The boys are back

On arriving back from the airport with Sharon yesterday evening, we had a wonderful reception at the front door. In the half hour I'd been away to collect Sharon after her conference in Birmingham, the boys had arrived home with Nana and Papa after "their best holiday ever". Angus was standing on the front step, already in his favourite fleecy sleepsuit despite the heat (he saw it on return and just had to put it on) and beaming from ear to ear as we pulled into the drive.

Sean wasn't far behind, launching into a big hug, while Rowan and Finn were a tangle of limbs around Sharon at the foot of the stairs. It was nearly a week since Sharon left Ireland and almost a fortnight since I bade them farewell in New Ross and suddenly the peace was shattered and the house was alive once more with shrill, excited voices.

Calming them down a little with showers and pizza (even though it was half past nine), we were regaled with tales of swimming in Lough Rea with Tricia's kids (Sean being re-united with Diarmuid with whom he used to play when just a toddler and Tricia and Barry lived in Edinburgh), making their own wooden "Skog people" with Adrian (Finn has even made his own V-shaped thumb and nostril "plug" to try and wean himself off the thumb-sucking!), boogie-boarding down at Fenit and just generally having a great time with their aunts and uncle. Nana and Papa weren't getting much of a look-in other than putting food on the table and getting them off to bed. Having been imploring Sharon not to leave last week, Angus had been saying he didn't want to leave Ireland but "wanted to go and stay in someone else's house". He was crying for his cousin Barry going to bed.

The boys travelled all round Ireland, made new friends, spent time with family, enjoyed fantastic weather, ate enough "ice pops" to cool a small village and just had a wonderful three weeks' holiday! It's only when I got up this morning and saw them all together in Sean and Finn's room that I realised how many children we have!

Cheese rolling

The variable weather has continued as spring struggles to make an appearance. The buds and blossom on the trees in the garden are three weeks late at least. The blooms on the camelia bush have appeared however and Tomasa, our hard-working Polish gardener, has returned to start work on the overgrown beds, lawn and hedges.

We had a lazy Saturday as the rain came and went. Marie eventually walked three of the boys to the library and I went out for a cycle with Finn, who did very well using his gears and getting up a few inclines without stopping. It was a bit of an effort for him though - he never strikes me as having a natural base level of fitness like Sean and Rowan who just seem more active. Finn will have more stamina, I suspect. We'll see as they grow up which sports or fitness regimes, if any, they choose to follow.

On Sunday I did the big cooked breakfast thing after an early trip to the supermarket with my little helper, Angus. Sharon was looking askance at the amount of food I set out on the table but there wasn't much left by the time the locusts had visited it. Sean and Rowan managed two rolls each and sausages, bacon, eggs, fried potatoes, beans, tomatoes and mushrooms soon disappeared from the table. In five or ten years' time I'll have to visit Costco beforehand to get cafe-sized packs of provisions.

Later, after homework and lunch, we packed into the two cars and headed east to Dunbar. The day got steadily greyer and colder but the rain held off, allowing the boys a good play in Lauderdale Park before we walked along towards the harbour. The boys elected to play "Cheese Rolling" by lining up at the top of the grassy bank overlooking the harbour and chasing a golf ball that Sean had found. Many times they did this, with remarkabky few injuries but a lot of grass stains. Angus wasn't quite able to compete but enjoyed the physicality of running and falling, while Rowan's wiriness proved as asset once again as his rapid grabs snatched victory on a number of occasions. Finn came out on top though after more than twenty runs and a lot of wailing from Rowan.

As they rain did begin to spot heavier we drove on to Gifford, to the Goblin Ha', for dinner. Arriving before six we hit that lull after lunch and before dinner when the place is quiet but service isn't that great. I took the big three over to the park for "base jumping", as if the "cheese rolling" hadn't been enough. Cue more wailing from Rowan as tiredness kicked in when I was timing them on a circuit. Dinner was fine, without being spectacular, and we drive home through a lovely evening with two cars full of tired boys.

Gifford and Calton Hill

Fridays are a busy day for Sharon, especially when she has Angus and Finlay for mini-kickers in the morning, then feeding them and dropping them off to pre-school in time to pick up the skiers and feed them before taking them up to Hillend. To top that off this Friday she had a show in the evening. There's not much time for sitting about Chez Wallace.

This weekend we had Nina Butler up for a visit as special guest at Sharon's grand-a-month dinner. I took the big three out to Gifford in the afternoon to let Sharon get on with chatting and cooking. Angus was at Finlay's 4th birthday party at Bonnyrigg. Me and the lads had fun down by the river in Gifford, clambering over a rake of recently fallen trees and throwing stones. Finn learned how to skim a stone properly and was pleased with his efforts. After some see-saw fun and "base-jumping" off the big wall that bounds the playing field, we picked up Angus but the boys wanted to play more at Bonnyrigg, spending a further ninety minutes at the playpark there. So by the time we arrived home for a chilly patio picnic they were decently tired out for once.

On Sunday morning I tidied up the aftermath of the big dinner and prepared brunch then we drive into town with the boys giving Nina the guided tour. "There's the doctor's", "There's the shopping village (Buckstone)", "There's the dentist"... We parked up at Regent's Road and made our way up Calton Hill which Sharon had never been up in her twenty years of living in Edinburgh. Despite the indifferent weather the views over Edinburgh and down the Firth of Forth were still quite special and there seemed to be a Beltane Fire festival rehearsal going on, with plenty of drummers and strange types hanging around in cloaks. Local colour for the tourists!

We popped in to Stockbridge Market to spend far too much money on chocolates, fudge, pies and venison. Sharon acceded to demands from the boys to retun to Bonnyrigg while I cooked dinner - at least it's good to see them wanting to play outdoors for a change. Finn twisted his ankle quite badly on the boulders on Calton Hill, however, so he's hobbling with a swollen joint today. Angus and Rowan have been very whingey and grumpy of late. Angus was barking with a cough during the night, so he may be coming down with something, but Rowan seems to be in over-reaction mode, wailing every time something goes against him, which can be very tiresome.

