Mild January

After two and a half weeks, the boys finally went back to school today. Rowan had his shorts on, which is part testament to his preference for short trousers for school but also an indication of how mild the weather has been for the last week. It was ten degrees when I dropped the boys off this morning.

It's warmer than that in Florida. Sharon is in Miami for the PC Executive Directors' Conference, having eventually arrived on Sunday after leaving here on Friday. She stayed with Nina on Friday night but their flight from Heathrow on Saturday was delayed for hours and eventually cancelled, after they had already boarded it. Between that and the barking cough she finally caught from the rest of us (Angus started the cycle the week before Christmas), she was feeling pretty grotty by the time she arrived but had a walk on the beach yesterday morning and face-timed the boys later in the day.

Marie and Michael arrived on Thursday to help out with the logistics of minding the boys this week. It was Marie's birthday on Friday and Michael's on Sunday. Nana was presented with a cake baked and decorated by Sean. Papa had to make do with some gingerbread offcuts decorated in abstract style by Angus. We had a very muddy walk around the Cammo estate on Saturday morning. Both Angus and Rowan had to be lifted out of their boots at different points in the walk, having literally become bogged down.

The Christmas decorations came down on Sunday, with the tree dumped at the Klondyke Garden Centre. As in the Julia Donaldson book, the house feels less of a squash and a squeeze once the extra clutter is removed.

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.

Snow fair on my birthday

I didn't expect to see snow when I opened the curtains on my birthday but there it was, on the hills and gardens. It wasn't as bad as last year's, which at least was expected, after a long winter, but given March's mild moments I could have been treated with a bit of sunshine. Alas no. It was a cold drive to work, a full day's work and then home again. Sharon did take me out in the evening however, to the Michelin-starred Castle Terrace restaurant in, well, Castle Terrace.

It is the first one-star Michelin restaurant we've dined in, having only managed a couple of 2-star places up till now (Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles and the Piccolo Lago in Italy). The service was excellent and the food very tasty indeed. Apart from a curious bunch of Japanese youngsters making their way dully through the tasting menu at the next table, when not playing games on their mobiles and/or falling asleep, we had a thoroughly enjoyable evening. A slight downside is that I'm "aff the drink" so I didn't sample any of the wine. On the two occasions this year that I've had one bottle of cider, my gout has flared up within a couple of days. It is no coincidence, I fear, so I've been avoiding alcohol ever since. Whether this becomes permanent remains to be seen but I'm not exactly missing it.

As a birthday treat and partly because it is bonus payment time and my Audi has now tipped over the 100k mark, I've bought the Patersons' Mazda 6. It's a bit bigger that the Audi, an estate but with a diesel engine, slightly less powerful and therefore slightly cheaper to run than the Audi (I hope). It's also got 40k miles fewer on the clock and is 8 years' younger. The monkey on my back is now how I sell the Audi as paying the insurance on three cars is hefty. I think Sean is a bit young to get a provisional licence and a 2.4 litre V6 engine might be a bit too powerful for him to learn to drive on, so I'll have to sell it rather than leave it to rust on the drive for the next few years.

Back to school

The boys are finally back at school after what seems liks the longest festive break ever. Marie arrived last Saturday night, followed by Michael on Monday so the school transport logistics are sorted once more while Sharon's pediatry recovery continues. There was almost a setback on Saturday night as she was reading stories to the boys. Sean slipped and bumped the console unit in the bedroom which shifted into Sharon's foot, bending it upwards. I was alerted by a number of screams of pain, followed by tears from the boys who got a fright. Hopefully no lasting damage has been done. The bandage is due to come off next week.

Rowan's night-time wanderings have continued. His start back at school was delayed slightly as he had an appointement at the Eye Pavilion after an 18-month absence, to check on the bad squint he has suddenly developed in his left eye. Marie came with us. The squint isn't noticeable with his glasses on and the optometrist believes that the "decompensation" as she called it could have resulted from Rowan not wearing his glasses or looking over the top of them, two things he was guilty of earlier last year. Also, for someone with hyperopia (long-sightedness), at his age he has started using his eyes much more, especially with starting school. The eyes working harder can exacerbate conditions if the glasses are being worn properly. No patching (thankfully, as Rowan would have been a hard man to get to stick to that regime) and his levels of vision are decent in both eyes with his glasses on, but he's being referred to the consultant.

With his brothers back at school, Angus was highly talkative all day, barely pausing to breathe. He has been doing much hugging and kissing and was making "pizza" with the playdo. He's now 400g off the 20kg mark and is attacking his food with a renewed vigour after being "aff it" over Christmas. Rowan is only six pounds heavier than him. Rowan is heavier than his wiry frame might imply but Angus is just a hefty lump!

