Goose

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 18:29:56 GMT

Zombie has recently perfected the art of sneaking. We usually shut the cats downstairs at night now. We also shut them out of the living room when we're out for the day. Zombie has often managed, by keeping very very still, to not get kicked out of the living room and remain in her spot on the couch all day.

Once recently she's hopped out of an empty suitcase in our bedroom (where the cats aren't allowed), but last night she evaded being shut downstairs- we only discovered this when we were woken by her licking a carrier-bag in our bedroom.

Harry has recently perfected the art of peering. This usually happens when you're sat with the laptop on your lap. You suddenly notice Harry, sat on the floor, peering round the laptop at you. He finds this very funny of course.

Poor Harry is finally, actually, teething. We can see the tip of one tooth, so he's had a grumpy couple of days. He's also got cold- as have we today- so he's been after sitting on knees all day. And peering.

Neil

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 00:04:20 GMT

19:38 Work's Xmas/ retirement doo- we have the head tables, a bit too noisy for me, but I'm looking forward to the band #

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:02:26 GMT

20:06 What's my world come to? Watching X-Factor tonight, even, just for a laugh, watching the live chat thing. #

20:15 Tried putting some comments into X-Factor Live Chat, but didn't see them appear- they weren't toooo bad. #

21:35 Vicky's scared of when Harry's teeth will fall out. He hasn't cut his first tooth yet. #

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:01:58 GMT

20:16 Underwhelmed by By Jovi- even by their standards. #

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 21:29:45 GMT

After Oven didn't turn up at all with our food order last weekend, I drove down to get our Sat night take-out. After mistaking me for some other order that hadn't turned up, we got a muffin free. On a two person meal. The first time our delivery was late- due to a car breaking down- we got two muffins. Nothing at all for all the other times food has been late due to their incompetence. We're not addicted to the food you understand. Nope- not us.

We went to see the guys (and girls) putting on the Full Monty on Wed night- opening night. We had a marvellous time. It was good to watch, the crowd was good. I even cried a little bit.

We dressed up for Vicky's Mum's work's Hallwe'en doo. Our Jack and Jill was a work of art and Harry was very cute as a purple bat. He cried almost straight away with the noise of the other kids. He settled though after some Father Son Row, Row, Row Your Boat-ing. He tucked into the cucumber (read 'sucked') and lapped up later attention.

We were planning to go t'Whitby on Saturday, but Vicky's cold finally got the better of her. So, having missed the sunniest day, we went to Whitby on the wettest, windiest, coldest day. Harry was in his new stroller- purchased with Whitby shops in mind. The wind blew the rain cover flat upon his face. My trousers were pretty much wet through in five minutes- it's the sideways rain you see.

G

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:01:48 GMT

21:58 Going to see Mull Monty tomorrow night. Break a leg boys ... and girls. Vicky made me go you understand...... #

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:27:47 GMT

Harry's thing at the moment is to laugh at me. He's cottoned on to the rest of the world!

However, what makes him laugh one day only gets a smile the next. With his laugh being so infectious, when he is nuts I just have to keep doing what I just did that got a laugh. Today it was jumping.

Vicky was Harry's voice today, calling me back to jump again so Harry would laugh, so Vicky could be tickled too.

This weekend one of our cats went missing for a couple of days. Merlin, as usual, had an ingenious escape route going on to get past my cat-netting, to leave the yard. Zombie must have been watching and also found it to not require great agility and disappeared.

I did quite a bit of hunting, but I suspected all the places I could look locally were where she wouldn't be- when she does leave the yard, she usually does so for 20 mins max, coming back to the comforts of the house. If she was away longer, she wouldn't be volountarily so. However, she did return- probably when someone noticed they'd locked her in somewhere. We were quite worried.

She was ever so attentive all that day, glad of the comforts of her half of the couch.

I improved the defences to cut off that escape route, but Merlin's still escaping.