Biggar's better

Allegedly Biggar had a slogan, back in the 80s when such things were in vogue, that read "London's Big But Biggar's Better". With the sun finally breaking through and the temperature rising high enough to dispense with hats, scarves and gloves (but not enough to melt the last of the snows on the Lammermuir Hills), I took the boys to Biggar for a picnic today. Burnbraes Park, with its ford, grassy slopes and extended playpark has been a favourite location for a few years and today was no different. From following sticks down the river to a train of four going down the slide, the boys all played well together, especially when Angus was on the tyre swing and demanding to go higher and faster, spinning round like a madman. Whether this, or his earlier complaints of a sore tummy prompted it, I don't know, but after demanding more spinning Angus was sick all over the grass! He recovered quickly as his brothers rolled down the grassy banks.

I got out for my first golf outing yesterday, up at St. Andrews to play the Jubilee course for the first time in 25 years. I remember it being almost the runt of the litter of the St. Andrews courses when I was at University - you could play it for £1. 5000% increase since then! It's been altered since then, though not greatly. I picked up Scott at 0700 as we drove up to meet Steve and Pete for an 0824 tee-off time. I had a reasonable front nine, birdieing one of the par fives thanks to my new rescue club, but fell away on the back nine. Scott had a shocker as we slumped to a 6&5 defeat. Afterwards we walked across to the New Golf Club, where Steve is now a member, and had lunch overlooking the 18th fairway of the Old Course. It was good to be back in the Auld Grey Toun, even for a brief stop, and I enjoyed being back on the course. Hopefully I'll get a few rounds in and get my handicap down from 18 this year.

A sleepy little town

I was long overdue a visit west so I headed off on Friday with Rowan and Angus in tow, after the usual morning spent packing, to see Dorothy in Paisley en route to heading over to Millport. Dorothy was looking well, having passed her 80th birthday last year. Rowan and Angus were suitably well behaved, although Angus did nearly knock Dorothy over when he rushed at her as we were saying goodbye after a walk across Brodie Park to the playpark. Rowan was delighted to discover Dorothy's Nintendo DS. That kept him occupied for half the visit!

We did a brief tour around Glenburn by car. The last of the tenements have now been removed from Grampian Avenue meaning that the landscape of my childhood is now a very odd one, with strings of terraced houses separated by broad green spaces. At least they have grassed over the gap sites but it is fascinating to see the path from Skye Cresecent shops standing in isolation where once it cut between tenements and lock-ups. I asked Rowan if he would find it strange to come back to Swanston Terrace with his children to point it out to them, but that someone else would be living there. I could see him coming to terms with the idea until he gave one of his sage nods and agreed "that would be weird."

It was chilly on the ferry across from Largs to the Cumbrae Slip. Angus was excited as we docked and the door laid down to let us drive on to the island. We came over Ferry Road which affords a lovely view down over Millport to the Wee Cumbrae and beyond to Bute and Arran. Dusk was approaching as we arrived at our rented flat, 24 Stuart Street, top floor above the Ritz Cafe. Having lugged the stuff up the stairs (the wee two aren't renowned for their ability to shift baggage, although Angus can manage a fair weight in his muckle paws) we went for an evening stroll along the deserted prom and threw some stones in the sea at Newton Beach. There was some snow clinging to the slopes of Arran's mountains and the profile of the Wee Cumbrae was as familiar as ever.

After dinner and telly I finally settled the boys down. They were sharing a double bed while I was in a sleeping bag on the bed settee. Millport was like a ghost town, a fact echoed by the lonely caterwaulings from the George Hotel karaoke as the evening wore on. Saturday dawned grey and grim, with the last remains of a band of rain lingering over the Firth of Clyde and a stiff breeze blowing. We had a late breakfast, watched the seals on the Eileans through the binoculars, then eventually wrapped up and battled our way along the sea front to Kames Bay. The boys ran about the crazy golf, were curious about the Crocodile Rock and had to be warned off the rocks which were slick with algae and rain. We cut back along the back streets "It's a sleepy little town" declared Rowan. He decided that one dwelling "looked like a vampire house" just before a curious wailing rose on the air from it. Rowan's eyes widened and we scuttled on!

After lunch we walked round to West Bay to see May and James. Alison was there too. I hadn't see her since Dad's funeral, over sixteen years ago. May broke a couple of ribs last week but is still looking well and James still has his spark of humour despite being pretty much housebound these days. He's getting more deaf and his lungs and heart aren't great but he still had a smile on his face. Rowan read most of the time but then he and Angus took to wrestling on the carpet in the hall which was not conducive to a lengthy visit.

Fortunately they had a diversion just a few doors away. The Best girls, Emily and Rachel, were staying with their gran, Lorna, at number 15. Rachel is in Rowan's class at school and Finn is in the same class as Emily. It was dry overhead but still overcast, damp and cold, but the boys and girls had a great time playing in the West Bay play park. We went inside for some indoors play while I had a cup of tea and a chat with Lorna. Angus and Emily went down to the little beach then the girls showed the boys an old World War II cannon on the edge of the playing field. By now, Rowan was running about without a coat on, despite it being cold. It was an enjoyable afternoon with no rush to go anywhere or do anything other than play.

As it started to get dark we bade our farewells and walked back round to our flat for tea and telly. Angus was much quicker to get to sleep after a day of fresh air and no naps! Rowan continued his reading rampage, piling through Beast Quest books at a rate of one an hour or quicker. It's great to see.