The garage door people came today and can't get the tension back on the rollers at all from the wires. They spent the best part of an hour trying to sort it. The door manufacturers pulled out of the UK five years ago, and there are no replacement parts to be had. So, replacing it could cost upwards of £800 depending on the style of door chosen. Not a good start to the year. At least Adrian has fixed the back door so we can access the garage.

The "twins" had a 67th birthday tea on Tuesday night. A traditional Irish favourite of baked ham, spuds, cabbage and other veg, and a cake with candles after. I think the boys were disappointed there were only seven candles on the cake! Sharon held a Directors' meeting in the house last night at which the new Sales Director for Pampered Chef UK, Nick Banyard, was present. So, it's been a busy start to the New Year!

Rowan is five

Hot on the heels of Sean's birthday comes the be-dimpled boy's birthday. We held a joint family birthday lunch out at Swanston Golf Club on Saturday, after Sean and Finn had completed their golf lesson and Sharon had an unsuccessful trip to Loanhead where the swimming pool was closed. Still, we had a nice lunch and the boys pretty much behaved themselves. Sharon was busy in the afternoon so I had to be the homework boss. Finn has a lot of homework compared to Sean, which usually leads to tantrums and fights. He persevered this time and was doing some excellent joined up writing. Rowan meanwhile is reading very well. It can be hard to determine if he is reading from memory or actually blending his sounds to read the words but either way he's coming on in leaps and bounds.

Sunday was his both his birthday and his party day. He has been looking forward to being five for some time, as he anticipates that a whole new world of possibilities will open up to him now he's five. Like paying on the bus. Sadly, on the day itself, he was a bit subdued by a tummy bug, possibly the same one that seems to have been hanging about the Wallace household for the best part of the last month. At his party, at The Kabin in Loanhead, shared with Toby Francis, he played at hiding under the table, but that was really just Rowan's way of trying to escape from the hubbub, which isn't like him. Usually he likes to run with the pack, nosing his way into everything that's going on. He came out of the soft play too, unlike Angus, who was lathered in sweat. A couple of Rowan's friends complained that "his little brother was hitting them." Basher returns! Finn was at the party but Sean saw sense in avoiding a plague of five year olds and spent the afternoon at Alex's house instead. The party was enjoyed by all, despite Rowan's lack of participation. Later that evening he was complaining more of a sore stomach and got out his bed late for a little supper and a cuddle from his Mammy.

In the morning he opened his presents and had a second go in the evening after his party. With Rowan the enjoyment is usual in the opening and unwrapping and tearing rather than the presents themselves. He got a Vectron Wave from us which was pretty rubbish, to be honest, and doesn't seem to work. He got lots of play figures, some Mega Bloks, a Moshi Monsters gift pack, some money and a couple of tops.

So, not the greatest of fifth birthdays for the King of the Dimples. Here's hoping he recovers soon and really starts to enjoy being a big five year old boy.

Sean is nine

The day after Sean's party was Halloween itself. Finn had a party at Beavers so went dressed up while Sean joined Lewis and others to go out guising down Lewis's way. Sean was playing his recorder. He's done well to learn a couple of tunes and can occasionally be heard tooting about the house. I still wouldn't class it as my favourite instrument though.

After Beavers, Sharon took Finn and Rowan out round a few "friendly" houses in Swanston. Rowan was a bit apprehensive going out in the dark, thinking people were going to leap out at him from behind hedges. Maybe I shouldn't have said to look out for witches and make sure he holds Mum's hand, but with Rowan you need to have some lever to stop him running off.

Finn told his jokes as did Rowan and when all guisers returned they were delighted with their glucose bounty. Fads may come and go but children will always love sweets. Needless to say we had a job calming them down and getting them to bed.

Next, today was Sean's birthday. Nine years old! His last year in single digits! He was delighted to receive a fair bit of money as he has decided to save up for an iPod Touch. He also got a few books and Hagrid's Hut Lego, a Bruno Mars CD from Edel and a funny Canadian mug from Olivia. Add in his presents from his pals and he was very happy with his lot.

The down side of the week, however, was Sean losing his new winter coat at school on Monday. When you have four children, they have to take responsibility for their own belongings and tasks as much as possible, a point we've had to drum into Sean - again.

Halloween birthday party

It's party season. This is always a hectic time of year for us with Halloween, two birthdays and fireworks night. It's almost like a festive season warm-up.

Sean was very excited in the days leading up to his party. He probably looked forward to that more than his actual birthday (until the material element of birthday presents and, more tellingly this year, birthday cash, kicked in). He was preparing Halloween decorations a week last Sunday and has been working on the timetable for the party all week, discussing the menu with Sharon and me and what games were to be played with me.

