Homes by Steve Hooker&Co.

2800 heated square feet Approximately 2 acre lot Huge master bedroom and bath downstairs

Not only me but them too. I'd seen the Steve Hooker who rocks, but now I find anbother Steve Hooker who builds houses. Nice ones too.

Oh and a 21 year old Steve Hooker, an up and coming pole vaulter in Australia. A student in management information studies, three years older than me who died.

Saturday's visit to the library

So we're off to the library. Bradley's first time, and it took ages to persuade him in the first place, then we had an argument coming out of the car. Then, two seconds after this picture, as he was running, whoomp, he fell. Nasty one too. Hands and knees grazed, tears. Screams.	I wasn't sure if we'd stay in the library, Bradley's really grumpy, and about to do the wailing tears at any moment. Just as he was about to start one of the ladies says he can stay, and starts talking to him, to which he doesn't answer, but still...
Some arguments over the horse.	But all in all a successful trip, and lots of nice books. Though I picked up some Xmas books, one was about angels, and another had no words whatsoever. Esme says it's a make it up book. Not quite the point I wanted though.

Manchester tanning booths

Nice drive up to Manchester, though we were a little lost and walked past the tanning shop twice.

Pack those tanners in! These are upright UVs

Throwing stones in the pond at dusk

Just a quick walk down to the ponds, though it was getting late.	Took thew little push chair, boy was the bumpy road even more bumpy.
Good fun, as usual, throwing stones into the lake.	Photos make it look much darker than it was.

Sunday in the pub

Another strange sky. Here's some more in my collection.	We came here last week, in fact we've been coming here since Bradley was born. Just because I like the land lady. However, for the first time last week Bradley and I discovered the hole in the floor to the water wheel. This, we told Esme was the secret hole.
Bit frightened he'd rip the cloth.	But he didn't ";->"
Doing skool work in the pub, where am I leading these kids ";->" At home a bit of a trim for all of us.	Esme took these pictures, she's getting quite good with the camera now.

Tescos with Bradley

Not as noisy as Esme and me walking around Tescos, but still a lot of fun.	Even if he does pull funny faces.

Squeak, snigger said the box boy

I must figure a way to add video to these kid notes. To see him bungle about the kitchen and to listen to the highest pitch squeaks of delight. Heaven. Makes all the money more than worth while.

Few hours of madness after school

How much can two kids pack into two hours? First it was the painting, then the tents, then the dolls (below) who were invited to a party. Then, Bradley comes home from school also, and it's dressing up time, he as a pirate, she as a fairy bride, I think. "Daddy can you help?" That's too many babies Esme." "Daddy can you help? PLEASE!!!!"

High cost of bringing up baby

"From birth to leaving university at age 21 it costs parents £140,398 to feed, clothe and school their children."

No Wonder I'm always poor. £46,000 in the first five years? Mine are 5 years 65 days and 3 years 21 days . So that's £46k + £27k = £73,000

I think I'll send 'em back to the shop.

Why do some people enjoy life and others don't?

Definition of wellbeing: as a state that allows someone to thrive and flourish. "It's a result of things going well and the cause of things going well. It's thinking, I'm getting better and life is feeling better. I'm getting better at what I do, whether it is being a friend, a lover, or a worker. I'm enjoying life."

"What we've found is that if someone is happy with life, they are more popular. We all like hanging around with happy people. They are also more productive, healthier and live longer.

"If you're optimistic and you think life is going to get better, it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. You will involve yourself more, you'll put yourself forward more, you will take more care of yourself. You'll figure that if you do more exercise and not booze as much, life will be better."

All we have to do is spend time mulling over all the things that have gone right for us, rather than dwelling on what has gone badly.

"You have to thank your lucky stars about what goes right on a daily basis. Whenever you get the feeling of being negative about things, just take a moment out and remind yourself of the stuff that has gone well. It could be anything from a conversation to your garden looking nice, or that it didn't rain on you when you were out on your bike. It's an extremely powerful technique."

I'm a terrible optimist. Too optimistic? Nah!

Things are always getting better IMHO. I must start to teach my kids this. Maybe I do already, someone, probably my parents taught me.

