Whew....

I just haven't had the time/inclination to sit down and write down what's going on... mainly because I've been too busy living it!  I went to a large book fair in London (the LBF, to be precise, but I'm trying not to make this post Googleable since privacy and all).  It was amazing!  Reader, I felt like a grownup again.  I wound up going to dinner with editors, publishers, agents. And it was nice to connect with other authors. I feel like I'm going somewhere with this whole writing thing.

My novella is going to be published in 2 weeks.  I'm not going to link it here because I'm writing under a pen name... and at this point I think I'd like to keep the specifics of my personal and business lives separate.  This blog is mainly for family stuff, recording how the kiddos are doing, blogging about trips and days out, maybe a rant here and there.

And pictures, of course.

Top - climbing a tree.  They have helmets on because they'd ridden their scooters to the Common.  I'm not one of Those Parents.  Below, exploring one of the structures at Kew.

Up until a few weeks ago, the above is how C did a "thumbs up."  At the time I snapped the pic, we were going down the Strand, near Fleet St, on our way to visit a museum.

'Scuse the quality of these snaps - they're all from my Dumbphone.

I will have more stuff later... once I get a bit more time to sort my head out.  Right now I'm writing two novels at once.  I'm 9k into one and nearly 16k into the other.  The former will be shorter - 55-60k.  The latter is a big undertaking, different than anything I've done before, touches on socioeconomic stuff that I don't often see tackled in fiction, and should run 80-90k.  Right now my editor is looking at three of my pieces, a short story, a novella, and a novel.

We are going off to Wiltshire in about 6 weeks, staying in a little family-friendly resort type place (Center*parcs) for four nights.  I think that'll be our big trip this year, due to car issues (the sucker was in the garage for 10 weeks or something ridiculous, and did I mention that we bought it with only 25k miles on it?!).  Fees here, fees there, Tories cutting things left and right - it just seems prudent to live a slower life.

So since this post is totally stream-of-consciousness, tonight I made a smoothie from fresh bananas and strawberries and a few splashes of apple and beetroot juice.  Nothing else.  It was pretty tasty.

At some near point in the future I'd like to post a) a more extensive Dumbphone set of photos and b) "regular" camera photos.  Right now I am off to get the kids in their pajamas and into bed.

Dumbphone, Part 5

Scroll down for Part 4.  And maybe get a cup of tea.  Lots of photos here.

C in her brother's rainboots.

Play.

Writing, tea, scones.  Rare, nice afternoon break.  Scuse my finger in front of the lens.

Driving the... uh, contraption... at a local playgroup, just before E started school.

Dancing inside the "disco room" at a local soft play center.

Climbing trees at Wandsworth Common just near the fence separating the park from the train tracks.

Sharing a frozen yogurt during a rare restaurant outing.

Stalking pigeons.

Climbing the wooden pirate ship during her first day at playgroup.

Watching something on the ipad.

"I'm swiiiinging in the rain...."

Inside the gorgeous wooden playhouse at C's playgroup.  Lots of things to do in there.

Off to school with lunchbox and bookbag...

...while C and I become the ladies who lunch.  Or at least have tea and a babyccino (frothy warm milk)

Visiting the London Transport Museum - E posing in front of an old train carriage.

Driving a bus at the museum.

He really wanted to try this fizzy drink but didn't much like it in the end.

This chocolate shake at Hamley's was far more to his taste.

Her Lego Maj.

Reading "The Tiger Who Came to Tea"

Swinging together at the local park.

Building a house with Duplo.

C's first painting.

"New" marble run from the thrift shop, has most of its parts and works fine until one of them dismantles it (which is too often).

E's school project robot.

Running through the leaves past E's school on the way to the park.

The baby "wanted" to climb on the ropes, so C was helping her.

Recent picnic by the duck pond on the Common, they're inspecting their cookies before eating.

Little Red Riding Hood on the round'n'round.

Glittery rocket project.

Today's photo... we made "leaf masks" on our way home from school.  Cuz why  not?

And that's all until next time!

Dumbphone, Part 4

As I posted nearly a year ago: I have what I fondly refer to as a dumbphone. I should clarify that it has one or two bells and whistles, namely the camera (which is all I use it for apart from the odd text or call), but it's certainly no top of the range thing. Still, it enables me to point and shoot, capturing the moment here and there without fuss.

Here's the fourth installment of Dumbphone pics.  They start at around June-ish and continue until November.

Homemade waterslide in the back garden.

Riding in the classic Austin Joy cars on a warm day at Southbank.

Watching the boats float down the Thames past the Houses of Parliament.

Colored sand at Southbank.

Every few mins they would run down the street, stop, and give each other a big hug.

Driving the 2mph car at Legoland.

Around the track.

Funny Lego panning-for-gold guy.

Went to the park during the "summer" holidays and got stuck in a downpour.  Too late to get inside the nearby shopping center so we ducked underneath the pirate ship in the playground and waited 20 minutes while the kids served me pretend hot chocolate and giggled.  We stayed dry!

Rainy birthday trial of his new "stomp rocket" - an air propelled foam rocket that goes quite high depending on how hard the child jumps on the attached pump.

I have fond memories of going through a rotating barrel with my godsister in Hawaii.  Here's E going through his first one at a summer funfair.

Late July/early August it finally got warm enough to eat ice cream.

Multitasking toddler.

Artwork teamwork.  There were googly eyes to glue on, and feathers.

Driving a plane, with added passengers.

I guess she picked up some things from me.

Moving bricks with a wheelbarrow, at the 1 o'clock club.

More cuddles.

Firefighters rolled up to the 1 o'clock club during late summer with their fire engine and hoses.  The kids could sit inside and also try out the hosepipe.

E decorating a cookie at the 1 o'clock club.  Yes.  It IS partially eaten.

Blackberry-stained toddler.

Putting cheese and sauce on our pizza before baking it.  Yeah, I know that's a white shirt.  I like to live on the wild side, what can I say?

Round'n'round at a park in Clapham.

Catching up over a cup of tea/hot chocolate.

Neat swing setup at a park in Clapham.

Off on the scooter to go meet a friend.

Will update more next post, because this is getting looonnng.