Jan 31, 2008

News article about Paul and his wife.

Every time he rode his bike I feared for his life, says widow
Katharine Barney, Evening Standard

The widow of a cyclist knocked down and killed by a lorry has told how she feared for his life every time he rode his bike.

Paul Hendrich, 36, was killed minutes from his Battersea home on his way to university.

Today, his widow Sasha Smith, 35, told of her regret that their oneyearold daughter would never know her father - but also of her happiness at the 10 years they spent together.

The couple had been through four years of fertility treatment before having their "miracle" daughter, Agatha.

Mr Hendrich was knocked down in Battersea Park Road on 16 January., soon after strapping Agatha into her pushchair and waving her and his wife off to Clapham Common.

Ms Smith recalled: "He said, ' Goodbye, have fun.' It was a sunny day and everything seemed perfect. The silly thing is I always worried about him riding in London, but when he was coming home rather than when he left.

"If he was 10 minutes late I'd panic and text him to find out where he was. I would never ask him not to cycle because I knew how much he loved it, but I told him how scared it made me.

"I worried about the bike lanes that end suddenly and about the roads where huge lorries and buses jostle with little cyclists. When I saw the police had left a card on the afternoon he died I thought it might be for Paul as he was due to give evidence for another crash, but then it hit me and I started screaming."

The couple met in Tokyo, where they were both teaching English, and married in 1999 when they returned to England. They both wanted children but Ms Smith had only a one per cent chance of conceiving. After four years of fertility treatment she fell pregnant.

She said: "When we had Agatha I think Paul felt complete. They really loved each other and that's what hurts me most - the thought Agatha will grow up not knowing her father.

"Of course there are a few videos and in the pictures you can see how much Paul loves her, but for her it will be all second-hand memories. He would look after her two days a week and we called them Daddy Days. He loved them."

Mr Hendrich had passed his masters in anthropology with distinction and was at Goldsmith's College in New Cross working on research that would lead to a doctorate. He was also a youth worker involved in projects, such as setting up a health drop-in service.

Ms Smith said: "He was such a dynamic person, so energetic. He would do all these wonderful things but at the same time cook me every meal, bath Agatha, change her nappies, take her swimming. I never had to ask him to help. He was my best friend, we chatted, we laughed and we never argued. People used to say to us we were the perfect couple. I don't regret anything as we had 10 wonderful years together. Paul used to say our lives were so perfect it couldn't possibly last."

Professor Sophie Day from Goldsmiths spoke of Mr Hendrich's "enthusiasm, generosity and kindness", and said he would have been a great field researcher. "His death will be deeply mourned throughout Goldsmiths," she said.

A memorial service will be held at the college on 9 February. A lorry driver was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and bailed.

You can see a picture of Paul and his wife:

www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23434442-details/Every+time+he+rode+his+bike+I+feared+for+his+life,+says+widow/article.do

Date night and clean fridges....

Last night was date night. Lloyd got out of work early and after an early supper at home with the kids (cottage pie) Lloyd and I headed into town. We picked up his dry cleaning (I am LOVING not having to do ANY ironing woohoo) we headed to Boston Pizza for coffee and dessert :) It was nice and relaxing just chatting over coffee :)

Came home and I soaked in the bath for a while and then we went to bed early and fell asleep watching Planet Earth...

Lovely evening all round :)

Today I learned that cleaning the fridge is a much nicer job when you chat to a friend while you're doing it :) Thank you for calling Samantha - hope to see you tomorrow night :) I'm looking forward to it :) and yes I got Ians cell # now thanks!

a few more






love that each day I wake up to find the snow, frost and ice have left new arrangements and creations on my windows.....all around the edges are hanging these feather like frosty formations that blow gently in the breeze and give the window frames a hairy appearance.....very unusual...

More from my window.....





Goat man widowed

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6619983.stm

What a shame......

Jan 30, 2008

Susies turn....

we videoed it :)

Mr Wanke...

Christophers basketball coach has the unfortunate name of Wanke.......this isn't so funny to people over here, but in England a Wanker is derogatory term for an idiot....to wank also means to masturbate.

So yes sadly there are lots of sniggers and giggling and sarcastic comments when his name appears on caller id......

Luckily Chris just calls him 'Coach'......

A youtube clip of the hot water thingy ;)

It's cold out there...








Yesterday we saw on the Weather Network that if you throw a cup of hot water into the air when its this cold, it freezes instantly. So today we went outside and had a go! It seems to freeze differently each time - sometimes it looks like steam and like the smoky stuff from dry ice....other times it turns to lumps like snow...and other times it just freezes in droplets....

Kind of cool though :)

Another thank you.....

I just wanted to thank you all for the amazing comments you have been leaving recently - I really appreciate all the lovely things you say about me, my family and my blog! Its so nice to wake up to happy loving comments like that and it means a lot!

Thank you!

Thank you..

