Welcome to 2014

Sharon headed up to Kirkcaldy on Hogmanay for the funeral of Mary Flaherty, who died a few days ago aged 93. Mary was the cousin of May Coen, Sharon's gran. Sharon got to meet a lot of second and third cousins she'd heard a lot about and enjoyed doing the Irish family thing which she misses, being domiciled in Scotland. Although she was able to "facetime" Marie later now that Marie and Michael have an iPad courtesy of their children. As it was yet another grey day, and I wasn't feeling the best, the boys had another day indoors, a bit of high jinks here and there, some eating and mostly playing electronics.

We didn't make a big thing of them staying up for the bells, we just let them be and saw how it went. Angus did not flag one bit as the minutes and hours ticked by. Had we all sat down and watched TV, I suspect he would have flagged, but he was in tip-top form. If anything, Rowan was the one getting weary and teary as 1030 came and went and we enjoyed a nachos supper. Finally we asked them all to get dressed up for an outdoors walk and so, with the weather pleasantly calm and the temperature reasonable, we drove to Braid Rd, parked, and set off up Braid Hill with a number of other families. Angus insisted on being the torch bearer (after Sharon had piggy-backed him for a stretch) and led the way up the path as the twinkling lights of Edinburgh were revealed to us through the broom. We got to the top with ten minutes to spare and surveyed the stretch of the city, identifying the castle and spotting a fireworks display off to the east somewhere, which seemed to have gone off in advance of midnight. Angus kept asking how long to go and wanted to do a countdown when suddenly the fireworks exploded from the castle and, simultaneously, from Calton Hill. There was a fine display of all sorts, including smiley faces and Catherine wheels and flowery starbursts and, after a slight delay, we could hear the booms too. It was eleven years since we last climbed Braid Hill on Hogmanay with a seven-week old baby Sean in our arms. Now, with Angus four and a half, we finally had children old enough that we could return. We had a family happy new year hug and then made the descent back to the car, home and then into bed. Needless to say, the boys went to sleep pretty quickly, but Angus was up at 0720 on New Year's Day. Not for him, these long lies!

We had a lazy morning, a light lunch and then headed to the Patersons along with the Fletchers, Alison and Phoebe and one or two others, for a pleasant late afternoon of chat and good food served up by Wendy while the boys played out of sight and almost out of earshot. Welcome to 2014, the year when our building work will be finished!

Donkey

On Thursday afternoon we returned to Urbanizacion Voltacado and successfully located the Johnston's villa. We had a splendid afternoon relaxing, chatting and nibbling by their pool with Carol and Mark and their friends Gary and Nicola while the combined families played pool and in the pool. Their villa, booked through Mijas Villas was one of the newer vast, airy, tiled affairs with plenty of space to roam around in and a large garden with pool. Eve showed Sean up by doing multiple cartwheels although I didn't know Sean could do a one-handed cartwheel. And his headstand is coming on well too.

Once back in our own holiday house and after a light dinner (everyone had been grazing all afternoon) I headed into Mijas Pueblo myself for an evening stroll. The town was lively with stalls and a band playing in the main square and plenty of people eating and wandering about. I came across a flamenco exhbition in the Alcazabar then wandered slightly off the beaten track to the western end of town. This is more "tipico" and less touristy, with the houses piled up the slope of the mountain on top of one another. After the hubbub of the town centre it was remarkably quiet despite the density of dwellings and I stopped to survey the view to the plains below with peace only broken by the tolling of the bells signalling the hour and the occasional dog bark.

I followed a track that wound round the cliff beneath the bull ring, the hills below tumbling away towards Fuengirola and was surprised to find a very rustic stable in the lee of the bluff with a couple of the many donkeys being stabled for the night. The ubiquitous horses and donkeys and traps that circumnavigate the streets of Mijas have to live somewhere I suppose. There are plenty tethered under the concrete concourse by the main square but I suspect that is a temporary holding area rather than their permanent home. The track carried on and took me beneath the Alcazabar and back to civilisation as dusk fell. On my drive home I nearly piled into the back of a herd of donkeys on the winding Coin road, a feeble red light the only indication they were on the road ahead of me as they were herded across the lane to a back road at the very top of Mijas.

