Wunderbar at the weekend

April turned two at the weekend. (Where did those 24 months go?)

My parents were here to join in the fun. It was hot on April's birthday so we were able to open presents on the balcony, in the sunshine. April's old enough to understand the concept of gifts, so she got stuck in with gusto.

In the afternoon Simon and my Dad took April to the park, so she could ride the new bike that my parents bought her. Apparently the expedition went rather well. Well, until it came to going home. At which point April decided to lay down in the gravel and have a tantrum - several times. My Dad was mortified, but Simon was unfazed, having seen such displays before.

Luckily I avoided all the kerfuffle by staying at home. While Mum got her fill of cuddles with baby Alexander, I embarked on a baking bonanza.

I made two birthday cakes and a pile of fairy cakes, ready for April's party the day after. I must say that I am pleased with how they came out. It's a while since I baked and I was surprised the cakes didn't burn/go soggy/sink in the middle. I enjoyed decorating them with a lavish amount of sprinkles, chocolate drops, marzipan and Smarties.

The next day April had a little party with some of her toddler chums. I think she enjoyed herself. She was a bit shy at first - but soon overcame this when the party spread was unveiled and her mind turned to thoughts of CAKE.

On Monday we went sightseeing with my folks. We took a trip to the opposite side of the Rhine, via the Cologne cable car. (More info here: http://www.blogger.com/www.koelner-seilbahn.de/english/index.html) I was a little nervous when we started to sway in the wind. However, I was consoled by the thought that if the cable snapped and we fell to our doom, at least I'd have died happy (well, apart from the falling to our doom bit at the end). Here's a photo Simon took from our cable car.

When we arrived at the opposite bank we had a little picnic to celebrate (and give thanks for still being alive). After lunch we visited a building called the 'Triangle Tower'. It is 28 storeys high and you can take a lift to the top where there is a viewing platform that you can walk around. Here is a snap my Dad took from the top of the tower, looking back across the Rhine at the cathedral. More info about the tower is available here: http://www.blogger.com/www.koelntriangle.de/

April may be too young to remember all the things we did over her birthday weekend, but I'll always recall those days with fondness.

Just another of April's things

Yesterday, when I was feeding Alexander, April came up to me. She put her arms around my neck and said, 'It's meine' (pronounced like 'miner', as in coal). It was a clear message to Alexander about who she believes has first dibs on Mummy. Also, it's a neat example of April's habit of mixing up English and German.

Time flies

Dear Blog,
Sorry, it's not you, it's me.
I've just had a few things going on and before you know it, the month has nearly passed without us spending any quality time together. I WILL put more effort into our relationship in May. Promise.
Forgive me?

The Botanic Gardens

With the weather in Cologne having turned back to wintry in the last few days, I had the urge to see some spring flowers to brighten my mood. I dragged my mate Nina to join the pensioners at the Botanic Gardens in Cologne.

By the time we got there it had started to sleet so we decided to take shelter in the nearest greenhouse.

We found ourselves in a tropical glass house full of beautifully blousy white, pink and red camellias. They were on display as a temporary exhibition. There was even gentle oriental music playing in the background to create a tranquil ambience.

Following us on the circuit of the greenhouse was a man sporting a 10 cm long powdery yellow line down his nose. Perhaps a man-bee hybrid who'd got too close to the pollen. (How do I manage to attract these people?)

The photos show just some of the wonderful specimens we saw.

So, now for the info-burst:
The gardens date back to the mid 19th century and cover an impressive 10 hectares/25 acres. They are home to around 12,000 plant species. I recommend a visit if you're ever in Cologne. Find out more...