Cold enough for you lately? I loved the frost on the way to nursery, I’ve been making footprints on peoples gardens (and treading in frozen dog poo).
I haven’t, ive sat in the buggy looking lovely:

Although I’m now sitting up all on my own without toppling over much at all. Clever eh? I’ve also learned how to clap as well, I love it.

I'd like to point out that I don’t have the back up cushions any more now.
We’ve been playing twister:

Mum and I are pretty good but Dad is rubbish. Mind you we did make him wait a while before we spun the spinner, by the time it had stopped going round he’d toppled over.
It’s come to my attention that Mum and Dad actually seem to know quite a lot of stuff, Mum always has an answer for my questions and Dad seems to know some really good short cuts and things. I ask them how they know these things but never really get a satisfactory answer.
I reckon it’s because they make it all up on the spot and you fall for it!
We had a pyjama party at nursery the other day, how cool is that? I wore my bestest Lightning McQueen pj’s and was by far the coolest. We had a game of pin the tail on the donkey, Dad was amazed I could have got it so far from the correct place.
We haven’t had any parties but I’m carrying on the family tradition by eating food at nursery I refuse point blank to have at home (this week fish fingers, and pretty much any pudding).
I also set a record for the worlds dirtiest coat after falling off a spacehopper into a puddle. Mum also equalled her previous best for washing and drying it over night, ready for me to go and do it all over again the next day.....
So, another sunny weekend then, lovely! We met up with John and Sarah and went to the new indoor playground at the bowling alley which was okay and then on to the fair which was much better:





I am in there with John, it’s just that I was braced for impact.

I didn’t go on anything, it did look like fun though.

When we got home Dad and I made some orange juice with some real oranges! They took a lot of squeezing, it is a lot easier to get it out of a carton.
Sue and Charlotte came to play with us Saturday night so mum and Dad could go to the pub, ha, more fool them I say, I bet we had a much better time.
I missed all the fun as I had a really boring early night!
Sunday we went to Lepe, again!

I’m not complaining though, the sun was out and I got to catch a few rays.

We played on the playground.

Had a walk along the sea wall.

Did some building.

Chilled out some more in the buggy.
But the biggest news……I used the hand drier in the toilet without being scared of it! How's about that then?

Impressive?

No?

Want something else do you? Try this for size then….I can now ride my bike with no stabilisers!

I’ve been talking about it for a while, Dad’s been saying that once they’re off we can ride in the woods properly, so I was on a mission. A good starting push and I was off, a little wobbly at first it has to be said. Mum and Dad seemed more happy about it than me for some reason. We all know that video doesn’t usually work, but we’ve had another go here, see how you get on with it. This was after about 10 minutes when riding around on the flat got boring so I thought I’d start using a start ramp.

Pleased as Dad was, I soon bought him back to earth with a bump when we had a picnic in the car. Ellis and I made a great team effort to make as much mess as we possibly could, dropping crumbs and what have you everywhere, he was getting quite upset about it. Mum didn't help matters with her laughing....ha ha.

As if I hadn't had a good enough weekend, Grandad and Anne took me out for the day on Monday. We went to the New Forest and saw the horses, Grandad even got a kiss from one of them, they're very friendly down there obviously, he didn't even have to get out of the car. After that we carried on to a place with little steam trains you could ride on around a lake. There was a really ace playground and a shop selling double sized mint choc chip ice-creams too. What a great place. I had a lovely time, thanks Grandad and Anne.

Yeah, I missed him. Dad came to get me from nursery which was nice, but there was no Ned to smile at. I came home and decided i'd have a kip, and when I woke up he still wasn't back. Dad gave me my milk and I kept looking at the door hoping he would come home and give me a cuddle.

Then on top of all that, Auntie Trish came round for tea. We had a lovely play:

And she got us all a pressie!!!! She can come again, i've missed my pre-quiz cuddles since i've been packed off to bed earlier.

Okay then, just a few pics from my latest photographic efforts for you:

Leaves, very arty.

A rather indulgent self portrait.

And one of my little sister.

