Alder's Tone

What a Day to loss.....

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 07:22:38 +0000

Sorry, I mean data loss. So there's another high profile news item about data loss. We've had Nationwide losing a laptop containing details of their mortagees, child benefit claimants data going missing, and now details of convicted crimnials have gone over the wall.

All I can say is, finally - one we're not worried about!

Happy birthday, son! Again...

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 10:52:00 +0000

More cake, anyone?Two years old!

It hardly seems like two minutes, never mind two years. But when we look at how much he's come along in this last year - walking, just starting to string sentences together, size 6-and-a-half shoes, two room changes in nursery, chickenpox, train obsession, Nemo obsession, fully acquainted with luxurious hotels, the list starts to look more like "how did he fit that into just a year?".

However we look at it, and I think I speak for both of us when I say that it's been a great year, one to make us very proud as parents of such a wonderful kid.

Happy birthday, son!

All our love, Mummy & Daddy.

Ready for bed?

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:41:36 +0000

On the eve of his second birthday, the boy's shown us that he's well and truly ready to move out of his cot and into a bed.

He's been showing us all week to be fair, but tonight was a clear line drawn in the sand.

Thunderbird replies & forwarding

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 18:00:00 +0000

For ages I've grappled with the fact that when replying to emails using Thunderbird you don't get the original email's details regarding sent timestamp. In Thunderbird there seems to be a "Outlook does it so we won't" attitude, but this is one that is really useful for auditing, to track threads of emails (especially when about to submit formal complaints to governing bodies).

And then, with a quick look on the old tinternet, I came across the answer.

Another bovine outbreak?

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 20:03:55 +0000

We've had a major outbreak in recent history of foot & mouth disease, almost crippling the UK's livestock farming industry, affecting rural areas in terms of tourism and general movements of goods and people. Then, with the worst behind us, we have another handful of smaller outbreaks.

And has this affected us directly as a family in any way?

HM Barns - how long now?

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 19:49:46 +0000

It's been a running saga between me & Vicki over the countdown to when we revisit Holestone Moor Barns, so when we were arranging payment and she asked "how many days now" she got the following reply...

"Well, it's 14 days until the boy's 2, and then...."

And then, and then I realised. TWO YEARS OLD SOON.

Where on earth did that year go? We've only just cleaned the carpet from his FIRST birthday wet BBQ.

Have travel system, will... travel?

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 19:19:39 +0000

The second most important purchase you're ever likely to make is your car.

Unless you buy a 57' narrowboat like I have my eye on - unfortunately that's all that's on one, my wallet is a little light in that respect.

So is the travel system the second most important purchase you'll make for the little one? Or the single most important thing?

From the "must-be-seen-to-be-splashing-cash" brigade, forking out a King's ransom on a pram or buggy, through the "last-year's-colours-so-what" type and on to the re-use and second hand markets, one thing is for sure. Your choice directly impacts on the environment.

How?

Anyway the wind blows...

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 19:34:29 +0000

And the next milestone along the journey of all things vocabulary passes us by this week. Yesterday it started, and it wasn't the usual case of try it once, leave it a while, then come back to it. It was mastered instantly, in context, repeatable, you name it.

So, in the immortal words of one Mr Freddie Mercury, we'll let you in on the secret of the last word.

Logo Recognition

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:30:00 +0000

He's not even 2 years old, but he's been sucked in by commercialism already! Am I talking about Thomas the f***ing Tank Engine? No!! Well, I suppsoe I could be...

Baby's first...Christening

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:51:34 +0000

It had to happen, I don't recall having discussed religion before but here we have it. It had to happen some time, the boy has been to a Christening. In a church, no less.

Chuffing nora....

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 19:37:55 +0000

Not a line from The Full Monty, but a hint at both the event and the reaction last night. Far too cryptic to solve, so what happened?

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 10:19:30 +0000

Over 20 years since I was last in Blackpool, I'd tried to get MOTS and the boy to go last year but didn't manage it with other things on around the time of the illuminations. We're just back from a couple of days there, after finding a cracking hotel.

Congratulations to the Bowes!

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 10:13:25 +0000

Congratulations!Congratulations to the Bowes on the birth of their second son last Sunday! Had Mr B sent the text to my personal phone rather than my work phone which has been switched off while I've been on holiday.... That has to be a record though, texts out within 25 minutes!

Hope to see the four of you soon.

Vocabulary on the up!

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 21:15:36 +0000

At long last, the boy's vocabulary is starting to expand! There's nothing wrong with understanding (mental note of where the "off button" is - the bottom button on the TV), taking words in is fine, it's getting them back out again. We have now mastered the outward "ta", so not only is there a new word it's with manners too.

Although speech has been a recent worry, and he's well behind his peers, the Baby Whisperer suggests around a 10 word vocabulary at 18-24 months. He's comfotably in that, just need to read more to get those words up.

And hopefully something different to "toot-toot", AKA Thomas the Tank Engine!

Blog: Spam comments on the up

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 12:42:47 +0000

I've recently seen the number of spam comments on the increase, and worringly a high number getting through teh MT plugins. So, as a temporary measure until I look at why the MT plugins are no longer as good at filtering this crap and fix it, I have made the seetings a little tighter on what is automatically published. Which means even comments from trusted commentors may be delayed.