Daddy... you're mad

Sarah would say insightful, I just say insolent! My daughter, from nowhere, declared the same over breakfast this morning, Sarah tried very hard to stop herself smiling.... at one point I thought she was going to burst and shower me with scrambled egg and salmon, somehow she managed to control herself. Now Elspeth copies her adults, so who would have called me mad??

Well a very pleasant Christmas Day was had by one and all. Sarah cooked the ham to perfection, and of the 13 chocolate decorations on the tree only 1 was removed without consent [not by Elspeth -or me before you say anything]. I'm sure the "if another one disappears they all disappear" warning had nothing to do with it.

Oh, and Elspeth has an imaginary friend friend, her "Mud" he's got green eyes and he's tall, he came for Christmas, although he didn't eat much.

Bird feeder situation [refilled yesterday as we're going a visiting for a few days] 1/2 full the greedy things!

Bird feeder situation

I relaised I'd notmentioned this for a few days... there was about a thimble full left when I refilled the seed feeder this morning. An hour later there was an orderly queue for the grub....

I'm too young for that

Elspeth sat this morning looking at the ps2 and declared that she wanted to play it, when asked which game she said a tennis game. Duly loaded Virtual Tennis 2 proved a hit for about 3 minutes as she happily sat thumbs on the analogue controls merrily rolling around... then when she tired of it I said, perhaps you're a bit young for this....

Anyway Elspeth was off helping Sarah in the dining room so whilst ironing I decided to have the football on the telly. Elspeth came back in plopped herself on her bean bag chair, after absorbing championship football for all of 30 seconds, promptly wailed declaring "I'm too young for this"... just need to keep up her training, need to imprint this thought about boys next, until she's about 23 or 30!

Little Malachi

Well, it seems strange that this is the comment that heads today's mention, but it just shows how pervasive they are and how they have become the norm accessory. I would be stretching it to say I didn't miss it but I'm glad I'm not linked to my phone through some desperate need to be always contactable.

Malachi is pictured on the left. He's waving to the public with his right hand. Incredibly he opened his eyes when Dan spoke to him. Such a tiny chap!

The phone was left in the Hospital when visiting Malachi, the third son of the Pitt Family, born incredibly early, but doing well in his incubator in the hospital, he's pictured above with his toy. Dan (dad) found the phone under the sofa in the family room. Mum (Elaine) and Dad spend a lot of time with him and our thoughts are with them and their other two sons. Mr Pitt we might have to have words about your middle son and my daughter....

Bird feeder... not enough in there to feed 2 sparrows... [the birds have started to target my car- victimisation there are two adults in this household!!]

Baby Cox....

Yesterday was the scan, boy did the baby wriggle and squirm on the ultrasound... definately an athlete like Elspeth... pics of scan included.

Eureka.... the quest for the perfect weekend

Coming home this evening from Southampton I had a groundbreaking thought, I imagined a state of Utopia. That weekend when we walk through the door and don't turn around and say... "We've left 'a' at' b's' house", we were close... Sarah thought it was the toothbrushes, I said no as I'd got those, nothing else came to mind... then I realised I couldn't find my blasted mobile phone... I mean what did people do before mobiles and no one was privvy to half of an intimate conversations on public transport? People would always have 10 pence in their pocket for emergencies [now it's 20 pence - all you guides and scouts!]

Anyway, missing mobile apart, we had a superb time, Karen's house is beautiful, very quiet, well decorated and in a very pleasant area, very easy to find. I should've known the weekend wasn't going to be all plain sailing. The M18 had speed restrictions and lane closures, the A34 had one lane closed for barrier repairs, commencing 06:00 Saturday 3rd and ending 24:00 Sunday 4th, so ideal timing, we spent 25 minutes going 3 miles, we were late for arrival at Karen's house. Nearing the M271 I asked Sarah for directions, she said one of the pages of the route finder was missing - yes, the important bit, from the M271 to Karen's house, sorted one phonecall later [see a mobile telephone can be useful!!]. When preparing for the party, yes, I'd left my shirt hanging in Doncaster, so a replacement was sought after a quick trip to Asda...

Yesterday we went to a party for BCF, good to see old faces, I must admit a lot of the recognisable old faces weren't there so it was fun with Karen, Dan Elaine and the kids. Elspeth attached herself to Isaac with a proximity field of about 2 feet, it was as if there was an invisible chord between them. I missed it but apparrently they were kissing at some point, Master Pitt better beware....

This morning we had croissants AND chocolate muffins extra special breakfast. And then we went to Netley and the Royal Victoria Park where there was a train and a single shore with loads of shells, and a train and a victorian market.... did I mention the train...?

Bird feeder - it's too dark to see, but I filled it on saturday morning so don't call the RSPB....

I'm not touching anything daddy...

Only the "th" in anything comes out like "s". Elspeth is a cheeky little girl... Sarah has been super organised and done most of the Christmas pressie shopping already. As a result they're stacked in bags and boxed in the dining room. Elspeth was stood peering at the presents, I assume trying to peek within [she knows what's in them as she wrapped them!]. Anyway I asked her "Elspeth, what are you doing?", to which the cheeky lady said "I'm not tousing anysing Daddy".... eventhough she was caught red-handed with her digits on the biggest bag. Recently she's developed the responses "not doing anysing" and "not tousing anysing"... she's also started the "what for" question, which as you can imagine is driving Sarah potty during the day... Oh, by the way, she's pretty good at keeping secrets - so none of you relatives will be able to get out of her what gift you're getting.

This weekend we're off down to Southampton to see friends, hopefully not a bitter sweet visit - as it will be great to catch up with friends, but our hearts will be with some close friends who had their 3rd son, at only 27 weeks. He's little and fighting....

Bird feeder - empty again....[ it's just not good enough.... ]