I’m pretty obsessed with the grip on my shoes at the moment. It’s probably the most important consideration a three year old (nearly four year old) has got I think. Grippy shoes make me fast, really fast. Dad keeps telling me it’s me that makes them go so fast but I know it’s all about the shoes really. The downside of such grippy shoes is that sometimes my feet stick the floor and I trip over…and bump my head. I did just that last week after we’d met Mum for lunch (while also bumping into Auntie Christine and Auntie Trish, both in the space of one lunch hour). Dad thought I was just whingeing when I went over, it wasn’t until he pulled my hair back he realised that I looked like a unicorn…..I had a very sore bump indeed.
Weird stuff’s been going on around the house, Dad gave us a bath on his own last week and if that wasn’t shocking enough he’s also been putting our clothes into the big noisy white machine in the kitchen. I realise that I’m only young but I’ve never seen him use it before.
After we’d been to Tesco I watched Dad put all the food away while having a good old bounce:

It was pancake day as well, but instead of shrove Tuesday we had them on Wednesday. I had some emergency sleep to address on Tuesday night and did one of my famous no-shows for the evening meal. I was glad they waited until I was awake to have pancakes:

Quite honestly I didn’t really like them. I did however like the lashings of ice cream and chocolate sauce that went with them.
I didn’t bother with the pancakes at all, I’m into more hearty meals, like lightly mashed roasts. I had my eight month check with that awful health visitor on Thursday, she always makes me cry. Mum and Dad seem to really like her though…they talk for ages and ages so I do my best to cut it short by bawling. Anyway, through the din they’ve established that I’m doing fine, all my bits and pieces seem to function correctly and my weight is pretty much back on the all important ‘line’ Good, I don’t have to go back for two whole months.
We had a day out in Windsor on Saturday, we had a lovely morning in the park, riding scooters:

We rode on fair rides:

I cuddled with Mum:

And then cuddled with Dad:

Ned also tried to feed the ducks, but as soon as the bread came out several hundred geese appeared from nowhere and started to get a bit too close for the poor lad’s comfort, I found it really funny.
I didn’t, they were taller than me and really quite noisy. We went into town afterwards to the really good toy shop. We had a proper sit down dinner and everything rather than a pasty sat on a wall. I invented a great taste combination, chips dipped in chocolate ice-cream.

Not for those without an adventurous palate like me. Best of all though was that I was allowed to have a toy as I’ve been really good lately. I’ve eaten all my dinner every lunchtime and at home in the evening for a whole week now (yep, even the yucky vegetables). They used a technique called good cop/bad cop apparently, With Mum and Roses from nursery being the good and dad obviously being the bad (as well as the ugly!!). Between them they’ve convinced me that plate clearance is a good thing….if it means you can have Postman Pat’s friend with his Jeep, horsebox and pony then I’m all for it.
They got me some new clothes as well, which is great, but apparently I can have them for my birthday! Rubbish. I hope they've taken my rapidly increasing size into account.
Once the shopping was done we went back to the park for a final bit of scooter action, I made Dad run around with me while Mum gave Ellis her bottle, I think he got the short straw. He didn’t too bad with the running to be honest, but I think he could have benefited from some grippier shoes to speed him up a bit.
Sunday we had Grandma and Alan round for dinner, when they arrived Ned and I decided that we’d both have a good old cry about something or another, I’m surprised they didn’t turn around and go home again there was such a row.
Thankfully they decided to stay so I had a nice captive audience for the day. We played games:

We did jigsaws, played with my toys, ate biscuits and enjoyed some very unconventional half time entertainment during the football match on telly….
We went out to the park this afternoon:

This slide was a bit high for me, but Ned and his new little friend seemed to like it. I did really enjoy the see-saw and had a lovely go on a swing with Ned pushing me very nicely.
Yeah, I had an ace time with a boy called Oliver. We tried to outdo each other dreaming up the silliest way to go down the slide and then we compared shoe grip, mine were grippiest!

