Profound apologies to all and sundry for the excessively delayed update from the Henley trilogy.
This past fortnight started off quietly with a chilled weekend at home by ourselves – our first since moving – and a spot of exploring our new home county, Falkirk. We had the chance to catch up on some stuff around the house and went into Falkirk for a stroll around Callendar House, sampled some culture (and muilled wine) at an arts and crafts gallery opening and paid a trip to the shops to stock up on supplies. Then on Sunday we had a magical trip to Muiravonside Park, resplendently aglow (how pretentious does that sound) in rich oranges and reds, and the chill air of autumn. In fact, sod that. We seem in Scotland to have bypassed Summer this year, made a brief stop at Autumn and then headed straight into Winter where, no doubts, we will remain until May next year.
Anyhows, we went to Muiravonside and saw a range of lovely fauna at the farm and lovely flora in the woodland walks, stopping at some benches for a lunch before a stroll down to the gorge(ous) river Avon.
After our lovely, chilled weekend the week past quickly before a visitation from Todd on Tuesday who had come over from Vermont in the US of A. Todd works for Rich Frog, a company which Cole has been designing the web site for. It was quite a hectic week, working in pubs in Edinburgh during the evenings before a mammoth coding slog from Friday through to Monday – with a break in the middle to watch the Scotland-Italy game and imbibe some points in Linlithgow. Was pretty full-on and Peta and Gethin got to be web design widows/orphans for the week but it was great to have Todd over and hang out. He even brought with him some lovely duck slippers which Gethin has had great delight in sporting this past week. Will try to get some snaps up soon.
Enough about Cole’s webaholic pursuits. G has been in fine form of late and is proving to be a right chatterbox. He constantly has a smile on his face and can usually be found quite busy doing something – whatever that something might be. He delights in brushing the teeth of his toy animals and on occasion can be seen kissing anything that moves. He talks to everyone and everything: animal, vegetable or mineral – this weekend he delighted in saying “hello buckle” as he got in his car seat. Our hesitance at moving to a multi-story property has been promptly demonstrated to be unfounded as wee G delights in sliding down the stairs on his belly at apace. Oddly though – and completely unlike his parents and previous form – G has been getting up quite, quite early in the mornings since we moved. Perhaps it is just the excitement and anticipation of making his next slide down the stairs, but it is quite out of character for the wee fella. Rarely a peep from the wee fella before we moved and now he is up at 4.30/5 in the am. Will have to get to the bottom of it as it is very poor form to be waking up ones parents at such an ungodly hour.
Elsewhere, P has mostly been a domestic darling the last few weeks, whipping up all manor of delightful foods for family and visiting friends and whizzing around with a duster and vacuum when possible. She has also taken the ultimate step in motherhood and wholesome wifeliness by taking up knitting – no doubt prompted by her recent attendance at the local stitch and bitch sessions at the bonsyde – and is slowly working her way through a number of hand-crafted christmas gifts.
There seems to be so much more time since we have moved to do things (like knitting) and most evenings we try to make time to sit down and watch a film after G has had his bath and bed – that is when Cole is not scribing away at his computer (like now, for example). It is amazing since we moved how little we seem to have missed not having a TV signal, save for missing the odd game of fitba.
Otherwise all is dandy – although saying that we have had a few problems with the boiler and radiators. One of the air locks on the bedroom radiator flew off on Saturday whilst bleeding it causing the whole radiator to drain out all over the bedroom and a day or so without heating whilst we tried to find a spare part. We managed to get a part for next to nothing at the local hardware store but it really brought home how expensive this house buying malarky has been, unable to afford a plumber (although few people can given the astronomical hourly rates they charge) and perched precariously on the precipice of our overdraft.
No one ever said it was going to be easy and it has to be said there have been a few moments where we have thought about whether we made the right decision in buying a house, well, I mean helping the bank to buy a house. We knew it was going to be a struggle, particularly the first few months where bills seem to be coming out of the woodwork left, right and centre.
But it has, of course, been worth it. We are all loving our new abode and it is great to have space for guests to stay. We hope to be here for many years to come, at least long enough for Gethin to take as much enjoyment from going up the stairs as he seems to get from going down them. G’night all
This here blog is in honour of the esteemed Gethin William Albert Henley Esq, 5162 days old, who was born on 3rd April 2006 at 18:04 weighing a healthy 9lb 11½oz.
Daddy Cole is enjoying a career as a web developer whilst mummy Peta is juggling working part-time with being an all-round top mum