but by this point is really rather tired. As am I.
We land. We go through passport control where there is no queue and Jack charms all the staff. We collect our baggage and go to meet Carrie. Finally we are here. Just a hair-raising taxi journey to go and we are done. What a day. What an adventure. What to do now?
Sunday, 10 October 2010
The Playhouse - Assembled but not complete
As the title suggests, the playhouse has been sewn together but I have not yet finished all the embellishments. I thought that maybe you would like to see it as it stands:
Saturday, 9 October 2010
Happy Being Me
Sometimes being me doesn't feel good enough. I'm not as creative, stylish, interesting, thoughtful as I want to be. I started this blog to showcase some of the things that I have made and eventually to start selling some of my creations. But I haven't managed it.
Somehow, other women, other mums manage to care for their children, create amazing things, take beautiful pictures, blog about them and often include tutorials on how to recreate them. I aspire to be like that. How do they have time? How do they come up with all the ideas? How are they so darn cool? Dana has an amazing home and makes fabulous clothes for her children and herself, Megan is an inspiring mother and seems to do such fantastic things with her children, Cheri has an incredible imagination and is current champion of So You Think You're Crafty. All three take stunning photos of their crafts, homes, families and there are many many others that I haven't mentioned.
These women have beautiful homes, beautiful children, beautiful style and create the most beautiful things. I have a very messy home (oh how I wish I was tidy), wish I was more stylish and only occasionally create wonderful things. I can certainly compete on the beautiful offspring front though.
But today, I am content with being me. Actually, what I really mean is that today [and tomorrow and the day after] I am [wanting to try really hard to be] content with being me. Its so easy to compare myself to so many other people around me. (I wonder how many of them are in turn comparing themselves to me?). But maybe I should just concentrate on being myself, focusing on the who I am and doing what I love to do rather than trying to be like someone else.
I am me and noone else is.
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