Weeeeeee......

Well, potty training hasn’t been going too well lately. I’ve been averaging three pairs of trousers and pants a day (sometimes even socks as well). Oh dear. The washing machine has been on pretty much constantly just trying to keep me in clean attire. I even had to borrow a pair of trousers from nursery last Wednesday. Dad had to change me in the car before we went into town to meet mum and Owen as they had ‘Pelican’ in massive letters down the legs (it’s the name of my nursery).
Friday afternoon the Emma, Dean, Max and Leo show were in town!

We went down to the park for a bit of a play before we decided drinks and cakes were in order. The kiosk in the park was shut, so we had to seek an alternative. I won’t go into great detail about where we ended up, but I think the grown ups were more than a little uncomfortable as they weren’t ‘local’ Still the cake was nice:

After we picked mum up from work we went to the doctors to get me some tasty medicine, apparently I might have a mild chest infection.
Saturday was Dad’s birthday. He’d been asking me all week what presents he was going to get, I told him he was getting cake and socks! I helped him open his cards and presents and then we went bowling. After the disappointment of not being allowed to play in France I was well up for it.

Check out my size 7 bowling shoes….sweet!
As I’m little I had a little help from the buffers either side of the lane and this lovely ramp to fire the ball down:

Which I used to devastating effect, as bourne out on the score sheet below:

103 scored on my first ever game, not bad (and I beat Mum!) My form tailed off a little in the second game but the ball was getting pretty heavy to lug about by then. I had a great time and really enjoyed it. If anyone fancies a 5p a pin game let me know…. Auntie Trish came round in the afternoon and helped us eat some of dad’s birthday cake as well as playing with my trains with me. In the evening Grandad and Anne came round to look after me while mum and dad went out for a curry, I gave them a rousing send off by shouting ‘BYE’ at them at the top of my lungs out of the cat flap.
Sunday morning we took Grandma out to feed the ducks and have a play in the park. I had a great time being driven around sat on Grandma’s lap in her wheelchair. We fed loads of ducks and swans (I had a few sneaky slices of bread myself). In the afternoon we were all pretty tired and lazed around, I was so sleepy I even forfeited tea in favour of an early night.
Monday and I was still pretty tired and grumpy, again I fell asleep and missed supper and a visit from Chard, sorry Chard, I hope mum and dad entertained you sufficiently.
Tuesday and I was back to my old self again. Just for a laugh, I decided I’d wet myself right in the middle of the pavement just outside nursery when dad came to pick me up. He had to carry me all the way back to the car at arms length, dripping as I went before being changed on the parcel shelf. I haven’t had to endure that for a while and I’ll be in no hurry to repeat it any time soon.
I made sure I didn’t miss out on tea tonight or the last remaining piece of dad’s birthday cake and a mighty haul of raspberries (still my favourite).

Conker Golf!

Conker golf! It’s the new in thing:

Best played indoors with your trousers off with spectators diving for cover.
Friday afternoon I was helping Dad wash the car when the lady over the road came across for some help, she’d been locked out by her son. He’s a little younger than me so had done great work in my book! One pair of pliers and a screw driver later she was back in though.
Saturday mum went to work, we had a lazy morning and then went to meet at lunch time to go to the pasty shop. We were even allowed to eat it in the shop itself, I loved the big picture of a pirate eating a pasty above our table…..a-haaaarrrr jim lad!
Once mum had gone back to work we tried to find someone to visit. Nanny was off radar, Auntie Chris wasn’t answering her phone and Uncle Slim and Auntie trace weren’t at home, what a shame! Dad took me up the woods and put my wellies on and we went for a long walk, splashing in as many puddles as we could find along the way. I also got a ‘kiss’ from a small dog when he licked my face, I’m not sure I liked it all that much. Saturday night the house filled up with the poker playing crowd so I did a little socialising before turning in for the night leaving them all to it.
Sunday was a wet old day but things were looking up after lunch time when we met up with Andy, John and Sarah at Fantasy Land. I had such a good time with them, they weren’t afraid of the slides or anything so I made sure I tagged along on everything. I came out of the big yellow slide really fast due to Mum’s inspired choice of slippery trousers I had on that day. Just as we we’re starting to flag a little Hugo from nursery turned up! It was great, we stood and shouted each others names before tearing off together to play all over again. By the time we finally went home I was tired out:

