congratulations : london

Simon & Mary Jenkinson have a baby boy - Christopher Luke, born this morning. How exciting!

on the move

Calvin can now crawl using all four limbs, and in a far more upright position. He's fast.
He's cutting two more teeth – incisors – the top two in front. Lots of dribbling, but I think we're nearly there.
Sleepwise, Calvin is still waking up regularly at 4am and crying. Sometimes I get up and settle him (70% of the time), other times it's Keith (15%) and the rest is us both lying there trying to be very disciplined about not going to him. We really need to make it more 30% going to him – there's no reason for waking up other than attention. Problem is, when it's your second child, you just want peace & quiet so you can go back to sleep. So you're actually reinforcing the bad behaviour.

We're having a few glorious moments with Zack. Yesterday on the tube, a chap got on at Camden Town (home of goths, alternative culture, punk, etc) with piercings on his face and a blue bandana. First thing Zack says is "what's that thing in his nose ?".
So I went through the list of possibilities, "Is it a boogie ?", "No,"
"Is it jewellery?", "Yes,"
"Is it a necklace?" (an in joke in our family), "No," he says rolling his eyes,
"Is it a bracelet?", "No,"
"Is it a jewel?", "Yes".
"Oooohhh".
and then, "Mommy, that man is a pirate," meaning the chap in the bandana.
"Yes," I say, "there is a pirate on the train."

Congratulations : naperville IL

Big surprise here : safe arrival of Etienne Lambert to Ryan & Lanelle. And a jolly healthy size too at 9lbs 8oz - well done Lanelle.

reconnoiter

I went and viewed the first primary school today : St James C of E Primary School. I hope to visit at least 4 before it's decision time. My impression was that it is a good school (Ofsted report is exemplary), the children all seem happy and confident, the administration is progressive, the head-teacher was open and at ease. Zack is eager to go there because he has friends attending already : Oskar, Jamie and Chloe - I don't think he realises that they're going to be a year ahead of him. It'll be nice for him to see them and have the familiarity to aid the settling process.
I hope to view the others nearby : Tetherdown Primary, Muswell Hill Primary, and our Lady of Muswell Hill Catholic Primary. I might see a few further away depending on how I feel after 4.

happy birthday Baby-cakes

Calvin turned 1 recently, and we had a little Birthday Tea for a few friends.

My friend Elly's little boy, Asante, had his naming ceremony too - a really special event.

Kwame and Elly say their lines

We've been quite busy altho' Summer seems to be over – it keeps surprising us with another few glorious days between the cool, grey, drizzle that is autumn in London.

Zack & Charlie on the dervish at Ally Pally's Fair

I took Zack for a haircut on Saturday, and despite visiting the kiddie's salon last Wednesday so that he would be familiar with the space, he still went mental when it was cutting time. In the end I sat in the chair and held him down while the hairdresser cut quickly. Keith was standing behind him placating, but it was all very traumatic : Zack screaming and thrashing, and mother trying to maintain a firm grip on a 25kg (55lb) toddler. Poor Calvin was asleep when it all started, but the noise woke him up and he was crying too. There were two other boys in the room having haircuts (probably 8 and 10 year olds), and they were amazed at the proceedings.
In the end Zack calmed down to a sob, and then went quiet. Throughout we were all saying what a good boy he is, that there isn't anything to be scared of, that the cutting doesn't hurt at all, that he is very brave, etc. etc. I think the previous stints at the barber's have scarred him for life! But by the time he walked out of the shop, he was fine (except for the hairs tickling him) and said "goodbye" and "thank you" for the balloon. The rest of the day was filled with "I am a brave boy", and our reinforcing "Yes, you are a very brave boy."
Hope next time is better.

The trauma of the haircut completely forgotten
– sitting on Mario's shoulders