Due South and Great Relief

This week sees the end of Dad's first semester on his GDTLLS course, and better still the back of his outstanding assignments - phew.


Meanwhile, we are delighted with a visit from M's sister C from 'up north'. We'd like to show you all a nice pic of the two sisters, however at the moment of taking the picture they both clubbed Dad over the head (each had their reasons - M says she won't have a pic til her hair is done and C says it was because she had no make-up on). The picture is what Dad did manage to take as he fell.


Can you guess who is who?

Catch-up 2

Joe chilling in the shade in Hedon - near Hull (Sept 2006).

The following videos depict Lije eating desert :-P yum (Oct 2006).

And tasting it from his jumper...

Catch-up 1

Since the Blog is new, but many things have happened since our relatives moved north then south, catch up posts hope to fill some gaps with pictures.

Lije looking cute in his toy tub (some time last year).

Joe, being Joe (some time last year).

Lije doing his best to look like a romanian orphan (he required scalping due to getting nits at nursery - last year). Micky cried because she had to cut all his hair off. I think he looks ready to enlist.

Gardened Out and Other Things...

Well, with the help of Steve P and Andrew T we blitzed the garden, filled a skip, laid a new path and made the place a whole lot better. Next move, measure up and order materials for Turfing. But not now, I am worn out.


Later had to go to Braggy Park to take photos for an assignment the students are working on. They have to make a virtual tour of the park using Flash. Most of the students were able to take their own 360 degree views of the park on a trip, but as usual some were away that day. They will have to use my pics instead for this project, and then do an extra catch-up later on.

Tree halfway to the ruins.

Newtown Linford by the river.

Right now Lije is climbing all over the place (and on me while I type) and reaching for all those things he shouldn't have. So TTFN...

This and that...

Today Dad got the thing he ordered with his Christmas mulah. A Wacom Bamboo graphics tablet. Check out Dad's first real creation (Which book inspired this do you think? Answers in the comments please)...

Meanwhile Joe is enjoying Drama club at school and looking forward to leaving Primary for Young Mens.


Lije is deserving of a new title "Dangerous Lije" for all the antics he gets up to. I am sure he will not be satisfied until he has really hurt himself. Unfortunately, like Dad, he seems to have a fairly high pain threshold, so he almost never cries when he goes to far, just sort of grunts or runs to mum for a cryless rub of the injured knee etc.

Mum is slowly getting the house free of unwanted junk through charity shops and where possible - Freecycle.

And tomorrow - we have a skip arriving to get rid of the table, microwave, bits of wood, door, the build up of recyling (that Joe persistently negleted to put out for the bin men) etc that currently adorns our back garden. Much to the delight of our long suffering neighbour, who, when Micky told them we were getting a skip was very pleased and confessed they were thinking of asking us about it since they are now looking at trying to sell their house. How embarassing - just glad we ordered the skip and spoke to them before they spoke to us.

Plans for the garden include extending the patio, laying some turf and setting out some veggie patches.

Christmas Aftermath

Christmas has come and gone, and (sadly) at least one of us was ill the whole time.

Mum was down with flu first, and so with Dad producing the Christmas Dinner we discovered what a wonderful cook Aunt Bessie is. Let me just say her roast tatties are yummy, her yorkshire puds are scrummy, her roast parsnips melt in the mouth. Mum had Quorn fillets, while Joe and Dad polished off the best part of a Gammon roast between them. Yum.

The spreading illness put paid to all tradition so we just opened the presents and loafed about most of the day. Feeling too rough to do anything else. (Thank you all for the presents you sent.) Joe and Lije were both OK, but Dad came down with flu the day after. Unfortunately this meant all our Christmas visits were cancelled. So we have not yet visited the northern in laws and delivered their pressies. How late Santa is this year for them.

Now we are happy to report that Mum and Dad are all but cured, only Lije still has it (though even in illness he is ludicrously active - not a restful child), and Joe managed to avoid it.

Feeling cheated by flu, we have decided to celebrate Christmas again later.

Happy New Year all.

Dad and Lije play with Lije's new garage, Joe reading one of his new books.

Lije chewing a raisin.

Dad and Lije at the computer.