Phlegming Hell

Well not much to write about, all four of us have a cold at present. I think Carol has it the worst but she is still going to work. I feel grotty and the boys are both snotty. Not much more to say really.
I will write more once we feel better :-(

Harry Potter And The Half Wasted Day

Sunday and Carols brother Robert and his wife Karen had offered to babysit Harry & Ben so Carol & I can go and see the new Harry Potter movie at Basingstoke.

Now I booked seats online a week before for 2pm, when we dropped the boys off at Robert and Karens house, Robert said he thought we had booked it for 1pm.

It was 12.30pm and I quickly checked the times on Roberts computer. I couldn't see the 2pm showing listed, so I assumed it was the 1pm booking and I had got it wrong.

So we raced off to Basingstoke, only to get to Festival Place to be told that the car park was full and we got diverted. It was 1pm ! - So we drove round to the other entrance to Festival Place and got in and parked. Ran through the shopping centre and got to the Cinema at 1.20pm. Got to the 'Queue Jumpers' machine and swiped my card. The tickets came out stating the time for our showing was in fact 2pm - so panic over. We went upstairs and got pop corn and a drink. At 1.45pm we could go in and take out allotted seats.

We walked up the steps in our screen and there was a family of three sat in our seats !!!

So I politely said 'I am sorry but you appear to be sitting in our seats' and showed the guy our tickets.

He smiled back and said 'Er no, these are our seats' and he produces identical tickets to mine !

So we want back into the lobby and spoke to a member of staff, who appologised and stated that we weren't the first to have this problem today. There had been a fault with the online booking service and lots of seats were double booked.

So we got a refund on our tickets, a refund on our concessions and two free tickets to come back some other time to see our film. Great :-(

So we decided to have a nice meal instead, went downstairs to Ciao Baby Cucina Which is a lovely Italian Resturant. It was packed, so we waited by the front door to be seated. Just as the waiter approached us a guy pushes past and says 'A table for five' - I am just about to say something to the waiter when a lady behind me says, can't you move in further so we can get in through the door'

I said'Well we were about to get a table but that gentleman just pushed in front of us, so we are still waiting to be seated' The young lady next to the woman says' That gentlemans my father'

I replied 'Well go and teach him some manners then'

It was so busy in there Carol & I realised it would be ages before we got a table, so we left in disgust, not at the restuarant because they are great, but at the rude family.

There are several other restuarants nearby but they were all really packed out.

In the end Carol & had a iced bun and a drink in Marks and Spencers Cafe and then went and did some shopping.

It wasn't a total waste of a day, Carol got three pairs of trousers in the sales at £3.99 each ! - and I bought a DVD for £6.99 which was priced at £17 in the shop round the corner :-)

We came to get our parking ticket paid at the machine, which promptly ate it. Luckily the parking attendant was there and tried three more times to get our ticket/money through the ticket machine, which didn't work. In the meantime about 8 people all got their tickets endorsed in the machine adjacent to ours and had left. Eventually the guy said, sorry I can't get your ticket out, just drive to the exit barrier and tell them 'Kirby says to let you out' - So parking was free as well :-)

So some good did come out of it, but we really wanted to see our film. I guess better luck next time !

The Good, The Bad and The Snuggly

Yesterday - Wed 24th Nov 2005 was a mixed bag. Harry, Ben & I went to Halfords in the morning to get a replacement headlight bulb. Once I had repaired my car we went to my old place of work, MRO Software in Woking. It was really good trip, despite the fog. The boys slept all the way there and when we got to MRO they were good as gold, everyone was cuddling them and giving them loads of attention. Harry & Ben seemed to really enjoy it and were brilliantly behaved.

The journey home was very foggy still and the boys slept the whole way. My Mum & Dad in law came round at about 3pm and had a lovely time playing with Harry & Ben. They were very impressed with Bens crawling and they encouraged Harry to try and crawl as well. Harry is so close to crawling now.

The boys were bathed and put to bed no problems at all.

