10k run

Today was the day that I had been "training" for (well, that's a bit of an exaggeration) - I've been running to and from work (4.6k) twice a week for the last 8 weeks - but didn't think I was ready for a 10k run.

Andy had selected a route - from my flat through Gorgie and joining the cycle path (which I didn't know existed) from Tynecastle to Trinity. We surprised ourselves at how (relatively) easy it was. I'm not going to pretend that there's a chance of me getting to the 2012 Olympics - but I was pretty pleased with a sub 1 hour run - having advised the nearest hospital that I might require medical assistance after a few hundred metres....

ouch!

I came back from work to find Grace and a friend of hers (Georgia) bouncing up and down on our bed....I'd warned them that they could hurt themselves if they fell off...no sooner had I said that, than the doorbell rang (it was Georgia's mum who'd arrived to pick her up), than Grace promptly fell off the bed....she only fell about a foot - but landed akwardly. I thought this didn't look good.....Catrin however was oblivious to her pain and thought she was up to her usual drama queen antics....it was only a few minutes later - with Grace still screaming (and Catrin preparing Poppy's first ever solid food meal...which was not the ideal time).

I finally persuaded Catrin that she needed to take Grace to hospital as I thought she'd broken her arm.  Finally, after much cajolling she relented, and took Grace to a&e. It turned out that she had indeed broken her arm....

Upon her return, she was in good spirits - and had a nice bright pink cast. Catrin felt suitably chastised for her cynicism.

Joseph

Cat has told me to say a few things about Joseph....JoJo as we call him. He can't say a hell of a lot at the moment - but is rapidly turning into a cutie - the girls at nursery love him to bits - Sharon, Siobahn & Stacey.....Joseph announced to us that he could say Stacey - which made us all laugh. Siobahn proved as difficult to say as it is to spell....

He is obsessed with pushing the McLaren buggy (the other 2 are not so good - he's very particular). He hates Tesco with a passion. Whenever you go for a walk, if there is the threat of going in Tesco, he'll blow a wobbly......Starbucks however (next door) is a very different matter.

He likes his dummies - which we use as something to shut him up. He loves Poppy (or Bobby as he calls her) and is very gentle with her - often going up to her and giving her a kiss and cuddle (unsolicited). He also has a strange fascination with belly buttons - which is a little embarrassing when we have guests and he pulls up their top (something his father encourages!). He is very good humoured - loves his mini milk and yoghurts - his favourite words are May (mess), Booby (anyone's boobs - including mine). He is great at going to bed - and is usually asleep within minutes - but is not so happy about having his nappy changed.....

Poppy

I'm glad we have Poppy. Had we not had her, I think it would have coloured our view on what babies are like. Both Joseph (especially) and Grace were pretty horrible as babies - and it's only now that we are realising how bad they were.

Poppy is a complete star - she's alert, quiet, sleeps (most of the time) when she's supposed to, is never sick (famous last words) and is generaly a delight. Although "unplanned", she has proved to be easily the most chilled out of the children that we have.

Payback time will probably start tomorrow.

adultery..or the closest I'll come to it

We went to Morningside Baptist this morning. P&Gs is meeting at the Hub and we really couldn't be bothered to go there, so we thought we'd go to Morningside where great things are happening....it's funny going to another church in Edinburgh - you feel like you're ceating on the wife (we've been at P&Gs for 13 years and have only been to 2 or 3 other services in other churches in Edinburgh in that time). I was quite looking forward to it....

The only problem was that the childcare provisions was pants - Cat had to stay with Grace & Joseph - Grace refused to go to her class - which is fair enough in a new place....I'd hoped to hear the sermon with Poppy - who for the first 20 minutes or so was perfectly behaved....however this started to unravel when she started to get hungry - and my boobs would not do....Joseph then started screaming when he saw me (for reasons that I do not understand) but it was nice to be missed....anyway we scarpered before the service ended, tail firmly between legs. I think I would have enjoyed it, had I had the chance - but I don't think we'll be repeating it for a while.....

Bourne Ultimatum

Cat & I went to the cinema this evening (at the Dominion) to see the Bourne Ultimatum - and an excellent film it is too! We enjoyed luxury sofas which were worth every penny - and the fact that we had an evening out together. Fantastic. Katy Millar babysat and was amazed that she didn't need to do anything - but to be fair to our kids - while they might be a nightmare during the day - they are usually pretty good at night.

4.30 wake-up call

Poppy was up at 4.30 this morning - and took forever to get back to sleep. By the time she did - Joseph was awake (at 5.30). The day hadn't started well....I got up with him and Grace was up shortly after 7. Took Grace for her swimming lesson at the commonwealth pool and then we went to church (back at Pollock). Maxi Bubbles has resumed, and I was on duty.

Joseph was not a happy camper when he woke from his sleep - he's got a very bad rash (again) and is extraordinarily grumpy. I could do nothing to cheer him up - and he cried for a good hour until Catrin got back from Waitrose so I could take him out for a walk. One ice-cream later and he was a changed man.

Another walk later (round the block with him and Grace) - resulted in 3 falls while he pushed Grace's buggy. Tears and more frustration......

zoo

We went to the zoo which seemed like a good idea at the time. We only go every 18 months or so - and I remembered why when we got there and I was pushing a buggy with Joseph in it and Poppy on my chest. Felt like I was in training for Everest.

Weather was ok but not sure how I feel about animals being caged up in a soggy Scottish environment. 

The afternoon was spent with great excitement (or not as the case actually was) at sainsburys.

Cat was babysitting for Phil & Fi in the evening - so I managed to watch a dvd.

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.....