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Andy for sharing his chocolate cake thing with me, I know how much they mean to you Andy.
Mum was off work Monday, we went to the park in the morning but I was having one of my days. Everything seemed to be a disaster and I cried very easily….poor mum. I had cause during the day to label mum and dad ‘Absolutely annoying’ on more than one occasion, sadly they just found that really funny. In the afternoon we went out in the car and I promptly fell asleep. I don’t know what happened but I woke up to find mum and dad had also dropped off (I should add that Dad had parked the car safely before hand) at Greenham Common. Once we were all awake we went for a bit of a wet and windy walk to see the cows. There were some really nice baby ones with fluffy looking coats. Mum kept trying to get near them but they were giving her a wide berth! After that we went to Pizza Hut….lovely!
Went to see Nanny this afternoon, I showed her how I like to line my cars up and then count them all (well, to ten anyway, I get a bit confused after that).

London again!

Bit of a photo special this week folks so get comfy!
Wednesday afternoon we popped round to see Nanny who was a little poorly (get well soon Nanny) and then it was my usual trawl around the supermarket with Dad. Mum now employs me as a vocal reminder for really important things we need that Dad normally forgets to buy like Chocolate and cakes.
Thursday afternoon Dad took me up to the local Park while the sun was out so that was nice. I had him pretending to drive a tractor around a farm yard saying hello to all the animals. I bet he wouldn’t have if there had been anyone else about (not like Mum, she doesn’t care how silly I make her look).
I got picked up from nursery on the bike Friday and took it into my head we were going to meet mum for lunch. I instructed Dad to take me into town and propmptly started to cry my eyes out when we passed her shop with no sign of her. He did manage to fob me off with the playground in Victoria park for a bit (15 minutes of solid swing action must be a record?) before a chance text message from Mum lead Dad to believe she was on a late lunch and we could meet up for a bit, result! Except when I did get to see her I just cried again because we weren’t going to the Pasty shop! The rotters. After that, Dad took me welly boot shopping as last years are now a bit snug. We settled on a pair of Bob the Builder ones from Mothercare (once I had run riot around the shop) and i’m proper proud of them.
Up early on Saturday morning and off to Croyde with Andy and Owen. Dad set up the beach tent for Mum and I before disappearing off into the sea.

Here I am enjoying part of our picnic on the beach while they were trying not to drown in the grey cold looking water. Dad didn’t stay out that long as I reckon he was scared I’d eat all the grub. Even though it wasn’t that sunny we had a lovely day doing all the usual beach things:

Here’s Dad and I playing ball. I had a lovely paddle in such deep water that it went straight over the top of my wellies, they made funny squelching noises when I walked about!

It really took it out of Mum and I, so we had a lovely kip on the way back. I’m glad I don’t have to drive!
Sunday morning we had a little lie in which was nice then a bit later on Grandad and Anne came over. Mum suggested we go to the park together:

We had a great time playing on the slides and the climbing frames and it was nice to show off my abilities to a new audience! We said goodbye to Grandad and Anne (well, I didn’t as I was too busy playing) before heading home for lunch. Dad very kindly shared his tomato soup with me even though I had my own beans on toast but I didn’t fancy Mum’s ‘Pot Noodle’ very much. After lunch we went to the fish shop thing at the garden centre. I hadn’t been there for a ages and quite honestly last time I went I couldn’t have cared less about the fish. This time was different though! I loved it and got quite exciteable…so exciteable I was marched back to the car in tears because I wouldn’t stop running around the tanks shrieking like a maniac, oh dear.
Monday Mum and Dad were off and there had been talk of trains and dinosaurs for some time now…
We went to the Natural History museum in London on the train! I loved the train. We got on it in town and stayed on it for an hour before we got on another train that went in a tunnel under the ground, Weird or what? Then we walked a really long tunnel with music playing in it and everything before we got to the museum.

As soon as we walked in there was a massive dinosaur (only it bones though) which I thought was great. We then headed into a dark room to be greeted by the biggest scariest dinosaur I’d ever seen and I was terrified. It kept looking at me and growling. It was the growling that really put me off I think and no matter how many times Mum or dad told me it wasn’t real or that it didn’t even have a body I was having none of it. I didn’t even like it when Mum got too close to it on her own. There were another 9 of these ferocious creatures to get past, although some of them were a bit smaller and less scary. After that trauma we went to the Café for lunch, dad spilt his drink and then blamed it on me when the man had to come and mop the floor. Once we were all refreshed we went to see the other dinosaur bit of the museum, this was much more like it:

The moving dinosaurs here were much smaller and cuddly looking and I loved them. I loved them so much I even said hello to the massive T-rex at the end of the hall, even if it was growling and looking at me. I’m not frightened of Dinosaurs anymore. I got a smart dinosaur head on the end of a stick that you can make bite with a little lever at the bottom, it’s ace and if I were you I’d expect to find it gripped around you’re fingers if you see me any time soon. We also saw lots of other animals, but they were all in glass cabinets and not running about so I wasn’t too interested in them to be honest.