G

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:00:22 GMT

13:10 Clutching the now Rammstein album with giddy anticipation #

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:00:15 GMT

21:15 Johnny and Eddie to win! Go Jeddie #

21:17 My life must end- just spotted the knitted toy. Where did it all go wrong? #

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:16:56 GMT

We decided not to go t'Whitby today. I had a hole to make in the bathroom ceiling that I totally didn't get round to do yesterday and we're certainly going in a couple of weeks anyway. Bought a stroller today with Whitby in mind- Harry's big wheeled buggy probably won't fit in the doors.

Anyway, hole in ceiling complete, thankfully it's a stupid wooden ceiling under an old attic hatch. I hate the attic- it usually leaves me in a bad mood; it having every surface coated in awful black dust, being littered with concrete fragments from old roof, an old aerial, small parts of old central heating system, worktop with hole for sink. All to be re-insulated one day.

Merlin may still be esaping the yard. I did re-do a section of netting over the shed yesterday- he's clawed holes in the shed's roof covering getting himself over the netting.

G

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:01:17 GMT

20:11 Pudding situation critical. Going to the shop. #

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:19:21 GMT

How come the new Watchdog series is a comedy? I hate it. But I watch it.

Today Harry discovered he could make some new sounds- using his tongue and jaw. He gave me a little shock with his new sounds.

He's also now better at pushing food out of his mouth, using his tongue, than actually eating.

Schnookie brought in two live moths tonight, much to Vicky's disgust. Vicky was gesturing her to go under the shoe rack and finish the job!

G

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:00:57 GMT

15:07 Beginning to wonder if Centerparcs' staff are pushing small woodland creatures past our patio. Do we have to pay for larger ones to appear? #

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 23:00:58 GMT

15:33 Sat in the sun, sharpening stakes for this cat problem we have- our cats. #

Tired, full

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:21:48 GMT

Today, Harry is blowing raspberrys. After 5 months of blowing them at him, he has it pretty sussed. However, he's vocalising at the same time, so it's even funnier watching him try!

Harry's sitting up problems are now not about falling forwards- but falling backwards. Progress?

I shirked my duties of cat-sitting tonight in favour of an Oven take-out. There was lots of reasoning going on, but non of it really powerful enough to excuse it. Something along the lines of V's Mum being back tomorrow and the cats would be fine tonight and because we're out tomorrow night to see Singing in the Rain, when we might have otherwise got a take-out, it would be foolish of us to not have one at all.

We are weak.

N

I have paint in my hair

Sat, 05 Sep 2009 20:44:05 GMT

I am pleased to announce I have discovered that the best way to get into a meringue nest, that's rightfully a little sticky, is to cut a short, sharp jab down with the spoon.

We've had Mark in doing his wonderful decorating thing in the kitchen. Colours look good so far, though the red hasn't gone on yet....

I've been painting the outside in vomit yellow, black and gloss white. The wind was being kind to the drying so I was continuously moving from window to window with new coats. It's great not having all the wood to paint. I am a little annoyed that the new lead on the bay window is very tight to the edge of the wood, but the gloss will look after it.

I need to claim the yard back from the pusscats. Not only are two of them escaping, but they're pooing in my pots. I thought I had that sussed with some mini border/ fencing things. I'm sure they've wee'd two other plants to death. Piles of poo. Grrrr.

N

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 23:02:01 GMT

10:45 Mmmm... quiche #

Jumpers

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:30:09 GMT

Today I am wearing a jumper. I was yesterday too- at home and at work. Summer is great! I was checking the thermostat and central heating last night just in case it got really frosty. It was 19.5°C indoors last night, the thermostat is usually set to somewhere between 18 and 19.

I did the weather double-take today at lunch. Even though I'd just been driving through the rain, I went out, came back in, then set off out again with my umbrella for some wind and rain fencing- I have no intention of letting my favourite brolly blow inside out.

