Names...

I don't think that this is the start of regular posting on this blog again (don't know how I ever found the time before...), but I did want to record somewhere something that we might forget over time if we didn't write it down...

We have two boys and I've only just realised how odd it is that we only ever call our oldest by one name, and we call our youngest by scores of nicknames and different variations. So, in the interests of being able to look back and chuckle, here goes:

Isaac
Isaac

Toby
Toby
Tobes
Toby-tobes
Toby-tobe
Toby-toes
Toby-lobes
Toba-lobe
Toba-robe
Tobles
Floba-robe
Floba-lobe
Flobba-lob
Roba-Tobes
Toby Wan Kenobi
Toblerone
Toby-toast
Toba-roba-toba-robe-tobe-tobe
Toby-trouble
Toby-sausage
Tony
Moby-Tarsh

Is that all a bit strange?

Chester Zoo

A momentous day!

Look - no stabilisers!


We bought Isaac a new bike today and after two laps of Canford Park with very wobbly stabilisers, we decided he'd be better off without them. I don't know why we were surprised when he then just got on his bike and rode 50 metres on his own!

We had a glass of bubbly (Lemonade) to celebrate at tea time...

We're brimming with parental pride!

La Rochelle, June 2008

Just back from a 9-day holiday near La Rochelle in France. Had a brilliant time with fantastic weather every day. Went for a daily swim in the open air pool to cool down, played lots of football and boules (Isaac's version, anyway) and had many trips to the beach. Had lots and lots of ice creams and also had croissants for breakfast every day.

Great to get away from email and glad to leave my mobile at home for the duration!! We switched off and relaxed as much as is possible with two boys who very rarely switch off themselves!

Only interesting aspects were Isaac falling out of bed on the first night and hitting the bedside table (blood everywhere...) and Toby falling and knocking his front tooth loose (blood everywhere...). And, yes, it was the same tooth that Isaac has missing having knocked his clean out two years earlier!

A selection of holiday snaps available by clicking here.

Below is a brief video clip of Isaac and Toby dancing and Toby's preferred way of getting into the swimming pool (no sound).

Don't mess with mr tiger

Isaac at a birthday party today. It lasted 3 mins before he wanted it removed!

From the BBC

The weather forecast for tomorrow:

What on earth does that mean?

Bi-vocational Leadership and Camping Adventures

Having previously said he wanted to be 'a hoover' when he grows up, Isaac has now decided he wants to be 'a fireman and a King'. Not sure if this arises from Daddy also having two jobs but it will be interesting to see how effectively the firefighting king can govern...

In other news...

Isaac and Daddy put a tent up on Sunday evening in the garden intending to sleep in there during the night. Isaac helped putting the tent up by handing out pegs and using 'the Hammett' (what you use to knock the pegs into the ground).

Isaac was fairly scared of sleeping out in the tent despite Mummy praying with Isaac and asking Jesus to keep him safe ("Mummy, Jesus is going to sleep in the tent next to us because there's not room in our tent").

Needless to say, after we'd read stories and settled down in our sleeping bags ("Daddy, I want to get in your sleeping bag with you"), Isaac wasn't very keen in sleeping in the tent - the batteries running out in the torch was the last straw and we trekked inside where Isaac fell fast asleep in his bed in a few seconds.

Recent photos

Several photos from recent weeks, click here.

A handy tip for flying with children

A tempting way to have a quieter flight - but the excess baggage weight charges would be a bit hard to swallow...

La Rochelle, France - June 2007

We've just had our family holiday. The weather was mixed but a lot better than it's been in the UK by the sound of it! We had a lot of fun and did a lot of swimming, bike riding, playing on the beach, crazy golf and eating Spiderman ice creams!

It's been a slightly bumpy end. The night before we left, Deborah went down with tonsillitis and Ed caught a stomach bug and had a high temperature. We just about made it back to the airport to catch a flight home but we're still knocked out with it - now Ed has tonsillitis too! Joy!

View more photos here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=31837&l=dd2a2&id=865020645.