The Buckingham Blog

In Print

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 19:39:00 -0400

One of my photos from October last year made it into "Black & White Photograhy" magazine's May issue. I'm told by some photographer types that it's a very well respected magazine, so I'm really chuffed to be asked if they can use it.

Julie.xx

Blair Drummond Safari Park

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 20:06:00 -0400

On Thursday, we drove down to see Dad & Tricia. We chilled in the house, the kids played on their scooters, and then we all headed to the park. By the time the kids had gone on the chute three hundred times, it was time to get dinner, and we went to the local carvery. I even got a meat free version and it was delicious!

On Friday morning we got up and headed to the safari park and met up with Mel, Liam, Leah & Hannah at lunchtime. We had already been round in the car part of it, the kids played in the adventure park, we ate lunch, we went on a boat to see the chimps, we saw the sealion show and went round the petting zoo.

Well, that's between swapping jackets several time between no jackets, summer jackets, rain jackets and winter jackets. One minute it was roasting, the next it was tipping down and then it was soooo cold!

We had arrived at 10:30am and didn't leave until 5:30pm. We stopped at an indian in Dundee on the way home, finally getting home close to 10pm. The kids were exhausted!

I think I'll let the photos say the rest! What a great end to the Easter holidays.

Easter Sunday 2012

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 17:14:00 -0400

As we always do for Easter, we decorated eggs and went to a hill to roll them. Well in this case throw them as they were slightly over boied and wouldn't smash!

This year we had a monster, a bumblebee, a princess and a chick.

It was a really horrible day, cold and drizzly so we decided for the first time not to go to Drum Castle and instead just went to Duthie Park. Where we were rolling, the eggs kept getting stuck in daffodil clumps!

The kids had their bikes with them so after we'd rolled, thrown and smashed the eggs we did a lap of the park. By then I was freezing and just wanted back into the car. I'm so not an outdoorsy person!

Steps

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 17:33:00 -0400

Tonight Steps played in Aberdeen as part of their Ultimate Reunion Tour. Melanie and I got tickets back in October. I loved Steps back in the day and was excited to go and see them. Although it was a great night, it was easily the strangest concert I've been at. Not the band, they were great, but the audience was really weird - not up dancing for most of it. how can you not get up and dance to Steps?

The odd thing about the actual concert was that they headed off stage for a costume change in the middle of one of their signature songs, 5,6,7,8! Weird!

Anyway, here's a few photos I took

Julie.xx

Kory's Birthday

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 19:59:00 -0400

It's been a busy old week of birthday activities for our 7 year old. Yeah, 7!! How can my wee man be 7 already?! It's like someone fast forwarded my life.

His hactual birthday was Monday, we were wakened very early to be told he was now 7 and to get on with opening presents! He got Skylanders for the Wii from us, as well as lego, books, transformers, pyjamas and a magic set. He got Lego, Scotland strip and tracksuit & Skylanders storage from others. He was delighted and there was nothing he didn't want or like (thankfully!)

He was at school in the morning, then I picked up him and his friend Amy at lunch time and took them to Burger King for lunch before returning them to school.

By 3:15pm when I collected him he was excited about going out for dinner too (it's been a bit of a tradition that we go out on bithdays) so we headed into town to meet James after work and go for some food. Chiquitos was his choice as it almost always is and considering he'd eaten a burger king, he put away some amount of food (5 fajitas to be exact - think he has hollow legs) It was a nice evening.

Yesterday (Friday) was the last day of school for the Easter holidays and I had decided in my wisdom to have a few friends over to the house. Only a few friends became 14 including Kory & Krystal. I am so pleased the weather was in our favour and it was warm and dry enough to let them outside to play.

They played football and with the garden toys, we fed them pizza, chicken, sausage rolls and potato wedges about 6pm, we did his birthday cake and played Just Dance on the Wii and soon enough it was time for most of the kids to be collected. All but 6 went away. There were 4 staying for a sleepover!! We had Jamie, Daniel, Leah, Amy and of course Kory & Krystal.

They played in the garden with some silly string for a while then came in, got into pyjamas, played on the Wii again, had wrestling fights, ate toast then went to get settled in for the night. It was nearly midnight that they went to sleep and were back up at 6am *yawn*

They all left about 10am having had (I think) a great time. Kory got stuck into opening his presents and once again did so so well. His friends know him well too, mostly getting things they know he's into.

One very happy and very exhausted little boy!

Julie.xx

Baby News

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 17:44:00 -0400

Last Wednesday I headed down by train to stay at Mums to help Laura & Jamie out with Owen while they went into hospital to have their new wee boy, Leon.

We had taken Owen shopping in Kilmarnock while she was having her c-section and got the call late afternoon to say little Leon had entered the world. He was 8lb 2oz and we got to go and visit him that night. What a wee cute tootie! It was lovely to snuggle a little teeny fresh baby again, but don't be misled! It was equally as nice to hand him back and sleep all night!!!!

Some photos of his first couple of days....

On Saturday Kory & Krystal had their swimming lesson then James came down the road with them to meet their new wee cousin. Krystal was chuffed to bits with a real moving doll and being the only girl there, Kory was a bit unfazed altogether, preferring to play with Owen.

Laura & Leon got home yesterday, here's Leon chilling at home

We came back home today, it was a bit of a flying visit for James and the kids, less than 24 hours really. I enjoyed my time away & spent some nice time with Owen doing fun stuff, here's the photos of that too...

