Too noisy

National Gallery, Edinburgh
Originally uploaded by Lee Carson

So last night the fireworks started popping off round the house - neighbours down the road have some every year, nothing too flashy but enough for 5 minutes entertainment from over the hedge. Well, Kit HATES fireworks. Sitting eating his macaroni he heard the first one and sort of laughed..but not really, it was a bit too manic for laughing. Two fireworks later and he was getting upset and headed off to his room to find the ear defenders I bought him when we had planned to go to Knockhill (called off due to chicken pox).
The ear defenders made him feel much better. So much better, in fact, that he kept them on all through bath time, story time (Each Peach Pear Plum is so much better shouted) and then to bed. I finally prised them off his ears at around 11 and put them on Bigger Bear's ears who was still awake and also unsure of the bang and crackles.

Up North for October

I've had a cracking few days recently - the October holiday week is always good: it lacks the pressure of the summer holidays, where good weather and "plans" are paramount, and it prefaces the pressure of the Christmas holiday with its family driven agenda and financial aftermath. The tattie holiday is a real holiday, where autumn's colours and the early bite of a cold wind only serve to make Scotland a nicer place to be when you have nothing to do.
And where nicer in Scotland than Speyside? I was lucky that there was a coincidental coming together of the holiday, my birthday and the Aviemore Half Marathon, my second after premiering in Glasgow last month. We headed north after school on Friday and stayed with Dad in Carrbridge, steadfastly refusing all but the skimpiest of curries in preparation for my run on Sunday. It turned out to be a lovely day, until lunchtime anyway, and the run was a picturesque, friendly and fun affair. 109th out of 996 and no lasting injuries sounds like a good day out to me.
So Monday saw poor Lorna heading south to go back to work on the train. Meanwhile Kit and I continued north to Tain for a couple of nights. This is another opportunity for him to be a spoiled brat but for me not to mind because I get some quiet time - and today, my quiet time took me to Croick Church, an exceptionally special place to me. Special for a number of reasons - it has big history. Follow the link to learn more, but suffice to say the church is linked forever to the Highland Clearances in a way that enters your blood and gives you The Shivers every time you visit. I'm not sure why, but inside the curch manages to be many degrees colder than outside, whether summer or winter. The people of Glen Calvie were mustered there before being thrown / chased / burned out of their houses and homes in 1845, and famously the church has scratches on the windows where they testified to the sadness and loss they were being put through.
All in all I spent a good few hours there with my camera trying to get some nice in and outside shots of the church and its grounds. I didn't feel spooked at all, it's a very peacful place to be, just so cold. Until, that is, a conker got blown from a tree and banged against one of the windows: then I shat myself. More pics to follow once I get them edited and Flickr'd.
Back home tomorrow - rehearsals tomorrow night then possibly an Edinburgh photography day on Thursday.

A bit of running, a bit of fundraising.

I'm just back in from a rainy but enjoyable 5 mile run, my "usual" run which is an unexpected and uncharacteristic phrase at the best of times. Sunday is the Highland Half Marathon in Aviemore, and after my sensational 1hr 35mins at the Glasgow Half in September I am not feeling quite as tip-top. Reaching the end without my right ankle tearing off will be a good result after last week's long run to school, but at least I have a week off school to recover afterwards.

November is Movember - a fundraising opportunity for guys with hair...the link will explain it better but to summarise I will be growing a groovy moustache to raise money for Prostate Cancer Charity, follow me here and keep an eye out for pictures! I even have a "team"...

Kit is very full of himself - important things in his life just now are trains, jumping, drawing and being Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast. Ah well, could be worse. Lorna has contacted a judo club for him. He's three and a half, and apparenty the cotton wool is coming off. The judo-guy called tonight and despite me hanging up the first time (thinking he was a cold caller; well, he was asking for Mrs Clarkson) he had a chat and confirmed that 4 years old is probably better. I'll maybe just enter him for some baby-cage fights until then.

The picture is of Kit and his edible hedgehog. This was Granny's hard work when she was down to look after him and his chicken-poxy body. Good job!

Excuse me, I've got a bit of a dirty fork.

Excuse me, I've got a bit of a dirty fork.
Originally uploaded by Lee Carson

Father's Day here in the UK, and to celebrate we headed out to Howie's at Bruntsfield to undo all the good work of the last few weeks dieting. This was after a morning of gardening and box-packing. (We are decluttering the house with a view to tentatively thinking about selling.)

