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Party In The Park - Greenhead Park 2008
Posted by Webby at June 29, 2008 10:43 PM | Comments (0)
Jilly and I took Evelyn to her first ever out-door gig this evening.
Following yesterday's classical Concert-in-the-Park, today's Party-in-the-Park had The Guillemots headlining, who Jilly is already a fan of. We arrived at Greenhead Park in plenty of time to meet the OsBradFam and find some festival food for dinner.
We all settled down a little way from the main throng of the crowd and all enjoyed the music from The Script (my favourite of the bands we saw on the day), Elliot Minor (a very popular band from York) and The Guillemots. Typically, Jilly was loving the whole occasion and started reminiscing about her Glastonbury trips with Kieran. Evelyn seemed to enjoy the day too, so Jilly has convinced herself that Evie will be old enough to take in a couple of years time...we'll see!
Kieran's School Prom Night
Posted by Webby at June 27, 2008 10:36 PM | Comments (0)
It is Kieran's school Prom Night tonight and, while Kieran seemed to take the occasion in his stride, Jilly was absolutely besides herself. While we haven't discussed exactly why Jilly was so stressed about the night, I believe it was largely down to the fact that Kieran looked so very good in his rented suit...I'm sure she'll correct me.
Anyway, Chris' family joined Chris at our house to take photographs of the two boys getting into the Roller, before they went to collect another two of their mates.
Both the boys looked fantastic...I'm sure they're going to have an excellent night.
The Pressure is off...
Posted by Webby at June 21, 2008 08:05 PM | Comments (0)...now, it's the long wait.
Kieran finished the last of his GCSE exam's today. Brilliant!
I'd like to say that you could see all the anxiety and stress slip from his face, the moment he walked through the door; but he's never seemed even remotely stressed during the last four weeks of exam's.
So, when is Kieran's 'D-day'? GCSE results are issued on 21 August 2008! Good Luck, Kieran!
My only hope, now, is that Kieran doesn't remember Jilly's naive offer of cash for A and A* grades...I certainly have!
Father's Day
Posted by Webby at June 15, 2008 06:18 PM | Comments (0)It was Father's Day today and, in celebration, Jilly had planned an excellent camping trip to Settle. Unfortunately, the felt we had to cancel the trip away as the weather was appalling on Friday night, and was forecast to be poor for the rest of the weekend. While Jilly and I are quite happy to camp in poor weather, neither of us wanted to pitch a tent in the rain! Fortunately, the camp site was happy to postpone our weekend for one later in the summer.
In makeshift celebration, then, Jilly and I took Evelyn for her first game of ten-pin bowling at Xscape in Castleford on Saturday. Evie really enjoyed knocking all the pins down, and was determined to roll the ball down the alley herself, rather than use the children’s er...ramp...er...thingies. After the bowling we stayed around for a while and watched people using the indoor ski centre (we've never been to Xscape before, and were curious about the indoor snow), and Evie was desperate to go on the snow sliders (toboggans).
After the bowling, we returned to Huddersfield via the Richard Dunn Sports Centre, where we went for a swim. While swimming with Evelyn is always a pleasure, the pool was extremely noisy and poorly lit (which makes seeing anything without my spectacles on practically impossible).
Today, I was treated to a special Father's Day trip to GoOutdoors in Middletown where Jilly managed to convince me that we didn't need another tent...bah! All the precious camping things are always very tempting and I was determined to buy another tent that I could stand up in but. Typically, GoOutdoors aren't in the habit of making gifts of their camping equipment, so I had to leave empty-handed.
Having left the Go-Outdoors, Jilly and I took Evelyn to Cannon Hall Farm, where she loves to play in the adventure playground and see all the farm animals (particularly the piddies). We had a lovely time on the farm, and even managed a spot of lunch on the outdoor picnic tables before the inevitable rain descended upon us.
During the afternoon on the farm, Jilly took Evelyn into the 'ladies' where Evelyn reportedly exclaimed,
"Aaaaarrrggghh! What is that smell? I think I'm gonna puke!"
The ladies' was more fragrant than the rest of the farm...apparently.
Just for the record...
Posted by Webby at June 13, 2008 08:14 AM | Comments (0)While dropping her off at 'that new nursery', this morning, Evelyn and I measured her height on the nursery height chart. Evelyn is a whopping 106cm tall. Not a giant, by any stretch of the imagination, but certainly very tall for her age (placing her, in fact, in the 85th percentile amongst girls aged 4 years and one month).