The fishing lake and pub with Bradley

Above, the view through the rainy windows on the way to Cound. Looking at the River Severn.

Sunday morning. I like to watch fishing programmes, or at least have them in the background. This morning, Bradley comes into the kitchen, and says he like them too, pulls up a chair and watches. Later, I ask what he wants to do today, he says "fishing."

So, we head off to Cound Lake.

The red line is the way we walked, stopping every now and then to look into rabbit holes and throw stones into the lake.

One, looking back the way we've walked.

Two, looking further at the little bulge.

Three, the other lake, where there's a few brick built bird hides.

And, of course after a hard afternoon's fishing, we call into the pub.

We have fun, play tickling, looking down the glass floor at the old water mill, used in the foundry, playing, "look at that!" While we steal each other's crisps.
We leave as some others do also. "See-ya," they say. Bradley, also says, "see-ya." Like he's been going there for years, this is only his second visit, I believe. Everybody laffs. The land-lady, who remembers when I went in there with Esme when Bradley was first born, always makes a fuss of him; she calls out, "Bye Bradley!" "Bye." He says, as we walk out. Ever so naturally, like everybody knows his name. I didn't know she knew his name, anyway. She comes out to the door, as we're walking across the car park. I says to her, I thought she was saying bye to someone else called Bradley... We smile. Bradley does a dance by the car, which make me and the land-lady laugh. I like this pub.

Tanks and play bus in Telford Town Park

Feeding the ducks in Telford Town Park. I can't believe how quickly she's growing up. Her hair, and the denim jacket make her look much more mature than the 5 years she is.

There's some special event in the big park today, something to do with Children in need. Tank rides, which neither of them are interested in, play bus, very interested, and bouncy castle, extremely interested.

I finally persuade him to come up the stairs while Esme has her face painted downstairs. He's a bit unsure, can't quite believe it, I guess.	Esme, always up for a quick face painting, had sat down without asking me first.
Amazing, says I, as Esme can touch the roof.	He'd look at the tanks, but wasn't interested in taking a ride.
I could have done with a shave. Bit rough after Friday night.	She's supposed to be princess, but I reckon she looks more like one of the ugly sisters.
Fun one minute.	On the floor the next.

They make a terrific noise tearing about one of the paddocks. Three times around for a few pounds.

Waiting for Father Christmas

We were told that Father Christmas was to do a procession through Telford Shopping Centre at 6.00pm. Off we pop. After waiting near the centre we figure that near where he starts would be less crowded. And it was for a while. But when he does arrive, it's too fast, and the damned Rug Rats scare Esme to death. She hates anybody dressed up like that. At least the pirates are handing out chocolate coins, so all is not lost. But, boy, was the shopping centre packed.

Lunch after swimming

After swimming, we take some lunch. OK, Chips, pop and crisps.

Dunno why he was so reticent about having his picture taken, Esme just grins for the camera in the background.

Shrewsbury Park

Pink hair! At five! That's Amanda's doing.

After swimming in Shrewsbury, it's to the park!

Professor Esme

Damn, she's getting quite proficient at Photoshop. Clicking the colours, brushes. Switching to the pen tool, and back again to the airbrush tool. Sure, it's just scribbles, but she knows what she's doing.

Kicking leaves in Shrewsbury

This is good fun, even for grown ups like me. I reckon they could have stayed in Shrewsbury Swimming Pool's car park for hours, kicking leaves, making their shoes dirty. I love the dank smell of Autumn leaves after rain.

Walk in the park

I get lumbered with Bradley for an afternoon. "Where do you want to go Bradley?" "To big park, 'out Esme." So, that's what we do.	After a marathon feeding of the ducks we go into Spout House to get a can of pop. DR. Peppers, as it turns out.
Like I said before, they like to pull funny faces and strange poses when I pull out my camera.	Sometimes, I look at Bradley and see that he's such a small kind boy in a big nasty world. Oh, the fear!

