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Wednesday 28 January 2009

Life With a Toddler 7 - On not following the rulebook

Apparently boys are meant to specialise in all things mechanical and not really show much interest in "relational" things such as putting people in trainset layouts. Afterall, the trains are the main interest, people are more relational and, in theory, therefore of secondary importance.

Last Monday, after a busy weekend of visiting relatives, being relational and playing with trains, Angus decided that he wanted to build train layout on the coffee table incorporating various elements from all three of his Christmases, mainly his tunnels on loan from American cousins and his new crane from English cousin. After a bit of work to get all the bits he wanted in the available space, he started showing an interest in the driver of his Brio fire engine and said he wanted more people. His basic train set came from Germany and included a bag of farm animals, people, trees and cars. I had put them away as he was too young for them then. I showed him the bag and he wanted it opened and then started putting all the bits from the bag on his layout (with help to get them where he wanted and standing up).

This is what he ended up with - not very rulebook.




And, yes, Angus was standing up a fallen Baum (German for tree and what he calls Fir trees). He also played with the cars, had a street and moved the people about. I said "Had" as his Dad came home and between them they removed everything else from the coffee table and built an even bigger and better layout. It's a boy thing...!

On Computers Dying and Family

The weekend before last we were visiting my Dad and family, jauntily looking through photos, when, without warning, the computer died. We are talking terminal death. The kind of death where the computer whizzes at Ken's work shake their heads with fake condolences and then ask if they can conduct an autopsy with a shade of glee in their voice. Fortunately the hard drive was unaffected by the death and has been harvested for transplant into the aged PC. Talking of the aged PC, it is running rather well with some parts transplanted into it from one of said computer whizz's stores of random bits. If it were human I think it would be feeling rather smug, probably enjoying having been resurrected from threat of being binned, from being upstaged by that impertinent little laptop.

So, having anthropomorphisized (?) my computer, photos from the weekend with family.

Angus and his cousin Frazer: both steam engine/Thomas fans, much to Grampa's delight! Playing is very serious business.


Angus in Frazer's garden - posing and smiling as usual.



Frazer with Dad's wife, Grannie Jackie.



And a THIRD christmas - I hope he doesn't expect the same every year!



Thursday 15 January 2009

Life With a Toddler 6 - On Traumatising them with Broccoli

Last night I managed to inadvertently traumatise Angus by cutting off a stalk of broccoli. I didn't realise that he had become emotionally attached to this broccoli and cut off its stalk when preparing dinner last night. This led to wails and protests until I fished said stalk out of the compost bucket so that he could attempt to re-attach it. Naturally this didn't work. This led to more upset which could only be abated by offering him a carrot in compensation.

Does that make any sense to you?

Wednesday 14 January 2009

Newsflash: The Lumbups Have Been Arrested!

Following an uneventful flight back from America last week in which the Lumbups behaved impeccably drinking juice, lots of juice, they were arrested on Monday following a fracas in a restaurant. They were accused of being too noisy and stealing a toddler's orange (although he did get some more after the restaurant owner came over and was confronted by Angus asking, "More orange, pleeeeeeeeease" in the way that only two-year-olds can!). Following an apology later that afternoon, the Lumbups were released from the Police neenah (? how do you spell that ?) and had a meal of pasta and vegetables.

Other than hearing more about the Lumbups, we have nothing to declare except rain and cold dampness.

So, to cheer us up, some pictures from Germany in November:

A diesel (?) engine we found in a play park


Angus exercising and developing his muscles at Mike's house wearing off the Thanksgiving calories!


Ken taking Angus skiing at Innsbruck:

Sunday 4 January 2009

Lumbups in America

According to Angus, the Lumbups came to America on the plane. They have legs and came skiing but had to use his Crocodiles (mittens with Crocodiles on them,) as they had cold, very, very, very cold hands. They did not go with him to day care: too noisy. Mark has finished his walk (he must have, as the Lumbups are with us now), and is now home.



Saturday 3 January 2009

Happy New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!

We are having a wonderful, snowy new year in America with Ken's sister and her family. I have only just been able to post as we have been in rural Vermont skiing for the last few days. It was fantastic! I didn't fall over as much as usual and can now, sort of, do parallel turns and have even attempted a few lower end Blue runs, which I am really proud of! Ken was off with the nephews tackling black runs and playing on mogals (lumps in the snow that are supposed to fun. They sound terrifying to me!) Angus had a couple of days playing in day care and has come back saying "Sure" to things! We don't have any pictures of the skiing as it was far too cold to carry a camera about and we were too busy skiing anyway!
Angus on Evan's drum kit. Evan is his hero - he plays drums! I like that Angus's drum playing is so LOUD that Evan is vibrating with the shock waves!
Angus and Liam playing with Angus's new Percy train. They have Brio too!

Opening some presents on Second Christmas in America. Spot that Grandpa Sandpit is there too! We overlapped for a couple of days which was really nice.


Angus's first SnowMan! Not big, but a first none the less.

Let's hope and pray that we all have a peaceful and more prosperous and blessed year than the last.