Been getting creative this week with some of the Christmas presents that have been waiting for a quiet afternoon:

I’ll be having my breakfast cereal in my very own decorated bowl (and cup for my juice).
While we’re on the subject of breakfast cereal, what does the world record for most Weetabix eaten by an 8 month old stand at? I tucked away three in one sitting on Saturday morning. Dad said that was the equivalent of him eating three pillows.

I’m still eating like no ones business, they keep making me nice little baby dinners up and then have to scuttle back to the kitchen to get me a second, and sometimes even a third bowlful.
The sun came out for a bit last week and instead of going to Tesco we went to the Discovery centre in Thatcham:

I climbed…..

I slid….

And I even went on the aerial runway on my own, right from the top! Brave or what? I also managed to convince another little boy (who was 4 I might add) to go down the slide for the first time. His Mum was really pleased with me for managing that one as she had been trying for years by all accounts.
I watched him from the comfort and warmth of a Dad cuddle, making sure I wiped my snotty nose all over his clean black jumper, ha ha!

I also had a good old play with some of my Christmas presents this week, I love my gym…so does Ned! But it’s mine, why can’t he stick to his cars and leave my stuff alone?
Slim and Trace came round for a surprise visit Friday afternoon. Tracey took pity on me crying in the front room while Dad was mucking about in the kitchen, no doubt preparing another tiny portion of nouvelle baby cuisine. She picked me up for a lovely cuddle session while Slim and Ned at biscuits. But the really big news was that I got my first Uncle Slim cuddle!

He decided that after 8 months I was probably ready…he was right, and about time too.
Saturday morning we went swimming, it was ace, I didn’t want to get out. Even the usual sure fire bribes wouldn’t work this week (the lure of the showers or the offer of lunch). I amazed everyone with some real proper swimming this week and set off across the pool like a boy on a mission. My little arms and legs were spinning in a blur as I made my way across the open water.
He was very impressive, I like to take it easy and just relax in my inflatable ring, slapping the water as hard as I can.
Mum went to work on Sunday….booo! She earned lots of money for holidays though by all accounts…Hooray! Dad took us down the park where I rode my scooter on the ramps:

I had my first ever go in a swing too, we should of course have a photo to mark such a momentous occasion but I think Dad had his hands full trying to keep both of us moving.
In the afternoon I watched my new favourite film, the Jungle Book on something called a video. The films itself was brilliant but at the end I couldn’t just watch it again as Dad had to do something called rewind the tape???? Never heard of that before, seems a bit of a pain to me….

It’s been sunny so we’ve actually been out for a bit!

I decided I wanted to try my bike without stabilisers so Dad suggested I take one off and see how I got on. I got on very well and didn’t fall off but I did have to go a bit slower. After a while I decided I’d like it back on again so I could get back up to speed.
I sat and watched them ride up and down the close in my buggy. Hmm, not the most exciting afternoon I’ve ever had.
It hasn’t all been excitement this week though:

Me and the cat have been having a lot of tender moments lately but I wish she wouldn’t try and sit on my lap, why would she want to do that?
I love the cat too, she’s a great distraction when I’m supposed to be drinking my milk. On the subject of food and drink I’m well over my bout of illness and eating like a pig (whatever that means). I’m loving everything they give me except for something they called spaghetti, I thought it was string! I thought they were supposed to stop me from choking not encourage it. I expect they think it’s okay because I’ve just acquired my first tooth at the top. I’ve also started saying Mu-Mu which Mum has decided is my attempt at saying Mummy. I’ll let her think that if she wants, it seems to make her happy.
While we’re on the subject of feeding us dodgy foodstuffs, I had to have my coco pops with a strawberry yoghurt on them this morning as we didn’t have any milk. Mums pretty inventive with food, maybe she should go on Masterchef?
Mum and I are still talking about kings and queens and history in general, we talked about Oliver Cromwell and Mum said he was dead. I was instantly concerned that he would be up in heaven with Nanny, roughing her up and wasn’t happy. Mum assured me that this would not be the case….
So at the weekend we went to the seaside in the sunshine. Alan sat in the seat in the boot and played computer games all the way there, what a geek!
I got a taste of things to come when I was hastily fed a weetabix in the back of the car:

Andy got all his gear on and headed off into the sea for a surf, the rest of us took our positions on the pier to watch:


Alan and I kept an eye out for him, but they all looked the same from up here.

