Well, what can I say? Its been AGES since I was last here. I would like to say that I have been too busy at work, but that would be a lie!

Anyway, there's quite a lot that has been going one since the last post. For a start, the summer has disappeared, and it was actually snowing earlier tiday (its all dried out again now, but is still COLD). We've had our holidays (long forgotten now) and we're just about ready for Christmas. Well, I say that we are ready, but that's not really correct. I have broken with tradition this year and our tree/lights were up within the first week of December, and last night I wrapped some presents, but other than that, to say that we are 'ready fro Christmas' is a bit misleading. I have no idea where we'll be having Christmas dinner, who will be cooking it or what it will be. I'm sure I won't starve though.

With regards to the family, Callum continues to grow, and is very good at walking and running around now. It took him a while, but within the last month he has really found his feet, and there's no stopping him! He also has loads of teeth, with a couple more coming through now. Its nearly a full set.

Laurie is doing well, and started 'big school' in September and seems to be enjoying it (although from what I can gather all they do is play). His class went to see Cinderella at a theatre in Cambridge yesterday, and he loved this, although he was a bit perplexed that a couple of blokes were acting as the ugly sisters! He thinks that one of them even had a beard, but I cannot comment on this further.

He is looking forward to Christmas (Laurie, not the beared ugly sister) and keeps getting me to write out lists of toys that he wants. I keep telling him that bad boys don't get presents, but he doesn't believe me.

He has also been to loads of birthday parties since starting school, and one of these was a Pirate Party.

That's about it for now, so I shall be going.

I'm sure that I won't be getting back here before Christmas, so I shall say Happy Christmas to anyone who cares, and I'll speak to you in the New Year. But don't hold your breath!

Ok ok ok, so its been another 3 months! But here I am at last. Well, here we are getting well into summer (in fact, we've passed the longest day, so the nights are drawing in!).

Callum is now 1 year old (jeez, where does the time go?). He had a very quiet birthday - we only had a big barbeque with all the family around. I got very drunk and spent a lot of the night feeling unwell. Apparently at one point in the evening, I was leaning over the garden fence talking to Conner next door (he's 6 years old) about Lego Star Wars figures, and he was making more sense that I was! Anyway, a good time was had by all.

Callum is now trying to walk, and is standing without any problem (he has to hold onto something, but he is definately getting there).

Laurie is like any other 4 and a half year old - he is a pain in the bum! Only kidding. He's going though a stage at the moment where he wakes up at 5.30 every morning and insists on waking daddy up to play with him. Bless. I'm knackered!

Still, I'm sure he'll grow out of it.

Other news is that I have now joined Facebook, so if there is anyone oput there who knows me and whats to try and find me, i'm there - Mark Shepherd in Cambridge.

Apart from that, nothing much has been happening. Actually, thats rubbish. Laurie had to go to hospital the other week cos he got a bit of apple stuck in this throat. He had to be put under, and operated on. This hugh bit of apple was taken out. It just showed us that even though he's not as bad as some of the poor souls we know, disaster can still stike at anytime. We were lucky - could easilly have choked to death on it.

Best not to think of it...

Still, no harm done.

He starts big school in September and we're still trying to get the school organised with someone who can look over him when he eats. This just makes it more important to get sorted.

Thats about it really, until next time (which will probably be at Christmas!).

Hope you all have a good summer (what's left of it) and if you go on holiday, enjoy that too. Hopefully we are going to Devon and Bournemouth in August. Hopefully it won't rain, otherwise I'm coming home!

So, until next time, I hope that what ever god you support will go with you.

Byeeeeeeeeeee.

M.

On no - a hospital visit!

Shouldn't complain really. Its taken 4 years, but Laurie finally got a bit of apple stuck that he couldn't move, and we had to go to the hospital to get it out!

It was wierd, actually. We had a barbeque with friends on the Monday, and part way through the day he got a stickie. We couldn't move it, buit at the same time, he was having such fun that he never let it stop him. It didn;t seem like there was anything wrong with him - he was still running around and shouting, its just that when he tried to eat or drink, nothing would go down, and he had to cough it back up again. We monitored him through the night, and then in the morning hoped that his breakfast would go down. He had one small bite, and said that he still had the stickie. So we got in the car and spent the day at Addenbrookes.

He was put under general anestetic, and they went in was a camera and tweezers, and pulled out a HUGE bit of apple! This lump was getting on for 2 inches long. He was a bit grumpy when he woke up, but as soon as we offered him food he ate it (without any problem) and also drank without any problem.

We got home at about 8 o'clock, when he just went straight to sleep in his bed. His throat has been a bit sore since, but apart from that he's been fine.

Other news...Lauries bike riding skills are getting better all the time, and we are regularly going around the villiage or Cambourne. We can do 3 miles without any problems. Its really great.

Additional to this, we have bought one of those bike trailer things for Callum to sit in, so he can come along and we make it a family affair.

Its all going very well.

Speak soon.

Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.