On the day itself we picked up some extra decorations from the Fishers and festooned the house in skeletons and bays and ghosts. I carved the pumpkin while Sharon baked the cake and made up the sandwiches. With due respect to the other boys, Sean's party always seems to be the big one. Maybe it's because he was the first, or because he now has a fairly established set of friends or because he himself knows what he wants from his party and involves himself in organising and, more importantly, participating, in it.

Adrian arrived over from Glasgow which was a useful foil for Angus and Rowan and took them out the hustle and bustle especially once the be-costumed nine-year olds began filing in and running riot. Fortunately, once more, the weather was fair so we were able to turf them into the garden and play there. I executed the obligatory treasure hunt and a less successful "touch, smell and taste" game, then they came in for food and a cauldron cake which was covered in a rather unappealing grey icing but was duly scoffed nonetheless.

As darkness fell (the clocks went back last night) we returned to the garden for the ever popular "night-time dodge the ball" which ended with me fighting off seven or eight of them as the hunted became the hunters. Remarkably no-one came a cropper on the trees or clothesline in the dark.

Sean was particularly grateful to me and Sharon for hosting the party and seemed to really enjoy himself, which is the main thing.

Birthday girl

Rowan was very sick in the middle of the night going into Monday, which is very unusual for him. Sharon didn't get much sleep at all as she went into the spare bed with him but he was retching every half hour or so, having been sick all over the bathroom floor before that. He recovered gradually over the course of Monday, having bedded down on the couch and got a marathon dose of TV, which can only have been to his liking. No-one else came down with anything as the week progressed, thankfully. Rowan's hygiene leaves a lot to be desired at times so whether he's picked something up or infected himself remains open to debate.

We're arranging Rowan's party for The Kabin, a new soft-play and general community resource in Loanhead. It seems a nice place and well-priced too. Sharon took the boys there and on the way out inadvertantly pressed the fire alarm instead of the door release button. The staff didn't know how to switch it off. As Sharon drove off she saw a fire engine heading towards the building...

It was Sharon's birthday yesterday. Lesley and Stuart came over to mind the boys while we headed through to Glasgow to the Firebird, a (supposedly) gluten-free restaurant near Kelvingrove Art Gallery to meet the Wilsons times two. The place smelt suspiciously of paraffin and could give no guarantees about the "gluten-freeness" of the main courses - they could only vouch for the pasta and pizza dishes (which I would normally avoid as these are dishes I could do at home). The food was decent enough, although I do find pizza rather boring, and it was good to meet up with Jane, Philip, Alison and David. We went on to a pub briefly afterwards before cracking back through to Edinburgh.

No Great North Run

Sharon was very disappointed last week at having to pull out from the Great North Run that she had been training so hard for. Having done a couple of 13.1 mile runs she was looking forward to doing a good time in what is the biggest half-marathon in the world. Unfortunately, her knee went during some speed work earlier in the month and despite intense physio and rest, she realised it just wouldn't have been up to the test. Hannah did the run in 2:10 and Sharon watched the race on TV yesterday but obviously felt upset at not being able to take part. Thanks to everyone who had supported her and Hannah. I've tried to convince Sharon she hasn't let anyone down.

Sean was at Lewis's overnight on Saturday for an extended sleepover party in celebration of Lewis's 9th birthday. Sounds like he had a great time as there was a fair house full of his pals. Iain took them down to Braidburn Park to sail homemade boats along the burn, they played games, ate lots and didn't get much sleep. I'm sure the Valentines are heaving a sigh of relief that their turn is over.

Finn and Rowan slept in together and I took them both swimming yesterday at Loanhead. Rowan's swimming isn't developing at all but at least now he can plunge under the water and re-emerge without screaming the place down and heading for the exit. He had been keen to go swimming from the day before, when I took him and Angus up to Castlelaw Hill Fort and then to the playpark at Loanhead. Rowan had me playing "The Hobbit" as I'm telling him a version of the story from my head at bedtime at the moment. I was Gandalf. He was Bilbo for a bit, but wanted to be a wizard so I christened him Radagast the Red, who could talk to birds and animals and plants. Rowan loves this sort of stuff. Hopefully he can marry his creative imagination with his school work.

Angus was intrigued by the sheep surrounding the path and just seemed delighted to be out and about somewhere new. He walked very well at Castlelaw. We must have climbed a good 150 feet from the car park.

