Our little dandy

I was away last weekend in New York. Aidy and Erin went up north. But before they did they had some fun in the garden.

Nan and Grandad - The Terrace

On the last day my mum and dad were here we met Matt, Liz, Sophie and Allie. Here are the results:

Last night

Last night Erin and I went out for dinner. My friend from work came round to babysit. She said she'd do for a cheap rate as long as she didn't have to put Aidy to bed and could just watch a movie or surf the internet. As he always goes to bed at 7 and always sleeps very well, never waking up between 7 - 10, that was never going to be a problem.

Or was it? I got a phone call 2 minutes away from the house. "He's awake," she said.

Apparently, he was at the window crying, obviously having heard his loud dad bang his car door shut and drive off down the gravel driveway. But a Green Eggs and Ham and Sneetches book later he was ready to sleep. Sorry Britt.

I say sorry because the reason he hadn't gone to sleep as quickly as usual was probably due to what had happened just before bedtime.

After I changed him into his new diaper and night T-shirt he ran a round a little then into my arms which I then naturally flipped him over onto the bed. He looked at me and simply said, "more-more-gain?" How could I resist? Three times later and he was sufficiently wound up.

We read for quiet time before bed but that didn't seem to work either. He was looking at the Busy Town people and telling me what they were doing. Sometime he'd get it right."Look policeman". Correct. Others not so. When he saw a pig driving a car, "Grandma!" No, Aidy.

When we got to the firefighter page, he looked up at me and in a strange deep monster voice he said, "fire fighter." It tickled me. I was the child this time wanting more. And he complied. We both laughed long and hard for about 5 minutes as he said everything in this new found comedy voice.

Unfortunately, one more book, even Goodnight Moon, wasn't enough to calm him enough for him to be asleep and not notice when I left.

Again, sorry Britt.

A few fun things

When My mum and dad were over Aidan started putting his colours together. Except the colours weren't so much as green, blue, black - although that has come now. They were Percy, Thomas and Douglas.

So a green pea was Percy pea, or his blue shirt was a Thomas shirt.

But now he's got most of his colours down. Except yellow is still a bit tricky.

Having watched a lot of Thomas and Bob, Aidan loves hooks. He looks for them everywhere and even creates them with his hand.

Actually, the other day he proved his problem solving skills with one. Something fell down the sink which we couldn't get to which Aidan desperately wanted. He turned to Erin and said"hook." He then ran to the sun room and grabbed his truck with a hook. When that didn't work he looked at her and said, "digger hook". He ran and got it. Unfortunately what he was trying to dig out was stuck, but it was great to see his mind working.

And this morning he woke up around 5:30. He was moaning and groaning loudly and finally Erin went in to see him. Immediately, when Erin walked into the room he stopped his moany cry, looked at her and said, "Mamma get it, got it, look, two boogers."

Classic.

Post-royal wedding party

Welcome

Cups of tea, hats and ties were the order of the day.

Royal-themed Lymerics were read.

And the kids played.

And played.

Aidy's treehouse

Thankfully, he loves it.

He slept on it before it was finished.

Thomas loves it too.

He shows it off to his friend Claire.

Treehouse - phase 1

When Erin, Aidan I were house-hunting, and we'd been upstairs and downstairs, Erin would check the place didn't have damp, Aidan would dance around the lounge, and I checked the back yard to see if there were any trees - for a treehouse.

I don't know why, I've just always wanted Aidan to have a treehouse.

The house we bought has three trees in the back yard and we've been mulling over which one to put it on and how it should look. Here's how phase one went when my dad came to visit - and he thought he was coming for a holiday:

Left a bit, right a bit. To me, to you.

Aidan's hat came in very useful.

Are you sure you want it here?

Yes. Job done. Two very proud men.

OK, so it's only a platform at the moment but stay tuned for stages 2, 3 and 4.

Nan and Grandad - Easter Sunday

On Easter Sunday we hunted for eggs and ate ones brought from England. We also went to church off to where Brewers fans worship.

Nan and Grandad - Down on the farm

On the Saturday, we went to the Farmers' Market for breakfast then set off for an Easter Egg hunt at a farm near cambridge, WI.

The rules were that you could collect 12 eggs. I'm sure that bag has more.

After the opening the eggs to find presents, they were put back together and the kids rolled the eggs down the bagatelle.

We weren't sure Aidan would like this dark slide. But after the fifth time down we presumed he was enjoying it.

Mum and Aidy go bikin'.

Don't worry Grandad came on the trip too. He's actually behind the camera here shouting, "Come on, Aidy."

Nan and Grandad's visit

Nan and Grandad visited just before Easter. We weren't sure what Aidan's reaction would be to having to share his house for two would be. But as soon as they arrived, he showed them round the house, upstairs in his bedroom and welcomed them with lots of jibber-jabbering.

They arrived on the Thursday and Friday morning we went to the Children's Museum.

Aidy showed Nan how to get the balls up so they can fall down.

Then he got dad to do it for him.