It was soon time to get back on the train where mum and I fell asleep. It was a good job Dad stayed awake or I don’t know where we would have ended up! So that’s two weekends running I’ve been to London!
Dad and I went up to Donnington Castle this afternoon:

I found a smart little Ned sized door way….

…That lead into a not so smart looking Ned sized dungeon!

The view was nice though (well, there was a field full of horses that I liked anyway).
And finally I love Granny Flakes (mum calls them Bran flakes, she’s wrong).

Duncan the tree!

Well I think it’s winter now isn’t it? The weather seems to have been pretty wet of late so it’s been lots and lots of train set action! It’s also getting dark pretty early which makes it easier for them to get me into bed at night.
Wednesday we met mum for lunch. I have banned all other lunches in town except for the Pasty shop now. We even managed to sit and eat it by the canal, and as usual it was lovely. I ate it all up (it should be noted that this is a different sort of ‘eat it all up’ to that which I practice when faced with a plate full of veg where ‘eating it all up’ actually means ‘picked at it a little’). After that it was on to the post office to pick up my parcel. I carried it proudly all the way back to the car and then opened it up to find a nice new pair of trainers inside, smart! I love new shoes although they are a little on the big side…..
Thursday I almost exhausted Mum making her play with my train set again and again and again. Even the intervention of a Mrs Goggins figure (from Postman Pat) didn’t manage to hold her attention. There’s no pleasing some people.
Friday was wet so mum took me to nursery in the car, this also meant she came to pick me up which was a lovely surprise. I made a big fuss of her when she came to get me.
Now things started to get a bit busy! Not only has Max got a new brother but he’s also moved to London! How fancy is that? No more country bumpkin, hello fancy big city boy. We went over to see them in the morning, the move doesn’t seem to have affected him and it was business as usual, we attacked Duncan the tree, played with all his toys and I even managed to fill Emma’s washing basket with mud!

Of course the star attraction this time was Leo:

I promise I’m not hurting him in this picture and he is normally very quiet (sleepy). I can't wait until he can join in with our nonsense.
Max and I had our usual rough and tumble session:


As is customary, it always ends in tears but this time Leo upstaged the pair of us with a spectacular spewing session, it was ace!
We came home, packed our things and went strqaight round to Nick, Carol and Abi’s house. The full gang were there and the nibbles were out on the table….it would have been rude not to dig in. I decided to try the twiglets, I shouldn’t have, they were horrible! I chewed it a bit, spat it out onto the carpet and then placed it back in the nibble bowl, I don’t think anyone noticed. Andy and I had a bundle on the bean bag and then I went to bed in my travel cot. I haven’t been in it for ages and it’s starting to get a bit snug nowadays.
I woke up nice and early on Sunday morning and decided that 5:30 am was the appropriate time to burst into a few verses of Twinkle Twinkle little star. Mum and Dad didn’t. I let them sleep a bit longer before we got up, came home and then went out again, this time around to Alan’s as it was Sonia’s birthday. We gave her a card and present and stroked Elvis the cat a bit before setting off for the Café for breakfast.
We went to Marlborough, chasing Alan all the way along the road. I’d already sneaked a couple of bowls of rice krispies for my breakfast, so I was onto brunch rather than breakfast. They ordered me a cake with Raisins in it as they thought I’d like that but mum’s full English breakfast looked much nicer. I managed to scrounge a sausage and a load of bacon from her (two things I won’t normally eat) so Dad and Alan shared my cake between them. Greedy pigs. After that we said our goodbyes and had a wander up the high street. I was allowed a lovely set of five fire engines that I have played with non stop ever since (I like to line them up neatly on the fire station on my road play mat). Mum also got an ‘advent calendar’ ready for Christmas, which she was very excited about this. That evening we had my favourite roast chicken and stuffing before watching the monkey programme on the telly cuddled up with mum, a nice way to round off a busy weekend.

