Mary’s First Word

Mary has been imitating sounds for months but as expected of a bilingual baby she hasn't really produced words with meaning they are just copies of what we are saying. She like Jean has been raised with baby sign as well so there is no real incentive to talk early.

But as we home in on her 1st birthday she has started to point at the cats and say yip! we'd say cat, she'd say yap. And then today she came out with "There's a cat!" no a word but a sentence - true she does not pronounce a hard T on the end of cat but it doesn't stop there - she then went on to say "Oh dear!" when she dropped her bottle.

Then we got the classic "NoNoNoNooooooono!" and so forth - so I have a baby that has gone from just babbling and copying sound (though in fairness she does 'sing' alot) to on that is stringing words together! I have no idea if this is advance or not - Jean did something similiar after her initial imatation of the word hurrah! She then didn't say anything until the January after her first birthday when I bought my red glittery shoes home - but again she went for a dramatic no talking - babbling sense.

So we are very proud of little Mary

Parallel Worlds Collide

Sometimes I do find myself wondering what would have happened if Alaric hadn't given up the syntherziser and focused on just programming or had taken it back up instead of metal work - as it is he is talking about maybe getting one for the music room when we have more money/one comes up on Freecycle.

Well a few days ago a friend posted a link on my face book saying doesn't this guy look alot like Al. And I got a glimpse of that other world - well if Alaric was Australian and had stolen Phil Collins voice but still liked all the types of music he does and had me make the videos (in this parallel world I'd have done my back-up career and ended up as an animator/special effects bod).

The guy is called Goyte and it is very surreal for me to watch this - its a spot the difference puzzel! Watch this video

As it is I feel very tempted to make a parody of a bits of this guys songs including my little Wiggly Pets sitting in tripods holding passport photos of Alaric out in front of them. What this video to see what I'm talking about.

New Home

So we have finally achieved the third M = Mortgage which I suppose makes us proper grown-ups or something?

It is not what we had envisioned with the move to Gloucestershire but those plans weren't working anyway and this house seems like it was almost made with us in mind. It is everything we need.

There is a summer house a.k.a Alaric's workshop

A little patch of decking that we can have as a Toddler play area

An area for grass with allotements just round the corner

An attic room that is perfect for an art studio and storage or workshop materials etc...

A lush kitchen with a double oven of the type I've been after for an age with a 'breakfast room' off of it which is perfect for a family dinning room - there is a breakfast bar too!

The 'dining room' is going to be the Library and Music room / study. There is an area just right for having a BBQ in etc... just out side the kitchen.

It needs some work but we were more than happy with the structural reports and Alaric is still going on that we are technically now Lay Rectors. We think we are very lucky as the place cost less than my friends one bedroom flat on the edge of London. Having said that we can only afford it due to a) Alaric's new job and b) the generous loan of a hefty deposit from Alaric's family.

We picked the keys up today and rushed round there but the family was still moving out so we went and got some lunch and then went back - they had left us a lovely card saying they hope we'll be as happy as they've been there

I did some assessing of where we will be putting the washing machine etc... This feels right unlike our previous move which was all done pretty much with out me. I am hoping we can get things back on track - there is belly dancing within walking distance of the house that is affordable - this is important for my pelvis and mobility so Im very pleased with this. I am hoping to some how fit in the ducks and bees don't think goat will happen now though

We decided to leave our mark on the place - so here is our rainbow swerl rug that me and Jean made whilst living in the Mill during the flooding episode.

Christmas Poetry

This is a video of me reading The Little Book of Festive Poetry which I wrote a few years ago as part of the PiBoIdMo challenge. I was asked to read at The Brewery Cheltenham as part of a fund raiser for Winstons' Wish organised by Cheltenham Poetry Festival.

In the video Jean is inching her way towards me to join me on the stage - as were several other children The coughing is because Alaric is recovering from having fluid on his lungs - not sure he should have been outside but he was bored of resting!