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.

Angus the Intrepid

If Rowan is incorrigible then Angus is undoubtedly intrepid. Since his return from Ireland and taking to walking, he has been fearless in exploiting his new found ability. First were the turns, partly through necessity as his baby balance often dictated the direction he should be taking but he soon learned to adapt and avoid crashing into doors, walls and stairposts, most of the time. If only Rowan could learn that.

Next was walking sideways and then walking backwards. The latter is no great surprise, as he was already adept at crawling backwards, which has served him well in his many descents, as you shall read. When he walks backwards he gives a cheeky, twinkly smile as if to say, "Look at me, I know I shouldn't be doing this but I can!" The stairs proved little bother to Angus, even with our rudimentary stair gate. It was simply cast asunder as he manoeuvred under and around to achieve his goal of getting upstairs.

Finally there has been the climbing. His ability in this discipline is aided by his massive mitts. Angus has big hands and, allayed with his strength, he puts them to good use. Once he gets a decent grip on something he can generally haul his, not inconsiderable, bodyweight up on to the obstacle of his choosing. He was found this morning, after breakfast, sitting on the kitchen table. He is 15 months old. He evidently availed himself of the opportunity to grasp the seat of a chair, heave himself up and, from there, it was short trip on to the table. His brothers, engrossed in some Lego, didn't even notice.

A couple of weeks ago I spotted him using the small trampoline as a staging post to launch an attempt to grab the springs of the big trampoline and haul himself in there. He was successful. The boys' new "castle," now built and positioned where the beds used to be at the foot of the garden, was another challenge. Going for the third rung of the well-spaced ladder he finally slipped and found himself swinging from the rung, before falling to the bark below, via a clunk from the second rung. That seems to have dissuaded him for the time being, although he had previously climbed all the way up to the five-foot-high platform unaided.

Add to this: falling out the bath in Ardilaun at 13 months; going over the rail of his cot one morning at a similar age (the cot base was then lowered as far as it could go) and following that up by planting his face on the carpet after going head first over the end of Finn's bed, and it's a wonder he hasn't ended up in casualty yet.

Stepping up

Angus is now walking! He took a few steps on Tuesday for Linda and then Sharon and I had him walking (well, taking a step or two then lunging) between us in the kitchen. By Wednesday he was dancing with his brothers in the sitting room and drenched with sweat at his efforts! That boy knows how to sweat. Since then he's been standing up without the aid of support, tottering hither and thither and regaining his balance when he looks like tipping over. Today he managed to walk from the front door all the way into the sitting room and was mightily pleased with himself. He is currently sporting a couple of livid line bruises, one on his cheek and on on his leg, where he has toppled over against the console unit. Like his brothers, he'll just have to master the art of the toddle and make sure his face plants are on soft ground.

It's not all been good news though. His fifth tooth has cut through and his nappies over the last week have been dreadful. His bottom is all sores and scabs and he hasn't been sleeping very well. Sharon had a tough night with him on Wednesday, barely getting any sleep before her early start to fly down to Birmingham for the PC conference. Angus doesn't seem bothered by his sore bottom during the day, other than when he is being changed. His appetite is certainly undiminished. He can easily put away as much as Rowan, and generally more quietly.

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.

London life

My foot calmed down surprisingly quickly but with a fine array of bruises along the base of my toes. It was just as well I could walk as I flew down to London late on Monday afternoon for a two-day Forrester Enterprise Architecture Forum at the Millenium Gloucester Hotel. I was staying in the Kensington Close Hotel with my colleague Andy Wilson, who plays cricket for Grange. We ate in Sticky Fingers, which was very busy for a Monday night and served very filling (and extremely unhealthy) food. Nachos and pulled pork with chips and salad was tasty but, eaten at 10pm, not the most digestible of meals. It was good to be somewhere lively on a Monday. The hotel was OK, initially overrun with Italian schoolchildren, but the usual street noise and closing of doors at 6am didn't make for a great night's sleep.