Conkers!

Conkers! We’ve been collecting conkers at every oppurtunity. Apparently they are for Owen, I don’t know what he wants them for…..and I don’t care much either. I just like collecting them.
Friday afternoon dad went back to work and mum looked after me, most unusual. Anyway, mum and I had a great afternoon, we went conker collecting and then on to the park (where I got soaked from all the rain, it was nearly as wet as France!). Dad finally rolled home in a merry state in time to help Mum cook my tea…thank goodness!
Saturday we were up early and off to Fantasy Land. We hadn’t been for a while so it took a while to get back into it. I eventually went down the tube slide and had a great time launching myself into the ball pool from the steps. It all got a bit messy when I wanted something from the café and was refused….. After that we went into town to get Dad some new shoes. Rubbish, none for me again! It was then on to Nanny’s to see Aunty Trish and the other Uncle Al. They had got me a book all about using the potty which is very appropriate at the moment, thanks! In the evening we went round to Ben and Rach’s, it was Ben’s birthday. That means cake of course! Chris, Katie and Owen also came round. There was Chinese takeaway and cheese and biscuits all over the place.
On Sunday, we had the pleasure of Grandma and Nanny’s company:

As always, it was great to have them around. As an added bonus, Uncle Slim and Aunty Trace also came round for a visit:

I hadn’t seen them for ages. I had Slim playing trains with me in no time at all.
We had dinner and I managed not to chuck it all over Grandma’s feet this time. We watched Racing Stripes and then I made sure they were ticking over okay with Dr. Atkins’ medical kit.
Today we had a bit of an ordeal. Dad took the long way home on the bike so we could go to the park with the big slide in Thatcham again. All was going well as we made our way along the tow-path until the back tire went down, what a disaster! We were very nearly at Thatcham railway station and a loooong way from home. Poor old dad had to push the bike all the way back but he still stopped off at the park so we could have a play.
Potty training is still ongoing and aside from a few incidents (sorry Ben and Rach) it’s going well. Like Dad, I like to make an event of it, as can be seen here:

Watching Postman Pat while I go about my business!

Potty!

Hello once again, another busy week to report, so get comfy….
Rich and Kaz (from Rich and Kaz do the world link over there on the right) came to see me on Wednesday afternoon. Apparently they have been back a little while now but they have been somewhat nocturnal by all accounts, what ever that means. It was good to see them again and I was glad to see they had kept up to date by reading my blog. I had a great time doing my Postman Pat stickers with Kaz.
Potty training is going full bore now. Mum went mad and got me some proper pants to wear without the safety of a nappy! I’ve even been going to nursery in them. Dad did get to clear up one particularly messy effort but on the whole I’ve been really good at it. I like to do ‘little and often’ with regards my time on the potty itself, it keeps them on their toes.
Friday was Grandparents day at nursery. Grandad, Anne and Nanny turned up to play with me! It was brilliant fun, Grandad played trains with me while I let the other kids share Anne and Nanny with me. It was nice to show them around a bit so they could see what I get up to. Dad picked me up in the afternoon and we went to watch the golf on telly with the lads (and Carol and Abi). I even ‘helped’ Carol give Abi her bottle of milk, I loved that! Later on after we’d picked mum up we had an Indian takeaway for tea. I had a Keema Naan bread, I loved the bread until I realised there was some nice spicy meat inside, I dragged all the meat out to eat on it’s own. I think I also need to apologise for a small puddle I left on Nick and Carol’s carpet during a potty incident.
Mum worked Saturday so we went to see her at lunch time. Guess where we went for dinner? Yes, that’s right the PASTY SHOP! Later on we went to Amber’s 6th birthday party. I’d never been to such a big party before and when dad opened the door into the hall I was terrified. There must have been 50 other kids screaming, shouting and running round like maniacs. I’d never seen anything quite like it before. Sarah (Amber’s mum) was really nice to me and I soon came round and joined in. I pinned a tail on a donkey (and I didn’t have to wear a blindfold like the others because I’m little) and won a game of pass the parcel on my first ever attempt. I especially enjoyed the party food and sat in the middle of all the girls…..
Sunday morning I went up the park with mum and dad on my bike. Mum was cursing dad for suggesting it to me as she had to push me most of the way bent over double.

