lunch with andy

Met up with Andy for lunch today (this was after I'd run into work). We were hoping that Jo & Andy would be babysitting for us this evening - so we could see the latest Bourne film- but it wasn't on at the Dominion. As it was, J&A couldn't make it so that solved that problem....

Joseph is grumpy today which means he's likely to come out in a rash in the next couple of days. Watch this space....

roll over

No, I'm not talking the lottery. This evening Poppy managed her first "roll-over" - which delighted Grace - she kept leaving the dinner table to come back to inform us whether or not she had done another one. Grace is a big fan of Poppy - as are her mum & dad as she's given us (so far) very little to worry/moan about.......the same cannot be said for her elder siblings!

Day at the Bonham

My committee (Subordinate Legislation) had an away day at the Bonham hotel in Edinburgh. It went ok - I gave a presentation on bills and lunch was the best part of the day....the fact that I don't write too much on this blog is probably indicative of how much fun it is.

Afterwards I met Cat to try and buy a rug from John Lewis - we failed. The one that Cat bought a few days ago from Laura Ashley is not heavy enough and folds up every time you walk on it which will become increasingly annoying.

She foolishly offered to give our old rug to Les & May who collected it this evening. I'm now thinking that it might have loooked good in Joseph's room......

rebellion

Grace started her swimming lessons at the Commonwealth Pool this morning - at 8.30! This sounds early - but we'd been up for some time by the time we'd got there. There were plenty of folk there too! It's a new class, and she didn't seem all that keen to start with - but was soon having a great time.

I got back to take Joseph out - who at thta point was climbing up the walls. Foolishly I thought we could go to Starbucks wheer I might at least be able to read the sport section of the paper.....this didn't happen.

We decided to skip church for the first time in I don't know how long - but instead headed out to North Berwick wheer we briefly ewalekd along the beach before getting the inevitable ice cream. Dropped a present off for Hamish on the way home while the kids slept - but made schoolboy error of not giving Joseph enough time to sleep in the car. As it was, when Cat popped out for an hour Joseph, Poppy and I were all nearly in tears, and I wasn't the most sociaable person when Jeannie came as I was in a big grump.

I went for a run round Arthur's Seat with Phil which was what I needed -and broke the magic 30 minte barrier (29:59)!

run in

Rather stiff from yesterday, I still managed to run to work this morning. Although it's downhill all the way, it only took me 1 minute less than going the opposite direction!

The decorator has lined the walls in the sitting room - so it'll be finished tomorrow. Had a skype chat with both mum and Quentin this evening - Q finally has his computer plugged in at home.....

run home

This evening I ran home from work. That's 4.2km. I was impressed that I managed to do it without stopping - not least because it is all uphill. I even managed a respectable 24 minutes.

Phil, Andy & Jake go jogging

Took the children down to St Peter's park this afternoon. Grace was on her usual go-slow mode. I have never known a child who can walk so slowly as her. A walk which ordinarily would take 5 minutes (for example going to Tesco's or Starbucks) will take 20-25 minutes with her. I am glad to say that it is not only me who has had thoughts of murder (especially when you've got 2 other smaller kids) - as Catrin confessed to me that she has also had murderous thoughts.....Grace stops every few paces - to look at a rock, stone, flower, her feet etc. etc. You can holler all you like and threaten her with limbs being amputated but it'll make no difference. She is as stubborn as they come.

This evening I did my 2nd jog around Arthur's Seat - this time with Andy & Phil. It was a good run- and I think we all enjoyed it. It's amazing that we are still all running. I'm sure we'll be regreting the challenge that we set ourselves that night in Cloisters.....

more rain for the festival

Picked up by Richard at 7.00am for a 7.50 tee off. Shot a 77 but still managed to get beat - giving him 10 shots as well as letting hime choose where and when he took the shots (and this was after he had completed the hole). Won't be so generous again.

The rest of the day rained and rained and rained. One of the few words that Joseph can say is "raining" which pretty much sumes up this "summer". We are all thoroughly fed up with it.

Catrin took Grace to Henri's party at Craiglockhart and then headed out for a couple of hours to a children's festival event - which she said was "ok". I feel bad enough for us locals with this weather - but I feel quite sorry for all those tourists here in Edinburgh who will be vowing never to return as they get yet another soaking.

a quick jog round Arthur's Seat....

I went for a run around Arthur's Seat at lunchtime. It's 5.45km. I'm getting slightly addicted to this now....but am still not sure whether I am actually enjoying it - the run up the hill was an absolute killer - but the views toward east Lothian and over the Forth of Fife were awesome (amazingly it was actually quite a nice day).

Headed home early and had the kids tucked up in bed at a reasonable time for us to actually have a child-free evening.

Milestone

Today was Grace's last day at the Corner House (nursery). Catrin and I were feeling very nostalgic - but Grace was having none of it - in fact she was a bit disappointed that she wasn't going to "school" today (I hadn't the heart to tell her that she's going to pre-school - in what effectively is another nursery). Nevertheless, she didn't seem remotely bothered - except to make sure that she was the "Golden child" (where everyone has to say something nice about you).

I went to the opticians to fix my glasses after Grace had slapped me in the face a few days ago - and met them all just as they were 20 yeards down the road from nursery. Both Joseph & Grace demanded that I take them out for a walk - so we did our usual round the block walk(Merchiston Crescent). Joseph can't get enough of being out - he's always bringing you your shoes and howling like a dog by the door until you relent.....we'll be in real trouble when he's figured out how to open the door and let himself out.

Heroes

We have started watching Heroes the last couple of weeks - it's one of the few things that I will make a point of watching. I'm really just writing this down so that in 30 years time (if I ever were to look back at this blog) - I'll wonder what the heck Heroes was - and if I do, how dated it has now become......