At lunchtime on the Tuesday I strolled up Gloucester Road which has some fantastic-looking Kensington townhouses just off it - you can just imagine a coach and four pulling up outside 150 years ago - spectacular blocks of flats surrounding well-kept courtyards and curving mews that ought to have minis parked in them and a young Michael Caine strolling nonchalantly along. It's a well to do part of London but as I walked up and down the road and around a section of Hyde Park I was struck by the amount of foreigners that evidently lived, worked and studied in the area. If England, and London, really was a hot-bed of racial tension then you'd expect it to be kicking off on a nightly basis. Dno't believe everything you hear in the media.

After the day's events had finished I visited the Kensington Whole Foods Market in Kensington High St. As a foodie, it brought a tear to me eye. Imagine all Edinburgh's speciality delicatessens and Real Food shops rolled into one with a butchery counter longer than a cricket wicket and you still probably won't cover the floor space and variety in this place. I sampled cheeses and nuts and salmon; they had lots of gluten-free stuff in the bakery and elsewhere (I was greeted by a stand the height of me packed full of Genuis bread); whole pigs; barrels of rice and coffee; eight different types of sea-salt; a vast range of spices; fresh fruit and veg; fish; wines... Had I not arranged to meet Andy back at the hotel I'd likely still be there now!

We ate at the Papaya Tree, a Thai restaurant with some mixed reviews. It served decent Thai food, fairly run of the mill and perhaps a bit tight on the meat content. The red duck curry seemed suspiciously short on duck and the Massaman and green chicken curry with noodles were a bit high on the ratio of sauce to content too, but no real complaints overall.

I left the conference at 1400 on the Friday and had a remarkably smooth trip, arriving home by 1745. Sean had been texting me while I was away, taking twenty minutes or more to compose his little missives which included telling me that Rowan hoped I was in a nice house and Mummy had found Angus in the potty!

Sharon and I wet to see Newton Faulkner in the evening, a first time visit to the Picture House on Lothian Road. It was a good seeing venue but, with the open bar area at the back, behind where we were standing next to the mixing desk, the competition between amplified acoustic guitar and bar chatter was a strain. Why do people pay money to go to gigs and then talk and drink during the performance? We moved down for the last few songs and it was a little better but the sound wasn't great. Newton was self-deprecating and still impressive on guitar and whatever other instruments he chose to employ. There's not many can do Bohemian Rhapsody on acoustic as an encore. He did it last time as well, so maybe he needs to freshen one or two things up.

A cold snap

As the south of England is literally frozen in the grip of its worst snowfall for 18 years, we've not had it so bad. The snow came yesterday and went overnight although some more is forecast. It wasn't even the worst snowfall this winter. The drive home was arduous last night though. Traffic was tailed back from Comiston all the way to Forrest Rd (that is a very long way if you're sitting on a 23 bus) for no discernible reason other than it was a bit slippy. I had to manoeuvre through the rat-runs of Bruntsfield and Morningside to escape the worst of it but it still took almost an hour to drive home. Mind you, last week I walked to work from Buckstone shops. Sharon dropped me off there and, as a bus wasn't due for 12 minutes, I began walking. I was at Luca's at Holy Corner before a bus from any route passed me. So I kept going, to Standard Life House, since I had a meeting there and was able to get the company shuttle bus back down to Dundas House where my car was parked.

Sharon was down in Manchester at the weekend to meet up with Ruth and Susan so I was in charge of the three lads. We had a relatively quiet time, with Lesley and Stuart round on Saturday afternoon and a trip out to the partially closed museum on Sunday. The boys enjoyed their play in the science exhibition and especially enjoyed the cakes and hot chocolate across the road afterwards.

