Christmas Carnage

Mum went offshore on the 23rd of December this year, meaning dad was organiser in chief (for the actual big day itself - MPLST had done most of the ground work beforehand.) Neither of us are strangers to our respective roles this Christmas, for me looking after kids, for her spending festive holidays on an oil rig, but this was the first time MPLST had worked JC's birthday since she had kids, and therefore the first time I've been home alone so to speak at that time.

 

It started off so well - Mrs Santa had set all the gifts in groups, boxes and bags and all I had to so was deliver them. In the space of 10 hrs or so, it went from this...

 



 

...to this. Actually, it was nearer two really - we spent most of the day at the kitchen table.

 



 We got there with a lot of fun in between though...

The boys received their letter from Santa. He's pretty impressed with them this year apparently.

When you find a clementine in your stocking, clearly the world should stop so you can eat it immediately. No gift, even from Auld St Nick would stand between C and his clementine.

Later, as I said, we spent most of the day at the kitchen table playing with Santa's gifts. C and his Great Grandma are in deep conversation about how to play this game. I can't recall who had the last word in that one...

Just like this time last year, R spend hours building lego. His Santa list consisted of just 3 things (he cut it down himself from 5!). The boy will happily spend endless hours building lego. On Boxing day, he even got the offer of stopping to watch a movie, and go back to it, but the obviously takes pride in his work (probably gets that from his mother, bloody perfectionist) Oops, must be Christmas, there's a back handed compliment for the wife...

The finished article. Before dinner as well.

Meanwhile O floated back and fore between playing with his little brothers trains, and playing with his toys in the kitchen.

 

Everybody stopped for eats though. Looks half way civilised, don't you think?

 

After that, we embarked on opening the gifts under the tree. It's taken me a couple of days to get this post together, mainly for the wife's benefit. We've managed this Christmas apart thanks to Facetime and plenty of instant message conversations (clearly they need to work the Chemist a bit harder there!) Hopefully, she'll find time between lobster courses to see what it's like on the other side...

The boys have been fantastic this Christmas - but I must admit, between them and the puppy, I'm knackered. Roll on Monday.

Three Becomes Four

Meet the latest addition to our family unit. She joined us yesterday, aged just 8 weeks. As you would expect she is somewhat excitable, and that excitement can only be matched, if not bettered by that of my three boys.

Hopefully, there will be many happy years ahead. As yet, her name is not yet cast in stone, let's call her L for now. The fact that our youngest can say that particular name after one day, when he has only in the last week started to say his own, means it's likely a stick on, but we reserve the right to change our minds over the next few days.

You have to admire the sheer sense of comedic genius on my part here. Puppy arrives yesterday afternoon. School breaks off tomorrow lunch time. I have SS coming for the weekend tomorrow, and have her Christmas shopping to complete, before partaking in a family fun day at the rugby club on Sunday morning. Wife goes offshore Monday for a week, so it's the lads and I over the festive week looking after ourselves and a puppy. Would this outrageous turn of events not set the scene for a Ben Elton play perfectly....?

One thing is for certain, we'll have fun doing it. I dare say we'll have some rage, anger, joy and pleasure too somewhere in between. R has already spent some time reading and mastering his training techniques and is eager to try them out. O is somewhat weary of nippy little sharp teeth, whereas C just bulldozes the poor puppy out his way. They already seem to have built up a mutual respect for each others personal space those two...

It's very early days, but we'll see how it evolves.

Salobrena 2013

After pledging to stay at home this year, by Easter MPLST had booked a trip to Salobrena as the villa we stayed in last year was still available during the school holidays. Best decision she has made this year!

As you can see, O picked up exactly where he left off last year...

 

...but this time, encouraged his little brother to follow suit...

 

 

All of this on day one! Synchronised jumping was the theme...

 

Not to be outdone though, O decided he would be the first to dive! Something his big brother avoided trying all week.

Then, after jumping off my shoulders in the pool, we graduated to jumping off dad's shoulders from the edge of the pool! (He belly flopped this on one occasion, but amazingly, it didn't put him off!)

 

It wasn't all fun in the pool though, C managed to find some time in the shade to tell his Pirate friends all about his new room and big double bed.