In the last week, or so, Jilly measured Evelyn's weight, to discover that she now weighs 20Kg or 3St 2lb (putting her in the 94th percentile amongst girls aged 4 years and one month...gulp). There's no wonder carrying Evie on my shoulders is becoming so tiring! Yet another reminder that I need to lose some bloody weight!
The issue, for the poor liddle beaudee, is that (as Evelyn appears to have inherited my comparatively short legs - and comparatively long trunk) we are now buying tops and, particularly, swimming costumes for Evelyn that are for girls aged 6 to 7.
Updated 14 June 2008
Jilly and I have bought Evelyn two beautiful and very inexpensive (BOGOF, infact) dresses today, aged 6 to 7 and they fit beautifully. While we were chosing the dresses, Evelyn stood at Jilly's side and she already measures up to Jilly's bottom rib...astonishing!
"He makes me laugh!"
Posted by Webby at June 10, 2008 09:25 AM | Comments (0)So, playing Sharon the Sheep, last night, Evelyn picked up the 'Kevin the Kangaroo' card. Evelyn was having trouble reading the text (she recognises loads of the cards now, and seems able to 'read' many of them effortlessly.
As she hesitated, Jilly and I tried to give her a hint by telling her that we knew somebody with this name. Still no idea. Then we told Evelyn that this man was married to Debbie (obviously a sure give-away).
"Kevin!", Evelyn exclaimed. "It's Kevin. I like him. He makes me laugh!"
Earlier on in the day (and, again, out-of-the-blue), Evelyn turned to me and told me that I shouldn't eat any more pies!
"They make you fat, Daddy!"
"And you should stop making pies for Daddy's tea, Mummy!", she told Jilly.
I'm beginning to feel a little persecuted.
"You're getting old, aren't you Daddy?"
Posted by Webby at June 6, 2008 08:11 AM | Comments (0)Joining us in bed for a little 'snug' this morning; Evelyn told me, quite out of the blue,
"You're getting old, aren't you Daddy?"
Charming!
I wouldn't mind so much, but it wasn't as though I'd been making any of those early morning 'old people' noises; any of those grunts and groans that we all make as we first start moving about in the day (we do all make them, don't we?)
I'll just add it to the list of terribly flattering observations my loving daughter constantly makes about to me...
One step forward, 6 lbs back...
Posted by Webby at June 1, 2008 12:25 PM | Comments (0)It's official, since I started to take my eye off the dieting ball (so to speak), I've managed to gain 3Kg (or 6½ pounds). I now weigh 20st 7lb or 130.3Kg. I am less than pleased.
The Case of the Elusive Amphibious Fish
Posted by Webby at June 1, 2008 10:02 AM | Comments (0)
Both these photographs were taken, 04/06/08, after the tank lid had been replaced and the fish had made it's remarkable recovery...
It appears that one of Evelyn's fish has tried to make a desperate, and near terminal, bid for freedom this morning...
I was enjoying a lie in, this morning (or was trying to), when Jilly appeared at the bedroom door telling me that one of our goldfish was missing! Still a little bleary eyed, I went downstairs expecting to find the goldfish hiding in the dirty water (we agreed before we went to bed last night, that we ought to clean out the fish today)...but it really was missing.
As a scratched my head in wonder, I found myself staring down at the perfectly motionless body of the missing goldfish. Somehow (and I can only begin to image how), it had made it's way out of the water (a good 2.5cm from the surface to the top of the tank) and across a 5cm gap into a neighbouring bowl full of shells. Gently picking the goldfish up by it's tail the fish began to wriggle about. Obviously a little shocked (the goldfish must have been out of the water for at least 5 minutes, and may have been out all night). I picked the goldfish up and quickly put it back in the tank.
Initially, it seemed to just float (though it's gills were moving), and started to swim weakly (bumping into the water pump, and then the tank itself). Things seemed a little bleak for the fish (Jilly suggested we flushed it down the toilet to put it out of it's misery), but I thought I would give it a chance while it was bobbing about with it's gills flapping, and now, quite miraculously, I think, the fish seems to have made a full recovery. Quite how long the fish was out of the water, we will never know, but it certainly seems to have been able to breathe air for some time.
Fantastically, Evelyn was only interested in seeing the fish while it was out of the water, and didn't seem at all worried that the fish might die. Unlike Jilly and I...I might add!
