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What Christmas Means to Me

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I really like Christmas. It’s sentimental, I know, but I just really like it.

I am hardly religious: I’d rather break bread with Dawkins than Desmond Tutu, to be honest.

And yes, I have all of the usual objections to consumerism, the commercialisation of an ancient religion; to the westernisation of a dead Palestinian press-ganged into selling Playstations and beer.

But I still really like it.

I’m looking forward to Christmas, ‘though I’m not expecting a visit from Jesus. I’ll be seeing my dad, my brother and sisters, my gran and my mum. They’ll be drinking white wine in the sun.

I don’t go in for ancient wisdom. I don’t believe just because ideas are tenacious it means that they’re worthy. I get freaked out by churches: some of the hymns that they sing have nice chords but the lyrics are dodgy.

And yes, I have all of the usual objections to the mis-education of children who, in tax-exempt institutions, are taught to externalise blame, and to feel ashamed and to judge things as plain right and wrong.

But I quite like the songs.

I’m not expecting big presents. The old combination of socks, jocks and chocolate is just fine by me, ‘cos I’ll be seeing my dad, my brother and sisters, my gran and my mum. They’ll be drinking white wine in the sun.

And you, my baby boy & girl, my jet-lagged infant son & daughter: you’ll be handed around the room like puppies at a primary school. And you won’t understand, but you will learn someday that wherever you are and whatever you face these are the people who’ll make you feel safe in this world, my sweet wide-eyed twins.

And if, my sweet babies, when you’re 21 or 31, and Christmas comes around and you find yourself 9000 miles from home you’ll know whatever comes your brother and sister and me and your mum will be waiting for you in the sun. Whenever you come your brother and sister, your aunts and your uncles, your grandparents, cousins and me and your mum, we’ll be waiting for you in the sun.

Drinking white wine in the sun, darlings, when Christmas comes we’ll be waiting for you in the sun, drinking white wine in the sun, waiting for you in the sun, waiting for you…

Waiting…

I really like Christmas. It’s sentimental, I know…

—————————————————————————————–

Not my words – I wish! – they’re by the brilliant Australian comedian / musician / all-round good-guy Tim Minchin from his song ‘White Wine in the Sun’. I’ve only editted them for repetition & a little personalisation, but I really couldn’t have expressed what Christmas means to me much better!

It’s being released as a single on December 1st, proceeds going to the National Autistic Society.

Here it is in full, performed live during Children in Need:

Beautiful, profound, brilliant, right? So let’s make it Christmas number 1!

It’s sentimental, I know, but I just really like it :)

#TimMinchinXmasNo1

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Music Monday: Our Week in Music

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I’d mentioned that since moving to Wales we’ve been taking the twins to a pre-Nursery group for 4 days a week. We were anxious about how they would adjust to being away from us for the first time in their lives but we needn’t have been: they love it! One of the things they seem to enjoy the most there is a giant buggy-bus  the host has. It’s more like an old-fashioned stage-coach than a baby buggy. It comfortably seats 4,  & probably 6 at a pinch, they can sit side-by-side or facing each other, it has a fold out table in the middle for snacks & meals, it can be open-top or covered. They love being in it & being driven all around town, & often get very stroppy when it’s time to come out! So here’s to the Magic Bus!

In the same post I wrote about how proud I was that they both are often so loving,  affectionate & sociable, & wondered if it was at least in part due to our putting into practice Attachment Theory; or as I called it, rightly or wrongly, Attachment Parenting. So here’s the stunningly beautiful song that gave the blog post its title:

On Wednesday night I was  looking back at old videos & I came across a gem I hadn’t seen before from May last year when Jallie were only 15 months old, which I posted the next day. They were playing a hilarious game of tug-of-war with a pair of the Mummy’s tights that had been accidentally left there. I had Classic FM on & the background music seemed to provide a great soundtrack to the action. So here’s the tune in full, the high drama of Holst’s ‘Mars, Bringer of War’ from his Planets suite, with images of Mars via NASA:

Then on Friday I made a tongue-in-cheek, last-minute, impassioned – and I suspect ultimately futile – plea for your vote in the MADS blogging awards, highlighting ‘my campaign team’ s policies in action from the last year or so. So of course here’s Alice Cooper: “I wanna be Elected!”

On the weekend we found 2 great new fun places for the twins, & us, to enjoy. Firstly, a really well-designed soft-play area, probably the best we’ve ever seen. They like to play!

Then on Sunday it was Folly Farm, a farm and children’s adventure playground that had just about everything: farm animals, indoor & outdoor zoos, soft play, adventure play, playgrounds, an indoor fairground, even a real digger that Jake & I had a go on. It was terrific, the only problem being that it’s in Pembrokeshire, over an hour away. And that they didn’t have the tiger that their brochures indicate they do, which left a 2-year-old boy feeling very let down.

So there’s our week in music: hope you enjoyed it at least as much as I did!

The Gallery: Colour

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Stowe Gardens  in Buckinghamshire, July 2007. It’s very green.