Finn had quite an active day yesterday. After swimming he went straight to Rory and Brodie's party at Hillend. Tubing was the order of the day, despite the heavy showers. Finn was soaked in sweat however, from wearing a ski helmet on his many trips down the nursery slope in the inflatable tube.

I got some golf in on Friday, playing a rare solo round at Kingsacre. It was good to just concentrate on hitting the ball and playing the course rather than against someone else. I had my best round for quite a while, an 82 (+12), spoilt a little by driving into the pond at the last. Still, 8 pars and some decent putting made for an enjoyable afternoon, even if the rain did come on quite heavily.

We've just been out the office after the new shrill fire alarm went off. Speculation is that the rumour mill overheated: probably too many people gathered in one place discussing what they've heard in the last few days. I'm sure there will be announcements shortly.

Finn's party

Finn had his small party this weekend. It wasn't really a party as such, as he only invited Zoe and Brodie, along with Sean and Rowan, to the cinema to see the Smurfs movie and then on to Papilio in Bruntsfield for a birthday dinner out. Sharon was the sole parent on duty but reported they behaved well, once Rowan calmed down and stopped running around at the Omni cinema. After the meal they came home around 9pm and Finn, Zoe and Brodie slept in the playroom. They were tired enough to fall asleep quite quickly, although Sean and Rowan upstairs, especially the latter, were more vocal.

While the rest were partying I took Angus out in the car. He fell asleep so we took the long way round to Dobbies Garden Centre. As we approached the Cockpen roundabout at the south side of Bonnyrigg, it became apparent that an accident had just occurred. A man was lying on the centre of the roundabout receiving CPR from the driver of a van that had pulled up. There was a motorbike on its side and one or two other people standing about. I drove on as there wasn't much I could have done and didn't really want to stop with Angus in the car. Today I found out the motorcyclist had died, apparently after hitting the kerb, coming off his bike and suffering a neck injury. Just goes to show how quickly things can happen. As I was driving through Rosewell the chap was probably still alive and biking his way home to Loanhead: by the time I got to the Cockpen roundabout he was dead.

In the event, Angus and I had a good wander about Dobbies, looking at the fish and rabbits and then outside to survey the sheds and summer houses. Our two huts are in a real bad way and while they'll probably last a few winters yet, we're not really making use of them. The one by the side of the house has a floor that is in danger of collapsing into the inky blackness beneath, whatever terrors that may hold.

Despite having six children in the house overnight, the Sunday morning wasn't too noisy, although I had had to go up to Angus at 5am and ended up sleeping fitfully upstairs. The sound of children in the morning in our house travels more from top to bottom than it does from bottom to top. Sharon and I should really think about relocating our bedroom upstairs. Before lunch and heavy rain curtailed any outdoor activity, we went for a family walk up at Flotterstane. Finn was showing an interest in some of the plants and wildlife (not that we saw any of the latter, save for Angus's tantrums once he felt he'd walked far enough) as he is covering Scottish plants and wildlife at school just now.

Finn is Seven

We headed out for lunch on Sunday, in celebration of Finn's seventh birthday. Sharon attempted a run in the morning but the knee she injured on Thursday was playing up again and she had to settle for some training at Gracemount. This is not good news with the Great North Run just two weeks away and Sharon is frustrated that all her training may be for nought.

We drove to Gifford, to the Goblin Ha', where we enjoyed a tasty if rather drawn-out lunch. Our order never made it from till to kitchen which resulted in a rather lengthy delay before our food arrived. Fortunately the boys behaved themselves and were able to play out in the garden seating area to pass the time. The food was good once it arrived and we enjoyed calamari, salads, chorizo, pizzas, burgers, macaroni and a gammon steak for me. With the obligatory chips for Rowan. It can be a challenge getting Rowan to eat anything other than the plainest fare these days, at home and when out. Angus is more adventurous when he puts his mind to it, which explains why his still-round tummy shows little sign of slimming down.

From Gifford we drove to Dunbar to try out the leisure pool there. The great attraction was the wave machine. Sean and Finn delighted in swimming in the waves while Rowan was determined to get as near to them as he could, despite being regularly knocked under the water. Stubborn as ever, Angus was refusing to wear armbands but was determined to wade in as deep as he could, oblivious to the fact that he couldn't breathe any time he stumbled under the water.

Finn's actual birthday was on the Monday. He was delighted with his Lego set (Hogwarts Castle) and Harry Potter Lego Wii game and launched into playing with them as soon as he got home from school. His missing teeth are starting to come in too, so he'll look less like a toothless laddie in a few months' time. Happy birthday Finn!