Bonfire extravaganza

All the fun of the fair! We go on nearly every ride that they can go on, and some that they shouldn't. One particular is the funny house with all the trick stairs, and stuff. Bradley really, really wants to go on, he's a taste for these, but I have to go on with him. Luckily he's light enough for me to hold one hand and pick him up out of trouble. Other small children aren't so lucky, this trick house is particularly dangerous, but we survive, and take the early exit out. Must have blown £50+ on this night! Fairs are really expensive when there's two kids who want to go on everything.

On the way back home, there's the last spurt of fireworks, quite a nice display, I think, but the kids aren't into it at all. Bradley starts acting up first. He hides behind Amanda. Then when she turns around to expose him to the display...

He hides behind Esme, and then behind Amanda when Esme turns, and on it goes, Bradley looking for shelter from the vision of exploding rockets and whatever next.

Esme isn't very well, a cold we think, and the loud bangs and roars don't go down well with any body else either. But this is getting serious. We decide that they're going too nuts and begin to head off home, there's no consoling them. Esme on my shoulders, Bradley walking holding Amanda's hands. But I want to see the show, hell we've paid £12 just to see it, so I look back, but Esme turns my head, I look again and I am turned, just like an errant pony. This I do not like and Esme and I get into an argument, about who's in charge and so on...

Car booting with Bradley

We go car booting on Saturdays. This one was in Bridgenorth, it's huge and a lot of fun, haggling with the natives. Of course it's even better for Bradley, he gets to ride on my 'shouldiers,' demand candy floss, and play on the strangest bouncy castle I've yet seen. Later we go into the centre of Bridgenorth, and spy a poor old stag's head. I say, "say cheese," to Bradley and he pulls the strange pose below. He gets this from Esme, who also pulls strange faces or poses when I pull out the camera.

Bradley brother's 3rd birthday

Morning

"It's morning time!" Bradley walks into our room, as usual... I look over and mumble something about it being his birthday, he's forgotten.

So we go down stairs...

He needs a wee-wee. Must be the excitement.	It's a difficult process, working out which ones to open first.
Of course, Esme would like to offer her assistance opening presents. But he soon get the hang of it, even if he does insist on taking every last bit of paper off.	Bradley does like his Thomas tank trains, and he knows all the names. The fist present he opened was a battery powered James. Now, I wouldn't know if it was a James, unless it was written on the box.
	This is a classic "Hey!" pose. Hands thrust nearly on hips and a loud indignant, "hey!"
Harold the Helicopter and landing pad on a hospital - with an ambulance. What more could a boy ask for?	Cranky the Crane was also popular.

As it's a school day for Bradley he has to get dressed and go, leaving his presents. This he does without much grumbling, and runs into his class.

Well, he does have cake for them, and it is his birthday!

Afternoon

We have a party for him when he comes back from school, not many invited, just Alex and Francis, and their neighbout, Amy. As it's also Halloween, we're going off to Telford Town park where there's a trick or treat night.

The guests arrive and play with the new presents.	Even Auntie Alison joins in the fun.
Vampire princess. But she drops the vampire stuff, and becomes a princess. Must have been those nightmares about vampires after the Kentucky Fried Chicken toys a few weeks ago - one was a vampires. Of course I spelled out into much detail, what a vampire was.	She reminds me on my mum, I'm sure she has the same thin lips. And Bradley blows out the candles, have more of this on video, and trying to work a video and take stills is pretty difficult.
Too cute to be scary!	Pretty scary!

Evening

The Teddy Train, where I keep pointing out scary trees, moons, witches in the trees, "look!"	And off we set to the town park, they've laid on the Teddy Train. And we see many other witches and monsters on the way.
I follow behind, and in the darkness see Bradley's red horns bobbing up and down, can't resist a picture, knowing that the flash will be too weak.	And this is how he looks from the front.
And the side...
There was a crooked man in a crooked house. This mask is quite realistic. We all stare and would have been there ages were there not a queue to see him. He didn't say much.	Frankenstein! This scary picture missed the kids - they're far to worried to get in close enough. Esme keeps on about this geezer for days. And the wolf man: she was startled as we were about to pass a geezer dressed in a wold costume, she doesn't like dressed up people at the best of times. And I was stuck, she couldn't pass him and wanted to turn back and go home. Thankfully, after an age she relented and hurried past.
Nice shot of Amy.	A successful night and we're off home.