I cooked a fantastic steak for us all this evening- which with a good class of Malbec makes the world feel a better place - food and wine is good for the soul.

Lowri

Lowri got here this morning - she'll be staying until Thursday afternoon. Catrin, Poppy and Lowri went shopping and this evening we had a very nice roast chicken (quite why I'm telling you this I really don't know....).

I've been very busy the last week or so doing all things Fantasy football - selecting teams etc. I realise that I'm becoming a little obsessed - especially when I found myself way too interested in a match involing Everton and Spurs and then trying to find out not only who scored - but who was substituted and what the score was at that particular time.....

Church was at Mary Erskine's school again today. There seemed to be more people there this week - I guess most people have come back from their holidays. Poppy has been very good - she was wide-eyed in hcurch and got plenty of "oohs" and "ahhs" from admiring people.....I told them 1 out of 3 wasn't bad.

12 years ago...

It's our 12th anniversary today. This looks longer than it feels when you write it down. It shows how you become increasingly blasse about anniversaries when both of you are writing the card to one another in different rooms and telling the other that they haven't yet finished but to come back in 30 seconds.....Cat bought me a pair of running shorts which I'm never going to wear and a running top which I will. No doubt I'll forget to take the shorts back to replace them and they will still be here in 12 months time.

Phil came round for 7.30am (yes, you read that right) to go for a run. I took Joseph in the buggy and we went round the Meadows. I hope Joseph doesn't expect this chauffeur treatment every Saturday morning at this time!

We went out in the evening to Peckhams Underground - which was very nice. I drank too much red wine (and suffered for it the next day) - while Sharon (from nursery) babysat. Joseph was in bed when she arrived - but clearly knew that something was up - and his ears perked up when he heard the sound of her voice in the hall (they both have a soft spot for each other). We reckon she'll have got him up to have a play and a cuddle - but frankly didn't care - just so long as he doesn't get up at 4.30am. Not sure I'll be saying the same about Grace when she's 15...

flowers from the old romantic

Yesterday I confessed to Catrin that I hadn't bought anything for her for our upcoming anniversary (I think it's always best to keep any expectation low to non-existant). Howveer, there was no way I was going to get away with that so today IO got a bouquet from Honeysuckle florist in Morningside - and what a bouquet it is! Catrin was chuffed (and I'm not in the dog-house - so it's a result both ways).

Again I took Joseph out for a walk in the evening (to collect the flowers) - and it was a tricky balancing act pushing him in the buggy - balancing a huge bouquet on top...

6.2km

Yes - that's how far I ran tonight - and yes I am completely knackered. Managed it in 33 minutes and 2 seconds (statistical anorak that I am). I was pretty pleased with how it went - I think this is just about the longest run I've done so far - or certainly the furthese - running to Phil & Fi's then through Craigleith Park, Greenbank and back down Myreside Rd and Colinton Rd.

The kids had been out at the McGlynn's today - Joseph was bouncing up and down on a tramolene and managed to bite his tongue - so came home covered in blood. All of them were in tears when they got home - they'd had way too much excitement for one day! Apparantly they'd all been running around the garden throwing cold water on each other...I wonder if there's any chance of having a similar adult party?!

Harry Potter

I've been spending the last few days reading Harry Pooter and the Deathly Hallows. I finally finished it this evening. It's pretty frightening to think how much money JK Rowling has made from these books.....I wonder if she could spare a few bob.

a walk in the Gyle

Church was at Mary Erskine School this morning (and will be for the next 4 weeks). I must confess that it wasn't as great a venue as I'd expected - most of it being built in the 1960s - not a decade exactly noted for its architecture......

The waeather today was foul. Joseph was grumpy - but he simply had to be taken out as he was doing all of our heads in my moping about inside - moaning...it's very difficult explaining to a 20 month old child that he can't go out because it's pissing down.....

Not to be put off - I decided to take him the Gyle - for the sole purpose of giving him a walk. We didn't even go into a shop - he simply trotted down from one end of the shopping centre to the other. The things you do as a parent!

Thsi evening, both Cat & I went for a run - with Fi & Phil respectively. This could be the start of something....

bad light stops play

I headed out with Joseph this morning down to Dalry Rd - which made a pleasant change from our normal walk to Bruntsfield/Morningside. Bought a running watch at "Run & Become" - and then had a long walk home up through the West End/Lothian Rd.

Grace had a party at Clambers- so I stayed home with Joseph & Poppy. We then went into the garden downstairs (with a shed-load of stuff to entertain the little monsters) - as the weather was actually pretty good.

Managed to head to Craigielaw in the evening - teed of at 7.10 and got 14 holes in before bad light stopped my bad play.

Cat locked out

Cat locked herself and the children out of the flat this morning. I'm surprised this is the first time as it's quite easy to do. She was lucky that she hadn't pulled the door shut with either Joseph or Poppy still in the flat. As it was they all came to the Parliament - and Grace & Joseph went into the creche (Grace actually asked to go in!) - so we had a coffee (with Poppy). This actually worked out quite well for Catrin in the end.

I headed home a bit early and took Joseph and Grace out to the swing park at Harrison Gardens. Both Cat & I went out for a run this evening - it's getting kind of serious now!

A challenge!

Met up with Phil & Andy at Cloisters bar at Tooll Cross this evening.

Foolishly, we all made a pledge - that we'd be up for a 10km run on the first Saturday in November (3 Nov). This gives us 3 months to get into shape. The plan will be to run from Phil's to Andy's. I'll plan some sort of route tomorrow. No doubt I'll look back on this day with nothing but regret....