Cold, wet, dark? Must be the cricket season

I have my hobby too - it's not February yet, it's still cold and wet outside, so naturally it's time to dig out my cricket bag from the garage - winter nets start tonight; I like going to the first one, anyone who turns up is stiff and rusty, so any lack of technique is immediately forgiven... I'll not guarantee I'll go to any more, but we'll see.

Watch Out, Rolf Harris....

....Olga's coming!
She's been meaning to pick up her brush and paints for a long time now, and over the past couple of years we've picked up the necessary bits and pieces, but she's not had the kick-up-the-bum she needed to actually get started. Having studied art at school for 5 years, she's no beginner, but we investigated the courses available through Buckinghamshire Adult Education services, and found an appropriate one started at a school in Marlow 2 weeks ago. After making some enquiries, it was established that there would be no problem for Olga to catch up on what the class had already done, and that by starting at lesson 3 of 10, she could pay a pro-rata fee for the remaining lessons, which clinched it.
So, Monday evening is Watercolour Painting evening for Olga, and her first class was this week. There are 8 students, with an average age now brought down considerably to about 47 by Olga's appearance, with only one man (is he genuinely interested in painting or did he choose it to meet ladies?!). It did mean we had a mad dash round an art shop in Maidenhead for the materials she still needed on Saturday, but between me enlarging photographs I've taken, and now Olga's paintings, and Lara's work when she gets a bit older, we're going to need a bigger house to hang it all up!
Without wanting to blow Olga's trumpet, I saw what she did on Monday night, and especially considering it's probably been 15 years since she painted, it was very good.
All I need to do now is train Mishka to sit still at my side for a few hours, and we can have one of those "Lord of the Manor" paintings of me and him above the fireplace....

Second Opinions Count!

Here's my niece Elizabeth, the poor love fell on Friday of last week at one of those toddler ball park play-gym places. During the subsequent trip to A&E the doctor decided it was a "pulled elbow", not a broken arm, and therefore she didn't need an x-ray, just a good twist of the arm - ouch - to tweak the arm bone back into the elbow muscle. Elizabeth wasn't using her arm well over the weekend, so Catherine & Nick took her back on Sunday and this time her arm was x-rayed and it, of course, it is broken. The lesson there is that whilst Doctors do know their stuff, you know your child, be aware that the Doc isn't foolproof, so if you're not happy, go back and get them to have another look!!

Elizabeth is being very brave and is enjoying the extra ice cream that's an essential part of her recovery, but the downside is getting her to sleep is a problem!

More of the same

Another quiet day here; Lara couldn't wait to wake up and get standing, after she had a lie in on Saturday until 9am, she decided that today was the day to get Dad up at 6.45, and there wasn't even a Match Of The Day to watch on TV (not fussed about the FA Cup highlights).
It's been more of the same today, Lara is very confident at pulling herself up, even only using one hand to hold on to the door gate in her nursery to pull herself up. If we put on the sofa downstairs she immediately climbs up the area Mishka has flattened down and from there she can sit on the windowsill and either watch the world go by or turn round and lord it over the lounge.
I took her out this afternoon so Olga could have some peace and quiet to get some work done, so we went to the Wendover to watch Liverpool v Everton, but this time in the FA Cup. Different competition, same result, 1-1, and Everton scored from a set-piece. Everyone in the pub could see that coming apart from Benitez, I think. We're also known in there now, I introduced myself to the regular barman and the landlord on Friday night, and for only the second time ever I have a local where the staff know my name and my regular drink. Lara's an attraction too who gets lots of attention, but that means she doesn't want to have a nap after I've fed her in there. Costa, the barman, did have to ask if she was a girl or a boy, but then I had dressed her in her Liverpool top, for probably the last time as she's nearly outgrown it.
She's tucked into fresh trout and vegetables with us for tea tonight, and had a late night, I only got her off to sleep at 9pm. Oh well, it's the weekend. It's the nursery's problem if she's grumpy tomorrow; I hope they keep an extra eye on her now though, we're just waiting for that first big fall.
If there's a hoodoo about the fact we've not been to casualty yet, or to hospital in general, for a long time, Olga thought it better she break that hoodoo than Lara, so she generously trapped her thumb in the car door on Wednesday. By Friday morning it was still very swollen and extremely painful, and we feared a break, but a quick trip to the Minor Injuries Clinic in Henley for a X-ray showed it wasn't broken, and time will be the healer. Someone should tell Lara though - have those of you with kids thought how you'd look after them without the use of a thumb!! Or worse still, with a very painful thumb. There have been screams...

Breaking News..... She's UP!

Just a very quick post before I tuck into my hot and sour soup and singapore chow mein, but Lara has graduated to standing, as of last night! Life will be totally different (again) for all of us now. The second time she stood last night she started to climb over the little barrier we use to keep her penned in the dining room.
Here are a couple of videos from today to prove it.. I'll post more news tomorrow.