Sunday morning was a marked contrast to Saturday, the sun dancing on the sea as the tide began to recede from its dawn high water mark. The flat we were in had a lovely view across the Eileans in the bay to Hunterston (well, power stations do spoil a view somewhat) and down to Portencross. The chairs by the window were just the spot for a leisurely cup of tea. I packed up and washed up then we went a short distance to the rocks below the crazy golf. Rowan impressed by climbing the four to five metre wall that I once froze on as a teenager (I climbed it before Rowan, just to prove to myself I still could!) then, as I was taking a photo of him, I felt my feet slipping away on the rock. I tried to re-adjust but had to step on to wetter rocks and more seaweed. My legs went from under me and I sprawled on my back. I was fortunate that I landed on a flat, but damp, rock. How I didn't break my camera, my wrist or crack my head or damage my back I don't know, although I suspect I did sprain a thumb as my hand is rather tender today.

We packed the last of the gear in the car, the boys had an ice lolly from the Ritz Cafe, we wandered around the block and up the Old Pier, then got in the car. I drove the long way round to the ferry, up the west coast of Greater Cumbrae with its views across to Kilchattan Bay, Arran and Kintyre beyond. Rowan was disappointed not to see Indian Rock (I think it was overgrown) but was singing lots of songs about Pooh Bear and was in a great mood. Angus was also pretty lively. I think they enjoyed their "venture" as Angus called it. We missed the 3.30 sailing so I drove up to the Glaid Stane at the top of the island. It's a fine point from which to view the Firth of Clyde: north to Inverkip and the Holy Loch and Kyles of Bute and south to the Wee Cumbrae and Arran.

From there we were homeward bound, crossing on the 4pm ferry and arriving home at 5.45pm in time for tea. A great wee break "doon ra' wattir!"

Septemberfest

Life can be so busy at the moment that it can be difficult to find time to do things as a family. We had a pleasant afternoon out today at Septemberfest, a free festival at Broughton High School. There was a tennis taster that was good fun and Finn surprised us with some good racquet control. Then again, he is very natural when it comes to sports that demand a degree of skill - it's just that he doesn't seem interested in applying himself to participate and learn more and compete.

There was an inflatable obstacle course and plenty of stalls inside the school too. Sean and Finn both got leather bracelets into which they could impress shapes or their name. And Finn tried some drumming too.

Rowan has finally moved up to the Beginners 2 class at swimming. I took him for a "play swim" at Penicuik and he did a fantastic, proper dive in. Angus hasn't been keen on going to his Saturday morning lessons, but we established that it was the jumping in he didn't like so, once that was off the agenda, he was fine. He's been going to Mini Kickers too. Maybe one of them will learn how to kick a ball.

Grub's up

For the first time in almost ten years of having a family we sat down to a dinner that was (mostly) cooked by one of our offspring. Inspired by the Great British Bake-Off amongst other things, Sean and Finn have been poring over the cookbooks with the intent of cooking up a storm in the kitchen. The challenge with Sean is getting him to do any cooking that doesn't involve sugar but this weekend the pair of them picked out breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes. Finn managed to do cinnamon pancakes for breakfast yesterday but didn't quite follow through on his plans for the rest of the day.

Today, Sean started the day making porridge for his brothers then followed that with a tasty lunchtime chicken pasta dish and garlic bread, despite having just come in from a two-hour gymnastic class. But to top it off, he made an excellent chilli con carne with tortilla chips for Sunday dinner. I chipped in with the rice and kept him straight on the chilli but he did very well working with the food chopper, browning the meat, opening the cans and adding the spices. He even added a special, secret ingredient - cocoa powder. Everyone enjoyed it.

It was the climax to a good weekend of eating for Sharon and me as we were through at Betty and Ian's last night for one of their splendid dinners while Lesley and Stuart minded the boys. The venison carpaccio with beetroot and horseradish cream was definitely the highlight. A few glasses of carefully chosen wine helped wash things down, but didn't help when Angus appeared in the night, several times. Sharon eventually gave up and left him in the bed with me.

Finn had a go at the Penicuik gymnastics class today and I took the boys for a walk in Colinton Dell this afternoon as we hadn't been along that way by the Water of Leith in a while. I was at Spylaw Park yesterday with Angus and Rowan and noted a few changes to the fixtures. It shows how long we've been going to these playparks when we've outlasted some of the fittings. The tractor climbing frame (with the unbelievably squeaky steering wheel) was gone, as was the small house and slide ("Sean's house" we used to call it was Sean was barely big enough to walk) and the wooden climbing frame with the big slide and fireman's pole. There are different installations now but gradually I get a sense, as Angus grows up, that we're leaving behind a phase of family life and passing the baton on to the next generation. Angus has had plenty dry night-time nappies of late and knows it. If we could crack the nappy hurdle that would be another major milestone passed in the Wallace family.

Finn is eight

The dark-haired boy is eight. Finn had a midweek birthday this year so he was at school but opened his presents beforehand. He and his brothers have been up a little too smartly since school restarted, but, to their credit, have been getting dressed and getting their own cereal, albeit a little messily.

I left work smartly, picked up Angus and drove to Straiton, to Frankie & Benny's which was Finn's preferred location for his birthday tea. Brodie was invited too. The boys mostly had pizza while I enjoyed a gammon steak with chips and fried egg. Always a gluten-free favourite in a rather gluten-intensive eatery such as F & B's. We got Finn a new bike for his birthday, a blue Trax mountain bike with six gears, as he has been cycling well on his old bike which has no gear and two broken pedals. Maybe he deserved a new one!

Amongst his other presents, and with his birthday money, Finn favoured science kits - making slime and volcanoes and the like. He's burnt a few patches on the back lawn, I've noticed! His party was at Gymtastic in Penicuik, the current favourite with Rowan and Sean as it features rings, trampoline, parallel bars, a vault and a rope swing as well as lots and lots of foam for jumping, diving, somersaulting and falling into. Angus had a great time launching himself off the vault into the foam, working up his usual sweat. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and Sharon's two-tone birthday chocolate and Victoria sponge cake.