Party in the sand

"Thank you Alex! This is the best birthday pawty ever!" So proclaimed Rowan loudly, clad in his towel and trunks, piece of battered fish in hand as he wandered into the middle of the throng sitting on Seacliffe beach happily tucking into their fish suppers. His eyes were twinkling and his dimples deep as he beamed at everyone. It was completely unprompted and showed once again that Rowan knows exactly what he is feeling and how confident he is in expressing himself in a group. He goes beyond his older brothers in that regard and I hope he keeps that faith in himself.

He was right too. As far as birthday parties went, Saturday at the secret beach was probably as good as the kids would want to have it. Sharon was working in Livingston so I arrived with the four lads after a morning of packing and preparing for the beach. The forecast was set fair and we set up on the beach next to the MacLeods, Pattersons, Fishers, Barrs and Valentines. A couple of other families arrived too and soon the kids were off to the waters' edge, hunting starfish and crabs and digging channels and organising and chasing and yelling. Rowan was the second youngest but threw himself into the fray with more abandon than he usually does at the beach and less wailing!

Angus took his time to get settled then he too started to make the most of the freedom; digging, finding shells and stones and throwing himself about the sand. After the barbecue, the children headed for the north end of the beach to dam a river and revolt at the sight of a dead seal. Angus stayed closer, going for a paddle, jumping over waves and running in and out of the sea with much joyous shrieking. He tired eventually and I took him back to the car for a change and a doze (me rather than him, as it turned out!) before we rejoined the fray. Rounders, kicking a ball about, playing catch then more paddling as the tide came in and flooded the "aquarium" built earlier in the day. Everyone was having a blast, forming splinter groups and running around doing whatever they wanted. I stuck to Angus as he flirted with the waves once more, falling on his face in the water after a comedy slip on a rock and then trying to wade out too far in pursuit of his brothers and finding it a tad chilly in the nappy!

As the sun dipped there was a mercy dash to North Berwick for fish and chips which were delivered back to the beach in reasonably quick time, given how busy NB usually is on a sunny day. Iain V said the look when he ordered 13 fish suppers was priceless - I'm glad I wasn't next in the queue! With the children looking pink and, finally, running out of energy, we packed up the gear and trudged back to the car as the sun slipped behind some cloud and a few spots of rain spattered the sand. All but Sean fell asleep on the late drive home which resulted in mayhem back at the house. Sharon had been for a brisk walk up Allermuir and was faced with Angus, Rowan and Finn girning the house down as they got showered, creamed up and sent off to bed.

Despite all that, it was a splendid day at the beach.

Mortonhall madness

Sean started longer golf lessons at Swanston Golf Club on Saturday morning. The lessons are two hours long and feature a bit more than just hitting balls. I hope the boys do take up something like golf so that I can play with them in my dotage. Who will be the first to beat me? Finn has a decent, slow natural swing which could be coached (if Finn took to coaching) whereas Sean tries to hit the ball too hard at the moment which is literally very hit and miss.

It was Ross's special sleepover birthday party on Saturday evening at Mortonhall Caravan and Camp site. The Pattersons took their caravan there and booked the Wigwam cabins for 7 boys (and Phoebe) and their dads. Wendy laid on food throughout the day. We had a treasure hunt round the campsite then played rounders and football up at the top end. I think the dads were enjoying the sports more than the children! After dinner the wine appeared, marshmallows were toasted and eventually, long after it got dark, the children were put to their beds, not helped by Charlie scaring them at their window. Before too much wine was consumed, the adults headed for bed too, although there were a few sorry heads early next morning, only partly assuaged by the bacon and sausage rolls.

The weather held fair, otherwise it could have been a bit of a damp squib, and everyone seemed to enjoy the event. It's the first time I've gone on holiday about a mile from my house!

Later that day I took all the boys to Saughton Park. The wind was a bit chilly but the flowers looked great as they always do at this time in the winter gardens. In the evening the boys had a fine time playing in the garden. It's good to see them outdoors having fun instead of stuck round the DS, heads down, oblivious to anything non-digital.

45 today

45 today! For the first time I can recall, or certainly since having children, I'm having to share my birthday with Mothers' Day! It's not quite as bad as Christmas Day but my star has been eclipsed somewhat! 45 isn't good. I'm starting to creak. 50 suddenly seems too close for comfort. The boys are getting bigger, heavier and quicker. When will the inversion point be? When will they be better than me at the things I'm currently better at than them?

I got a couple of books and some chocolates and tickets to see Bill Bailey in November. And new slippers. And I welcomed the new slippers.

