The monkeys take London ...... and then put it back again neatly

Subtitle : How to embarrass your kids in one easy lesson

As I mentioned in yesterdays post, eventually we were forced to get rid of No.'s 3 and 4. We were fed up with them commandeering our telly .....

..... and our pool table ......



....... and stealing crisps then letting No. 2 take the rap.



So we hatched a cunning plan to relocate them. I told them to prepare themselves as we were going on "a little trip".

But when they started planning a round-the-world cruise and No. 4 stole sweets for the journey, I had to reign them in a little.


Then I told them we were going to the big smoke and No. 4 took charge of planning the route. No.3 got so excited that he had to be excused.

Soon we were all packed and ready to go.



At first the monkeys were nervous and refused to leave the safety of my rucksack. They were particularly worried on the scary moving stairs ......

...... but they got used to it. Pretty soon they were just like your average commuters about town, waiting for the train on a crowded platform ........ ahem, it was early .......

........ struggling to find free seats .........

(Note : that pink arm belongs to my very embarrassed teenage RBD1. Worse was to come. Mwah ha ha. Also note the reflection of the Londonite studiously ignoring the knitted monkey debacle going on immediately in front of her. They're used to weird people on the tube!)


While in London the monkeys took in some fine art .....

....... enjoyed the odd museum .......

........ and even frequented a couple of local hostelries, where soft drinks were enjoyed all round.

Doh! Some of us may have had beer ......

To be continued ........ I have knitting deadline issues!

Today we shall mostly be doing this .......

Actually, this is an old shot from a few years back when my RGH first tried his hand at water powered rockets. The man crouching on the floor in fear for his life is my RGB (Rather Groovy Brother-in-law) and the hunk just about to receive a two litre rocket-powered enema is obviously RGH, when he was trying to prove his cool uncle credentials.

Anyway, yesterday he spent most of the day in Rocketeering HQ (our kitchen) working on a new project. Some men of a certain age buy fast cars, some men date younger women, and some men - bless their little cotton socks - build three and a half feet tall water rockets!!

Yesterday we also managed to slip out for one of these .......

(oops, remembered my camera too late)

But unfortunately, NOT ONE SINGLE STITCH of monkey made of knit occurred yesterday. And there's only THREE DAYS LEFT!!!

So here instead is Random Monkey Shot #7

Snakes on a plane? How about Monkeys in a tube??

And be sure to tune in tomorrow, for the epic tale of how we disposed of No.'s 3 and 4. For ever. (By driving them down the M4 Motorway and bundling them out of the car. Oh of course we didn't do that! Although that thought did cross my mind.......)

The definition of true love?

Knitting your man (or woman) a beer mitt to keep his (or her) delicate manly (or feminine) fingers protected from those nasty cold beer cans and bottles.



If you know someone who enjoys cold beer but likes warm fingers, here's a free easy pattern for you.

Cast on enough stitches.

Knit 2 then purl 2 until the end of the row, turn.

Purl 2 then knit 2 until the end of the row, turn.

Repeat the above two rows until it's long enough.

Cast off.

Sew the edges together.

Fetch a cold beer from the fridge (lager works just as well).

Encase beer with mit.

Serve and enjoy.

Revel in the love and respect you're bound to receive.

Repeat as necessary.

Random Monkey Shot #6

No! The t-shirt!

RGH. Keeping the faith......

....... and yet looking slightly nervous about it -

like he's been forced to wear it or something!

I *heart* mugs too

My RFS (Rather Fabulous Sister) sent me a gift which I received today. It's a mug. I like mugs. I thought this one was quite appropriate bearing in mind I've recently started this blogging malarky. Although I did think about getting out my marker pen and changing it to 'It's all about Monkeys'.




Anway. The woman on the mug? She looks JUST. LIKE. ME. It's uncanny! I could BE her!

I even have a pair of these fantastic shoes in my wardrobe.

........ Doh! Ok, I'm lying. I was actually the model for this mug .........

Thanks Sis!

Monkey Fatigue Syndrome strikes again

But is it MFS I wonder? Maybe it's just that I get easily distracted. Hmm, but I'm a woman - surely it's multi-tasking? Anyway, whatever it is, I needed to prove that not all sock monkeys are scary. So for the princely sum of two British pounds I purchased four pairs of pretty socks. Bargain!



Using the Web-Goddess's pattern again I was pedal to the metal on my sewing machine.

And soon a monkey menagerie was created! (Excuse the pink spotty one - she wasn't quite ready for a photo-shoot)

Three of the four were snapped up and disappeared upstairs and to a friends house, but this little guy sits alone and unloved on top of a cupboard.

Can't think why.

Random Monkey Shot #5

Monkeys bits.

I'm getting there.