First apero alfresco of the year

After all that rain we are really enjoying a little sunshine! Cheers!

Jumping in muddy puddles!

So after all the rain, this afternoon when it finally stopped, I we decided we definitely needed to get out and indulge in some fresh air puddle jumping.

And the kids LOVED it of course!

 Until William fell head first into a muddy puddle.

Seriously, I know he looks very distraught, but it was REALLY hard not to laugh - even for Emma.

There were brown puddles at their feet as we took their boots and clothes off when we got home but after a warm bath they were happily playing lego in their pajamas, the cold and dirt completely forgotten.

Licking chocolate covered spoons

Licking chocolate covered spoons while my grandmother 
or mother baked a cake is one of my best childhood 
memories.

Now I am the one doing the baking...

and Emma and William do the licking. ;-)


Sent from Sandra's iPhone

Rainy days

It's been raining and raining and hailing and raining some more all week. And Steph has been ill - and held in quarantine in our guest room- with a nasty stomach bug since Friday midday. Today the kids and I decided to go ahead and use the weather as an excuse to decorated some umbrellas.

Is it raining where you are? Find umbrellas to decorate here

Happy Valentines' Day!

Nothing says it like home made chocolate cake. Mmmm...

Emma's penguins

Here is another one of Emma's paintings. I think the penguins are brilliant!

Emma the artist

Twice a month Emma takes art classes with a British painter who fell in love with Greece many years ago and has been living & painting & teaching here ever since.
I love Emma's most recent production; the classic teddy. Isn't he gorgeous?!

The things about William

When asked about his name he will answer you "Jingle bells" or "Imam" because he can't yet pronounce the sound "W"  and because he likes being funny.

That's an improvement because he used to call himself "Ama"  - as in what he calls his sister. Come to think of it,  Emma speaks of herself in the third person when talking to him so I guess that's what confused him.

He is the most independent little boy in the world always saying "my do!" and is always running to wherever he needs to go to do whatever he needs to do -except if he is sick and then's it's more like "mummy carry me".

He is super enthusiastic but lacks the words to say things he wants to say so he mimicks and exclaims and waves his arms about like a stressed out trader at the stock-exchange or an Italian politician.

He is super sensitive and caring, immediately giving you a kiss and saying sorry if he knocks you or hears you say "ouch" asking "mummy betta?" and is sorry to tears if he breaks something or if someone screams at him.

He is stubborn as can be and never forgets the toy you promised he could play with the next morning or the book you need to return to the library even if you have.

At around 6 am, he puts the blinds up in his room - at the risk of setting the alarm off - to check if it is daylight enough to get out of bed.

He tells you to "go away" if he wants to open something on his own or play with Emma or be alone in the bathroom and seconds later will call out "holp me!"

He often says "my like my mummy, my papa, my Ama" although sometimes it's "my like my mummy, my no like my papa/Ama"

When he  is sick he will tell you "My no beta." "Tomonno my beta" or "my mummy buy syrop" in a way that melts your heart.

He tells me his tooth is also wobbly (like Emma's) and  pretends to be reading the cereal box after Emma has told him what it says.

He can laugh and cry within minutes of the other and has the greatest sense of humor.
He likes to charm the ladies and gives out kisses quite happily.

He has mastered the rudimentary basics of household economics: telling  me when there is no more milk/cereal/crackers and say "mummy buy shop".

He loves "buberries" and "black-buberries" with his cereal.

Darling boy, we are so happy to have you!