We used to go to public gardens & National Trust sites a lot Before Jallie, & as they get older we hope to more again. This country has a wonderful heritage of beautiful gardens, parks & woodlands, stately homes & castles. And this is coming from a guy born & raised in New Zealand! I think we Brits often don’t think of our country as a major tourist destination but it really is, & most of the rest of the world I think would agree. We have a tremendous cultural  heritage of which we should be very proud, in my opinion.

These are one of my favourite public gardens, back from when we lived in Brighton. They are probably the most photogenic of any I’ve been to, & seem to be designed with that in mind. Although it was July it was a grey overcast day, but even so I got many gorgeous photos there.

It’s well worth a visit if strolling through beautiful gardens is something that floats your boat!

The theme this week for Tara Cain’s wonderful Gallery at her ‘Sticky Fingers’ blog is ‘Colours’.  Why not go have a look at other posts there, & prepare to be dazzled! Just click the pic:

I just wanted to add a note, actually. It’s occurred to me that this photo may look as if it’s been tinted or otherwise altered. I assure you this is absolutely unaltered, straight from my camera – apart from the watermark. I often click Picasa’s ‘I’m feeling lucky’ to correct over- or under-exposure but I didn’t even do that here; it looked just right. I try as much as I can to reproduce what my eye sees; heavily photoshopped or altered images are an art-form but not what I would call photographs. WYSIWYG pics! Just my opinion; everyone’s different. For more see my ‘Daddy’s Photo Policy’ page.

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Let’s Get Physical, Physical

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We came to a realisation in the last few days:

They don’t crawl anymore. At all!

They walk everywhere now. Inside, outside, on the lumpy grass, on the concrete paving. They can step over obstacles. They can climb up & down steps & over barriers. They can move & even carry large objects. They can even run. And they’re quick!

I blame 2 things:

1) The almost constant attention we’ve been able to give them, & the fact that – up until now anyway – they spend very little time in pens or cots during the day, so they have been able to roll / crawl / walk /run around when they need to.

2) This:

These are photos from 1 of the weekly classes we go to, GymBabes. It aims to teach babies physical skills & give them the confidence to take on the physical world around them.

They learn tunnelling (and learn that it can be fun!)

They get used to motion & heights on swings (and learn that it can be fun)

They learn to negotiate small, enclosed spaces (and learn that…you get the idea)

They learn to climb (And learn that… actually he looks a bit scared there, doesn’t he? We don’t make them do anything that might upset them, & there are always plenty of trained staff on hand).

Then all that lead to this:

Which lead to this:

Their old Moses basket full of toys had been fine, up until late February, in keeping them in the nursery & away from the steep flight of stairs – down stairs – just feet away from the door. Then these blimmin’ GymBabes people go & learn them to climb & stuff! So Daddy has to get busy buying & fitting security gates: thanks a bunch, guys!

It was at the end of a GymBabes session that Jake took his first step, & later that evening when Ellie followed suit then 2 days later walked for the first time, across the cot.

Without GymBabes I don’t think they would have done so so soon.

And guess what? We’ve learned that it can be fun!

Disclaimer: it may read like it, but this is not a sponsored post. We just think this has been a great experience for Jallie, & worth every penny. Also, I thought these photos were just too good not to put on my blog :)

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Current State of Play, March 2011

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Jallie had their first birthday on Saturday. I can hardly believe it; it seems like yesterday that they were just tiny, immobile, confused little things. And yet it seems like a lifetime ago.

So I thought it was about time for a joint report card, their current state of play. So here goes:

Teeth.  Jake 3 (& a bit), Ellie 4. Result: Ellie by a tooth (less a bit)

Jake 0, Ellie 1

Mobility. Jake: Can walk up to 20 steps at a time, but usually takes just a few before falling over. Can turn corners. Can stand up from the floor unaided. Very fast crawler.

Ellie: Walking for fun, can carry things around, can walk in circles & even run a few steps. Can only stand up by pulling herself up on something. Very good at squeezing into narrow spaces & crawling under things.

Result: Ellie might have to start further back but she’d win a race. Ellie by a head.

Jake 0, Ellie 2

Visuo-Spacial Skills. Jake: Very good at putting things into containers. Has learnt to      roll balls, & push as well as bash. Exceptional ball skills: can throw balls & other objects up, down & horizontally, even flip them.  Can even fool The Daddy with a ‘no-look’ pass. This is a great rugby skill that many adults never master. This makes Daddy very happy :D . Has developed a slight fixation with holes. Well, he is ‘Mini-Me‘, ahem…*

Ellie: Not really interested in any object or toy unless it can be chewed. Quite fond of chewing fingers that are attached to the The Mummy. Very good at sneaking, particularly at silently & slowly sliding pens out of my pocket while I’m lying on my back, while Jake distracts me by jumping onto my chest.

Result: A Grand Slam to Jake. A bonus point for style

Jake 2, Ellie 2

Music: Jake: Likes to DJ from the ‘Jive Bunny‘ & from ‘Thomas the Tank Engine‘ sound books for Ellie to dance to, then join in. Waves his arms in the air like he just don’t care.

Ellie: Has been a lovely little mover for months, tries to sing & loves being serenaded. My ‘Tiny Dancer’.