After a recent cactus obsession, I went to Wilkinsons looking for herbs in indoor terracotta pots. Observing the offer to be 3-for-£5, I carefully selected three pots. At the till, they rang in for a total of 6p. The cashier asked me for 6p without batting an eye-lid. I queried it, knowing, incorrectly, I'd instantly regret it. She called someone over. Apparently they can't offer the 99% discount, but she can give me 75%, totalling £1.50.

Only on my way out did I notice the big sale signs hanging throughout the shop, but no idea if it was a 75% off selected items sort of sale.

Feeling rather generous, I chucked some money in a charity bucket- bless him for standing in the cold. I've done standing in the cold before for not much; blowing my own horn too.

To top of an odd lunch, there was a singing policemen, with brolly. Not quite my cup of tea, though at some point last week I was quite impressed to see two characters similar to the rubbish-heap dwellers from Labyrinth- dwarfs carrying their entire possessions (picked from the rubbish-heap) on their back- wandering through town.

N

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 23:01:53 GMT

18:41 Harry's choking on his monkey... #

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 23:01:40 GMT

18:19 Standing room only on the train home tonight with families. It must have been a nice day :( #

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 23:02:03 GMT

22:16 Hope tonight doesn't feature woman screaming at her boyfriend to return the watch she gave him- or she'll call the police. #

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:01:51 GMT

09:55 I'm not entirely sure I'm really here today. Computers can conspire against you in tedious ways as well as any person can. #

Sun, 09 Aug 2009 21:03:08 GMT

Off we went to a food festival this weekend. The first time in a little while we've been to something outdoorsey. The last time I had Harry out in the carrier he was getting too big to be rear-facing, but not strong enough to support his own head. This time he was big enough, strong enough and cute enough to be forward-facing. Thankfully he also wasn't too heavy either! Though when I went to t'toilet without him it suddenly felt like I was floating instead of walking.

Harry loved the carrier. When he's particularly happy or interested about something, he makes an 'oooo' shape with his mouth, and drools. He was doing that a lot, very excited about it all. His makeup was rubbish though- the factor 50 wasn't as easily absorbed as it said on the packet.

Today, his Auntie Wendy got some really good giggles out of him- I think it was a lot to do with her silly faces though. Unfortunately she, just like I do from time to time, got him freaked out and made him cry! She met him later in the day at t'supermarket when he was hungry- he still wasn't pleased! I think she'll have to babysit one night to make it up to him :p

G

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 23:02:17 GMT

11:25 From 2 to at least 2:30 this morning there was a screaming match between two women in the street. That goodness for doubly glazing. #

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 07:53:18 GMT

At some point last night- I didn't open my eyes to see- someone was parked with their engine idling through a noise box. There was someone arguing in the street. That and the heat, Harry was voicing what we all felt, but from 4 onwards. I changed the alarm to try and grab a final hour's sleep. A fat lot of good it will have done me.

I was out climbing on Sun evening for the first time in a long time, third time of doing boy climbing of any kind since well before Harry was born (seems like an 'old' thing to say). A really good evening- you only need a few good people around to buoy you into climbing some good stuff.

Saturday the three of us headed off to Wolsingham's Weardale railway. Usually steam, but a diesel train not too dissimilar from the one I'm about to catch- theirs was lovingly restored, this one will be being forced into hard labour, past retirement. Nice little trip out. Tried Wolsingham's centre- got harry into the pushchair, took a dozen steps, found the end of the shops to be a coffee shop, put the pushchair back in the car and had a coffee.

We had Vicky's Mum babysit Wednesday afternoon. After much being distracted by Harry, we set off very late to see We Will Rock You in Sunderland. We arrived to find our tickets upgraded (we had bought the cheapest seats) and the curtain up- we'd be shown to our seats after Radio Ga Ga. Relieved to be there without missing anything I put my arm round Vicky and watched the show from the back of the Upper Circle. After a little while the usher informed me my girlfriend was on my other side. The show was, of course, awesome.

G