Little Vegas

I bet you didn't know that was Alresford's nick-name did you? Well every year on the second Thursday in October, Broad Street is transformed from it's quiet leafy existence as the main street with a small market, into an almost exact replica of the world famous Las Vegas strip. Well, OK it's not quite the same but it don't half get the locals off their behinds. 'Hook-A-Duck', 'Coconut Shy' and 'Burn The Heretic' are just 3 of the family fun attractions for this 1 day only event.

We did try to get Amelia on the Cups & Saucers ride but the rotation was starting to look like dinner would reappear so we sacked that in favour of a pleasant stroll ooo-ing and ahh-ing at the lights. Personally I make it my business to visit all the donut and pork roll stalls but Amy has all that fun to come. Have a nice weekend.

It's Potty Time

Aaah Michael Bentine. Footprints in a model sandpit from an invisible miniature person....what a show! Those were the days etc. Anyway enough of my reminiscing, Amelia is starting to look like she may be getting ready for the old potty training stuff. We have one in the bathroom and she can sit on and get off and she knows to wipe herself although she's not sure why yet. Don't worry love, some blokes never figure it out. Today though she learned how to pull her trousers down and pull them back up again! It doesn't sound like much but I still stuggle sometimes, it's me back you know. So hopefully quite soon she'll be making regular visits to the bathroom for little deposits. It'll be a real boost all round as she can keep her mother company while she's in there.

Three Lovely Birds

A couple more pics from the recent jaunt to Cornwall here. First Amelia and Anna feeding some very friendly lorikeets with their favourite nectar treat. Actually although most of them were very well-behaved there were a couple of swine birds in there too. Fortunately none of them started tucking into either of my ladies. Down the road a bit we revisted Cheney Mill Farm Park which is always nice and Amelia got to stroke this very sweet corn snake. They're deadly of course but we can't have her growing up frightened of these beasties you know.

On the other stuff it's all fairly dull at the moment. This weekend should finally see the last chapter of the deck saga written which is fortunate because the dry days are a bit thin on the ground at the moment. Amy & Anna are off swimming today but it's basically all quiet on the western front here.

The deck takes shape...as I fall apart

Well as you can see the frame of the deck is now finally complete. Not bad eh? And yes it IS all level before you ask, and this didn't come together without considerable blood, sweat and tears I can tell you. There was still plenty to do after we got back from Cornwall and I was all set to get cracking this weekend until I was struck down on Friday night with the mother of all stomach bugs. Actually it was a hang-over from the slightly 'loose' week I had on holiday but without putting too fine a point on it, the troops were evacuating from every port. Amelia was not herself either on Friday so as is customary at the moment I was attending her bedside at around 3:30am when the call from on high came and I spent a good portion of the next hour downstairs, conversing with the big G on his porcelain megaphone. I felt terrible and ached all over in a flu-ish, kind of way with a touch of African Sleeping Sickeness too I'm sure. It could be - I read about it. Anyhoo morning broke and I managed to nobly stagger into the garden to begin some deckwork. After a full programme on Saturday and Sunday the end result was as you see now. What you can't see is that I was immobile for the entire evening & night. I must have wrenched a few muscles because by about 2:00am I literally couldn't move. Must be getting old.

Also I can't take all the credit because Anna played a sterling supporting role all weekend by keeping young Amelia occupied. Also in terms of navigating the tricky bits around the drain and that strange circular concrete thingy by the fence (origin unknown) she was invaluable. Not for the first time since I've known her she would chime in with gems like 'you realise you can't put that in there until you've screwed that on properly'. Ooh matron.

So to the bairn! Amelia had her annual appointment with her original consultant Dr Ian Rodd back at the now slightly less familiar, Royal Hants Hospital. As expected he's thrilled with her progress and I think would have signed her off completely were it not for the fact that good practise means they'll keep an eye on her until she starts school. Actually to say he's just thrilled with her progress is an understatement, he's astonished. To emphasise the point he highlighted some new research which has concluded that in the Severely Premature birth bracket (24-28 weeks) they have discovered that 50% of babies are disabled as a result, and 50% of those severely so. Although we'll never forget Amy's start in life I often think we're not thankful enough for how truly amazing she is. Here she is with her new backpack which she adores.

Back From The Beach

Flipping typical eh? You get back from holiday and if the site's not chock-a-block with holiday snaps the next day the complaints start rolling in! Hey-ho, nice to know there's people still checking in. So in time for the weekend here's the first of a few choice shots from our superb week down in Praa Sands. It would be very un-English not to talk about the weather so to be brief, it was generally changeable with all days giving a general mixture of sun, cloud, mist & showers and none a complete write-off.

Amelia was thrilled to be away with mummy and daddy as you can see from the first picture and we made sure she got down on the beach as much as possible too. I resisted the temptation to buy a bodyboard and squeeze into a wetsuit but it's only a matter of time - cameras at the ready for that one! It was general holiday fayre when there's a 2 year old in the gang so plenty of farm parks, ice cream and the like.

Other photographic highlights to thrill you over the coming days will be Amelia feeding a goat, a parrot and stroking a very sweet corn snake. Unfortunately no footage exists of her cuddling the 5-stone 12-foot Python - just as well as the grandparents might catch a glimpse of the look in that particular reptile's eye when she sidled up to him. It's the same look that comes into mine when the McRib is back on offer at McDonald's.

Anyhoo this weekend it's back to Project Tricycle and pushing on with the decking for the back garden before it turns into just a crap paddling pool. Still if we have a very brutal winter I could hire out skates. No! We will finish or be damned! Have a good one.