Then all hell broke loose, at 12:40am Ben kicked off, had a right old screaming fit and wouldn't be placated. In the end when stroking his head and dummies didn't work, we had to resort to picking him up and cuddling him. This is a no no really as ideally you want your baby to settle themselves, otherwise you start to go down the road of baby not going to sleep unless you rock him in your arms, or let them sleep with you and this just sets yourself up for problems later on. However on this occassion (the first time) Ben just really wanted to be held. I guess teething was particular painful for him last night and he just wanted some comfort. So I held him for a while and once he fell asleep in my arms and gently put him back down into his cot. 1 minute later he stirred and realised he wasn't being held anymore and kicked off again. This happened several times and in the end I spent 3 hours sat in the rocking chair in their nursery holding ben whilst he slept. By 3.40am he was really fast asleep so I put him back into his cot and this time he didn't stir. As lovely as it was to have such a long snuggle with Ben (he normally wriggles for England when you try and cuddle him), it is just a shame it wasn't during the day :-)

So I crept back up to bed and tried to get some sleep, at 4.30am Harry decided he was going to have a scream as well. Luckily Carol got him back to sleep within a few minutes and we both tried again to get some sleep.

5.30am both of them woke up and wanted feeding, so we both went downstairs and got them fed quickly and again tried to get back to bed.

I asked Carol if she could go into work late as I couldn't survive on about 2 hours sleep, I wouldn't be in a fit state to look after the boys. So Carol stayed home for a few hours this morning and gave the boys their 8am feed, whilst I stayed in Bed.

What a night, I guess we have been pretty spoilt with both boys normally sleeping from 7pm through to 5.30am until now. I just hope this is a one off and not the start of a new sleep routine !

What a lovely way to say goodbye !

On Saturday we escaped again, for the 3rd time this year !

It was Carols company do, not a Christmas party, but an end of season dinner. Carol works for an F1 hospitality company and each year at the end of the season they have a party.

Edwards Hospitality Services invite their clients and staff and it is posh black tie affair. Normally we have a great time and it is good fun. But sadly Carols boss Paul Edwards decided to spoil it this year. During his after dinner speech he normally thanks different people, staff and clients etc for their contributions throughout the year that have helped the F1 season go well.

Before I go on I should point out that Carol has worked for Edwards for sometime now and has worked very hard indeed. Awhile after returning from her maternity leave Carols brother John offered her a job with his company. This wasn't expected and after thinking about it for a couple of weeks Carol decided it was too good an offer to miss and told her current boss Paul straight away once she had decided to accept the offer.

Paul was not gracious about this and accused Carol of stringing him along with the maternity leave and the fact that her temporary replacement had just left and Paul could have kept him on had he known sooner. Well Carol would have told him if she had know sooner but she didn't. She had definitely not taken advantage of Edwards and she was very hurt by the insinuation.

So during his after dinner speech instead of taking the opportunity to thank Carol for all her hard work over the years and to say that he was sorry she was leaving, he chose instead to have a dig at her in front of 100+ people and embarrassed her and the gentleman who temporarily stood in for her whilst she was away. Whilst this upset Carol and spoilt the evening for her, all Paul Edwards really achieved was to show everyone present what a small minded ungrateful vindictive little man he really is.

Anyway, here are some photos taken prior to the nasty little incident, of the friends Carol works with, Eli and Sue and their partners and a gentlemen called John and his partner Sarah. The only good thing about Saturday night was the fact that this gang of colleagues sat with us were all really nice and good entertainment.

Eli & John



Sue & Mark



John & Sarah



There was a photo of Carol & I, but sadly it is out of focus (well not that sad as I hate having my photo taken).

Carols Mum & Dad very kindly baby sat for us and we got home at about 2am, I had volunteered to drive the Edwards company mini bus and drop our gang off at their homes. It was very cold -6.5 and the roads were quite icy !!!!

We got to bed and then Ben decided to get his revenge for going out without him and Harry. Ben woke us up at 3.30am, 4.30am, 5.30am and then didn't go back to sleep. So in the end we only got about 2 hours sleep that night !

Ben the sniper !

This morning the boys woke up as usual around the 5.30am. After we feed them they didn't want to go back to sleep, which is happening more and more these days.

So off we went downstairs and they played on the matt. About 6.30am ish Ben crawled for the first time !