Thank you to Lloyds parents Terry and Chris - your parcel has arrived and Susannah is thrilled with her pj's. My ear rings are also very pretty! Thank you!

Susannah has posted a picture she took of herself (with her timer function) on her own blog.

a few more....



More scenes from my bedroom window....





A question for me - Cheerios Addict

Cheerios-Addict asked me:

A question for you: What is your earliest childhood memory? (or memories...)


My earliest memory is from when I was a toddler and I was being pushed in a pale grey stroller down to the village (probably to the school) by my Mom with my sisters. The road was bumpy and I started kind of humming and the humming noise kind of vibrated my voice so my voice was all kind of bumpy from the road.....if that makes sense lol...so I was kind of riding along going 'aaaaaaaaaaaaaah' and it felt all funny because of the vibrations and made my voice funny!

Actually I was being pushed down the hill bit in front of Louise Fields cottage with the thatched roof.....but the only people who will remember that are those I grew up with and my family lol!

Knocked Up!

No not me lol!

Last night Lloyd and I curled up and watched the movie Knocked Up......I laughed out loud all the way through...such a great movie. Its made by the same people as The 40 Year Old Virgin (another favourite of mine) and has many of the same cast.

If you don't like swearing you won't want to see this movie, but for me, the swearing added to the hilarity of the movie!

It's the hilarious story of a girl who gets pregnant after a one night stand...then she tries to make a relationship with said one night stand!

And of course the hosue in the movie is GORGEOUS - including the kitchen with subway tile, white cabinets and grey counter tops which is what we have chosen for our reno lol...yep we're a little obsessed with spotting kitchens in movies ;)

HILARIOUS movie - totally recommend it but not with the kids around ;)

Jan 29, 2008

New blog!

Susie has her own blog now - its a private blog and is for all the pictures she is taking with her new camera.....if you would like to read it please leave a comment with your email address and we will send invites...

She is doing really well with her camera....has been taking pictures obsessively for two days now and keeping me busy uploading and editing them on the computer!

Bubble blowing...







My friend Jennifer sent this recipe for bubble mixture to the homeschool group....so we tried it out straight away:

Since the weather is perfect for it around here, I thought I'd mention a
cool yet very simple science activity which we discovered last winter:
crystal bubbles!

Essentially, if you blow some bubbles outside on a cool but sunny day, you
can watch crystal patterns form on them as they freeze!

Here's my favourite bubble recipe, in case anyone wants one (It's from The
Ultimate Book of Kid Concoctions):

About 10 cups of water
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 cup dish soap (the brand matters. . .Ivory and Dawn were the best of those
we've tested)

You need to mix the syrup in thoroughly before adding the dish soap.

Jennifer K


so we had a go :) Laurie froze out on the porch blowing bubbles and then I went outside with my camera to snap the pictures - but omg that is sooo cold out there!

From my bedroom window




The drift of snow outside my bedroom window now looks like an icy pyramid :)

Happy Birthday to Spencer :)

JoAnne, who reads my blog is celebrating her Sons 10th Birthday today!

Have a wonderful day - and happy birthday Spencer. Susie was ten yesterday and as I watch her I can't help but think its such a WONDERFUL age to be :)

Doing a cheerios.....

Cheerios Addict did this a couple weeks ago - time for admin clean up :)

Time for me to tidy up my reader list...if you are still reading my blog let me know - otherwise I'm cutting a few people because I like to know who is reading and I'm pretty sure a few of the ones with access don't read any more.

Leave me a comment or email me to let me know you still want access. I'll cut names by the weekend.

TIA

Judging

It makes me so sad when people judge others over really little things.....I mean....you do whats right for you and your family and I'll do whats right for mine - and surely so long as our families and our children are healthy, cared for and happy what the HELL does it matter?

You may not approve of the choices some parents make for their children....but they are THEIR choices to make. They may not match yours but so long as no one is being hurt what does it matter.

Geez sorry but there is so much worse that a parent can do to a child.....I just can't see what the big deal is.

Icy windows.......




Ice Fog......



We woke to a foggy morning today....

Song time...




My cake.....a day late :)

Jan 28, 2008

Message for my dealer!!!

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7212778.stm

Thought you might be interested in this news story......can you imagine vending machines in MP selling pot???? woohoo lol!

cake time.....



An amazing rendition of Happy Birthday lol...best ever...so in tune...so in time.....lol - just shows kids will do anything for cake :)

Ugh!

Ok I am going to whine lol.....have to just get this off my chest! There is someone on a certain site who is just about driving me insane...she isn't on very often and I used to have so much respect for her but in recent months I have lost all respect and now just find her pompous and a bloody know-it-all.......

Ok thanks for listening...I feel better now :)

Cake time part 1......




We are having two birthday cakes today YIKES.....Susie had hers with her friends this afternoon...then we will have MY birthday cake (we weren't hungry yesterday) after dinner tonight!

The girls and the friends :)






The girls had so much fun dressing up and posing for the camera today :)
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