In our effort to get the boys more active, we took them and their many bikes and helmets to Braidburn Valley Park. Sean was doing reasonably well and is growing into the bike that was too big for him last year. Finn was very close to cycling properly but unwilling to persevere beyond a few bumps. Rowan was in one of his woe and torment moods, wailing uncontrollably at every slight mishap. Given his usual heedless approach to physical activity, his reluctance to try cycling is baffling. Angus was just content to be plunked on anything that could move and be pushed about, but keeping him steady is back-breaking work.

In the afternoon we headed to Go Outdoors, a massive new outdoors shop in the north of Edinburgh, by Granton. Sean and I went in to try out a few tents, as the rest had fallen asleep in the car (tiredness may have accounted for the cycling histronics in the morning). It was the kind of shop that you could have spent a day in before emerging with things you really don't need so it was just as well Sharon came in to get us as we were about to leave. From there we went to Ocean Terminal. The boys checked that the juggling ball was still there - "juggling ball at Ocean Terminal" sung to the same tune as "Istanbul not Constantinople" is a feature of any Ocean Terminal visit. There is a juggling ball visible from the windows overlooking the Royal Yacht, trapped on a ledge edged with anti-seagull prings and so unlikely to be removed any time soon. It's been there at least 15 months.

After some ice-cream and light shopping (Sharon had her eye on a jacket in Ness) we returned home. I didn't even get a birthday cake, although the boys did sing happy birthday to me in the morning. Angus attempted to reprise it a number of times thereafter.

I enjoyed a bike ride in the evening though, through the fields of the Mortonhall Estate, up Alnwickhill Rd, back across Stanedykehead and through to Braid Road via some hairy (for me) forest tracks. Fortunately I didn't come a cropper but the odd tree root nearly did for me!

Rowan gets even

As of today, Angus is the odd one out, literally. He is the only odd numbered age in the house and will remain that way for the next five months until I join him. Because today Rowan is four!

Being third in line means Rowan's birthday celebrations are inevitably lower key than Sean's and Finn's. When you're reading this years later Rowan, it's not because we love you any less! Angus will probably be thrown a few candles and an address book and told to get on with it himself! Nana and Papa came over for Rowan's birthday which he really liked. His main present today, which seems to have gone down very well, is a big Buzz Lightyear who has subsequently accompanied Rowan everywhere in the house. He also got a Wall-E "operation" type game and a pair of Batman pyjamas from us and magnetic shapes from Edel & Alan (& Barry). Sharon took him out in the early afternoon to do a bit of shopping and he was full of chat (it's rare for Rowan not to have a few words at hand) as they made their way round Sainsburys, picking out his Smarties birthday cake and some pizzas for his birthday tea.

A small selection of friends arrived at 4pm: Duncan and Sandy and two ladies, Emma and (girl) Finn. Boy Finn was predictably highly strung as the youngsters ran about playing, and threw a tantrum or two despite the fact it wasn't his party. Rowan seems delighted to be four (and he has been building up to it for a while now, expecting all sorts of wonderful talents to befall him, such as being able to play games on the Wii) and blew out the candles on his cake with gusto. He has turned down the whingeing a notch or two the past month and we can only hope he steadily starts to act a bit more "grown up" when he's asked to do something that he disagrees with, like finish his dinner or help tidy up, rather than turn the lip and do the Rowan the Red face that I first saw in glorious technicolour (well, red anyway) about twenty minutes after his birth and have witnessed most days since. The house would be much quieter without Rowan's vocal and boisterous interventions and we might have a chance to sit and watch TV without him treating us as a living climbing frame, but it wouldn't be the Wallace family without Rowany-Bo in the mix. Happy birthday, dimple boy!

Sean's birthday party

Once again, we were fortunate with the weather for Sean's party at the house yesterday. Despite having been at a Halloween party at the FIshers' house on Saturday and a Halloween party at Beavers the night before that, Sean wanted a Halloween birthday party. Sharon bought him a new wizard's dress-up outfit as he had outgrown just about all of the other costumes.

His friends assembled at 4pm, which, with the clocks having gone back the night before, meant there was time for some outdoor play in the remaining daylight. I set them a treasure hunt which entailed solving a Halloween crossword and using key letters for grid references on a map of the back garden. They then had to find each clue in order to complete the grid reference of the next clue. Each clue also had a letter that, in the final assembled eleven clues, spelt out the location of the treasure. Confused? The children certainly were, although Sean seemed to be on my wavelength! Perhaps me reading "The Lost Symbol" before setting the treasure hunt wasn't a good idea!