I also had a nice Saturday day out with the wee two, which gave Rowan the chance to be the leader for a change. We drove up to Loch Leven and got the boat across to the castle, reprising Angus's second birthday day out. Angus and Rowan had fun chasing a grouse in the castle grounds. We tried to eat at Loch Leven's Larder but it was too busy so we headed to the Inn at Scotlandwell instead. More gammon for me and macaroni cheese for the boys. We completed our circuit of the loch, arriving back at Kinross for a play at the park there, Angus loving the slide and managing to negotiate the web. Rowan had a great time in "the spinny thing", enticing Angus in too.

A damp day at Crichton Castle

As the cold, wet summer progressed, we decided to get wrapped up and head out on a castle trip with Adrian, who is still staying through in Glasgow with Brian, doing the odd job to keep himself ticking over while seeking other opportunities. Unfortunately the economic climate has been as gloomy as the meteorological one and there aren't many openings for qualified furniture craftsmen at the moment.

Anyway, we headed over to Crichton for a castle runaraound, exploring and playing hide and seek. Here is a video of the trip.

As my writing of blog entries has become increasingly sporadic, I may choose to put up more of these "video blog" entries instead. We shall see. Perhaps I should just write less detail!

Trip advisor

The incentive trip to Dubai is growing ever nearer. Sharon has been increasingly giddy, debating the wardrobe and travel plans and keeping tabs on the temperature. It's fair to say it's going to be a tad warmer than here. As I write, the rain is battering down again on another cold and miserable May evening. Driest March on record, near enough, followed by the wettest April. Somehow I've managed to get two games of cricket in so far but it has been unpleasantly chilly.

Sean is really enjoying his gymnastics class and is doing his best to improve his flexibility. He's not far off doing the splits! The P5 show this year is on a Greek gods and Olympics theme. Sean has been practising hard but was distraught when Sharon told him she wouldn't be able to go. The date for the show was moved to a date that clashes with a meeting Sharon has down south.

Rowan has been along to his Tae Kwon Do class a couple of times now and looks fantastic in his outfit. His smile lights up the room when he's all dressed up. If he can concentrate on what he's being taught, this is something I think he could be good at. He lost golden time at school last week once more, for not behaving at Assembly. Getting Rowan to sit still and listen is never going to be an easy task. I only hope it doesn't count against him as, apart from that, his reading and number work and writing and drawing are coming on very well.

Angus had his hair cut last week. It's made him look like a real Coen, especially when he smiles. He's worked through the terrible twos but can still be very demanding on an off day and very determined to do things his way. The potty training isn't going particularly well. There are good days and bad days but he's generally too late in letting us know that things have gone awry.

Finn continues to confound. Getting him to do his homework can quickly escalate into a battle of wills. Trying to understand why he feels and acts the way he does is very frustrating. He's still getting regular night terrors, usually in the evening but sometimes Sharon has to get up to him in the night too.

Adrian was over at the weekend. "Uncle Aidy" was the centre of attention from all the boys and he started a Lego revival in the house. Given the weather outside it's just as well the boys have found something other than the iPods and DS to entertain them indoors.

Auchenlarie break

The boys were desperate to get on their Easter break, after passing the first week of their school holiday. I picked up my new car from the Patersons and decided to break it in with a drive down to Dumfries and Galloway, taking Sean with me, while Sharon made the journey in the Sharan with the rest of the lads.

We were staying at Auchenlarie Holiday Park or, more precisely, across the road from the park, in a luxury lodge that had three bedrooms and, most importantly from the boys' perspective, a hot-tub! Auchenlarie is about two miles past Gatehouse of Fleet on a site that slopes fairly steeply down to the sea. The centre of the park was across the busy A75 and down the hill. This is where the swimming pool, leisure centre and bar/restaurant were located, along with the entertainment. We weren't quite brave enough to partake of the entertainment although Sharon witnessed some real "entertainment" as she made her way back from the gym one evening - a right barney going on. We did venture into the restaurant on the first evening, which was fine, had a swim on the last day and the smaller boys were in the soft play a couple of times too.

The boys were able to practice their cycling on the wooden deck and farm road by our lodge ("Lilac Lodge") and we were in the hot tub on a few occasions. The first time I though Angus was going to come out cooked! Given the general greyness of the weather, it was most pleasant to sit in the heated tub with a view south towards the Isle of Man, watching a variety of shower clouds scythe across the Irish Sea.

There was plenty for us to get on with despite the indifferent weather. First off we headed to Cream of Galloway. This featured a great go-kart course. I took Rowan, who, true to daredevil form, was standing up, yelling, as we plunged down steep inclines towards low-roofed tunnels, so he could bump his helmeted head off the tunnel roof. Sharon took Angus, who similarly had a great time as a passenger. Sean went on his own but struggled on the climbs and Finn abstained, as is Finn's way. Sean did "down the hatch", as did I, a disconcerting feet-first barrel plunge in which you feel you are dropping out the sky before it levels off and you crawl out in an undignified manner. Sean also did the Flying Fox and we all went on the 3-D maze and other adventure playground parts. Lunch was tasty too, local burgers and ice-cream.

We went to the RSPB centre at Mersehead for a scavenger hunt where, once again, Finn impressed with his knowledge of birds and their calls. Despite the long drive to get there we had a great time looking for the items on the hunt, Sean and I jogging on to the beach when it looked as though we were going to run out of time.