Kit's big news is that he has been promoted from Tiggers to Owls at nursery, the final room in the chain. Here he will be in with "the big ones", get no naps and less adult contact, instead finding himself trying to negotiate the complicated world of pecking orders alone. Do him good.

RTA

RTA
Originally uploaded by Lee Carson

So, that's February already and Britain grinds to a halt in the face of half an inch of snow. Well, London does. How does snow manage to disrupt the underground? Edinburgh too is suffering its share of transport woes but it's still the cyclists who are smug, if not snug, as all around roads are dug up and traffic is diverted so TIE can gives us trams.
The population of the household is going up steadily as more and more toys are named and played with, rather than just lung on to. Only yesterday Pudsey bear was put to bed by Kit due his sore eye, snuggled down and read a story. The guitar and piano are still favourite items, with his Brio train and Thomas TV game close behind.
Lorna spent a week in Hong Kong a while bak and we sent Kit for a holiday to Granny's house - a popular decision all round. This gave me the splendid opportunity to relive my bachelor days for five exciting nights, just long enough to remember that I don't miss my bachelor days at all. It turns out that without my family I would be just another fat alcoholic...like, even more.
It did give me the opportunity to catch up with Jon in Tain for a night, an unlikely but welcome opportunity. Beer, whisky, cigars and putting the world to rights. Same old same old, thank God.

Nearly Christmas

Susan Was Here
Originally uploaded by Lee Carson

In service day today, frighteningly concerning the Hallowe'en disco, nativity play and arrangements for decorating the gym hall with festive doors. Yes, festive doors.
Back to cycling tomorrow, and I'm battened down for the winter with all lights and thermals, brr. Edinburgh continues to be in the grip of tram roadworks - only the most hardened of drivers dare venture onto the roads these mornings. The end of our road is blocked off just now, and despite three huge yellow signs warning drivers not to try to use it they still drive along before making angry u-turns while waving their tiny fists at the barriers in their way.
Lorna has a cold and is off to bed with her book and a hot water bottle. Kit (Dr. NO) was using the "pooter" mouse today but still can't get in my Bookmarks to track down the Balamory sing-a-long website. Thank goodness.

It's here, incase you feel the need for a Hoolie.

A visit from Grandad

Kit and Grandad
Originally uploaded by tcatcarson

Lorna managed to lure her dad up to the house today with the promise of a ham sandwich...and the realisation that we hadn't actually seen him yet this year! So he caught the bus up to us and spent the afternoon playing with Kit.

He and Jess have taken a big step recently, getting passports and booking their first ever foreign holiday...and then booking their second too. They will go by coach, by way of the Superfast ferry, first to Switzerland in June and then a tour of the Rhine in October for their 20th anniversary. Really it should be China for a 20th, but one step at a time, I guess.

I am on holiday for a week now and head for Budapest on Thursday to visit Calum, conveniently the same time as Jon and Mark will be there. I'm only away for two nights but one of those is Valentine's Day. Oops, not good timing...

“There's only one me, and I'm stuck with him.” - KV

It is a measure of how quickly time can pass that Kit not only became the "big boy" of the baby room, he has now outgrown it altogether and has enjoyed a nursery graduation into the next room, Little Roos. He is back to being the new boy again, but gets bigger toys, more time outdoors and - gasp - a mattress for nap time instead of a cot! We were surprised that he took to this so readily but apparently because they all go to sleep at the same time there is a mood of quiet to which he succumbs.

We have begun to get itchier feet house wise and even viewed a property in Balerno the other week. It wasn't the house for us, but we like the area so will be keeping our ears and eyes open should the right one come along. Lorna pretends it's all to do with countryside and catchment areas but it really comes down to the noisy teenagers who live through the wall from us.

I have just finished a couple of SQH days which have put the wind up me again as far as assignments and readings go. The good news is that I passed my first piece without a hitch - next comes the School Improvement Project which will keep me very busy until at least February!

Still, not so busy that I can't get out on the bike - in a couple of weeks I head down to Lincolnshire for a Thundercat run. I'm really looking forward to a longer trip on the bike, and especially as I will meet up with some friends I have not seen for ages. That, and a trip to see Dad in Carrbridge, will keep us busy enough for a while. Aye, the nights are fair drawing in...

I can slide all by myself...sort of.

We took the bikes along the old railway line towards Balerno today, and stopped off at Spylaw Park for a swing and a slide.