 

Meanwhile back at the pool, dad thought he could lie back and relax, but O decided to "row" me around the pool. I say "row" although he called it "ride". You'll look back and laugh in 20 years pal...

 

At the beach, we found the best way to keep your kids together (other than a dog lead) is to let them walk on the wall...

 

When O got a little too pink, we found a park in the village suitable shaded. Best part about this? We went at two in the afternoon, when the village is practically desolate. We had the whole place to ourselves. The park itself was an adventure - like a step back in time to 70's Britain. Most things were broken, but Spain seems to allow common sense to prevail. I don't think blame culture has got there yet...

 

 I might not have been able to get much peace by the pool, but the park was a different story...

Mum's Boys...

Despite middle boy being coloured like his mother, they all browned well...

Slave labour. For the first time R started to help with the dishes. (The fact we used plastic ones most of the time obviously helped). At home we have a Belfast sink which he can't really reach into. Bless him, he is still naïve enough to enjoy this. How long do you think until his eyes start to roll at the thought.

He can still find time for a laugh with his old man though...

 

 This year, we all ventured down the hill for a walk. Even lazy bones joined us...

And in town, we walked all the way up to the castle. It was a job to keep up with some...

 

 Last but not least a snap by the beach. Proof the don't fight all say, every day!

 

All in all, a great holiday, R's swimming is coming on very well. Neither MPLST or I could swim like that at 7. O is almost there, we swam a few lengths every day without armbands, he just needs a little more confidence. C found his pool mojo again after us being a bit slack over the summer with our visits.

Birthdays. The Single Parent Way.

It's birthday season here at SH. Middle boy turned 5 during my last trip away, and eldest loon is 7 tomorrow. This time it's me that has the honours, as MPLST is away earning her fair share of the coin. You can deduce from that, that there will be no fancy baking for this birthday - however, I did make a stop at Asda tonight for a character cake which we'll take to grans tomorrow.

 

 

We decided to make a day of today because tomorrow the lads have their first "game" of rugby, and then we'll be taking big sister home. That doesn't leave much in the way of time to celebrate so we decided to go tubing today, then on to the movies and then on to Pizza Hut for dinner. 

 

All three were enthused by the thought of tubing when they got a sneek peek via YouTube this morning. How that changed when we got there! Big sis was loving it, middle boy got a wee fear early on, but soon conquered that in the way that he does. Birthday Boy himself didn't really enjoy the sensation of spinning and going backwards. He gave it a few goes, but was later content to help his smaller brother up the hill with his tube.

I was pretty gutted to be missing out, but the minimum age limit was five. That meant cheeky chops here and I were on the side lines with the camera....

So after a very rushed week, another birthday will pass tomorrow. I can remember moving into the house I grew up in on my 7th birthday - making friends (and enemies!) quickly on a council estate in deepest darkest Fife. Character building it was, but it's a good opportunity to remember just how loose the apron strings were at 7.

Hopefully, after mum and dad passing the baton for the last month or two as we work our shifts, there will be the chance for much more family time over the next month or so.

New School Year - New Sports Too...



This week sees the end of the summer holidays in Scotland. R started P3 today, and O started school proper. This has been the cause of much excitement in the BFS household. MPLST wasn't here this morning to witness Number Two son leave for school, but for once, the Tuesday flights seem to be working and she made it home to bike home with him.

 

The other thing that has come with growing boys, is that R has decided that he doesn't like dancing. Actually, he came to that conclusion some time ago, and after being pressed by his dad of all people to keep going since the start of the year, and doing so without much whinging, we decided that he needn't return this term - much to his delight. Son Number 2 though returned last night (he is the one who looks to have some aptitude for the arts as it happens) and very much enjoyed having all the girls to himself.

 

Both boys had their first venture into the world of rugby at the weekend. I took a few snaps of them which they'll be able to look back on when they mark their Scotland debuts! We have a young Richie Gray in the making if appearance is anything to go by! Sunday was a fun day, where everyone got involved in the game - there were three mums playing and a couple of dads, including yours truly. Both boys were very brave, R caught the ball against a straight finger, which looked damn sore, but he soldiered on, and O was everywhere, in the scrum and rucking with the adults! There is potential there....