I decided to do my best catalogue pose for a photo.
We soon got bored on the pier and headed down onto the sand to do some paddling. There was no stopping me, shoes and socks off, trousers rolled up and in! It was freezing and before long my feet were purple with cold.

I managed to coax Mum in for a paddle to, but it was very short lived and she ran off up the beach squealing….
Once everyone was dry and dressed we had some lunch and then went to the aquarium:

We watched the sharks have their dinner….

Then we went under the main tank in a tunnel to see the fishes from underneath. I loved trying to tickle the sting ray’s bellies with a little help from Dad.
Then it was on to the arcade:

I had a ride in Lightning McQueen…great! Then Mum and I came last playing on the racing game…very bad, very bad indeed!
Sunday was Hugo’s party, now as you all know, I wasn’t that bothered about this one at all……

First off was 30 minutes of unlicensed, anything goes cage fighting, at one point Hugo and I were the only ones on the castle as all the other kids were casualties, crying and having a cuddle with their mum’s. We all made up again though and had an hour on the soft playground set up which was brilliant fun before having something to eat with the grown ups being sent away until we were finished:

It was brilliant fun and probably the best party I’ve ever been to.

Well it’s it all sicknotes and gross stuff this week I’m afraid.
I’ve been to the doctors with my itchy skin and got some new cream, which has worked wonders and I’m now well on the mend. Dad’s been really getting on my case about scratching, it’s soooo itchy I can’t help it though. I know he’s trying to help and all but I didn’t want Mum to tell him I’d had a particularly good scratch one afternoon last week. But guess what? He does it too! Mum and I were sat reading a book (the Kings and Queens one still) when he walks into the front room and starts rubbing his back against the wall, caught red handed! Mum and I made a right song and dance about it too, ha ha. We agreed a truce afterwards and things have been much better since. When I do have a little itch he just gives me a hard stare and I stop…..turn around and just do a little bit more to finish the job off.
And I’ve been puking and pooing, along with a bout of conjunctivitis and another snotty cold. Pretty much a full house there I reckon. Still, I’ve still had plenty of smiles to dish out for anyone brave enough to come close and for those poor unfortunate suckers who’ve been wearing some rather unsavoury sick patches on their clothes and cleaning me up. We’ve still managed to get out and about a bit over the weekend though.
Yeah, Saturday was Fantasy World:

Here I am, right at the top.
I had a great time watching all the kids running about and shouting at each other from my buggy. It looked great fun and I can’t wait to get stuck in sometime soon.
Just as we were leaving my friend Jacob from nursery arrived:

We were both really excited to see each other and disappeared off together for a really good play, that delayed lunch a bit….
…I wasn’t hungry, I forgive you.
We went home, watched some horse racing and then watched ‘People Bumping Their Heads’ (or you’ve been framed as the grown ups keep calling it).
Sunday Mum said it was going to be dry, so we went up to Donnington castle for a walk and a bit of fresh air:

She was fibbing, it was still raining. Never the less we made the most of it, it was nice to be outside:

We knocked at the castle door, but nobody was home…

Mum told me some great stories about Kings, wars, people with round heads and people getting their heads chopped off, I loved it!

Dad reckons this little room was always full of waist deep mud when he was little:

I got dragged along for the ride but the fresh air must have done me good and I soon fell asleep:

We walked out the back of the castle through a farm where we visited a very friendly horse (even though we didn’t have a carrot or any Polo’s for him).