Another day was spent at Mabie Farm Park south of Dumfries, where we met Rachael Ridley and her son Owen. In between the showers the boys looked at the animals and played in the indoors barn but the highlights were the hay barn, where the boys were swinging on ropes and jumping off bales while having hay fights with Sharon and Rachael (don't think it did my asthma much good), and the grass slide. I apparently went airborne, which I can ratify with the thump my coccyx received. Even Finn joined in, no doubt shamed that his younger brothers were quite prepared to get on their shovels and slide down. Afterwards, we drive around the Southerness peninsula with its stunning views south to Cumbria, to Rockcliffe. The boys had dozed off and were grumpy to a man, so I undertook the short but interesting walk through the woods to Kippford - just in time for the rain to come tipping down! I was soaked and had little opportunity to enjoy the views. Sharon drove round to Kippford to join me at the Anchor Hotel where we had a great, relaxed dinner in the back room with lots of other families and everyone in fine form. Definitely one of the highlights of the week.

But there's more! I took the boys to Cardoness Castle in Gatehouse of Fleet and we went to the local market in Creetown where we gave the boys some money to spend and watched as they made their choices round the various stalls. Finn, bless him, spent his last 50p on a cake for his Mammy. He can be so mean at times, to Rowan especially, but at other times he is the most generous of the boys. Late one afternoon I drove along to Newton Stewart with Finn and Rowan, to a real old-fashioned cinema, to see The Muppets. It was actually quite an enjoyable film.

My outing with Sean to play golf at a nine-hole course at Tongland near Kirkcudbright wasn't quite such a success however. Sean was fairly hopeless. He probably managed a generous 16 at the first par three hole and it went downhill from there (his golf, as well as the course). My investment in their lessons at Swanston is looking like a sunk cost. I suspect the next term will be their last, as Finn isn't that keen either. They seem to enjoy it with their pals (after moaning about having to go), but neither is showing any interest whatsoever in the sport, or any sport for that matter.

Another day we drove towards Castle Douglas to visit Threave Castle. This required a fairly lengthy walk to the River Dee where the castle sits on an island and has to be reached by boat. Once we got there one of the week's frequent showers darkened the horizon and swept in. We retreated to what little shelter the ruined castle offered as the rain teemed down.

A big treat for the boys was our visit to the Cocoa Bean Company at Twynholm. Entry to this place gets them into a chocolate workshop where they get to make chocolate things and decorate them. It was funny to see them all troop in, from Sean down to Angus, dressed in their aprons and hairnets. It's fair to say they loved it. Rowan could hardly keep his face out of the chocolate!

On our last day we packed up then drove back to Mersehead for a family fun day, meeting up with Jane Wilson and Molly, John and George. Once again we had a great day there, making our way to the beach this time. I really enjoyed supervising the creation of our beach art, a red kite. We joined the RSPB, on a whim rather. The nearest RSPB reserve to us is Vane Farm by Loch Leven in Fife, so I suspect we won't get the use of RSPB membership that we do from the Historic Scotland membership. But Sean's competitive streak won't let Finn be the bird expert in the house and anything we can do to get us all outdoors has to be a good thing.

We had a great week in Dumfries and Galloway despite the indifferent weather. We spent a fair bit but there's lots for the kids too and plenty they'd go back and do again. And with better weather there are lots more walks and beaches to explore. I'm sure we'll be back.

My sometimes the boss

Sean played the cello today. At school, that is, rather than suddenly declaring a hitherto unrevealed talent and astonishing us all. He played two notes and quite enjoyed it. It made a change from the recorder. Rowan began his extra reading today, with Mrs. Morwood, the deputy head, and three of the other P1's. He's doing Stage 5 with her, Stage 4 with this class. Mrs. Cooke was mindful of how Sean hadn't been keen to go out of class to do extra stuff but Sharon had assured her it would not be a problem with Rowan. "I'm the second cleverest in my class!" he stated this evening. Seems that Joseph is the man to beat.

Finn was out at ten-pin bowling this evening with the Beavers. He got a spare and came third in his group. He had his back teeth sealed at the dentist on Friday morning, the same treatment Sean got last year. He made less of a song and dance about it compared to Sean, however, his mouth swelled up on one side and he's been left with a nasty looking cold-sore type patch of skin around a corner of his mouth. Whether it's been a bad reaction to the latex in the dentist's glove, we're not sure. The dentists didn't have a suggestion either.

Angus has been hacking away for the last few days, generally without covering his mouth so it's probably a matter of time before we're all spluttering in unison. He had a rough night on Friday night so I slept in with him. He's dropped his lunchtime nap, mostly, but will still doze off if we drive somewhere in the afternoon and fell asleep on me watching telly at the weekend and as I was reading stories this evening. "My sometimes the boss!" he forcefully told his mother the other day.

I had a good day with the lads on Saturday. The big two were back at golf, outside for the start of March, and had a good colour in their cheeks as a result. I took the wee two to Sainsburys, which can always be a bit fraught as they go running off, chasing each other, yelling, jumping aboard the "bus" (trolley), rolling about in the aisles and licking the floor. Maybe I'll get my own back in 20 or 30 years' time. Rowan went up to Sandy's party, the others had lunch and did homework then we all went down to Morningside Park for a good burst of fresh air. The four lads played well together. There's probably only a short window while this will happen, as Angus gets big enough to hold his own and Sean is still young enough to play his brothers' games so we need to make the most of it.

"Cork in the bottle" involved all four of them taking over the helter-skelter slide; the "swing bombs" game where I lob a ball at them as swing back and forth on the swings with the risk of getting hit and the perennial favourite "the running game", where I instruct them to complete various tasks around the playpark, this time augmented by the presence of the scooter. Tired and hungry, we headed home to where the chicken had been cooking in the oven and Sharon had returned from a spring rally.

Wherz the wheel?

We had a good family day yesterday. The morning was a lazy one, the boys having breakfast upstairs, enjoying the novelty of cramming round the console unit in Rowan and Angus's room to sit and eat their porridge and bagels, before spending the rest of the time playing on their iPods and DS and watching telly. Sharon slept on while I caught up on recorded sport on the TV, a favourite Sunday morning pastime of mine.

