Off to the Seaside.

We are off to the seaside tomorrow. Hooray! It's been a while since we took the Monkey-Moos to see their Great Grandparents, and what better time to take the trip than a long weekend.

With any trip and our Two Monkey-Moos: Preparation is key.

1. Prepare: Explain where we are going and why if necessary, preferably we have to start talking about it a few days before the event.
2. Set expectations: what behaviour is acceptable, how to speak clearly (essential when Great Grandparents are a little hard of hearing), being polite and manners in general.
3. Distractions: this is really just quiet time activities, colouring books, stickers and reading books usually do the trick, and any quiet toys (the ones that have no electronic bits)
4. Rewards: arguably the most important rule! Good manners and behaviour will result in:- a picnic on the beach, a trip to the playground, or any other fun thing that will get them to behave a little less like monkeys for day!

With preparation well under way, the Monkeys happy with the prospect of visiting the beach and distractions packed, this post turns into a baking one again.

Rather last minute, I whipped up two batches of cupcake batter. One chocolate and one caramel.

Taking advantage of being left on my own in the kitchen, and working quickly to keep it Monkey free (for a while at least.) I swiftly spooned dollops of each mixture into cupcake cases, swirling them together for a lovely marbled effect.  What a super tasty treat to enjoy with the Great Grandparents. A dozen large cupcakes headed for the oven. (key preparation point 4- Rewards, if needed.)

The smell of freshly baked goods led a little Monkey-Moo to the kitchen. Thankful that I got some time alone in the kitchen for a change,  I set out all the decorating essentials and under Monkey-Moos watchful eye, smothered the cupcakes in rich chocolate icing.

I left Monkey-Moo to add all the final decorating touches with chocolate sprinkles and balls. (most of which didn't end up on the cakes but all over the counter and a little on the floor!)

He was very pleased with himself, but truth be told I think it was sneaking bits of chocolate sprinkles into his mouth when he thought I wasn't looking, that he found the most enjoyable!

 

 

See that cheeky little face? And the chocolate evidence around the mouth? ha ha!

He emptied out the remaining sprinkles directly into his mouth shortly after I snapped this shot!

I packaged up the cupcakes into pretty little boxes ready for the trip to seaside in the morning. One box to enjoy with the Great Grandparents and one to leave for them to enjoy throughout the week.

Now the only thing left to do, was get the picnic things packed for the boys lunchtime treat on the beach!

Photographing Family

Last month we were blessed with some fabulously sunny weather, the first real promise of the coming summer months. We took this sunny opportunity to get out into the park, charge up the camera and have a little photography session. If there is one thing I regret, it was not taking enough photo's when I was pregnant with Monkey-Moo #1. There are just so few of hubby and me, and a belly fully of Monkey-Moo. We made up for it, with Monkey-Moo #2, some may even say we went a tad overboard. (hurrumph!)

That said, I couldn't allow my brother and his wife, who are expecting their second little girl this May, to let this precious time pass without capturing the memories in photographs. Natural light, outdoor setting and relaxed atmosphere made this glorious sunny day the perfect time to document a time before they became a family of four!

 I used their camera, and foolishly didn't check the settings in the glaring sun (not that looking at a camera screen is easy in harsh sunlight-but enough of the excuses!) and so the first half of our shoot was rather overexposed!Groan! More time to be spent editing photo's to see what could be saved. The best outcome seemed to be turning them into black and white shots. 

While all this was going on, two little Monkey-Moos were happily posing for daddy, who was snapping creatively away with my camera. Didn't he do well?

Despite the mishaps, we came away with a few super usable shots! Now we wait for Baby to arrive so I can snap away again, with them a Family of Four!