Result: Ellie hits the right notes. A bonus point for artistic impression.

Jake 2, Ellie 4

Sleeping. Jake was the first to sleep right through the night & is much more likely to do so. Snores very cutely.

Ellie: Has slept right through once, but usually wakes up at least once at night.

Result: A big cuddly Teddy Bear for Jake.

Jake 3, Ellie 4

Eating. Jake: Has a great appetite. Did I say something about ‘Mini-Me’? Has to be about to burst, asleep or offered Jelly before refusing food.  Favourite foods include: sweetcorn, peas, chick peas, banana, pears, & apple & cinnamon desert. Likes to be spoon-fed but also finger-feeds himself.

Ellie: She usually eats well but is already a fussy eater. A favourite food one day can be refused the next. Even if it gets in her mouth it will come straight back out if she doesn’t want it. Shares her brother’s annoying habit of eating corn kernels & peas 1 at a time. Likes to feed herself, but also eats from a spoon. Has recently started to feed herself with a spoon, although she holds it upside-down.

Result: A very big fat banana for Jake

Jake 4, Ellie 4

Well, this is exciting isn’t?! I hadn’t anticipated this post being so long, so let’s pause for these ‘messages from our sponsors’; the 2nd half will begin shortly…

*When I was little I was totally obsessed with “oles”. I’d crawl for miles to find them – a crack in a wall, a rubber band, anything – then excitedly stick my finger in them & repeatedly shout “ole!” to my parents. I’m sure they found it delightful. For the first hundred times. Feel free to interpret that however you like…


 


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The Gallery: Expressions

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Waving & clapping

“Expressions” is the theme this week for Tara Cain’s Gallery over at Sticky Fingers.

A recurring theme of my recent posts is how quickly the twins seem to be growing up & developing. In the last 2 weeks they’ve both said their first words, taken their first steps, & walked for the first time. Today Ellie took 5 steps, & Jake 3. Jake also stood up from the floor with no support.

Right from early on they’ve had lively, & quite distinct, personalities. In the early months about the only way they could express themselves was by crying. Now they seem to come up with a new way of expressing themselves nearly every day.

Not only do they smile, laugh, frown,  pout, roar, growl, but they also wave &  clap  – as in the above photo. They’ll do so copying us, but also spontaneously: Ellie claps when she gets excited, but also in response to sound. If she hears applause or laughter from the radio or TV, she will also clap. When we or a toy ‘says’ “Hello” she’ll wave. She also dances in response to music: she’s already a lovely little mover, my “Tiny Dancer”.

They seem to have their mini version of the ‘Haka’, with chest-beating & thigh-slapping.

They are expert raspberry blowers;  they ‘wibble‘ & ‘puck’ with their lips. Jake especially has a great sense of humour, & laughs a lot. They both not only ‘get’ jokes, but also make them: with us, & with themselves.

They get more expressive every day, & I love it :)  

There may be laughter, tears, tantrums, cheers, smiles, frowns, jumpings up & down: who knows? So why not head over to the Gallery to see more artists’ Expressions (click the pic.):

A Positively Positive Post? Possibly

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This week for me has been largely about being positive. (And no, I haven’t suddenly turned into a Life Coach).

Things with Jallie are great at the moment; they seem to be competing with each other to walk / talk / run / sing / dance / somersault / write novels / cut the deficit / bring world peace. (Some of those may be slight exaggerations). Every day they seem to come up with something new.

Other things though: not so good. In fact, a bit crap. Things that could easily get me down, & have at times.

So I read Mari’s ’30 Posts of truth – Something you love about yourself‘ at her blog ‘Mari’s World’, part of a project initiated by Kirsten at ‘A Karma Project‘. In her post Mari mentions how 1 of those things is seeing the positive in people.

Then I read Tim Brownson’s ’50 Reasons Why I Suck’ at his ‘A Daring Adventure’ blog. (And yes, he is a Life Coach, but a really good one). The post was a particularly devious way of getting his readers to think of something that they’re great at. He’s great at that sort of thing…

From Kirsty at Imperfect Pages’ ‘Imagination and a Very Cute Baby’ I learnt about Clare Grant’s ‘3 Beautiful Things‘ concept of every day posting 3 things that have made you happy in that day. So I blatantly copied Kirsty’s idea of setting up a Posterous blog for exactly that.

As you may have guessed I’ve been catching up on blog reading a lot this week!

I generally think of myself as a positive person; I at least try to be about my own life. If I’m cynical about something it’s only because I’m being realistic…

I must admit, the main problem I’ve had with my 3BT blog is keeping the list down to just 3 per day. And yes, I realise that could be quite annoying ;)

So how about you? Are you ‘glass half full’ or ‘glass half empty’? Or are you like me & have trouble remembering which is which, & just pleased to have a nice drink?!

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Silent Sunday: To the Other Side, and Beyond…! Her First Walk

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Have a look at all the other Silent Sunday photos at Mocha Beanie Mummy:

Silent Sunday

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Silent Sunday: Disneyland? No: Daddyland!

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Have a look at all the other Silent Sunday photos at Mocha Beanie Mummy:

Silent Sunday

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