Home

crack an egg

in the shade - the heat has returned, I haven't quite covered the windows with space blankets

we want pasta - you can have pasta if you make the pasta

sunlight

liquid chalk - great fun until you realise that it goes everywhere when you shake the pens

family video call

early riser - woke up to find Ethan's room empty, instead of sleeping in he's been colouring most mornings

composition - Oscar has been iterating on his composition, 'Warhorse'

out to dry - I took advantage of the good weather to ensure camping stuff was clean and dry

daily performance - Ethan has taken to performing daily on the piano. His pieces tend to mirror what Oscar has been playing recently. His favourite part, the applause afterwards.

takeaway dinner - busy day for all of us and so we ended up with a rare takeaway dinner in the garden

keeping cool - with a hosepipe ban in force, Ethan has been watering the plants with a hand spray

want - favourite food at the moment is 包 (steamed buns), so much so that Ethan is willing to help prepare dinner

evenings in the garden - it has been so nice to have meals outside recently

in the dark - we've been doing everything we can to keep the house cool

box of bricks - the boundless possibility that comes from opening a box of bricks

homework time - last weekend of homework before the school holidays begin

heatwave - it's too hot to sit outside for much of the day. It doesn't feel right to be spending much of the day in the dark with the blinds closed.

happy birthday - music, and drums in particular are a theme at the moment

果汁 and 冰激凌 - Ethan and Oscar named these two 'fruit juice' and 'ice cream'

can I play the drum - after much deliberation, we agreed to a drum kit in Oscar's bedroom

stickers - pink, purple and Hello Kitty

reflection - we've had the shutters closed most days this week, feels odd to sit in the dark

early morning calls with Mum

early sun - I've no idea what this flower is called, but the orange gradient is beautiful

banana bread - a parting gift before heading to the airport

ladybird - as a boy I was obsessed with ladybirds, I don't remember consciously passing this obsession on to our two boys but I have

homework - there is never enough time for homework

early piano - Ethan has moved from bashing the keys to playing repeat patterns

all smiles - but for how long

a beat - please can I have a drum kit, a real one

a beat - we've been having great fun with the Pocket Operator

makeshift dark room - Ethan was keen to get involved in cyanotype this week

炸酱面 (zhà jiàng miàn) - best hot weather meal

time in the garden - IKEA garden table a worthwhile investment as the weather warms up

photography - knowing what to leave behind is just as important as knowing what to take

rain - not what you want to see the week you go camping

pasta - or "pastas" plural as Ethan calls them - he always eats more when he's been involved in cooking

into the garden - it's so nice to be spending more time outdoors

in flight - we've made a start on tidying the garden, the lawn needs work though

working late - a different take on where I spend much of the working day

pocket operator, rhythm - surprisingly fun little device

reading corner - with the sun out, I've been enjoying reading in the garden

birthday cards

on target

a rare selfie

evening sun

sheer delight

family time - it's rare that we all sit down to watch TV, Shaun the Sheep was a hangover from the long haul flight but it had them all in stitches

art by an orangutan - the boys were super excited to fill their grandparents in on all the weird and wonderful things they saw in China

house plants

the world outside

ready to go

last light

morning light

indoor jungle

pink elephant

Happy Mothers' Day

Preparing for his first Chinese lesson

Audiobooks

The dragon

focus

patterns are everywhere

a hug before you go

unusual starting positions

As the weather improves, so does my diet

Homework morning

Monopoly Deal - round 88

There's one album I'd like to listen to

Learning to use a beat sequencer

Celebrating the year of the horse"

Ready to decorate

Learning to type

"我要做ABC的那个"

"He's standing on a car. Is he not afraid of falling down?"

I've taken to planning my days with pen and paper

Preparing food is the best entertainment

Beyond repair

I've started learning the piano again

A week of rain

Language homework: Can you follow origami instructions?

Introducing the pedals

Can I make you coffee?

An intro to Zoom

Homework time

satisfaction - there is something undeniably satisfying about using a good peeler

hugs

hungry - how long do I have to wait?

rainbow - a long exposure photo of a colour changing lightbulb

coffee table book

reading corner

before we called it homework, it was fun

homemade - large batch of 包子

selfie - first week back at work

music - we've been algorithm free this Christmas

science in the bedroom - we swapped a child safe UV pen for a 100W UV lamp

back to normal - the Christmas decorations came down

letter writing

Work in progress - Oscar Piastri puzzle

under the tree - distributing gifts to others

hosting friends at home - hotpot for 11

homemade - the first batch of mince pies

homemade - dried citrus fruit as festive decoration

3 December 2025

Family Cyanotype

Chopsticks essentials include transfering dumplings from one plate to another.

You are on the right track when they hold their shape before cooking.

Try making hundreds of pieces of dough all the same size.

对不起，我的看起来像阿尔及利亚。 I'm sorry mine looks like Algeria.

One very happy young boy.

Looking out from the kitchen window.