My baby...

My baby brother can wear pink shoes, to make him wink all the time!

We had a lovely scan-lay yesterday, her name shall remain anonymous, but she gleefully asked "do you want to know what it's going to be?" (which is not allowed in our hospital)... "go on then!"... she held back, "well, I won't tell you, but I'll find the area, and let you make up your own mind"..."oh! that'll be a boy then!"

Poppy seemed to think that all the pink clothes in the shows after the scan were quite fitting for her baby brother... We look forward to the day he pops out, and see how Poppy deals with this all...

-----

well, that's the last "Phrase a day" from 2010! thanks to everyone who read, I hope you found some of them funny, inspirational and entertaining. I'll drop ones in, in 2011 but I'll be working on "tune a month" for my blog project of 2011...

I've got horses...

I've got horses in my tummy!

We were at the 20 week scan today, all's well! Poppy seemed a little more interested than the last time (more detail?)... anyway, we celebrate by going to see Megamind in 3d, so it's a bit of a long day, and late home.. which gives us the chance to watch a little of "Eragon", whilst we eat our supper in front of the TV... Poppy then grabs my mouse and pretends to scan her own tummy, and we pretend that the pictures on the TV are the scan pictures! (my goodness! she's full of trees, witches, swords, rivers, dragons...)

Just...

Just shutup dad.

Even my relentless gobshite with Poppy has its limits. She's ill today, bad cough etc, so, she's blanketed up and slounging on the sofa, watching Mary Poppins. I start singing the songs in my faux cockney accent... it's a no go.


Ms Poppins is not impressed.

Get off Daddy...

Get off Daddy, I want to play the bloop bloops

I've broken out the old eKeys 49 to have a noodle and a sketch, getting ready for my attempt to "make a tune a month" for 2011... anyway, Poppy loves making music / sounds through the keyboard, and always loves seeing the old eKeys come out (I really should do it more often!)... mind you, I don't get much tuneage done when she's hogging the pooter!



PianoTrem by lepeep

can we have a ...

can we have a poo coming out of his bum?

Today we play with the plasticine Santa gave Poppy. She's picking out the animals and aliens on the box to make, and we tell her "you can make up your own things, you know!"... so I was told to make a bum. (not a tramp, I'll have you know)

Pull your Pod...

Pull your Pod Race face Poppy!

Poppy got the Star Wars "prequel" box set (pah). We're watching Ani (sp? or was he also a ginger orphan girl in a previous life, thanks to those pesky midichlorians?) Anyway... we're watching the pod race, and that wee "grimmace", so well acted is to die for. Oh, does Michael Schumacher keeps some spare tools in his cockpit incase something goes wrong with his engine? or did they only do that sort of thing a long time ago, in a galaxy far far away?

'ello

'Ello!

After hearing a noise upstairs, Gabi and I thought that Santa must have gone into Poppy's room when we were still awake... so we headed upstairs to check (and to go to bed, seeing as it was late). Her door was closed, so I had to open it slowly (to avoid waking the previously excited Poppy) and check that Santa had been, by noting if a bulging stocking was left on the end of the bed.. and it was! Satisfied that Santa had done his amazing job, I turned, only to creak a floorboard... Poppy stirs, still asleep and cracks out "'Ello!" (always polite and friendly!)... mean while, Gabi is snorting and chuckling as I (shakingly) creep out the bedroom and close the door, ready for Christmas morning!

Chocolate, Chocolate...

Chocolate, Chocolate, good for the brain...

and repeat. A song for when one is stirring delicious truffle mix. Can't wait.... must wait....

Daddy, can you squash...

Daddy, can you squash me to the roof again?

After a wee "indoor showies" (spinning, dropping & swinging) with Poppy, I lift Poppy up to the roof, with fits of giggles 9and a few of those cute "scared squeals")... I wonder what a room really looks like "up there"... Another pretend drop and scoop, and I think I've found a simple way of keeping fit and exercising my biceps!


amazing "Kissing The Ceiling" – Photos by Fred Muram

Go on! Count...

Go on! Count to three!

Aye, the old "I'll count to three" isn't cutting the mustard anymore. Someone said she wated to see me "go mad"... ho ho... so I scooped Poppy up and pretended to be a monster taking her up to bed... which all went just fine.

IS THAT...

IS THAT BBQ'd ?

Poppy was convinced the sausages were BBQ'd tonight... nope, it's just we'd managed to sneak pork sausages under her nose, she usually only touches beef ones...