Finn wasn't at his best today, managing to break the frame of Sean's glasses with "a punch". Ross was here today after school, so, despite Finn having had Zoe here for lunch, it smacks of him being jealous for Sean's attention. Sean has enjoyed watching cricket with me the last couple of evenings. Whether this interest will last, we shall see, as he has little enthusiasm for sport. It's not a help that his brothers are younger than him (Rowan has a good kick on him though and was doing well hitting the football with a plastic golf club) so any time Sean and I kick a ball up and down the hall there is usually unwelcome interference from Finn or Rowan wanting to sit on the ball.

Off to break the bank

Just a quick entry before I dash off to the airport to fly down to London to join Sharon who flew down earlier today. We're off to Monte Carlo in the morning! It's been a hectic few days (so what else is new?). Olivia flew in for cover as Sharon undertook the Moon Walk on Saturday night. It was dry but cold and she completed the 26 miles 385 yards in 7 hrs 47 mins. She looked very washed out and was feeling faint when I collected her in the morning but she has recovered quickly without any physical hangover. Born with stamina that lady!

I took the boys away to St.Andrews for the day to let Sharon recover. With Olivia, they had made a "Well Done Mammy" banner for the front door. Sharon just about raised a smile; she was dead beat. Once in St.Andrews the boys had a great time romping about the Cathedral grounds, clambering over (and in Sean's case, reading) gravestones before we had our picnic. We then had a play down on the Castle Sands before moving on. The boys all fell asleep so I just drove home at that point.

Last night I was through at Glasgow to see Whitesnake and Def Leppard rocking the SECC. Whitesnake were disappointing: a poor set selection of mostly "metal" tracks, a rotten drummer and too much distortion on the bass and drums all detracted from 56-year-old Coverdale's working of the crowd. Def Leppard's sound was much better, thankfully, and they were very efficient at playing their catalogue of hits (you know more Def Leppard songs than you think you do) but it was very much stadium rock: tight, professional with a good show, but not that memorable.

Nana and Papa are in place to deal with the three lads so I'm off!

Walk the walk, Rowan!

I was out walking with Lesley (or Leh Leeeee as Ro was shouting) this morning, we decided to head off soon after school drop off and see how Rowan lasted in the buggy. I had water, tub of raisins and O's, emergency rice cakes and a couple of books for the Main Man. He was just brilliant, couldn't have been better! We did 6 miles, just under 2hours. He ate everything I brought, bar a few rice cake crumbs!

It was fairly windy while we were out, so when we arrived back home, there was definitely a touch of the Farah Fawcett-Majors about Rowan, with the "flicks" in the hair! He looked so funny! After all he had eaten, I thought he wouldn't eat much lunch - wrong! He scoffed a boiled egg (no yolk!), a corned beef sandwich, three little leftover biscuits and a banana. It is good to see him back eating well again. Lets hope his good mood and huge appetite we have seen over the last couple of days is the turning point. The last month has been hard with the interrupted sleep, teething, poor appetite, nappies that would make you faint and the wee man's general feeling of unwellness.

Busy Bee

The reason I have been missing in action, so to speak, on the blog for the last month, is that I have (stupidly) made the decision to go all out to earn this suite in Monte Carlo. Going down to Leadership Conference in January and learning I was, at that point, top in the country on points for MC was possibly the worst thing that could happen. As then I didnt want to lose that top position. So having had a pitiful February in sales, in March I pulled out the stops and sold over £5.6k, and then April was the last ditched attempt before points ended on midnight on the 30th of the month. I should do 14 shows, projected sales should be over £6k, all going to plan. And I hope thats enough to snaffle that blasted suite. We wont actually find out till we are in Monaco in June, but I should be in with a reasonable shout, I hope.

On top of that, Lesley and I have been trying to get in training walks, into already busy weeks, usually three a week. I've really been enjoying the training, the activity, the outdoor element of it, and the fact that it forces me to have some "me" time, something I am not very good at doing otherwise. But that has gone a little (lot!) pear-shaped for the last two weeks. I've developed shin splints in my right lower leg, and its been very painful. The name is misleading, it just means the tendons and musclature on my lower shin and around the back of the calf have become inflamed and tender. Sadly rest is the only treatment. And given I am keen to get upping the miles, this set back has really hacked me off and I am getting increasingly frustrated. If it continues any further, I might need to look at the physio option.

