What goes on in his head?

It was 8.30am on Saturday morning and I was tired of waiting for Robbie to wake up, so I decided to wake him up. He seemed oblivious of the first two or three prods, then suddenly he turned over and said "That's a surprise, there were no announcements". I asked what he was talking about and he said that he dreamt that Google had a new operating platform and he was trying to work it out. Not for the first time it left me wondering what goes on in that man's head. I have never knowingly had a dream about Google, in fact I haven't given it a passing thought. What sort of person  dreams about Google for heaven sake!!


We had to go shopping for a gift for Robbie's new nephew. I was tempted by the usual sort of baby designs but Robbie was attracted to the more colourful designs. We couldn't agree, but then Robbie spotted a blue all in one with a Thomas the Tank Engine design and his mind was made up, apparently you are never too young for trains!! I know when I'm defeated, but I made sure that we found a cute cuddly elephant for the baby too.


Robbie spent most of the day planning and re planning the best route to south Staffordshire. I wondered why it was proving so hard to plan a train journey, I know it was a bank holiday weekend, but surely it shouldn't be that difficult. Eventually all became clear; he could take a more direct route and have time to eat with me before he left, but if he took the more contorted route via Walsall he could do a bit of bus spotting as well! If time had been on his side I think the buses would have won, but in the end he chose to spend a little longer with me so that we could go and eat.


I dropped Robbie off at the station in good time for his train and I drove off to do some shopping and to enjoy a few hours of peace and quiet. The peace and quiet didn't last long, when I got home my son had taken control of the television and I had to endure his viewing choices all evening. Well I didn't have to, but it would have been unkind to object when there was nothing that I wanted to watch. I occupied myself with family history research on the internet and before long I had 'zoned out' the junk on television. Meanwhile Robbie was at a family party to celebrate the wedding of his nephew (a different nephew, not the newborn one!!) according to his texts he was having a great time, but he had to admit that he is getting old - the music was too loud!! Maybe it wasn't such a hardship to put up with junk television after all, at least I could control the volume! 

Apparently Size Does Matter!

Yesterday evening I was sitting quietly in the lounge doing some writing when I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Robbie was loitering by the fruit bowl for a suspiciously long time. I turned to look and caught him measuring bananas. I really should know better by now, but I couldn't help asking why. He told me that he was selecting a banana to fit into his banana carrier for work tomorrow. I knew this would happen, before long he will expect me to check the dimensions of the bananas in the supermarket, or even worse he will get himself arrested for measuring bananas at the supermarket! When he came home from work today he cheerfully announced that he had been to another department at work to show the women his banana carrier  - I wonder what they thought!

I had some very happy news yesterday, I have a new nephew. He arrived a little early but he and his mum are fine. His big brother who is three had been hoping for a sister and he asked then to take the baby back and exchange it for a girl! I expect he will soon get used to his baby brother. They kept us waiting until today for news of a name, I rather like their choice but my brother seemed lost for words (a very rare event) when I reminded him that he had named his son after my cat! 

Totally Sober!

Believe it or not this photo was taken at lunchtime today (well, yesterday by the time I post it) and he was totally sober I dread to think how he would look if he was drunk! We spent the afternoon at my mum's house because it was her birthday. We had a lovely time especially as my nephew Oliver was there too, he is so cute and we all love him.

A Step Too Far

It seem that I shocked some of the blog readers on Monday, they took one look at the picture of the wellies and assumed that Robbie's taste in footwear had become even more peculiar. Please don't give him ideas! It is bad enough coping with assorted pairs of Dr Marten's and lurid pairs of Converse without having to cope with wellies as well!

Today I have a much nicer picture for the blog, my little nephew Oliver. He seems to be changing so quickly, and he certainly looks more like my brother now. Oliver lives much closer than my other niece and nephew Charlotte and Jack, and it is interesting to watch him change week by week. He seems to be very contented and very relaxed, but the nicest thing is that when he cries or needs a nappy change he can go back to his mum or dad!

Feeling Old!

I'm feeling old! I keep blaming Robbie for wearing me out, but I think the cold I had last week has exhausted me. I can cope with sniffles and sneezing, bit it made me ache all over and I alternated between feeling shivery and being too hot. The cold has more or less gone but it has left me with an annoying cough and it has started my asthma off, so I am feeling tired and frustrated. Robbie tries his best to say the right thing but he never gets it quite right, he assures me that I'm not old but rather than quitting while he's ahead he always goes on to say 'well not to me anyway' and that gives a completely different message!!

I had one of those 'end of an era' feelings last week. Laura had her last ever lesson at the music centre, she has decided to give up lessons to concentrate on her A Level exams. I have been going to the music centre for so many years that it will seem very strange not to have to go anymore. Laura plays the Saxophone very well and I love listening to her play, but it took her a while to find an instrument that suited her. Emily knew from the beginning that she wanted to play the flute and she went from strength to strength. Laura began with the clarinet, in fact she continued playing the clarinet until last year, but she always longed to play the saxophone. Somehow a music teacher convinced her that she really should play the oboe instead. I remember the oboe phase in excruciating detail, it sounded like a duck being tortured and it coincided with Sam's early adventures on the violin - it was agony! Laura didn't enjoy the oboe and before long she took up the saxophone instead, she must have been playing the Saxophone for about seven years now. All my prayers were answered when Sam gave up the violin in favour of the cornet - a much more tolerable sound! I am not very musical, in fact I am pretty close to being tone deaf, but I know when it is painful and the oboe phase was memorable for all the wrong reasons.

I met my new nephew for the first time on Sunday, he is lovely. They have decided to call him Oliver John, that is quite a relief because my brother wanted to call him Cecil - poor little chap that would have been cruel!

The Waiting Game

On Friday morning I woke very early, I was waiting anxiously and not very patiently for news that my new niece of nephew had arrived, I had been told the evening before that he was on the way and the wait seemed never ending. When my children were little they longed for a cousin and I was just as keen to be an aunt, but I only have one brother and one brother in law and for a long time it looked as if we would not get our wish. I was so excited when my brother in law Dorian and his wife Sara announced that a baby was on the way. My niece Charlotte is seven now and her little brother Jack is two, they are amazing, and my children love their little cousins. I think we had all given up hope of my brother Michael having any children, so when he told me some months ago that Jane was pregnant, my first reaction was shocked silence, but I was absolutely delighted by the news. My brother has been very chilled about the whole thing, in fact he seemed more anxious when his dog Poppy had puppies a couple of years ago, but I could tell that he was really excited about it.

Finally I got the news I was waiting for, I have a new nephew! Mum and baby were both fine, but when I saw the first photos my brother looked a bit shaky, he is not very good at dealing with hospitals and he has always been a bit funny about blood stuff. My brother has been teasing the children by saying that he intended to call the baby Cecil after his favourite artist (Cecil Aldin) so we were all waiting anxiously for them to decide on a name. I didn't need to call the NSPCC after all, the baby is not called Cecil, his name is Oliver John. Emily is very keen that he should have ginger hair (she loves ginger hair), it is not possible to tell yet, but as my brother has ginger hair it is a possibility. I can't wait to see him!