My body is a...

My body is a skate park!

Poppy was playing with a finger board on her legs, and we caught her catching some rad air, giving a running commentary, "wow! he's so high!", "look at the ollie!", fantastic.

Are they good

Are they good or bad people?

Annie is on TV tonight and Poppy is interested in the people that come to pick Annie up (for the "reward"). "oh, they are bad all right!", "but, but, they are nice!"..."ah, that's the trick you see, they are pretending to be nice but they are not, just so they can get the money"..."but why?".. ah, the biggie.

NO! you can't eat...

NO! you can't eat the snow from the road!

If we've said it once, we've said it a million times today... what is it about lumpy, brown, gritty slush, as opposed to the untouched, fluffy stuff lying above grass? Ah, that's it.. it's because we said "don't eat it". simple.

You can have crow's...

You can have crow's blood for your breakfast Daddy

Poppy's thinking about what we can all have for food to start the day. "toast" for her... I wonder what an avian black pudding would taste like...

Daddy, roll the cushion...

Daddy, roll the cushion right over my face!

There's a rolly polly, pouffe cushion at Granny and Grandddad's place - and once upon a time, I pretended it was a rolling pin on "poppy dough". Seems that the memory of being squashed by a big pink circular cushion made an impression!

Fit like!

Fit like! Nae bad, yersel?

gabi was showing at the Dundee jamboree (petit Noel) craft fair. She decided to take a few wooden 'fit like' badges to test them out a wee bit further south... Seems there are a few escapees living in Dundee! Even one from the Brough! Sailt a pucklie few, n'ah. Grand.

Imagine butter...

Imagine butter juice! oh, delicious!

Poppy was seeming to like the idea of a coronary drink / snack tonight, why waste time having a drink, when eating potatoes, when you can do it all in a oner. lovely.

Can we make a Robin decoration...

Can we make a Robin decoration out of a dead bird?

Merry Christmas folks. Something along the lines of "we can get link to kill a robin, and we can turn it into a decoration"... I couldn't hear after a while, I was horrified. Well... laughing with tears rolling down my cheeks.

you have...

You have Alien Eyes!

Someone thought it'd be a good idea to give Poppy some eye make up today... "oh, lets put it on daddy too"... aye, bonny.

If you eat a drumstick when you are seven...

If you eat a drumstick when you are seven, all your teeth get sucked out

Don't they? (A dentist told me!).. we visited Anstruther today, Gabi dropped off a parcel of Small Stories clobber to "the Lovely Pigeon" pop up craft shop, she's their best seller!... hooray! We bought some lovely things too... (Tommy Perman Postcards for one... he did say he'd send a pack...bah humbug to you sir! I "FOUND" them myself. thuurrrp!).
Anyway, after our wee shopping spree, we had some fish n chips, then a visit to a sweetie shop (how healthy!) Bubalishous! Melody Pops! oh! Drumsticks! we're all kids today.

Can you make me a...

Can you make me a pumpkin car please daddy?

Got some Lego out today, some limited stuff (all the good stuff is in the shed... must rectify!) - but, we built the worlds raddest skatepark, along with krazy german TV cameraman, looking to film "very rad footage, ze best zat German TV has evah seen!) - anyway, after a rad sesh with 2 skateboards (made from two twozer wheels) and a BMX (steering wheel, 2 mono wheels and a single 4zer...) we decided to make some "proper" vehicles.... pumpkin red mobiles, the way forwards (and back, they are so rad).

Brains are a bit like balloons...

Brains are a bit like balloons, but without the knot, and they are heavier

Poppy bangs her head today, and it sparks a thought...

I love your music Daddy...

I love your music Daddy, it's so 'bop to the beat'

In the car, and a bit o' Vibert drops... Poppy stops what she's doing... I think we've got an acid head on our hands. "dear Santa, can I have white gloves and a glow stick please"...

Can I have some

Can I have some soup please?

"free beer!"... on a -3c night... dear digital cool dudes, c'mon! it's A'Deen in december! I loved the Mighty Meet Up tonight, but I fear I am too old now... there was a time when "free beer" would have me rolling in the snow in a balaclava, miners lamp and snowboarding goggles... but I just want some hot soup now.. boo hoo.

For anyone "digital" and interested in web tech / dev / design... you really should attend the next MightyMeetup. It's free, and you do get more than beer... knowledge! (no soup).

Last run...

Last run the n Chloe?