Jean’s Nano

(Typed up by mummy - spellings are mummy's version of spelling some of which is still wrong - grammer has not been touched)

Lucy Has The Most Wonderful Dreams

Tuesday 1st of November

I saw a rabbit I walked up to it but when I walked up to it I saw something glowing in it's hand I snugged up to it and we went to a noter world it was sandy in the world it looked like a beach but before me and Jack Jack got to move Jack Jack told me that there was a pirate coming.

Chapter 2

The Party with the pirates

When we awoke me and Jack Jack where in cabins I remembered where we were so we tried to get out of the cabins but we couldn't get out before we got to say anything a pirate saw us . We couldn't move cos the pirate had already roped us up. The pirates were going to kill us the Captain saved our lives because he wanted people for his party the food was haddock, cod, sammon, and sardines. Just then the stone began to glow.

Chapter 3

The rabbit family

When we got back JAck Jack told me that he had to go home, I fallowed JAck Jack to his home JAck Jack said ok you can come home with me but my mummy will be looking at you I said errr ok I like that idea

good said jack jack I would like that to

Show you too my mummy but if you get cut on the way and I what is your name

JEan Rose Pym my mum said only Jean Rose Pym can go in the our secret room

I would love to go in your secret room.

Chapter 4

The Secret Room

Mum might not let you that will be ok and after that I will go home and tell my mum all about it JAck Jack said no

ok then that's ok.

Chapter 5

The Space Adventure

Jack Jack took me to the secret room the secret room had a house in it with me and Jack Jack as toys U wanted ti get out of the secret room, but Jack Jack said No, no do not go out of the secret room you will fall into space because we are floating into space and earth is not in line with us a lamp rocket is lifting us into space.and we are going to the moon, very fast zoom zoom zoom zoom zoom zoom, I said yes very very very very very very fast zoom zoom I said this is a fun trip yippee, oo ahhh. Jack Jack said we are at the moon now ok you then you cos I am hungry and desperate for the loo Jack jack said

good cos there is a loo and a restaurant so we went into the restaurant, then I figured out that it was an unclean restaurant and decided to not eat any of the food because it was poo and there was quiet a party with lots of alien dogs that bring the human poo into the restaurant but the aliens eat human poo so we went to earth and then I figured out the adventures were not real and jack jack was just a picture on the wall I was sad but it was time to get ready for school we did history, science and sports afterwards I went home and watched the Mysterious Cities of Gold with my mum but then I just remembered I didn't tell Jack Jack what I had to tell him. I had to tell him how old I am but he wasn't there. I was sad and I am six. So I went to sleep but he wasn't there it was just black then I recognised that it had to be night so I went to be early because it was din dins time

mum said come and have din dins

no mum I am going to bed good night.

err are you having an early night?

yes because it is a hard working day tomorrow

It is? It's friday

I am going to go into my bed early so I can see Jack Jack

mummy said no you mustn't stay because we are going to go and watch Mysterious Cities of Gold

No it will make your eyes square mum said it would OK!

Oh NO IT ISNT I"M GOING TO BED

ok but this is going to be your bed time from now on

Ok but I might not have the same dreams murmured mummy

JUST GO TO BED

OK MUMMY But I stayed up all night watching TV for a quarter of the night and played star wars and last of all I sung christmas carols it was fun in the morning I suddenly fell asleep mum thought I was asleep all night but I hadn't thank goodness that it was the weekend other wise I would die and that would be bad yes it would but mummy gave me work.

I said but I will die ok just this time good night mum Good night lullaby ahhhhh I was asleep for the whole day.

I saw a dog Rob was his name I told him my name it was MAry Rob said Hello Mary lets go to the pub great idea errr I a want a big portion of chips to share with you lots of salt and vinagar too yum yum that will be tasty

I will want a pickled egg me too said Rob that is our order our order is done I might fall asleep in the pub because I am sleepy

me too said Rob and he fell asleep straight away

before we could say anything the only noise in the car was snorring but suddenly a hedghog went in the car and made a skuttling sound and a rabbit came in the car and made a snifing sound a really loud sound but me and rob were still asleep

just the a cat came in and meowed but me and rob still were asleep we didnt yawn we didnt turn we were asleep and mum wondered were I was and I was just in the car but mum didnt know that I was in the car and just at that moment I woke up.