We finally got our act together and prepared a picnic before bundling the boys into the car and heading to Falkirk, to the Falkirk Wheel. Sharon and I were last there the weekend it opened, when Sean was just a few months old. The incident we most remember from that day was as we were making our way back to the car, having had to park some distance from the Wheel itself due to the crowds. A car parked and as we were passing it the door opened. A man was in the process of emerging from the vehicle. Without pause, as he rose, and with manners non-existent, he barked in a typically no nonsense Glasgow accent "Wherzthewheel!?" Taken aback, once we had played back and slowed down his grunted enquiry, Sharon and I managed to point back along the way we had just come. To speak in response would have been superfluous. Ever since, the mention of Falkirk is usually enough to provoke a "wherzthewheel?" from one of us.

Despite it being one of the warmest Februarys that I can recall, we picked a cold afternoon to pitch up for a picnic. Credit to the boys, they saw it through, tucking into their soup and sandwiches and other titbits by the pond beneath the great inverted S-shape of the wheel. There was no turning of the wheel however, so the boys didn;t get to see it in action. They had a good time in the gift shop, heating up, then we went over to the play area where Angus showed he's left babyhood far behind. He's very much one of four boys now and clambered to the top of the highest tunnel slide and piled down it with no fear, just a big red happy face. We had a good time in the water park which was closed for the winter but the boys still climbed about the various features and worked out what they all did.

Finally we headed for home with some tired boys, but the pork shoulder that had been cooking in the oven while we were out soon revived them and there was more sweaty dancing before baths and bed.

On Saturday the Cairns came over for a visit. I took Sean and Finn into Bruntsfield Links to practice our chipping and putting. The course isn't laid out just now but we made do by placing a stick on each green and aiming for that. Finn managed two of the holes in two shots, with some very good chips. Sean needs to work on his swing a little but had one or two good hits too. Afterwards we went across to Thai Lemongrass for a very tasty Saturday lunch! Chicken satay, noodles with seafood and a green pork curry for me. Spot on!

Mid-term break

It hardly seems the boys have been back to school five minutes and already they have a week's holiday! After a busy little term where the boys were very much into their Scottish roots, centred on Burns Night in January, Sharon has to keep them entertained for the mid-term holiday. We had a good start with a visit to the St. Johns' house on Saturday afternoon. The boys generally have a good time with Alex and Louis while we get to sit down with Brian and Lucy. As Sharon said, we don't get too many invitations as a family these days as we invade rather than visit! After a couple of sittings (one for the children, one for the adults) we returned home pleasantly full.

Yesterday was good too. Sharon and I secured a rare long lie, the boys being occupied electronically and not plaguing us with requests for food, then Sharon met Alana in town. I came in with the boys and we met up in the museum. The lads had a grand time in the science bit as usual and then explored one of the new areas behind the Millenium Clock. Next we went for lunch in the Assembly Bar round the back of the museum in Lothian St. It was very good value with three "small plates" for a fiver. Ideal for the kids. Sharon and I had a decent meal too and the boys had a great time playing round various couches and chairs. It wasn't too busy so they had the run of the place. And they played AC/DC's Powerage and For Those About To Rock albums back to back. What's not to like!?

Sharon took Sean and Angus back into the museum while I went to the Meadows playpark with the middle two. The weather has been pleasantly mild of late (while England has been deep into minus temperatures - ha ha!) and it was a great afternoon for Finn and Rowan to run themselves ragged. It's good to see Finn being a bit more active. Sometimes he can be a bit reluctant to expend energy. He took the opportunity to go to Hillend with Miriam and Sean last weekend so maybe he's starting to enjoy the physical side of life a bit more.

Talking of exercise, Sharon has been missing her running. Her foot is much better but it'll still be a good while before she can venture out on a jog. She contented herself with running me ragged last night instead, with some kettle bell core exercise and cardio-vascular work. I can't deny I need to get fitter but I find no pleasure in training and never have. My gout flared up too shortly afterwards so I'm contending with a sore foot and very stiff limbs today.

W411 ACE

On the way home yesterday, I was briefly behind a black mini with the numberplate W411ACE. So it does exist!

Sean was lucky to get to go to the cinema with Finn on Saturday. He was on a digital ban after Sharon caught him pinching wads of her paper to take into school. All the boys have been increasingly hard work since the term has started and the renewed influence of their peers and the rebellion against doing anything other than play during their free time takes hold. The riot act has been read and they have a timetable-cum-checklist that they need to review each morning instead of standing at the door saying "Where's my blah?" or "I need blah-blah" or "I've left my blah-blah-blah at school."

Angus has been playing off the others and is a nuisance at mealtimes, forever standing in his chair and refusing to use his cutlery when he is eating. Him and Rowan have had various spats, as have Rowan and Finn, with the latter constantly winding up the former, leading to keening wails and yells at all times of the day. Finn then loses the plot when he is told off. Admittedly, Rowan wades in at times and Finn is only standing his ground but the squabbling and bickering gets tiresome.

Rowan is starting to learn his letters and form words using the letters from his bag. T-A-P were the first three, followed by I-N and now M-S. He likes it when he can form or read a word but we'll need to work with him more to get him into the way of concentrating and learning and not just playing all the time. Sean needs to work on his times-tables: he hasn't progressed at all since last year. Finn's reading is still good, but he just will not read for pleasure. When barred from doing anything else, Sean will always turn to a book (even if he keeps re-reading the Harry Potters just now, rather than turn to something new) whereas Finn will just flounce around protesting that he is bored, then start teasing Rowan for entertainment. Rowan always rises to the bait.

