When you're smiling...

The evolution of a smile. Not too sure at first, but as we're sporting our particularly groovy roboten t-shirt, it matters not. Then we put a little more effort into it, managing this rather coy look in the middle. Bubbling over into a full on wide mouthed frog. We're still working on a chuckle, which he seems to manage no problem when he's fast asleep. Hard to describe how disturbing it is, when you've just finished the 12 o'clock dream feed and the boy is fast asleep in your arms. Suddenly, his angelic visage changes as the demon takes possession and he lets out the truly weirdest larf "he he he he." Like he's just released Bond into the shark pool. Chilling.

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Brother in arms

Ah bless, the two brothers together for the first time. Never mind big bro looks like he has a giant melonheed, it obviously proved amusing to little bro. With the arrival of Mamabear and Chucky, things got busy around these parts, but we all managed to cope pretty well and it was very nice to have all my sons under one roof. A mad week was had by all, which included the London Eye, Hever Castle, the Science Museum, Hamleys and er, Argos. The last proving to be the most exciting of all as it was where a shiny red PSP was purchased, much to the joy of Chuck.

I must admit to being pleasantly surprised by the Science Museum, which has finally managed to stagger into the 21st century with a load of very groovy interactive exhibits all centred around the intriguing question 'Who am I?' The disturbing image at the top is my haggard visage, retro-fitted to show me as a baby, though for my Mother's sake, I hope I didn't come out with a five o'clock shadow. Thermal imaging cameras, gene splicing, build your own hydrogen bomb, it was all there. A far cry from the wobbly plastic and ancient videos from the seventies that filled the place when I visited five years ago.

I also highly recommend Hever Castle if you have an over-active child, as they have fantastic gardens with two mazes, a lake and a very cool adventure playground, complete with what we Zimbabweans know fondly as a 'fufi slide.' (no, this isn't it, more of an example) The castle itself is bulging at the seams with medieval goodness and has the added 'horrible histories' factor of being Ann Boleyn's childhood country pad, before she went off with Henry VIII and got chopped.

Now, as we sink inexorably into the slough of despond that is Winter, while Chucky revels in the blossoming jacarandas and afternoon storms back in good old Pretoria, it's time to turn our sorry thorts to the fact that there are only 82 shopping days till Chrissie, huzzah! *sob*.

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