I think I said that 4 times today... amazing day up at Glenshee, blue Skies, no wind, heaps n heaps o sna... amazing. it doesn't get better than that on the Scottish Hills.... well, if they'd opened Glas Maol, perhaps... and Butchart's tows...

not my photo, but this is spot on for what it was like today...

Blood turns into...

Blood turns into Jelly Blood

A Christmassy, jolly, snow filled trip to the shops to buy a tree... we've only ever had a 2 foot high, mini jobber... and now Poppy is getting right into Christmas, we thought we'd get a decent one!... so, safely bagged, in the car, driving away, we get this Christmas gem from Popps... what does go on in that head... and, should we be worried...

I wonder if Mark Quinn would have Poppy help him in his studio?... hmmm....where's that phone...

I'll get that for you Morag....

I'll get that for you Morag CRUNCH

- A split second slows, as I turn and watch the fantastic Morag McGee's face "about" to say "pick them up by the legs"... Phil, slow down, think... it's a simple ask. What a twit I am.

I make a great

I make a great team!

solipsistic, or just a daemon Tory child.. that's my daughter. I meekly suggest "WE make a good team"..."no, it's me."... age of austerity, indeed.

We look like...

We look like ickle babies!

Yes indeed, stuffing cherry tomatoes into your cheeks does indeed make you look like a baby, Poppy. I see they've also wandered off into the dolls house, sitting on the toilet, in the baby chair, rolling down the stairs...

It's not a polar bear neck...

It's not a polar bear neck top, it's a piggy neck top, as it's pink!

Cold today... more snow, fantastic... so, we wrap up warm! We recommend a Polo Neck top... don't you love how kids can mis-hear words.

If I have a baby brother...

If I have a baby brother, that means there will be two daddies in the house.

Another slab of Poppy logic today... or perhaps she can see that far into the future, where house prices are so expensive, our kids stay with us....forever!

If you leave money lying around...

If you leave money lying around, the tooth fairy comes along and takes it away

Poppy keeps spilling out her "old money" piggy bank, and leaving all the money lying out... I got fed up with it the other day, so I scooped it all up, and hid it. "where's my money?!" She bellows, when she goes to play with it again, hours later... "the tooth fairy took it"...."but it's old money!"...."She took it back in time to give to poor children in the past"..."aww, that's nice"... fewee!

I'm going...

I'm going stir crazy!

We're holed up this morning due to the crazy amount of fantastic snow in Inverurie. Anyway... I think we need to go for a walk, somewhere...anywhere! Someone's so bored, she's doing dastardly things with pens! "I'm the wicked witch"... aye, tell us about it.

no! you two didn't...

no! you two didn't win! I WON!

Poppy going off on one, seeing as she only got 5 marbles...

The cousin of the caterpillar...

The cousin of the caterpillar, is the maggot

Another beautifully random quote from Poppy, when we were driving in to Aberdeen today... it's snowing, cars going slow, piles of the white stuff everywhere, and Poppy's thinking about caterpillars... amazing.

Ah, it's coming...

Ah, it's coming together nicely!

Sory for the delay in posting this by one day, I was trying to keep my Peacock Visual Arts show "under wraps" before it opened... so I'd decided to keep this post a day late. Anyway, I've had a fantastic time thanks to Peacock Visual Arts and volunteer Scott for being so helpful... Writing this after the opening, i can safely say the show was well received and I had a lot of great conversations, and overheard a lot of interesting opinions... cheers to everyone that come despite the snow. The show continues until the 22nd of december.



Peacock Visual Arts - ME~Idea by Philip Thompson

I might be home late...

I might be home late, I'm guessing there are a few numpties on the road

Aye, a puff o sna... everybody drives like a tool... either too fast (hit that tree you tool) or far too slow (you know, it's only a wet road... seriously!)...

I spent 2 hours travelling 18 miles. I honestly thought I'd see a multiple pile up tonight... nope, just a roundabout at the bottom of a hill...

mind you, once on my home straight.. 9 mph, downhill, I skidded past my road (!)... curse you ABS and roads like bottles (aye, not main roads, you haters).

I like the three Penguins...

I like the three Penguins, they are my winner!

Gabi and I were asked to judge the Christmas card competition for Anne Begg today, Poppy was very excited about it too!... We went through around 500 cards! So many great designs to choose from... ah, but only one can be the winner... this will of course be announced in December...

is that zombie horse...

is that zombie horse a good one or a bad one?