Ian has been saying that I might have to face up to the fact that I might not be able to do the walk, but I refuse to see that. I am not a defeatist in attitude, and never have been. I WILL do the walk, come hell or high water, as I said I was going to. It may take me a long time to recover from it, but complete it I will!

Measuring up

For the record, Sean thought the people at the opticians were nice yesterday. He has picked out gold glasses, having been persuaded by Sharon that these were the nicest, rather than the red glasses he originally wanted. Sharon said he looked very bookish. They will be ready in a few days' time. It'll be strange seeing Sean, who we are so used to seeing without glasses, wearing spectacles. Finn, on the other hand, just suits his glasses so well. They are very much part of him. We'll have to get Rowan tested at a young enough age to be able to correct any defects. The problem with Sean's amblyopia is that it may have been detected too late for his weak eye to recover with remedial action.

We had a measuring morning today. Sean is 116cm and 22kg (75th centile), Finn is 106cm and 19kg (just above 91st centile) and Rowan is 83cm tall (about 75th centile too) and a heavy lump to carry anywhere (probably about 13kg). That's 3'9.5", 3'6", 2'8.5" for those who like their heights in old money. Still looks like Finn is going to be the biggest of the three (but don't tell Sean that). He was the heaviest baby after all.

Sharon's walking has hit a major problem - sore shins. Given that the Moonwalk is about 7 weeks away and the only real cure for shin splints is rest, she's not too pleased at this development and is hoping a visit to the pediatrist may recommend a change to her orthotics that will get her back pounding the streets once more.

I had my second cricket net last night. I seem to have maintained that smooth bowling action that has served me well for so many years and was enjoying a good smash with the bat too. Will this season prove to be as successful as last year? Keep up with progress at the Standard Life Cricket Club website.

Roman profile

Having never been to Rome in my life before last June, I found myself returning there within 9 months as I attended a Gartner seminar in the Eternal City at the start of this week. I must have tossed a coin in the Trevi Fountain the last time. Travelling on your own is a bit nerve-wracking, not to mention boring, but I made all my connections and transfers without too much bother, despite the length of time it seems to take baggage handlers to unload and deliver bags to the right location.

Most of my time was spent in the basement of the Marriott Grand Flora Hotel in the Via Vittorio Veneto being "sheep-dipped" in the topic of Enterprise Architecture so, aside from strolling round the block in short-sleeves at every break, my exploration of the locale was confined to the evening walks. I recall Sharon and I walking past the hotel last June and various attractions were within a mile radius of the hotel. The Altar of the Nations; the Trevi Fountain; the Spanish Steps; Piazza del Popolo; the Pantheon: I got round them all over the course of my two evenings of exploration. I even made it to the Coliseum on the Sunday night, walking off an extremely full stomach after a mushroom risotto and roast lamb dinner in Ristorante Abruzzi which Sharon and I lunched in last year.

While not as dramatic as on first sight, it is still a lovely city to walk about in, without any real fear that danger lurks down lanes or that you'll get completely lost: there's always a landmark just around the next corner. Mind you, the urban sprawl surrounding the city is as forgettable as the centre is memorable. Endless blocks of flats, graffiti-scrawled walls and scrubby wasteland dominated the view from the taxi back to the airport on Tuesday afternoon. That formed a decent introduction to Slough, which was next on my agenda after landing at Heathrow. Being unable to get a connection back to Edinburgh I choose to stay in Slough and visit a company before flying back up on the Wednesday afternoon.

It was good to see the family again after four days away. Thankfully Marie flew in to assist Sharon in my absence, as I doubt she would have been sane after that length of time as the sole carer!

A family first!