I was even brave enough to pat this one on the nose:

We carried on walking past the golf course (Dad says I’m not to go too near these, they’re bad places) and ended up on the bridge over the fast road:

I love the fast road, but it seemed much faster on the bridge than it does in the car!
Nick, Carol and Abi were brave enough to enter the house later on for a visit. Poor old Abi already had the mucky eyes anyway….
….and I got to show her my smart remote controlled wooden train that Santa bought me. They also brought me some batteries that Santa had forgot to put in my walkie talkies. They’re great, you can talk to people when they’re upstairs and I even spoke to Dad when he was out in the garage. I’m sure they’re going to prove to be lots of fun and a valuable asset.
So then it was Monday, but due to my continued spewing Mum stayed home and neither of us went to nursery. I was really good for Mum and she thought I was over it. Once Dad came home and took over though I was sick all over his work clothes and Ned while we were having a book. Once they had both got changed I decided to have another good go, but could only manage to get it on Dad second time around. I have been very good though, going to bed nicely and not doing any crying or anything but I’ve had enough of it now really. I expect I’ve also lost all the weight I’d managed to pile on over recent weeks too, that’ll be another telling off next time we go to the health visitor I expect. So then, that’s about all this week and there won’t be a close up of me this week as I look a pretty sorry state…..

So it’s been raining then? Rubbish. Makes Dad tetchy as well, especially when he’s trying to load the pair of us into the car during a downpour and I start messing about…
I’d just been weighed and had put on over a pound. How about that then? My new hearty appetite is certainly paying dividends.
When we finally got home, soggy and miserable Dad must have felt guilty for shouting so we made a robot out of the old boxes and what have you we’ve been saving up:

We were really pleased with it, except after I had added a few embellishments he wouldn’t actually stand up anymore.
The upshot of all this wet weather is that I got to see my first proper rainbow n the way home from nursery, a real bright one right across the sky.
I wasn’t fussed about it, I just made my new favourite noise…..growling!!! I growl all the time and really love it. Everyone else must too as they growl back with a smile.
Friday night was cards night, Abi came over for a bit and then went to bed in her travel cot upstairs with Ellis and myself.

We were all very good though and let the grown ups play nicely. Mum put in a strong performance for second after a long absence from the game so well done to her. I’ll look forward to helping her spend her prize money. I’m sure Abi will help her Dad spend his winners money?
Saturday morning and I had been promised a trip to go bowling, trouble was that I was a right miserable monkey (probably tired). We tried to leave once but I was so naughty we all got marched back into the house and I got sent to bed. After we’d all cooled down we tried again….this time more successfully. I wasn’t that bothered about the bowling this time to be honest, even though I got a strike and a couple of spares. It was a rare occasion indeed though as Dad actually beat Mum. He was pretty pleased with himself I think.

I preferred the air hockey, I scored loads of goals…albeit at the wrong end of the table.

We had a family drive as well….

I loved it at the bowling alley, there was noise, movement, light and colour everywhere. I can’t wait to have a go myself.
In the afternoon we took Mum shopping for some new work clothes. I was pretty good for a while (if you count licking the mirrors in the fitting rooms as being good) but eventually I ended up back in the doghouse and we had a very brisk walk back to the car, which ‘made my bones hurt’ it was so fast. Oh dear.
I tell you what, he’s been a right miserable little git lately, my brother. I’ve cried more because of him crying and shouting than I ever have because I’m upset.

Yeah, but you still like me the best!!!
Grandad and Anne came round for dinner on Sunday. They bought me a new baby bouncer, pictures next week I promise when I get a bit more used to it. I’m pretty sure I’m going to love it though, I’m starting to get a bit bored of the floor!
We took them out for a walk after lunch, first off to see the horses:

And then on to the park up the hill, I had a great game with Grandad on the swings when he pinched my wellies and tried to put them back on as I swung back and forth. We didn’t stay long though as it was really windy and freezing cold.
So then, this weeks round up….I’ve not worn the same outfit twice since Christmas (I’m like my cousin Laura), I still have only two teeth and I’m still enjoying nursery. They always tell Mum and Dad I’ve been really smiley but I’m pretty tired out in the afternoons and have started going to bed a bit earlier now as well.

I’m learning all about caterpillars at nursery, how they turn into butterflies and the like, all very interesting. My favourite book at the moment is one of mums that’s all about the old kings and queens and best of all the Vikings! I make Mum read me loads of it and I listen intently to every word, even when she thinks I’ve fallen asleep and not listening anymore…..