some Sunday fun

hi there

well, i've been doing my best to upload some pictures from last Sunday all week! it's been just really busy, and when i have had a chance to do an update it seems to have been of an "urgent music" nature. sorry for that.

last weekend Richard, Erika, Lyla and Ruby-Lee invited us off to a rather fancy place to celebrate, a bit early, Ruby-Lee's birthday. i of course took the boys along, which is just as well, as they had a sensational time!

one of the things they were most impressed about was the presence of horses.

both of them thought it was one of the most excellent things ever to watch as the horse stood and ate some hay. they did, in fact, ponder and consider how they could combine the horse eating hay with a plan to lure the horse to them.

the masterplan they unleashed was to stand and shout at the horse. what did they shout? "hey horse, come here and eat this hay".

it did not work quite as well as they had hoped, but Erika and Ruby-Lee both enjoyed standing and watch the boys try this approach!

with the horse failing to entertain the boys' wishes, it was time to head off and explore some other things of interest to do. which they did.

a note to expectant parents or parents of young children planning on taking them out and about soon. take a pocket full of coins with you wherever you go, but in particular where there is a sign that says "children welcome". child-friendly places shall always, without fail, have coin operated rides like this one that the kids will wish to go on again and again. and, indeed again.

the above was the best picture of the two that i could get. the ride was in motion, and neither of them had any interest in sitting still! my apologies, but i do not have my Dad's skill at explaining to them, in short and rather abrupt words, why it is a good idea not to move when it is so much fun to move about!

after the supply of coins was exhausted, it was off to find something else to do, and what better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than doing a spot of painting?

James was a bit reluctant to select something to paint at first. i simply mentioned "oh, look, there's a box you could decorate and then keep money in". there was not much stopping him after that!

William settled on painting a dinosaur pretty much straight away, and was quite chuffed with his artistic handiwork. and why should he not be, as he did a sterling job!

i do like his art critic expression in that picture above!

speaking of William and him doing a sterling job, he apparently set himself the task of getting as much dirt on his face as possible. i am probably biased here, so forgive me, but i think he did a really, really good job!

the above took him some work, i can tell you. if i recall the ingredients correctly, William's face is covered in chocolate M & M's, coke, creme soda, a chocolate ice cream, pizza, mud and i shudder to think what else.

if yoy are wondering, yes i did try and clean his face, but he just ran away. the cheeky thing, though, as soon as we got home complained to his Mummy about how dirty his face was!

for some peculiar reason every now and then a few of you like to see a recent picture of me. well, here i am drinking a most splendid, rather avant garde, drink.

well, if lemonade with a bit of lime and a lot of ice shoved in it is your definition of avante garde then it is that. a rather pleasant drink on a very hot afternoon, many thanks to Megan for turning me on to the wonders of it!

right, that's quite enough of me i believe.here's a great picture of the boys that would be totally fantastic if William had a clean face in it!

never mind, the same kind of posing let me get some great pictures of James on his own!

and indeed i was able to get a couple of James with Lyla, with William very much wanting to be in on the picture!

i do love William's "look Lyla, i have an ice cream just like you" look!

Richard enthusiasts will no doubt be disappointed not to have seen Richard in this update so far, but here you go. here's a picture of him forever blowing bubbles. as Andy Carroll is now a Hammer, i suppose Newcastle fans are obliged to adopt some of their more peculiar habits.

all children really, really like bubbles. i have no idea why, but they do. they can sense, in some sort of Jedi like way, when bubbles are being blown anywhere near them, and they always go running off in the direction of them.

William and Lyla are no exception to this!

well, i think all i have missed out is the most excellent pizza, great company and just how tired running around with the boys left me!

many thanks to all for an outstanding Sunday outing!


be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!