Although he can get onto his hands and knees (as seen in previous photos here) he crawls like a sniper moving through the jungle flat on his stomach, legs out to his side. It is very funny to see and he travelled about 3 foot and got the toy he could see. He did it several times after that and then tired himself out.

Harry is still trying to cut his first teeth and is very red cheeked, bless him he is having a hard time of it and it grumpy by bedtime.

It's a wrap !

Humm this corner looks interesting, I wonder what would happen if I hold it tightly in my hands and then roll over......



Ah! so that is what happens, now if I could just roll over some more.....



It's getting a little bit dark in here ! - perhaps if I rolled some more I could work my way out of this mess ?



Nope that didn't work either, erm I am not sure I like this....Daddy!!!!!! - I need rescuing....



That's better, playing with the corner of the matt is scary, I wonder what would happen if I play with the side of the matt.....




Oh Harry ! you really are a silly little bear aren’t you.......

Clap hands for little teeth & early morning exercises

Another week has passed and lots of new things to tell.
Harry has learnt how to clap his hands and he happily lies on his back clapping away to his hearts content.

Ben has two little front teeth ! he was chomping on Carols finger and she realised that it wasn't totally painless as it has been, when she looked there were two little bottom teeth poking out from his gum. Very sweet.

Harry is very red cheeked and is still trying to work his teeth out, he is not sleeping well and needless to say neither are we.

Harry & Ben both saw their Doctor the other day for their regular check up. He was very pleased with them both and is happy that they are doing well.

Ben is getting very close to crawling now as you can see from the photos below,both of them are getting very strong but I think Ben might beat Harry in the race to crawl.

Oh well, enough of my ramblings, here are the photos.

Cheers Si.

Ben showing off with his early morning exercises:





Relaxing on the play matt, before bathtime and Bed



This photo cracks me up, they look like they are either the Two Ronnies doing the end of show piece 'and it's good night from me and it's good night from him'

Or they are about to read the evening news :-)

Bonfire Night - Why ?

Ok, can someone answer me this.....

Saturday was Bonfire Night and all hell let loose round our estate, it sounded like the blitz.

Harry & Ben slept through it all without ever waking once.

But if they are in the lounge and I am in the kitchen and heaven forbid I should rustle a plastic bag - they wake up !!!!!

Why ?

It makes no sense whatsoever.

I guess it is one of lifes great mysteries.

Anyway, here is a photo my friend Terri sent me the other day. She took it when she visited us the other week.

Harry all snuggled up ready to go for a walk:

Caged !

Sorry I haven't written anything for a week or so. I have been a bit busy. My Mum came down to stay and had a lovely time with the boys. It was really nice and they enjoyed her company, lots of big smiles and giggles.

The weather has been a pain in the ass as we couldn't get out as much for walks etc.

Our friend Kirsty suggested we come over for a few hours the other afternoon and her twin boys and ours had a nice play together:

(Kirstys twins, Ben and Thomas are the ones in the lovely little outfits, my Ben and Harry are in the baby grows)



Harry and Ben are getting close to crawling now, they can both get onto their hands and knees and rock back and forth, it is just a matter of time now before they get the balance right and move forward. In light of this we went out and bought a play pen so I can leave the room and know that they are safe for a few minutes and not playing with things they shouldn't. Here are the prisoners:






By Friday Kirsty and I were getting a bit stir crazy in our respective homes, so Kirsty suggested that although it looked like rain, we risk it and walk into town. So off we went, with the prams fitted with their rain covers, we hadn't got very far when it did rain a bit, but we carried on regardless. About 1/2 mile from home we hit the second snag, Kirsty had forgotten her purse, but I said I would spot her the money and we carried on our journey, determined not to be beaten. A little further on my pram got a flat tyre. The ill fated journey was over and we admitted defeat. I called Carols parents who live just round the corner and luckily they were in and kind enough to come and rescue me. After a quick ferrying back and to with the cars, I was enroute to Halfords hoping that they would fix my tyre which they did in about 12 minutes !!!! - Excellent service and it only cost me £4 !!!! even better :-)

So I am back ready to hit the road in the newly serviced pram, but oh wait.... what a surprise it's raining again :-(

Ho Hum.