Poppy and I have an apres tea time mosh to some "zombie music, dad" (carcass, "reek of putrefaction") ... she wants to know if Jeff Walker has two eyes?... so we take a peek at the album artwork (careful those of you with a weak disposition!) and oh, there are zombie horses on the back.

Beth, do you want to...

Beth, do you want to go outside?

We were at the Foveran Store's Christmas Crafts Fair today, it's a fantastic farm shop, with delicious local produce. We were sharing a space with Lindsay (Daisy Glaisy)& Beth (Lindsay's daughter)... Poppy and Beth got on like a house on fire, and Beth was a superb surrogate "big Sis" to the demanding (but always polite(!?)) Poppy. Good turn out, a lovely day out for everyone!



This is Lindsay's BlipPhoto from today

Wow, look at the fluffy...

Wow, look at the fluffy moon!

a nice hazy foggy winter night, with a ... fluffy moon!

check the "what's hot"...

check the "what's hot" in the Frieze magazine...

does this mean I'm trendy? Hard to know if the frieze editorial is taking the piss... "pages from newspapers that have sections blocked out or painted on" is in the "hot" list of art trends... I wish I hadn't read that in the "what's hot" list ...

Mummy, can we have a brown...

Mummy, can we have a brown baby please?

Cool! we've got a multiracial kid, nice. I just hope she's not disappointed in May 2011.

hooliga huewl hewligans...

hooliga huewl hewligan's haircut!

Poppy is loving my time machine amazon purchase today! on the doorstep, a massive slice of inspiration when I was 17... jamie hewlett and peter milligan's fantastic book about madness and reality... or is it?...

Hey! that looks like...

Hey! that looks like E.T. !

no word of a lie, Popps saw a packaging box for some mugs, and "saw" ET... I'm guessing Duchamp would be beaming! Hairs on the back of the neck moment, was that one (#proudartdad)

Now that's a lot of...

Now that's a lot of rope!

with my peacock visual arts exhibition coming up, I'm scurrying around picking up all my materials, and amazing! Tim rankin from transition extreme has kindly given me a load of old rope! No money needed! You are a toff tim!

You pretend to be a baby...

You pretend to be a baby coming out of my bottom

Seems that Poppy is getting right into where babies come from...sort of. Err...

How come your daddy...

How come you daddy doesn't have any nose hairs Poppy?!

Ho ho ho! How observant mr Rutherford! During a wee break (pies and pastries!) my good friend (who is helping us in the garden of Claypots, for a final splurge of getting it ready for sale) suddenly notices that all my dangly nose hairs have disappeared! I did indeed stick the trimmer up my beak this morning... I fear it's still up there... who knows.



hello again!

I want to sleep with...

I want to sleep with my special plaster on!

We've been to the special discount night for junction art tonight, and Elaine's mum and martin are kindly entertaining Poppy, she's been given a special bog-roll finger wrap (a plaster, according to Popps). This, is her mew favourite thing.

My taste-buds...

My taste-buds are telling me....

Poppy seems to have some friends in her mouth that tell her stuff... stories, decisions and the like... I've seen them, rather large bobbly bits... sounds like ACC.

that's that...

that's that then!

WOOOHOO! today, we finished the inside of Claypots! We actually did it! We can now proceed with putting it on the market! (we still need to do a little tidying outside, but that's by the by, all the hard work's been done! YAY!

well, Poppy is a...

well, Poppy is a quiet girl, but she knows what she wants

We had a "parents night" at nursery tonight! what to hear?! Well, we find out she's quiet, works well on her own, gets on well with others, likes drawing... it's funny, because when we ask about school, she doesn't tell us ("her time")... but conversely, she obviously doesn't say much to the teachers about "outside school"... are we raising a spy? perhaps some water boarding might help, someone told me today, it's not torture... aye, right George.

The bum snuffler...

The bum snuffler snuffles the bum of the head bonk monster!

I think, when I have a little more time on my hands, I have to do a drawing for this one!

You just called that carrot...

You just called that carrot a potato!

tonight, we're having tempura with some katsu curry sauce... (nom nom). We've got spring onions, broccoli, aubergine, chicken and (drum roll) - Sweeeeeet potato! There's a slight problem, Poppy say's she doesn't like sweet potato (she always has before!) So.. the plan is, "it's a carrot"... a massive, flat one... nee hee... it works.



an example of sweet potato tempura from http://crescent-foods.com/product_tempura.html - seeing as I failed to take photos of tonight's tea.