Jo Jingles

Kit's first experience of a festival show was Jo Jingles Goes To The Farm, this morning. Essentially a sing-along, he sat through it with look of entertained bemusement.

Let a smile be your umbrella, and you'll end up with a face full of rain.

So it hasn't been the kindest of summers, as far as the weather goes. It feels a little churlish to gripe about showers and puddles when mother nature is slowly washing England into the sea one blocked drain at a time, but I reserve the right to expect more good days in six weeks than we've had. However maybe that just makes the sunny spells all the more valued.

My last post announced Jon and my plans to head north and visit the beautiful Sandwood Bay...so we did. A splendid time was had by both: the weather held up for us until late into the evening. The bay has little in the way of firewood but we found what appeared to be part of a wooden crate to burn - turned out it was made of solid, woodlike plastic which burnt very well, though perhaps was not the nicest thing to sit beside and inhale from. After family packs of Supernoodles, a couple of beers and a snifter of Laphroig we turned in, and next day were lucky enough to get a dry walk out and a most pleasant all day breakfast at Kinlochbervie's Fisherman's Mission - all the anus and eyelid you can eat for a fiver!

Our family week to Mull was everything we'd hoped it might be. The race from Tain to Oban via the Co-Op (then trying to stuff a week's worth of food into an already obscenely overpacked car) was a challenge, but once in the queue for the ferry I could relax and inspect the quality of the Oban port authority's seagull poo sweeping. Not bad, actually, but I could have done better.

Once on Mull we found our cottage and despite being a bit damp and smelling a bit like a wet dog we were pleased to call it home for the week. Walks, cycles, a visit to Iona and Tobermory kept us busy and Kit loved sticking his head into sandy puddles on the beach. Well, what are wellies for if not to fill with water? We lit the fire a few nights for no other good reason than it's fun to light fires and Lorna somehow took the Mull Scrabble title at three games to two. I managed to get lots of school stuff reading done - the benefit of no TV or internet cannot be over stressed here - and we wended our way home a week later feeling holidayed and happy.

Now back home my assignment is submitted, Kit is walking and babbling like never before and Lorna is...wait for this...getting a bicycle tomorrow! She ventured out three times on my mountain bike while on holiday. (Lorna is not the most experienced, or confident of cyclists. She can't change gear if there is a car near - well, if she can even see a car, actually - and only recently has been able to move her hand over to ring the bell. Before that she relied on a firm clearing of the throat to warn walkers to dive out of the way.) The first time, in Tain, it poured with rain so much that we hid under a tree until, realising it was never going to stop, limping home 20 minutes later in defeat. Our second run took us from Tain to Inver and all was going well until two low flying jets knocked Lorna into a ditch. You see...knowing how much she likes low flying jets, after the first one buzzed us I spotted the second one and shouted, "Lorna, stop". I knew she couldn't cycle and look at the same time, but unfortunately she thought I shouted, "Lorna, look" and proved I was right. One bruised shin later (it started off as a broken leg, but then got better) and I was off to get the car to ferry her back safely on four wheels. The third go was much more successful, on Iona, but we both agreed the mountain bike was not ideal for her so she's chosen one of these instead. Ding ding!

More on the bike front - Mike and I have been testing ourselves at the Glentress and Innerleithen trails. The Glentress red route was enough for me, but still we dared the black route at Innerleithen and lived to tell the tale.

So what now? Well, cramming as much as I can into the last week of the holidays, trying to get out on the motorbike (new rear tyre, woohoo!) and avoiding "back to school dreams", I guess.

For the want of a cot at Granny's...

Multimedia message
Originally uploaded by tcatcarson

Right cat, out!

Defying gravity

Defying gravity
Originally uploaded by tcatcarson

We spent some time at the park on Saturday, and Kit enjoyed his first swing! He laughed so much he got hiccups, which we took to be a good thing.
The park at Saughton is actually very good, lots to do and quite busy. It was let down by a broken bottle (and considering it was lying on the soft bark floor, someone had gone to a lot of trouble to break it) and the fact that someone seemed to have tried to set a swing on fire...

