Exciting week

There's been so much going on...

First the week started with a trip to London to watch the London Marathon. The Boy hasn't been to London since we did the exact same thing last year (we really should take him up there more often!) and he enjoyed the train journey and all the excitement. Our friend James lives on Tooley Street so we were able to watch from the balcony, the weather wasn't great but then it was probably nice and cooling for the runners. We missed our friend Steve go past (we got there late) but saw lots of 'fun' runners (not that many looked to be having fun, at just under halfway) though was distracted from seeing Jade Goody by a giant caterpillar.

The Boy started making sentences this week, with the first one on Sunday being 'Button the button!' on the train (he was so, so desperate to open the train doors, I'm forgiving the fact that you don't button a button. Well, you do, but not that kind of button. Oh, now I've confused myself). By Monday evening (and generally improving all week) he was ordering us all to 'readabook' - and as soon as you finish reading him a book, he points at his bookcase and says 'readabook!' again. He can be quite demanding...

The man upgraded his mobile which means I get his old one - which has a 1.2 megapixel camera - yay - and, plus, isn't broken like my one is. I've spent hours getting my photos into little size and uploading them to my new phone, but they do look good! And I've added some geisha / Japanesey photos to give myself a lovelyness to look at too.

On that subject, we have FINALLY decided how to decorate the kitchen - in a Japanesey style! Well it makes sense, we couldn't agree on modern (me) or country (The Man) so this way we weon't be modern or country but we'll have enough modern style and enough traditional style to keep us both happy, and what with our enormous love of sushi and noodles and so on , it feels like the right thing to do. We're going to paint it white (goodbye dark orange! Yay!) and have red accents & accessories, and bamboo placemats, etc. We already have some nice white crockery so we're good there, and I think we can pick up a few nice bits to add interest - I've already been buying some things on Ebay. Some lovely woodblock prints and so on, as we'll have white walls. I'm desperate not to have it cluttered as it is though, but I have found with the lounge that once we decorated it nicely we were able to keep it tidier as it looked so nice, we made the extra effort. I'm hoping the same thing will happen with the kitchen once we're done - It's my party on May 13th - do you think we'll do it in time? That would be great.

On that note as well, I've decided what I want from the Man for my birthday - two daytrips. I have been waiting and waiting to go to Ikea for about 8 months now I think - I can't really remember the things I wanted anymore, but now we're doing the kitchen we should be able to grap some cheap wooden kitchen accessories and photo frames and so on. He can buy me a few bits and pieces! The other trip was going to be to a Japanese restaurant. We tried to go to Yo Sushi a while back without realising the Bluewater one had closed years ago. (Amusingly one has now reopened but more about that later). We've bought the Wagamama cookbook for use at home and knew that although not proper Japanese, were probably close enough for beginners - plus of course easy to replicate at home - and there's London or there's also one in Tunbridge Wells. However my friend Foz came over last week and mentioned the Japan Centre in London - shops and restaurants all in one - and then while researching that, The Man found a review of the 'best Japanese food in London' according to the Guardian (who he loves) at a place called Oriental City. It's in the middle of nowhere (well, a more residential suburb of London anyway) but has lots of eateries and a huge supermarket and a shop that sells bowls etc, and loads more. After doing more research into it I've heard it's really well priced, is the biggest Asian shopping centre outside of Japan, and I'm so so excited! So we're going there on my birthday, I think. With an Ikea trip before then, I hope, so that I can have a lovely kitchen when people come over for my party. Yay!

Last thing - The Man is on a study trip, left yesterday (Wednesday) morning to go to work, will be back Friday evening. He normally gets The Boy up and gives him breakfast, then gives him tea and puts him to bed at night as well. Last night brushing the boys teeth felt really odd - and today will be just the two of us all day! I hope we haven't frustrated each other to death by the time Friday night comes along...