Here I am in my pretend kitchen area, serving dad up some food, the menu is simple home cooked fayre, mainly cakes! I rode home really well as it was mostly down hill, but Mum did get me pedalling really well! We went shopping in the afternoon in Reading as Mum wanted some new jeans…..she didn’t buy any, wasted trip! I did however manage to get out of the buggy and ‘walk nicely’ most of the afternoon so that was nice. I even went through a spell of walking backwards up the high street at one point which made the passers by laugh.
Monday mum was off work, so we gave dad a nice phone call at work in the morning. He loves my in depth conversation. Once he was home it was off to the Coral Reef swimming again. Mum and dad are becoming increasingly redundant on these swimming trips nowadays as I’m quite happy playing with the other kids. They can drive and pay for us to get in though.
Tuesday afternoon Grandad and Anne came round which was a nice surprise, they gave us some runner beans form Grandads garden. They’re about the only green thing I might consider eating. After they had gone Dad and I went to a new park we hadn’t been to before by a lake in Thatcham, it was ace. I eventually went down the really big slide after repeatedly saying ‘I wouldn’t’ when dad asked me if I was going to go down it. I had another three goes to make sure I really liked it.
I now need to welcome another new baby on the scene, Leo! Max has got a little brother…how cool must that be? Hope to see you soon Leo.

Vive Le France!

Did you miss me?
Mum and Dad seemed quite organised this time before holiday so we didn’t have the usual rushing around before we went. They even went out for a curry on Saturday night leaving me at home with Aunty Trish, Aunty Chris, Laura and James. We had a great time as always. Better than a curry I’ll bet!
On Sunday we went over to see Grandad and Anne. We went out for a walk in the lovely sunshine before we arrived at the pub for lunch. In the pub garden Grandad and I fed the goats some grass and some apples we picked from a nearby tree. I was even brave enough to feed the beasts with my own hands!
Holiday time!

Everything was packed and we were off. I had my very own Thomas bag on wheels packed with toys and books that I dragged around the airport tirelessly. I drew loads of admiring glances with my luggage that’s for sure, everyone loved it. The time at the airport passed really quickly and it wasn’t long before I took my window seat on the plane (unlucky Dad). I can’t remember much about my last time on a plane so it was new all over again and really exciting what with the speed and the noise. Some of the other kids were crying but not me, I loved it (after I made sure Mum and Dad were okay with it). We didn’t fly for long before we were landing again. This was almost as exciting as taking off.
Once we had gone through the airport and collected our bags we went and got a car from the carpark, this is where things all started getting a little weird. Mum got in the driving seat but didn’t have a steering wheel, Dad had it on the passenger side? After a few wrong turns we were soon at the campsite in Argeles Sur Mer (South of France), I wasted no time getting into the holiday spirit by heading out for some dinner:

Well a nice big ice-cream anyway. After that there was a game of pinball, after which we were all pretty much ready for bed so turned in for the night.
Tuesday morning we went to the Supermarket, a bit like Tesco, but with strange things in it. Not all that strange though, some of the cake looked lovely! I managed to get the lid off a salt pot and pretty much the entire contents of the said pot into Dad’s shoe….he loved that. After the shopping it was down to the pool! It was a great pool, a bit like the Coral Reef but outside. There were loads of slides that I let my two flunkies go down for my amusement (Dad almost broke his nose in an ill advised head first manoeuvre) before the rain came and the lifeguard chucked us out. The rain did lift for a bit in the afternoon and we went down the beach for a walk:

It was great, there were loads of older ladies for me to dazzle with a cheeky smile. We took refuge when the rain started again, Dad felt brave during a lull and decided to start up the barbecue. As soon as he went outside with his burgers and sausages the heavens opened again, the trouble was it didn’t really stop again!
The following day we did manage to sneak out to a little seaside village for an hour or so:


But it soon started raining again and we had to run for cover. As well as the rain, there was thunder, loud thunder. On the way home we went to a smart Café for tea. They had been teaching me ‘Bonjour’ and ‘Merci’ but I was a bit shy about using it. One of the lady cooks took a shine to me and was trying to coax a little French out of me. I played hard to get for long enough for her to try and win me over by giving me a proper Chef’s hat. I wouldn’t wear it but mum did. I expect Dad to have the thing glued to his head next time he has a barbecue or has anyone round for lunch.
Thursday we had a day out to a castle in Carcassone:

We kind of parked in the wrong place so had a bit of walk to get to it, but it wasn’t too bad. It was really impressive and looked like something out of one my books or on the telly.

