Is Peebles inside or outside?

"Outside" was my answer to this question posed by Rowan yesterday as we entered Peebles. As we drove along the High St., Sean surveyed the shops and houses and decided "no Daddy, Peebles is actually inside." Maybe he had a point. Such are the philisophical debates that surface when you are with the boys.

I drove to Peebles yesterday with the four lads for a December picnic in the grounds of Kingsmeadow House. The fayre was tasty green soup and sandwiches with something suitable for Angus in his buggy but it turned a bit cold and Rowan was soon in whinge mode. He really doesn't like being cold and never has. I can remember him as a baby in the backpack, all snot and tears whenever we ventured out for a winter walk. Angus, to his credit, seems fairly nonplussed by such elemental challenges and only loses the plot when he's especially tired or hungry or, as was the case this morning, is stuck, breadthwise and on his side, in his cot. He weighed in at 20lbs 11oz at his six month check on Friday and measured 72.5cm and is certainly hale and hearty. But he still won't go a full night's sleep!

After the picnic we walked along the Tweed and over the suspension bridge to the playpark for Rowan's obligatory quarter of an hour swing then trudged into town with Rowan descending into his usual tears and tribulations, not aided by Finn being at his effervescent best (or worst). A chocolate milk went some way to reviving Rowan until Finn pulled it away from his mouth, resulting in Rowan wearing both a chocolate 'tache and beard and matching stain all down his front. As I fed Angus back at the car and Rowan immediately fell asleep, Sean, Finn and I watched a woman struggle with two-year-old twin boys who both suddenly lost the plot and collapsed to the ground kicking and screaming and refusing to budge. They made Rowan look compliant by comparison, which he was, by and large.

On Saturday it was the Christmas Fayre at the school. With Sharon having a working weekend, I took the four down to the school and survived unscathed as they behaved much better than last year. Sean had counted out money for himself, Finn and Rowan and they used that at the cake stall and tombola. Finn went into Santa's Grotto (the outside classroom) too.

Sean made his promise at the Beavers on Friday night and we now have five badges to sew on to his turquoise sweatshirt and neckerchief. That'll give Sharon something to do now she's done her last show for the year! We even manaegd to sit down and catch up on some of the latest episodes of Spooks last week!