Swim like a dolphin

If you were just reading the titles of my last two posts, you might think I was discussing the short lived 80's action TV show Manimal in which a man can shape-change into various animals, a man/animal, Manimal, get it? Or perhaps a really rubbish boxing quote trying to emulate the great Muhammed Ali but not quite getting the context right; its not quite got the same impact as float like a butterfly, sting like a bee...

Anyway, I'm actually talking about Noah's first swimming lesson which is happening right now as I type and I am desperately sad that I cant be there with him. He loves splashing around in the bath and isn't too bothered about getting his face wet like a lot of babies are, in fact bath time means that everyone and everything in the vicinity of our bathroom gets a soaking, but I know that right from the start in lesson one he will be dunked completely and that is bound to be a little scary for him. I want to be there not only to share in his excitement, but to protect and comfort him from any fears. Having said that, having my bloated hairy body on show would be scary for everyone and the last time I went swimming there were reports in the paper about the Loch Ness monster being sighted, so maybe its for the best!

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A Medley of Minions

You may recall that I was mid preparation for Noah's 2nd birthday party which was all arranged and happened to fall exactly two weeks after Ellie was born. So you can imagine the state of mind both Nikala and I were in whilst I was also running around frantically trying to put into action all my plans for the ensuing Minion madness. Yes, I was pretty stressed. Anyway as promised here is my Minion cake creation. I actually found a great recipe that froze well, allowing me to bake the cakes a week or two in advance and reducing the panic on the night before. A little. Well OK I was still pretty panicked and with panic comes just a hint of anger and frustration. So sorry to anyone that found themselves around me for those last few hours building up to the big event. Cakes wrapped and ready for freezing. And now thawing ready for the build. Beginning to take form. The sandwich layers are stuck together with chocolate ganache. And then covered with a "cru...

There is a first for everything.

I may have mentioned before that being a working father like most other fathers, I usually miss all the "firsts" for our children. On Monday 3rd November 2014 whilst travelling to work, I received a text from Nikala informing me that Ellie had rolled from front to back for the first time. Great news of course, but once again I had missed it, and although I knew I would get a repeat performance it is never the same as being there for the first time when your child does something new or reaches one of those pivotal developmental stages. I appreciate that it sounds a little silly to be upset about missing something as "unimportant" as a child rolling from its back to its tummy, but when it is your own child these small achievements suddenly seem monumental and when you miss all those little things it begins to add up. Before you know it it feels like you are missing your child growing up. As I type this I can imagine my younger self, the one before children reading i...

Dino Pants Maketh the Man

Noah is now several weeks into, or indeed out of, nappie training. By which I mean he isn't wearing them anymore. I always thought that once we didn't have to cart around all that nappy changing paraphernalia our lives would be so much easier. Sometimes over the last couple of years when we have been getting ready to just go to the shops, it has felt a little like packing for an SAS training course what with the amount of things that we need to fit into the change bag. In fact I often feel like the man in this picture... Of course we still need to take a lot for Ellie however I thought that we wouldn't be doubling up any more. But like most of the lessons I have learnt as a parent, I hadn't thought this through to its logical conclusion. When a child is wearing a nappy and they need the toilet, be that a wee or a poo, they just go. Sure you then need to find a nappy changing area to sort them out and make them comfortable again. At worst you may feel a lit...

I Am That Dad

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