It wasn’t long before it started raining though, and the walk back to the car gave us ample opportunity to get soaked again! On the way back we dropped in at the local bowling alley….it was broken, so no bowling. It was about this time I really got the hang of constantly asking ‘What doing’ or ‘What’s that’ They answered me at first but they got bored of it much quicker than I did.
On Friday we swapped the hire car over because Dad was worried the wheel was going to fall off. By the time that was sorted out most of the day had gone so we went to a prehistoric museum. It was rubbish. There were a few scary looking cavemen and a stuffed goat….not the dinosaur extravaganza I’d been hoping for! It rained as well. It did ease off long enough for us to venture out to the ice-cream parlour in the evening though.
Saturday we had a bit of a lie in before going to some shops in the rain. They didn’t have any clothes or shoes small enough for me which was obviously a bit rubbish. We went to the Café again for lunch and I ate almost an entire ‘Poulet Rosti’ before having a massive banana split that even I couldn’t finish. We tried another bowling alley in the afternoon but the miserable man wouldn’t let me play as he said I was too small! I got the proper hump about that. Mum thrashed Dad at bowling as is usual. We played Air Hockey afterwards (I was good at that) and then we had a drive on a racing game (I kept crashing into the barrier, think it had a dodgy wheel or something). The rain did actually stop long enough for us to have a barbecue and sit outside in the evening:

Then it was Sunday, our last day. Guess what? The sun came out! We quickly got down the swimming pool:

At least we got another go at it all. The only slide I decided was worthy of my attention was the really high scary looking one, it was great.
We then had to dash back and pack before we headed back to the airport for the trip home. There was an older boy called Josh sat in front of me on the plane. He was proper cool and even had his own DVD player to watch (He had Charlie and Lola on it too). He was pointing out things of interest for me as we came down for landing and we screamed and hollered for all we were worth as we touched down. It was even better fun than the way out.
So that was it, holiday all over and done with. Mum was really great all week and made sure I had lots to keep me entertained, seeing as she had Dad’s whingeing to contend with as well. I’m sure it doesn’t rain like this in Cornwall?
Mum was off work on Monday, so I didn’t go to nursery. We went to the park in the morning. I span Mum round so fast on the roundabout she was nearly sick!
Once Dad was home from work we went off to the pub for dinner (I had a sword fight with a big wooden spoon with the barman) and then it was onto the Beale Park:

They had a train! I was allowed to have a look around the engine shed and even ring the trains bell when we arrived back at the station. I had a deep and meaningful conversation with a snowy owl and saw some piggies, cows, goats and lemurs.

Best of all though was the playground:

Loads of little houses, slides, cars. trikes and a massive sandpit! I took some prizing away from there I can tell you!
So that brings us right up to date today when it was back to nursery. Amy was pleased to see me I think, but when she come up to say hello I did a swift sidestep, got on the trike she was on and took off across the yard…..treat ‘em mean, keep ‘em keen!

The Theatre!

All action again this week!
Dad picked me up from Nursery on Thursday and we met up with mum and went to the library. Books, books and more books! It could only be better if it was an all you can eat cake shop. We ploughed through thousands before I made my choices and we were left. My favourite pick was Noddy saves Christmas.
Instead of going straight home we went round the corner to a brand new park! I never knew it was even there! It’s a great park, especially for us slightly smaller ones. There’s a slide/climbing frame, some swings, a three prong seesaw, a spinning pole thing and a funny wobbly bench. Dad was muttering that parks weren’t like this in his day….don’t know what he’s on about but I know I like this one. Just after we got stuck in my friend Alistair from nursery turned up with his friend Sophie. They also had a couple of babies with them, one of them was eating dirt and the other one had no hair which I found very disturbing. It was a really nice surprise and we had a great time. It was much better going on the three pronged seesaw with Alistair and Sophie than it was with dad on his own, he just made it sink to one side.
As if all that wasn’t enough for one day, we picked mum up from work and went to Pizza Hut with Nanny. I love Pizza Hut and Nanny.
Aunty Chris and uncle Ian came round Friday afternoon to see me, but I got all shy and clingy. It was time to go and get mum as well so they didn’t stay long and I wouldn’t let dad go on his own. I don’t know what came over me really, I think I’m allowed to be a little bit difficult from time to time. As I keep telling mum and dad, ‘I am little’.
For once we didn’t have anything planned for Saturday and we were able to have a bit of a lie in. We were all in bed having a lovely wrestle under the covers until I accidently bit mum on the nose….oh dear. It bled a bit and looked really sore. Sorry mum, didn’t mean it!
Another milestone, I no longer sleep in a cot!