The food was served up next, by pumpkin candlelight as darkness descended outside. Sharon made Sean a ghoulish lemon birthday cake decorated with a skull. Angus and Rowan joined the others at the table, but Rowan wasn't in the best of form, being very tired from the night before. Angus tucked into the food like a boy possessed and then had a ball with the bigger children out in the garden in the dark, running about very sure-footedly over the grass and windfall apples. Finn and Rowan took the telly option but most of the others were outside enjoying dodge the ball and chasing in the dark. I was fairly out of puff by 6pm, as the bigger lads decided I was to be brought down. They didn't get me down but I suspect next year I won't be able to hold them off!

After the party, Sharon took Sean and Finn round to the Powers, the Wilsons and the Fletchers for trick and treating while I had a shower with Angus (he could teach Rowan how to stand in a shower without having a wailing tantrum about soap and water getting in his eyes). Sean and Finn were delighted to add more goodies to their trick or treat bags. Sean was also very pleased with his presents, which he unwrapped before bedtime. It can be hard work hosting parties at home, but it's good to see Sean so happy so that makes it worthwhile.

Forty and zero

One reason for me getting back smartly from the Ryder Cup was Sharon's 40th birthday party on the Saturday night. A good thing about flying in from Bristol was that it meant I was able to meet Michael coming off the plane from Dublin to surprise Sharon (although she didn't seem overly surprised to see him). Sharon had a fairly small party for friends and colleagues in Gillespies cafe at Buckstone in the evening, to save us having to prepare food and get the house in order. It had a pleasant ambience and we had a relaxed evening as the wine flowed. No big speeches or birthday cake, just a low-key acknowledgement that my wife has now joined me in the forties!

I persevered in watching the Ryder Cup on TV, although it was subject to further rain interruptions. Europe lost the first two rearranged sessions to finish 6-4 down before storming back on the Sunday afternoon, the Americans only winning half a point out of the six on offer. I somehow managed to avoid hearing the score on the Monday, the extra day required because of all the time lost, and was able to sit down in the evening to watch the nail-biting climax that I'd recorded. It wasn't quite as exciting as watching it live because I had a sense that Europe had won, given they had started with a three point lead, but coming down to the last match, for McDowall to roll in the birdie putt on 16 (right below where I would have been watching on Friday - I noticed the hospitality was all closed on the extra day) and then Mahan to make a mess of 17, it was certainly closer than I had anticipated as Europe clinched it 14.5-13.5. Well skippered Monty!

Sharon's actual birthday began with the boys singing "Happy Birthday" to her. Well, Angus just stood around and tried to figure out what was going on, but he was there. Sharon had lunch with Wendy, did some light shopping, met me for an unsuccessful selection of her birthday present (I subsequently bought her a pair of sparkly earrings) and then cooked her own birthday champagne dinner for us both. There were more flowers in the house than I can ever remember (nine bouquets were counted at one point). The kitchen resembled a florists!

The final act of the week was a meal at Leven's Thai fusion restaurant near the Kings Theatre in the former Favorit premises. It was excellently presented and tasted good too, although the fusion element does have the potential to miss the mark. From there we went to the Guildford to meet Alana who was up with her mum Lily for Lily's 65th birthday. It was good to see Alana for the first time in a couple of years, as feisty and bubbly as ever!

At this point, Sharon received word that she was an auntie! Edel, who was about ten days overdue, gave birth to a bouncing baby boy, Barry Matthew O'Sullivan, 10lb 6oz, around 7pm on Saturday 9th October. Just missed out on that 10/10/10 birthdate!

Finn is Six

Finn is six! It's the start of birthday season, both in our house and beyond it would seem. Finn has a run of parties the next few weeks and was at Evan's football party this morning. (He said he got two kicks and scored one goal. St. Mirren could do with that sort of ratio.) We can't remember Finn going to so many last year so maybe he's getting more popular!

We hosted Finn's party at home. It was a pyjama party, at Finty's behest, and his guests came suitably attired. Sharon, Marie and I stuck to the day clothes. Marie was a surprise visitor, arriving late on Saturday night to be picked up by me from the airport. Sharon was cursing me for taking so long at Sainsburys as she was waiting on ingredients to bake Finn's monster chocolate cake, but I was forgiven when I arrived home with her mammy. Marie is sporting a cast on her wrist. She broke it and damaged her ankle, tripping at the end of a four mile walk last week.

Thankfully, Finn and Rowan, the usual tearful two, had a great time at the party and there were no tantrums as everyone played in the garden, just about destroying the apple tree and some of the lads just about destroying each other. When you see a group of boys that age you realise that ours really aren't that boisterous or physical. It would be good if they were a bit tougher but I'm glad they don't knock lumps out each other. That said, it has been noticeable that Finn has been getting a bit rougher with Sean and Rowan and I suspect each boy in turn will show more grit. Poor Sean will likely be the whipping boy!

