Alder's Tone

Purely Scottish

Sun, 03 Jul 2011 13:29:01 +0000

National identity has been a subject of some debate in our house over the years. When I say in my house I mean in my head mainly, sometimes spilling into the wider world.

As an island we are very confused. Are we British? The Northern Irish never will be, as Great Britain doesn't include them - the United Kingdom's full title is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. So British doesn't mean UK. Are we United Kingdomers? Who knows?

Another life sentence...

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 09:00:00 +0000

Just a couple of weeks ago it was MOTS' turn, today it's mine. Today marks the point in time when half my life has been spent with MOTS. Only half my life ago she was just plain ~~old~~ young Deb.

She'd get less for murder... but then wouldn't have her two boys!

A life sentence

Fri, 20 May 2011 07:00:00 +0000

Today marks the day for MOTS that we have been together for half of her life. I would never have known that fateful night in the Hotspur that we would have two boys at this stage in life. A lucky walk to Marlborough Crescent bus station is to be thanked for the boys very existence, even if the bus station has long gone.

[2] Official Walking Week

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 14:09:51 +0000

After weeks of tentative steps, and cruising (which #1 never did) we've officially decalerad this week as "walking week". We're still very much at the hand-holding stage, with no more than a few steps at a time, being thwarted by the smallest of obstacles (ie th rug in the lounge), but it's a progression with no definitive point in time.

May the Lord have mercy on us all.

Happy birthdays, Granny & Grandpa

Sun, 10 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +0000

A bit late, quite a bit late in Grandpa's case, but as it's on a date of their choice.....

Happy 60ths!

Enjoy your meal, hope there's no too much soot on it!

Three B Week

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 06:00:00 +0000

We've had a very interesting couple of weeks. What with barfing, building, burning… it's all been happening.

Two small cuts

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 09:00:00 +0000

Loin of pork.

Shoulder of beef.

No? Oh dear, today's the day then. Time to watch some John Wayne movies, just to get used to how I'll be walking for the next couple of weeks.

So >>THAT<< is how Houdini did it!

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 18:00:00 +0000

So how did Houdini do it then?

#1 found out this afternoon.

Always slip out un-noticed via the back door when the audience's attention is diverted!

Snoopy

Tue, 28 Dec 2010 18:00:00 +0000

My inspiration has gone.

I set the blog up, after some prodding by Richard (thanks, bud), with inspiration from one person. The writing was often aimed at generating a wry smile from him, and still bringing in other friends and family into this remote place we call a family home. Some posts have lead to other off-line activities or creations, such as the Chris Bonnington climb-a-thon when #1 started climbing stairs leading to a quick artistic rendition in Photoshop. That I'll miss. That, along with many, many other aspects of my father-in-law. MOTS' dad, the boys' Granda. Snoopy.

Trouble just won't be the same without you.

[2] Baby's first...Christmas

Sat, 25 Dec 2010 13:08:35 +0000

And of course #1's FIFTH Christmas. And our first as a complete family. And our first on our own with no extended family. Wow, big changes this year then!

What a journey. Or several.

Wed, 22 Dec 2010 21:15:48 +0000

Looking back at how long it is (again) since the last post it's clear there's a lot happened, and mostly in the transport, or lack of, arena. From giving up, to pure determination, to feeling bad to feeling absolutely shit scared. Yes, we've had the lot.

[2] One small step for toothkind

Sat, 13 Nov 2010 19:04:26 +0000

Everything's going mobile this week with #2. From his first tooth appearing on Monday, to taking his first 4 crawl steps later in the week, to sitting up himself from a lying position, to turning those first 4 crawl steps into a good yard of forward movement.

[2] Baby's first...tooth (eventually)

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 20:03:11 +0000

It's been a long time coming, but after 7 months and 21 days #2's first tooth has finally unwrapped itself from his gum this morning and exposed itself to the fresh Scottish air, just in time for the family trip to the dentist tonight. All smiles, but now different smiles.

That's quite a few weeks of symptoms to get this far - gumming down on things, Calgel / Bonjela tubes being emptied at a high rate, thru'penny bits (nasty…), red cheeks, but when it finally appeared it was a non-event. This boy really is his big brother's clone.

Happy Hallowe'en from the world's worst dad

Sun, 31 Oct 2010 22:00:00 +0000

There's been a lot of coverage in the press this week about how much of another American import Hallowe'en is becoming, with one victim of this being the very British festival a few days later that is bonfire night. Elf an sayftie have a lot to answer for the demise of our ritual burning of the poor Guy Fawkes as we British, as a nation, take part in our favoured pastime of honouring failures.

But, when in Indianapolis…

A Premier Week

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 18:00:00 +0000

We’re back home after a week away in Yorkshire and straight away we’re looking through the Premier Cottages brochure to see where we can go next. Well, strictly speaking that’ll be to see Steve & Vicki, but we do appear to have liked being away again this year so it might be the start of two weeks away with one of those being at A. N. Other place.