We took Owen to choose a balloon for Leon

To the beach (the day David Cameron was in Troon, mounted polie EVERYWHERE)

Congratulations again to Laura, Jamie & Owen on their new wee family. Can't wait to see them all again.

Julie.xx

Lighthouse Shoot

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 19:16:00 -0400

Krystal and I were bored today between nursery and getting Kory, so we decided to go out and she was going to be my model and I was to be her photographer (all her idea by the way!) It was sunny and not as cold as it has been, so we headed around the coast to one of the lighthouses you can get close up to.

Krystal was suggesting ways to pose and for me to take her picture, and it was only when I saw one of them on the screen of the camera, I realised we could try her picking it up. I think the results were pretty good, even though it took several attempts to explain to Krystal what I wanted her to do and show her on the screen the result. Once the penny dropped she thought it was hilarious.

I love this photo because of what her hair is doing more than the lighthouse part! It was really windy.

We had a lovely fun afternoon.

Julie.xx

21 Again!

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 20:49:00 -0400

James that is!!

James isn't a fan of birthday's, in fact if it weren't for the kids being excited, I think he would rather never know it was his. But they don't let him forget it!

So we met him after work to go to Prezzo for dinner (thanks Coral & Chad!) which was really yummy!

The kids meals there are huge and they get bambinochino at the end which is in a small cup and is frothed warm milk with chocolate sprinkles. They feel so grown up!

So another year and another birthday - time is moving awfully fast!

Julie.xx

Cakes

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 18:30:00 -0400

After Kory's grading on Sunday, Krystal became a bit sleepy and lethargic, not wanting dinner and going to bed early. She was awake in the middle of the night burning hot and not feeling well at all. She got up in the morning fine, got all ready and down to school and she came over all funny again, so I just brought her home and she was sound asleep on the couch by 9:30am.

Yesterday was much the same and last night she was up loads too, so just kept her off nursery today too. It turns out most of her class has been off this week with high temps and sore heads. Very odd.

Anyway, she was feeling a bit better by this afternoon, so we decided to make some cakes. Krystal wanted to put them in all different cases, so we did! Making cakes in pyjamas is a proper lazy day activity. But glad she's better now.

Julie.xx

Orange Grading

Sun, 04 Mar 2012 18:01:00 -0400

After over a year of having his blue belt, Kory finally got to grage for his 5th khan (orange) belt. There were only 3 of the little ones even close to this level and the grading was actually quite intense for the first time. Until this point it's been quite relaxed.

Of course Kory passed it and is chuffed to bits with his new band and certificate.

A bite nervouse before it started....

The boys chuffed with themselves and everyone who graded at any level today

After over 3 years training in Muay Thai Kory is still loving it, very proud of him.

Julie.xx

Book Day

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 17:00:00 -0400

Kory & Krystal love books. A lot! So world book day was right up their street. They had to go to school dressed as a character from their favourite book. Kory chose the spaceman from Moon Mission (one of the books in the Magic Tree House series he loves) and Krystal as a cat from Tabby McTat - one of her favourite books She has about 10 favourites!!

Julie.xx

Snow!

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 18:44:00 -0400

After a whole winter of no snow, it decides on the 19th Feb to do it. Just when we thought it was all over. Needless to say the kids were excited and out playing straight after breakfast! Krystal was making snowballs, Kory made a snowcastle complete with stables and even Fudge got in on the action....

Sensation Dundee

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:52:00 -0400

Today was the first of 3 days off school for half term so Mummy & Daddy planned a day trip for us, but wouldn't tell us what it was apart from that it was in Dundee.

We got up early and headed to down the road, arriving in Sensation's carpark. This is Dundee's Science Centre.

We went in and started looking around, then our friends Leah & Hannah arrived as a surprise with their Mummy & Daddy (Melanie & Liam)

We spent the moning doing lots of fun things to do with the senses, like smelling and touching things before watching an experiment demonstration using liquid nitrogen. I enjoyed that.

We were a bit hungry after that so left the museum to find somewhere to eat. While we were looking around, we met Desperate Dan!

We finally found a Jimmy Chungs which is a chinese buffet restaurant and yummy.

After we'd eaten lots, we headed back to Sensation. We had to show our stickers to get back in as we wanted to see the Planetarium show. We had to wait a while and it was an eventful wait.

First of all, Mummy met a lady she's been friends with on the computer for 7-8 years. This was very strange as she lives in the middle of England and didn't know we'd be there.

The second thing was that there was a wee show on and Krystal volunteered to go on the stage. This is pretty amazing as she hates doing things like that.

Finally the planetarium opened and we could go in to watch the show about the stars and planets. We had to sit on the floor unlike the Glasgow one, but it was good anyway.

Just Hangin' Out with Daddy

We then went for a quick cup of tea before it was time to drive back to Aberdeen.

I had a really nice day out and hopefully we'll do something like this again soon.

Love
Kory
xxxx

Biker Girl

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:49:00 -0400

Today Krystal learnt to ride her bike! She asked during the week if she could take her stabilisers off and as the weather was mild and sunny today James took her out in the afternoon. In contrast to when Kory learnt, Krystal was offski. She was so proud of herself once she did it. 30 minutes in total. What a clever girl, she's younger than Kory was too :)

Hope Santa is listening - guess what she'll be asking for this year!

Julie.xx

Wii Dancing

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:21:00 -0400

When Amy was round I filmed them dancing to their favourite song (Katy Perry - Fireworks)

They're all funny but in particular watch Krystal.....

Julie.xx