Dad changed it into a bed, as soon as it was ready I hopped in with a book, just like mum!
In the afternoon Owen, Andy, Chris, Katie, Nick, Carol and Abi came around to watch some football or another. Great, I get to make fuss of Abi. Dad fired up the barbecue even though the weather was horrible and my bacon butty flew away in the wind!
Sunday was an early start. They had been going on about seeing the Fimbles for some time and I just humoured them as I didn’t know what on earth they were going on about…..

We went to a place called the Hexagon in Reading. There were loads of other little ones around and it all seemed very exciting but I still didn’t really know why.

We went into a big room with lots of seats and sat down:

Then the lights went down and a lady came out on the stage singing and dancing, she scared the life out of me and I soon leapt from my booster seat on my own seat onto mums lap. After this rather abrupt start I soon warmed to the whole thing and by the time Roly Mo and Rockit appeared I was loving it. Then the Fimbles themselves appeared, they were really big (even bigger than Dad) and they sang and danced and played games. I even joined in with the dancing myself at the end, in the aisle between the seats. So now I’ve been to the theatre too!
Monday afternoon dad and I had ‘Noisy mower’ races in the garden. I beat him easily as his mower needed emptying of grass quite often, whereas mine didn’t. My mower talks as well, Dad’s just makes a load of noise. He even let me help him cook the dinner...Lasagne! I got to pour all the sloppy ingredients into the pan and stir it up with a big wooden spoon. I think he thought i'd eat it if I helped to make it but that was never going to work, it was still pasta after all!
I was full of beans this morning, mum asked me if I had ants in my pants while she was trying to get me dressed but I told her I had snakes in my pants! She though that was really funny.
We went to the local park again this afternoon, and although Alastair wasn’t there this time I had another lad to play with. I think I was a little older than him so I got to show him the ropes a bit which I liked. We even got a wave from the digger driver man from the building site, a real life Bob the Builder!
Mum says my talking is coming on really nicely at the moment, so I made the most of it after tea by asking ‘Can I have another piece of cake please’ and pulling my best begging face…it worked a treat and I got another (albeit very slender) piece of coffee cake!
Tonight was also parent’s evening at Nursery. Mum and Dad had to go and see Josie, my latest in a long line of favourite nursery ladies. She told them I was a joy to have around and that I’d settled in really nicely to my new room. I think they liked that.
Just to keep you up to date on the bed situation, I’ve slept well every night and haven’t fallen out yet. Although mum did have to swing my legs back onto the mattress after she found me slowly sliding on to the floor late at night.
Okay, that’s about it for this week, there’ll be no update next week as we’re off on our holidays (well it’s been a while). By all accounts we’re going on an aeroplane and everything, so that should be good!

Guess where.....

Hello once again everyone.
Well last Friday was ‘bring your bike to nursery day’ Mum and Dad had some debate as to whether I would be better off taking my bike which I have a little difficulty pedalling or my scooter which I’ve got the hang of quite nicely. At least they think I have trouble pedalling, but what’s the point if someone is going to push you anyway?
They settled on the bike in the end, good choice! Obviously Dad wanted to make sure I had the hang of it before the big day, so Thursday afternoon was devoted to bike training!

Here I am mastering the ‘Aero-tuck’

And here I am freewheeling down the hill (like Dad does on his). I even managed to learn how to use the brakes, but they seemed to spoil the fun. I had dad pushing me up to the top of the road and then running back down the gentle slope alongside me. To be honest my attention span wasn’t the best and something else would catch my eye quite easily sending me off course. Still, Dad put me right most times and I only fell off once.
The big day came and Mum dropped me off at nursery at the top of the sloping path into the garden…I was off like a rocket with her chasing after me, she had no idea I’d had such extensive training the previous afternoon! I got a sticker and my first ever certificate for taking part…cool!
You would have thought all that excitement was enough for one small lad on a Friday but no, there was more….
Cornwall….AGAIN! What a result. Alan and Andy came round for tea and then we were off. I made sure I had a nice poo just before we left Newbury so Mum and Alan could have the benefit of it’s beautiful delicate aroma all the way there while I went to sleep! By the time they had decided I had actually committed the act (no doubt with endless accusations it was in fact Alan that was responsible for the smell) we were pretty much there. Top marks to me I think. Dad and Andy escaped by travelling in Andy’s car, you’ll keep lads!