Finn restarted Beavers on Monday ("I don't want to go to Beavers!" "Why?" "I just don't!" "What is it about Beavers you don't like" "I just don't want to go!" This is a sample of a typical conversation with Finn) and seemed to enjoy it. Sean was back at Cubs last week and swimming lessons ("I don't want to go to swimming lessons!") and golf lessons (ditto) have restarted too. The wild weather has continued as the tail-end of Hurricane Katia swept through on Monday, uprooting one of the trees in the Meadows but leaving our house relatively unscathed. What was a poor summer is segueing into an early autumn. At least the winds saved us the job of picking the plums off the tree. The boys picked up the windfall. Angus has eaten too many of them. As Rowan said this morning, "Angus, your mappies are a disgrace!"

Apples amaze

Adrian came over from Glasgow again today. Sharon was doing her Great North Run training (4 weeks to go!) with Hannah and managed the full 13.1 miles today. The last few km were tough going but she managed it. Not content with that she spent the afternoon getting a one-to-one Thai cookery lesson over in Liberton. Adrian and I certainly enjoyed the fruits of her labour at dinner in the evening!

Ad and I took the boys down to Peebles, but as they all fell asleep in the car (yesterday's secret beach outing catching up with them) I drove on to Traquair House. You wouldn't believe the time that could be spent playing in a walled garden, mainly lobbing windfall apples into the pond. Angus just loves splashing with water at the moment. He regularly drags a kitchen chair across to the sink and starts filling it so he can "wash" things. Generally he ends up with a very wet front.

Next stop was the maze behind Traquair House. It's a good size and far from straightforward. The challenge was keeping tabs on Rowan who kept running off. It's fair to say a methodical approach to finding a route was not high on his list of priorities. We eventually made it to the centre and out again. The playground occupied the bigger lads for a while but Angus didn't get past the "chickens". He was fascinated by the hens and the goat and the pigs.

We returned to the walled garden for more play with the fountain where Finn had the bright idea of putting a smallish apple on the end of a stick and trying to stick it in the water spout. Lo and behold we managed to support the apple on a column of water, much to everyone's delight. It was still there when we left. It can be cool, defying gravity.

Dunbar sun

Sharon was preparing for her "Grand a Month" dinner yesterday so I elected to take the boys out to Dunbar for the day. For once this summer the sun was shining so we took the beach stuff and parked by the beach next to Back Road. The tide was coming in so the bridge in the middle of the channel, and some people on the far side, quickly became isolated, much to the boys' amusement. We dug and paddled and had our snack and only Angus was a casualty, toppling the deckchair as he climbed on it, ending up with a faceful of snotty sand.

Getting everyone cleaned up wasn't as arduous as usual and, cones in hand, we wandered a little along the John Muir Way, the boys in their perpetual game of "Harry Potter" with spells being issued and repelled through their magic wands (any sticks they could find).

We wandered in to the Belhaven Bay campsite to see how it looked. There were some tents and it all seemed very pleasant in the afternoon sun. I still haven't taken the boys camping as I vowed to do this year and time is running out. Next weekend is the plan. As it was such a nice evening I decided to prolong the trip and sought the Tesco in Haddington to buy us a picnic tea. A long time and several circuits of Haddington later, I finally found the Tesco. Angus was by now in a terrible mood, having fallen asleep. However, we got some nosh (no hot chicken though!) and drove on to Gifford where the boys had a great run about in the playpark after their tea. It was a glorious evening, despite Rowan's wails as we finally headed for home.

Sharon did a fine leg of lamb for the dinner, with Jill, Rachael, Hannah and Alex all present, the latter giving us all a good laugh with some of his stories. Sharon and Hannah went for a run in the morning while I cleared up. They're going to be running in the Great North Run in September so time for more training for Sharon!

New pool

Sharon went out to Bubbles (or Excite as it is now known) in Livingston earlier in the week with the boys and the Valentines, only to discover it was closed for some work (during the summer holidays?). On the way back into town they tried the pool at Wester Hailes and it was a great success. There was an inflatable water slide, some fifteen feet high, and a diving pool as well as a kiddies pool.

The diving pool had two boards: a springboard about four feet above the surface of the water and a fixed platform about seven feet above the water. Sean was nervous at first but soon managed the board and then the platform, making up silly jumps in competition with Lewis. Finn jumped off the springboard but couldn't bring himself to go off the platform, despite Zoe managing it. To her credit, Sharon tried to show Finn how brave she could be, by jumping off the springboard. It took her a while but she did it. It doesn't sound like it was elegant; in fact Karen was poorless with laughter and the attendant looked aghast. Finn still wasn't persuaded however.

I've moved office, to Standard Life House in Lothian Road. Having worked for the Standard for 23 years this Monday coming, it's the first time I've actually been based in SLH. I've somehow managed to avoid being in the thick of it for some time but there's no hiding place any more! Consequently, I've lost my parking space and so I'm back to getting the bus in regularly for the first time in a few years. It's not so bad at this time of year, with the school holidays on too, but I'm hoping I get a space back by the time the nastier weather arrives. Although with this wet summer, it'll be hard to tell the difference.

Sharon also took the big two to the reopening of the National Museum on Friday morning. there was an animatronics dinosaur and some people abseiling off the roof, as well as a bizzarre, one-note specially commissioned piece played on some odd instrument. All in all, Sharon said, it was a bit of an odd mish-mash. They didn't go in as it was too busy. Instead the met the St. Johns and went down to the Meadows playpark. I then took Sean and Finn for lunch at Mama's in the Grassmarket - a rare opportunity for me to have a gluten-free pizza.

In God's name

"Why did God's mammy call him God?" asked Rowan of Sharon the other day. "Because she liked the name," was Sharon's wise answer. Angus came out with the word "dangerous" while at the playpark with Adrian. There are many subtle changes happening to our boys. Rowan is looking ruddy after his days in the sun in Ireland and seems very ready for school. Sean and Finn have had a good week with morning golf camp at Swanston. Sharon even let them go round to the shop on their own on Saturday morning and Finn went back again on his own when his sweet turned out to be malformed. Angus is storming round the place and loving it when he can get outside to play. He was filthy for most of the week as Adrian was clearing earth in the corner of the front garden and putting down slabs on top of which he's erected a pergola with benches. Angus felt the need to sit in the soil and cover himself at regular intervals, leading to multiple baths each day.