Saturday night seemed odd for Ian and I. It was the first time one of the boys was away without either of us. Sean had his first sleepover. With his Scooby Doo suitcase packed up with all the essentials and a packet of sweets as a treat, he stayed at Phoebe's on Saturday night. We got a call about 8.45p, to say they were watching Ratatouille and having a lovely time. Then yesterday morning the Fishers took him bowling. He had a great time! I spent the night tossing and turning, knowing he would be fine, but thinking about him anyway. A mother's lot, I guess.

We didn't do an awful lot over the weekend. I was still fairly pooped after the trip to Ascot on Weds/Thursday. I've been invited on the Forward Planning Committee for the year by Pampered Chef, which is a great honour, but it was a hard enough day, plenty of thought-provoking matters to consider. The delayed flight on the way back, with the worst turbulence I've ever experienced, didn't help matters. Show on Friday night, training for the team on Saturday morning, and I felt the need to just veg out!

Ian took Finn swimming on Saturday afternoon, and they had a grand time, all things told! Finn didn't even notice that he had no armbands on till Ian pointed it out to him in the showers. We are trying to build his confidence up in the water, aiming to have him swimming confidently with armbands by the end of the summer, and then he can start swimming lessons himself.

On Sunday, I managed to get out for a walk, 7.78 miles covered according to Google Maps. I've signed up to do the Moonwalk in June, 26.2 miles from midnight in your bra, all in aid of Breast Cancer. The plan is twofold - get some exercise and lose some blubber, and at the same time, force myself to have some "me" time. Not something I am good at.

A busy week lies ahead. Rowan has a temperature and is very grumpy, possibly as a result of his MMR last week, so lets hope he settles down soon. I hate to see him so miserable. Then Ian is off to Rome at the weekend for a conference. Mam said she is going to come over to help out while he is away, which is fantastic news. I never like it when I don't have any dates in the diary for visits from home, and there was nothing planned. So this is working out quite well. And I get to spend Mother's Day with the best Mother in the world, mine.

Finn moves on to pre-school

The last two days have seemed quite eventful in the Wallace household. For a start, yesterday was Finn's last day at Playgroup at St Fillans. His teachers seemed genuinely sad to see him go, especially Jackie Selby. Herself and Finn have a bit of a "thing" for one another, each the others favourite. Helen Cackette's parting words "if only we could have a room full of Finn's!" were enough to make me raise my eyebrows! What's the phrase? Street angel, house devil!

While he was enjoying his last morning there, Rowan and I headed off to Clarks at the Fort to get the Wee Man's first proper pair of shoes. He has been walking long enough now to warrant a pair. So he was fascinated with all the attention his little feet were getting in the shop! A suitable pair picked and paid for, Rowan kicked up his heels and just legged it out of the shop, wearing his new shoes, hung a sharp left and headed towards Early Learning Centre at high speed.

When we got home, I realised I had forgotten to stop and get milk. As my need for my morning cuppa was so great, Rowan and I decided to walk around to the shop to get some, and break in the shoes. He was thrilled at the newfound freedom. The only flaw in the plan is that he seemed intent on turning and heading in the opposite direction at 30 second intervals! We also need to work on the old hand-holding as well, me thinks. The trip to the shop took half an hour!

Today, Finn started with his Pre-School Nursery, adjoined to Sean's school. He didn't seem bothered about me going, played with jigsaws and playdo, and when I returned he was on the space hopper in the outdoor play area with the rest of the kids. It is weird to think that two of the three boys are now in the official "system". I was delighted to find out that Katrina McBrierty was Finn's key worker, as she had taught Sean and I still hold her in the highest esteem. A wonderful teacher and a great way with kids. She also seemed to be pleased to have Finn in her class.

So just as I was getting into the swing of the school/playgroup routine, it's all change! The day will be busy enough with three trips to the school each day - drop Sean at 8.50, Finn at 12.30 and collect both at 2.50 and 3.05 respectively. I feel a little bit bad that poor Rowan just has to fit in around it all, and wont be able to get as full a daytime sleep as he might otherwise have.

Our boys are growing up very fast. As Ian said the other day, he turned and looked at all three having breakfast and the realisation that they are all very much boys now, Rowan isn't a baby any more.