I got straight back into it, wetsuit on (and the ridiculous hat) and down the beach! Dad and Andy tried to curry my favour by landing the biggest fish in the net from the rockpools, but quite honestly, none of the specimens they managed to dredge up looked particularly impressive. Neither did Mum’s endless netting of tiny shrimps either. Someone else’s Dad had managed to catch a crab which was pretty cool, you could see Dad was a little put out as he frantically plunged the depths looking for the big one that never materialised.

Here I am trying to bypass the queue at the pasty shop by shouting my order through the letter box, it didn’t work and I had to wait like everyone else.
Over the course of the weekend we dug in the sand, we ate Ice cream, we went to the pub,had a barbecue, we lazed about, and Alan’s face turned the colour of a baboons backside. Business as usual then. All too soon it was time to come home, thanks to Andy and Alan for a great weekend. Mum and Dad were okay too….
Mum was expecting the worst after my late night last night (coming home from Cornwall), but I got up and went to nursery bright as a button. I must have recharged my batteries nicely on my short break.
In the afternoon we went round to see Nanny.

I kicked her out of her chair, got cuddled up to a nice big teddy bear, got Cbeebies on the telly and had a chocolate biscuit…Sorted!
Just a general point, I’ve had to take the drastic action of banning Mum and Dad from singing and dancing in the house. It’s appalling. They seem most prone to this sort of nonsense after dinner and I have to shout a firm ‘No Mummy, No Daddy’ to stamp it out. I do the entertaining round here and they need to understand that. Same rules apply in the car too. Dad is not to thrash his head about when he’s driving, even if he has caught me doing it in the rear view mirror first….

The Great Outdoors

Look at this, I fell asleep on the back of dad’s bike last week:

I wonder how he managed to get home without me shouting ‘Green man’ when the traffic lights change?
Nanny came round on Wednesday afternoon. Dad had bought an inflatable goal set from Tesco so we had a kick around in the front room before tea:

Now things all start getting a bit weird. We went camping in Croyde on Saturday! I know, I know what on earth was I doing going camping? I think it was all Andy’s fault.
When we got there Andy and Kin had already set up our tent (thanks chaps) and Chris and Owen were also there, I was glad to see them all. They had even got us a lovely sea view.
Just after we arrived with Ben and Rach in tow, they all cleared off to play golf, how rude!

Here I am pumping up our bed for the night. And here’s mum and I testing it out:

We had lunch on the beach before going off for a trip round the shops and then headed back to the camp. Mum and dad wanted a rest, but I wanted a wrestle…in the tent! I had a chaotic hour or so while I tried to get them involved, but all they wanted to do was read or sleep the kill joys! I did finally have a quiet five minutes and took in the view of the beach from our tent:

Mum and I went rabbit hunting but came back empty handed as did subsequent attempts when I enlisted the help of Andy, Owen and Kin. Seeing as the pot was empty it was a group outing to the pub for a meal! I wasn’t that hungry as i’d got dad making me sandwiches all afternoon. Still they had a great playground in the garden.
We bid a fond farewell to Ben and Rach who decided the lure of a comfy bed was stronger than the great outdoors and the rest of us headed back. I got into my jim jams, slithered into my sleeping bag and got under the duvet for a well earned sleep…..and I went straight to sleep as well (after having a little play with the torch)!
I’m not entirely sure what the others got up to once I’d gone to bed, although I did hear reports that Andy had quite a sway on walking back from the toilets and Owen befriended his long lost son Hagrid…..
We had a bit of a lie in the next day by camping standards and I woke up between Mum and Dad (who seemed to have taken up most of the air bed). After a bit of lazing around we headed off for breakfast, followed by a walk on the beach with a bit of digging thrown in. Then it was time to pack up and leave. My first camping experience done and dusted!
Dad and I went to Basingstoke yesterday while the man at the garage fiddled with the car. It was ace shopping, no boring girls stuff, just toys, toys, books, bikes and cd’s with a side order of more toys. Oh, and cake…. I knew he’d buy me something during the course of the afternoon but I think he was a bit surprised when the thing that caught my eye most was a 74 pence matchbox cement mixer! He got away lightly there but I’ll make up for it next time!