Adrian took the middle two up to Swanston Village with a view to walking up Allermuir on Saturday but they only got as far as the hollowed out tree. I suspect Rowan wouldn't have been up for the whole climb anyway but his time will come. While I was at the cricket on Sunday it was a blistering day up in Edinburgh so Sharon, Adrian and the boys headed down to Biggar for the afternoon as Rowan had a morning birthday party. The paddling pool was filled so the boys had a great time with Angus a permanent fixture in the pool - until he did a poo in his trunks! Rowan had his usual meltdown when it was time to go and Angus refused to leave the pool but Sharon eventually got them home for a barbecue dinner.

I had a pleasant Saturday wandering the streets of London. From Waterloo I crossed the Thames and wandered up to Covent Garden via Trafalgar Square then visited the British Museum for the first time. I just spent an hour or so, looking mostly at the Roman and Egyptian artefacts. The number of mosaics, busts, statues and sarcophaguses is quite remarkable. I discovered Tas, the sister Turkish restaurant of the place I ate at when down in London in May and had lunch there then headed across to Hyde Park on the Tube. After a pleasant doze near the circular lake I undertook some light shopping in Kensington, buying a Casio watch and salivating over the wares in the Wholefood Market. There were a few tube closures and it took me a while to work my way back to East Sheen but Ali put down a fine dinner while we watched the Tour de France and cricket highlights. A splendid day!

So you think it's dark?

Sean has finished the seventh and last Harry Potter book this week. He looks rather bereft and has been re-reading parts of it and the first book, which Finn has been manfully inching through. (It's probably too much for him to read but, credit to him, he has stuck with it, a page or two at a time). We got a loan of the first six films on DVD and the big three have been watching those too, but only in the morning as they are rated higher than we would normally allow the boys to watch. Evening viewing would no doubt lead to over-active minds and nightmares and sleepwalking. As it is, the boys have been finding sticks to use as wands and quoting spells in an ongoing simulation of Harry Potter. Rowan, as ever, is a prime instigator of what he sees in films and other media - a real digital native.

The Nintendo DS and Wii have been sidelined recently with Moshi Monsters, an interactive internet-based game, the new in-thing with Sean and his friends and, thereby, with Finn and then Rowan as observer-in-chief. Finn has been miffed that the holiday house does not have an Internet conection. He's had to make do with playing solitaire on the laptop, even though we brought the DS and there is a Wii here. All three have grabbed others' phones at every opportunity to play any games they can find on there. My phone is so old it only does phone calls and text messages so they're on a loser there!

Thursday was wet and miserable, the first morning we've woken to mist-obscured hills and lashing rain. Joan whisked Sharon away to lunch in Gort and shopping in Loughrea while I oversaw the lads. After lunch I headed out with them in the car. Angus had already slept, Finn took a while to doze off but Sean and Rowan were soon asleep on the drive to Gort. Nothing doing there in the rain so I headed towards Galway via Claregalway. Nothing doing there either except horrendous traffic. Sean woke up and was sick in the car. Marvellous. I cleaned that out then drove (slowly) back to Kinvara. The others woke. No-one wanted to walk in the drizzle. Over two hours of driving (well done to Angus for his patience) and nothing to show for it.

Friday was a little better and we headed into Kinvara to a small farmers' market (it was the market that was small, rather than the farmers). There was some lovely produce on show. Shame it hadn't been at the beginning of the week. Angus was fascinated by the caged hens. Heavy rain returned so we lunched back at the house, put Angus down for a nap and had some quiet time reading (well, as quiet as you can manage when Finn and Rowan are bored and niggling each other). There was some good colouring going on.

Later we headed out on the winding N67, south through Ballyvaghan to Ailwee Cave. Strangely no sickness, despite the undulating road. A tractor "train" hauled us up from the car park to the cave entrance. We clambered a little way up the limestone crag, Rowan and Angus managing very well, then we embarked on the 30-minute cave tour. The story of the cave's discovery is quite remarkable. In 1940 or thereabouts, a farmer's dog chased a rabbit down a hole. The farmer followed and discovered a long narrow cave. When it got too dark he returned and brought back a candle to explore further. He kept his knowledge of the cave secret for 30 years until he told a group of Bristol cavers about it. They duly explored its length. Subsequently the land was bought and the cave opened up to the public.

There is a smooth roof to the cave from the underground river which originally forced its way through a fissure in the hillside and which occasionally still floods the cave. We saw bear hibernation pits and the 2000-year-old remains of a brown bear skeleton. There were stalactites and stalagmites, narrow passages and a waterfall. In the midst of the cave, the lights were extinguished. The darkness is absolute. We made sure we were holding the boys' hands. Sean often complains when his light goes off at night and I close over his door: this, I told him, was what "too dark" really meant. The guide put on a small light which was the equivalent of the candle the farmer used to explore the cave. It was feeble in the extreme. Sharon had visited here on a school trip years ago. On a Coen family trip, apparently Edel had freaked out when they switched off the lights. All in all it was an interesting tour.

We drove back to Kinvara, the boys kept awake by means of ice lollies. Joan arrived to babysit then Sharon and I met Michael and Marie in Gort at a restaurant in Queen St. There is a high incidence of coeliacs in the west of Ireland and so "we" are well catered for. I had an excellent mezze starter and a good rib-eye steak while Sharon had a green salad and a shellfish broth. The service was a bit patchy but there was definitely a deft hand in the kitchen. It was a good end to our week in Kinvara.