Swimming

We spent this afternoon splashing about at Leith Waterworld having spent the morning watching the rain splash about in the garden. Kit is unbelievably confident in the water. We began with me supporting him on his front which makes him kick his legs in an "I'm doing it!" style, before plonking him into his inflatable thing for a trip round the rapids and on to the wave area. He likes this, but he like watching the girls more... His confidence really showed when I took him back out of the inflatable and allowed him to crawl in the shallows - every time he took himself deeper and deeper until I dragged him back as he spluttered and gagged on mouthfuls of water. Confidence is another word for lack of experience, I suppose. Any way he was happy enough to be ducked under the water (it's good for him) and certainly made an other little boy look like a bit of a wuss when he gurned his way round the pool.

And the best bit about the trip? We got a proper changing room this time, with a special seat to strap him into while I got changed. Aah, it's the little things...

If A equals success, then the formula is A equals X plus Y and Z, with X being work, Y play, and Z keeping your mouth shut.

So...

Lorna's off to Amsterdam for the weekend! She owes her current PhD student a visit to an international conference so they left yesterday morning and will be back on Monday night. But they are working hard - they have been to the Anne Frank museum, Van Gogh museum, on a canal trip, out to dinner.......eh? Do Napier realise what they're up to?

That leaves Kit and I to fend for ourselves for a few days, and so far we are managing I'm pleased to say. He now stands unaided (at 13 months I should hope so, but he is a lazy git and is in no rush to walk anywhere) and enjoys any thing musical or on wheels. We bought him a xylophone last week which he loves, though he does tend to play in a "punk" style. I have managed to drop him off at nursery (8am) and make it across town to QPS before the bell. This was my main worry so I can relax a bit now.

The sharp eyed among you will spot the new link on the right to my SQH blog. I have been accepted on to Edinburgh Uni's Scottish Qualification for Headship course, involving 26 months of homework and soul searching. Two weeks ago was the introduction to course 1 which meant 3 days at Peebles Hydro, which was nice if a bit overwhelming.

Oh, I have finally set up a Flickr account so feel free to check out my pictures and make me a buddy, or whatever it is you do on Flickr. http://www.flickr.com/photos/tcatcarson/

I am reading A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving (again). It's dead good.

Youth is when you're allowed to stay up late on New Year's Eve. Middle age is when you're forced to.

2006 was a pretty big year. Despite having the same number of days as many other years, we seem to have squeezed rather a lot into it. Lorna and I have tried to start a tradition of climbing a hill overlooking Edinburgh and doing a review of the year - a bit like they do on telly except without so many competing egos.

It was the year Christopher was born, of course, but also the year Daniel Stark rolled a six and was allowed to be born too. We lost Gran Carson, but not before she got to meet her great grandson. Thomas was born safely in Cambridge, and is keen to remind Diane of this fact every morning at 2am... We bought a car, and a motorbike, and finally got round to decorating the house. And buying a shed. Dad only moved house twice last year, and introduced us to Donna, while Gill introduced us in turn to Gary. Jimmy got his pacemaker fitted allowing him to climb stairs again, forcing Jess to hide the chocolate biscuits somewhere other than on top of the cupboard. Lorna spent 9 months out of work, lounging around and flitting from one baby-related social event to the next. Bill, Dale, Jamie and Eliza made the trek from "down under" to "up over" during the summer, enjoying a range of events from standing in rain in Bo'ness to queuing for chips in Anstruther watching England's exit from the World Cup.

If 2007 is even half as eventful we will be knackered by 2008. Along those lines, who says the French have no sense of humour?

We had a great Christmas and New Year, finding the balance of family gatherings and quiet reflection to our taste. Kit spent the two week holiday mastering clapping, waving and crawling. Luckily he announces when he is about to crawl with a gasp of excitement and a squeal of anticipation; this makes it easier to keep him away from wires and fires. It won't last, however, so baby-proofing the house will be an early job for the year. He has already found the video player slot so it won't be long before we find jam sandwiches in there. Speaking of which he is also taking tentative steps towards "finger foods" - this is where he takes a piece of toast and rubs it all over his face then drops it on the floor to gasps of admiration and pride from his mother.

And so...Lorna goes back to work on Thursday! Is she looking forward to it? Well, yes, sort of, she enjoys her job and is looking forward to getting back into it. But it also means Kit starts nursery too - gulp. He had a half day trial on Monday and loved it, squealing with delight at the sight of the other babies. His daily report card (yes, really) announced that "Christopher has had great fun playing with the rattles and the soft bricks". Hmm. Well, I want him potty trained by 15 months, please.

We have booked Applecross for a couple of nights this Easter, but they have put their prices up to "who are you trying to kid" levels, so return visits will have to be curtailed for the sake of food and electricity.