 



First day at school was a breeze as well it seems. It seems the hardest thing is stopping C photo bombing the big two! We managed to kick off the new term cycling in, here's hoping that continues. Now we can start to spend a little more one on one time with the wee man, who is starting to mould into his biggest brother - always has a book in his hand, and his balance biking is improving every day.

Mum's home now, so I think I'll take this week off and have a rest before I head back to work...

The Brown Caterthun

I've done what has become known in these parts as a "LeeAnni"

 

I promised to update the blog that bit more regularly since she is on a fifteen day trip, but have failed miserably. No doubt, she'll be telling me that is why she never updates hers when I am at work - but then again, she has had regular photos and clips by email, so she should think before she speaks.....take the hint!

 

Just after MPLST left for work, we got a call from a friend telling us it was our turn to look after Bob the Beaver. Turns out, that joining The Beavers just before the summer holidays was a school boy error! Bob must be taken on some interesting days out, and his little diary updated with a story and a few pictures too - just what I needed this week!

 

Today we decided to tackle The Brown Caterthun, having tackled the White one a couple of times previously. (It's in the background of the first pic). Reuben took sole responsibility for Bob and we set off. Surprisingly, C walked all the way up and all the way back under his own steam! Granted, that meant we were moving at his pace, but there was no rush really....

 



R at the top with Bob - one for the Beaver diary....

A couple of your boys at the top with a bit of photographer rotation thrown in....

What goes up must come down.....

We had to take this on the way down, because some numpty had left the camera settings all off and the first dozen pics we took were washed out! He's showing you Bob in the rucksack.

Once we got home, we ventured on a bike ride as well. C is getting the hang of this.

After that, a trip to Montrose and then to Aberdeen before having a fish supper in Gourdon on the way home. An action packed day if ever there was one.
3 sleeps to go.

Fasque, Alford, Tarfside then Home....via The Beach!

 

I'm very aware that there has been no blogging lately. My cyber absence has even resulted in my cousin from Toronto emailing me to see if I'm ok! Of course, we are fine, it's been a busy couple of months here at SH.

 

MPLST has resigned and is taking up another position back offshore. She'll work half the time she does now, so we should score some more family time together. I've moved jobs again, so my head has literally been full of work for the past few months as it's shutdown season which means Shaunie is a busy loon.

 

However, over the last few months, we've had some days and weekends out that could, and should have been blogs in their own right. These aren't in the right chronological order, but really, in 20 years, will I care about that looking back? I doubt it!

 

We started off at Hetfest 2013, which is becoming an annual event. We camped at a friends as they threw a party with live music to thrown in. The first pic shows O after misjudging the flight of the ball as we were playing catch, and it hit him right on the nose. Nothing a wee kiss better didn't fix....

 

Somewhere in between then and now, we had a weekend wild camping. Don't tell Social Services about the fire, no children were harmed in the taking of said pictures. We had promised our special friend R, that we could go camping. Worked out a treat - her mother couldn't erect or dismantle a tent to save her life, but she can cook, and cook very well. I did the tents, she did the cooking - simples. MPLST and C didn't stay for the sleepover, but spent most of the daytimes with us. Big sis was there too.

We also took a trip to the Grampian Transport Museum in Alford. It's really good (none of us had been before). C seemed to like Billy Connolly's trike - I think he's eyeing it up for the future. I wouldn't mind it myself to be honest.

All the kids enjoyed it though, there is lots to see and touch, play on and climb in. Not sure who had most fun, them or me?

Actually, come to think of it....it was mum!

It's only fair that I include an extra few pics of C, as he is the one changing the most. Here he is looking after my plants when I was at work. Good lad.

The boy loves the park, you can't swing or bounce him hard enough.....

It's not very often you get the three of them together. This was a school event where boys 2 & and; 3 were cheering their brother on - he must have come over to mooch a drink!

And since young E turned one, we have a complete set of cousins between MPLST and her brother aged one through to six. I think it will change when O hits 5 next month, so women being sentimental sods, they had to get a session for these pics. Maybes nap time wasn't the best time to do it though....we'll learn!

A couple more of FB3.

But the biggest recent news is that R got his locks cut when I was at work. What a change....

Now that's 13 pics. I feel the need to delete one or add one, but I've got three kids to get to bed.....I'll take my chances.