Finn was pleased with his Wall-E Wii game, various Lego presents and T-shirts and books, a Biffy Clyro CD, some dinosaur stuff and a car that drives on the wall and ceiling. It also uses a prohibitive amount of batteries to do so. Sharon excelled with the pizza, sandwiches, jelly, fruit and cakes, all of which were consumed with gusto. The cake was brought out, coincidentally, almost six years to the time of Finn's birth (4.38pm). That was a Sunday too. After the main party, I did a treasure hunt around the garden for Finn, Sean and Ross which they enjoyed, especially as the ultimate treasure was a Curly Wurly each!

For the record, the attendees at the party were Rory, Zoe, Rosie, Jamie, Alistair, Charlie, Robbie, Ethan, Evan, Brodie and Ross (P).

Angus is One

I've fallen a bit behind with entries, June having been a rather busy month on the work, school and holiday month. But it would be remiss of me not to mention Angus's fine first birthday party. The morning was rather hectic as Sharon was helping out in the cafe at the School Summer Fayre, which I attended with Michael and the three biggest lads. Angus was at home taking it easy in preparation for his big day. The boys enjoyed the Field of Fun: bouncing on the castle, doing laps on space hoppers, kicking balls about and so on. They made sure they got their cakes but didn't see why they had to queue for lunch at the cafe when Mammy was serving! It didn't trigger a memory at the time, but as I write this I recall the slightly odd feeling I got when I saw my Mum working in the kitchen at Bushes Primary when I went in for lunch. More often than not she was at another school, so I didn't usually see her. Her complaint was always the week when she was on the dreaded "tin sink" which no doubt meant scraping out potato and pastry encrusted pots and trays.

Anyway, back to the house and Sharon maintained the cooking tempo, putting the finishing touches to an array of curried dishes that she had mostly prepared the night before. After 3pm, the guests began to arrive. Paul O'Sullivan and his flatmate, the Fishers, the Valentines, the Fletchers and the Patersons: no baby friends for Angus, but enough people to spoil him and enough children to keep all our boys occupied. The sun shone in the afternoon and Angus sat out and devoured some corn on the cob (in fact anything within grabbing reach was in danger of disappearing down the gaping Angus maw) while his guests made merry at the bar on the back patio. Sharon's excellent spread of food was very well received (I did burgers for the children) just before the rain came on and we moved indoors. Sharon brought through Angus's cake to the living room where he stood next to the console and looked on wide-eyed at the chocolate cake with its single candle.

With the adults ensconced in the conservatory and the children thankfully doing their own thing in the playroom, the party went on well into the evening, only briefly interrupted by Angus's departure to bed. A fine time was had by all, although Sean, Finn and Rowan were predictably over-tired as they were put to bed after 10.30pm.

So, no more children under one in the Wallace household. Happy first birthday Angus, you were a smiling star all day!

A teetering step

This evening, Finn held up Angus who took his own weight and took one tiny teetering step towards me before falling into my outstretched arms. My baby. I am shaking my head as I type this, with a sense of disbelief. Where has a year gone to? Knowing Angus is my last, I am desperately trying to savour every minute of his "baby-hood", and almost want to freeze him in time. He is growing up so fast.

Mind you, they all are. You look at Rowan, with his amazing vocabulary. He can speak as clearly and competently as most P1 kids! He always has been 3 going on 13! Bless him, he got his pre-school booster jags today, he was such a star. The first one was ok, but the second one hurt him, mostly because he was trying to wriggle out of my grasp so much. He may be as skinny as anything just now, but he is very strong!

Finn had his French assembly this morning and was singing Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes en Francais, as he ably demonstrated in the playground while we waited for Sean to come out. He continues to delight and frustrate in equal measures! He cant seem to walk past me at the moment without slapping me "on the jelly belly" as he calls my stretchmark-ridden stomach!

Sean impressed me today with his efforts at cycling, after his cycling proficiency class at school. That was, until he lost control of the bike and steered straight into the side of a high wall, knocking himself to the ground. As ever, his cries of pain and anguish were most dramatic. Bless the boy, he doesn't do pain at all well!

Every now and again, I have to stop and think to myself how did I get to be nearly 40 with 4 lads, a husband and a house? Wasn't it only yesterday I was only 26, training like mad for rowing, enjoying a social life and living in a flat? Blink and you miss it! That's why you've got to enjoy the here and now. Really looking forward to Angus' wee birthday party on Saturday, and so so pleased Mam and Dad are coming over for it. Poor Angy is last in line, the novelty of it all has gone, but that's not fair on him and his first birthday is a really special day for him (and me!), so delighted his grandparents are coming over to spend the birthday with him.

Because he really is a special little baby boy.