November already

Sean's actual birthday was quite quiet by comparison to his Halloween birthday party two days' earlier. He was at school but Sharon decided to give the boys (and herself) a week off swimming lessons seeing it was his birthday so that he could have a play in the house. Apart from a new dressing gown and green Salt Rock T-shirt, he got a big Lego head for storage and a black pirate watch. He lost the watch two days later on a school trip to the cinema. I bought him a replacement. This lasted about a day more before he lost it at school swimming. Safe to say he won't be getting another for a while.

With the clocks going back it's now a challenge to get the boys out in the fresh air, working round Angus's naps. If you miss your slot when he's awake, suddenly you're forced into trying to get out between 3pm and impending dusk. Last week I took the boys down to Peebles for a picnic lunch but it was so cold we relocated to Biggar where the big three played in the park while I watched over a sleeping Angus in the car (and listened to football on the radio). We all got out for a family walk along to Klondyke Garden Centre too, which is close to three miles round trip. Too far for Rowan, but Sharon enjoys a bit of weight training so she had him on her shoulders for most of the return journey.

This weekend I took Angus and Rowan out to Seven Acre Park over at Alnwickhill. Rowan was in top form, playing at "Fireman Sam" as he clambered about the climbing frame. Angus was happy to be out too, climbing up ladders he really shouldn't be attempting at his age and generally getting into areas where he was likely to get muddy or fall and hurt himself unless I swooped to pick him up. It made a change being out with just the wee two and took me back to when Sean and Finn were that age. I can remember being at North Berwick with them both and looking down at them sitting on the beach as I got something out the car boot, two little boys in blue coats, best of pals, communicating in the way brothers do (even though Finn would barely have been at speaking age) and looking so small against the backdrop of the beach and the sea. They're growing up now, oh so quickly.