Archive for May, 2007

Just another manic weekend

Published at Sunday, May 13, 2007 in Diary. 0 Comments

One weekend, three parties, two swimming lessons, one ballet lesson, one music lesson (one musical piece composed), one car smashed (a neighbours), one illness gotten over, lots of rain rained, one migraine.

Thursday and Friday I’d been ill, a fever this time nothing sickness related thankfully. I was starting to feel better Friday afternoon, so of course that was when I got the migraine. However, with some Ibroprofen for the rest of Saturday I was more or less okay again.

Saturday morning we heard a crash outside. Actually, Gina thought it came from the bathroom where I was, but I hadn’t dropped anything. Then a car alarm went off. We could see bits of car on the road and then a neighbour coming out, and then driving off at top speed in his other car. It looked like someone had taken off the windmirror and part of the bumper, something of a habit down this road.

When I went out later to take Jeannie to ballet, we found out that it was a whole lot worse. The rear wheel was at about 45 degrees and there was a big hole where the rear of the car really should have been. It transpired that a van driver coming home from a night shift had “shut his eyes for a second”; didn’t see the car and gave it a small “nudge”. Oh, and he didn’t have insurance. Just glad it was a car and not something else he hit.

In the afternoon, we had two parties both the elder kids were invited too. One was a football party and Ryan really enjoyed it. I got talking to the dad who plays football but also does the coaching for a local kids team. His son is in the year above Ryan, and next year he is hoping to start a school team involving the two year groups. I offered to help out; it would be really good fun and a way of getting involved too.

Jeannie had to stay up and watch the Eurovision Song contest. She was really upset that noone voted for the UK entry (except Ireland and Malta 12 points!). Ain’t gonna happen whilst we have a special relationship with George W. Oh it would help if we submitted a half way decent song. Or maybe not. In the end Jeannie stayed up whilst we both fell asleep.

Sunday was a rest day, but it didn’t stop us going to swimming and Jeannie going to another party - bowling which she says she won. But her maths isn’t her strong point and I think she got the scores mixed up and came second. Either way, she had a good time.

How to be a Great Dad

Published at Wednesday, May 9, 2007 in Parenting. 0 Comments

zen habits has an article on How to be a Great Dad.

7. Read to them. This is one of the most important things you can do for your child. First of all, it’s so much fun. Kids books are really cool, and it’s great when you can share something this wonderful with your child. Second, you are teaching them one of the most fundamentally important skills (reading) that will pay off dividends for life. And third, you are spending time with them, you’re sitting or lying close together, and you are enjoying each other’s company.

In addition to this good advice, I also advocate writing with them, or just writing whilst they are around. Children want to do what you are doing. Recently, my son has really picked up his writing skills, and one of the contributing factors is that I have put down the PDA, stopped typing (so much) at the keyboard and picked up a pen and started writing on paper.

If a child sees you doing that, he will be more likely to copy you. In the same way, that if you sit around and watch TV, they will do the same.

Reading is something I’ve done with all my children since they’ve been born. It is no suprise that my eldest loves reading. When I take her to ballet I see other children playing games on Nintendo DS, whilst she will be devouring a library book.

Boxes and BBQs

Published at Tuesday, May 8, 2007 in Diary. 2 Comments

I spent the weekend shifting boxes.  Our family seem to be a bunch of hoarders, be it books or toys.  So the garage was previously full of stuff which I tried to clear in time for the garage to be knocked down.  In the end, I shoved it all into the shed at the end of the garden.

Last week, I emptied the shed and brought all the boxes into the new playroom.  No hiding it anymore.  If it was in our way, we’d do something about it.  And do we have.  We now have 20 boxes of “stuff” to either ebay or take to a car boot sale.  Some things have gone into the loft, but these are distinct long term value to us.  Some things we are going into existing space like all the books Ryan and Jeannie got that will now go to Gabby.  By Monday lunchtime I was knacked from moving something like 40 boxes from the top of the garden, into the house, then sorting through all the boxes (with the wife), putting boxes into the loft, stacking them up to sell.

We had a BBQ at a friends in the afternoon, and after a few beers was nearly falling asleep.  Nothing nicer than being tired from exercise.  My legs ache today though.