We stayed in again this New Year's Eve. This time with the kids kept awake.
We danced, and played pirates with Bradley. We were going to watch TV, I guess, but halfway through a pre booked Santa Clause 2 Telewest Cable stopped working. The telephones still worked, so did the internet, but no TV!

Never mind we had a great time, watching the fireworks at midnight from the upstairs windows - magical.

I think both me and Amanda were slightly pissed at the end (1am), and thankfully Esme lay in till 11:30am and Bradley till 12:30. When he awoke, he told me he had a "lovely sleep."

Why do kids do exactly what you don't want them to do?

I asked if they could stand together so I could take a picture. Esme hid behind the shop front, and Bradley slithered on the floor.

A big hug before we leave on our customary visit to the stables.

It was only when I looked through the camera that I saw the coming storm, blowing south from the Beacons. Looks like snow I say. Five minutes later, and after only just arriving and to Esme and Bradley's chagrin we start walking back home. Amanda and I are fucking freezing! My checks are numb, ears about to drop off...
We make it home just in time, it does indeed begin to snow.

Green, green, grass of home.

We made quite a few boobs with the presents, this was one meant for Bradley, I figured that he would want dressing up stuff, because Esme has loads already, but he's not into it... She is. Looks like another swap.

Nanna still in her night clothes helps Bradley with his battery operated digger, which is a great success.

Drums again for our musical Bradley. These are drumless drum sticks.

Esme spots that Bradley has more big presents than her, though the difference is marginal, it's quite important to her. I think it's a mark of how good she's been through out the year.

But, she's got loads of good stuff, and is thrilled with many of them.

Most of the shots were much more blurred than this, and it make it looks as though Bradley's tearing through the unwrapping, as it is, he's the slowest most dainty unwrapper I've ever seen.

Because of his slowness, Esme's long finished her unwrapping, and this makes her angst over the number and size of presents more marked. She offers to help Bradley. Of course, he declines her kind offer.

Presents everywhere. They have a pile each off us, and a pile each of the grand parents.

You can't beat a good escalator ride. This is in one of the new shops in Telford. Here we go up and I warn, "remember to jump off, watch the end!"

Bradley's a little nervous and takes his time, while Esme's long gone.

It must be utterly fantastic, riding on escalators, looking through the glass as we decend.

He can't get used to the sides not moving, while he does.

Neither can esme and her hand slip..

I'm told to get out of the house and to take the kids with me. Amanda wants to pack the car for our trip to Nanna's in Wales.
Bradley passes a shop we don't usually go in, and spys some crisps. I say we don't go in there and he plays up, screaming and shouting, so I tell him he can go in by his self. Which he starts to do, stops, and shouts, top of his voice, "give me some money!"
Cold shivers run down my spine.
He buys packets of biscuits (on his own), and is eating them in the pic above.

Esme bought the pop, by herself. (She just reminded me about this, as she peers over my shoulder as I type.0
We go to the chippy, and have a sit down. Which brings much amusement to the staff. And to us.

Bradley tells knock-knock jokes to two gilrs, aged about 10, at the next table.

And Esme insists on taking a picture from outside.

We take a walk to the park, the little one. As soon as we arrive, Bradley announces that he needs to "wee-wee."
Where else can we do it? Next to a tree. And Esme protects, not that there's anybody else in the little park, far too cold for that.

And with a "ha-ha-harrr!" He completes the job, by doing the little shake.

And a proud smile for the camera, once I've pulled his pants and trousers up.

Bloody cold! Even the trees look cold.

But still they manage to run around, and I want to come home after only being there 20 minutes or so, they argue and argue that they should stay.

Esme discovers a bit of ice, and wants to take it home.

Bradley's just amused by how cold it is, and how it's melting.

Initially, Esme didn't want to go into the push chair, afraid that someone from school may see her perhaps? She said, "I'm not a baby anymore," when I asked her to hop in, and she walked all the way to the shops.

We had to wait ages here for Bradley to stamp on every piece of ice in this frozen puddle.

I suppose there's a load of things to do on the way home from school. For the past few days, it's been that we shouldn't walk Bradley's secret way, we should go the other way around the bingo hall.
For one reason, I think, that she can walk across the wall, balancing.

Head back roaring with laughter.

It's an old game: I stand too close as they swing back, and the kick me. I over react, throwing my arms up, shouting, 'ouch' or some such, and curse. And this happens time and time again.
At first Esme's away in the distance, but on hearing Bradley's chortling she looks up, smiles, and runs over.
Esme can climb into the swing on her own. Mind, she could do that, probably a year ago.
Two kicks up Daddy's arse and it's the other's turn.

Bradley took this of me. With a beard! (Me, not Bradley.)

Esme's constantly writing letters, it seems, even when she's a fairy. Today, she wanted to get changed, just so she could write letters.
Fairies to die for. She's looking in the mirror at her wings. Dunno why. But wonderful pose, on top of our blue, sea shells toilet seat.

Big thing for Bradley. When the bus comes, I say, 'stick your hand out 'Bradley.' And he does, saying over and over 'stop bus!'
When the bus stops, he jumps up and down, 'I did it, I did it!'
Of course, everybody on the bus sees him, and the driver (with a big grin on his face) stops, exactly by his hand. As we walk up the bus, everybody seems to be smiling.

Good to have such an effect.
(Amanda bought the hat, just to annoy me, and Grandad in Wales, I doubt if he'll be allowed to wear it when we go down there for Xmas.)

After this, I read how to correct red eye properly.
The huge ball pool was as deep as Bradley's waist. I'd have loved this stuff when I was their age.

Strange distortion. She's swinging, and moving quite fast, I guess when I took this.
Francis is Alex's younger sister. And Most of the time I didn't see either Esme not Francis as they played together nealry tthroughout the whole party.

They even get on so well, other people comment on it.

Harriot, Alex's sister. And Esme's and Bradley's other cousin.

A deserted Sunday. I take them out on their respective locomotion devices. Bradley's a tough geezer. He peddles all the way on his little trike. Esme speeds too fast on her scooter - much to fast for my liking.

But we have to stop to look at Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer. Well, who could pass this shop window without looking at Rudolf?

Some of the other kids. One by one those on the stage rose to give some part of the narrative. Something about a lost kitten, I think.

Amanda, Bradley and Grandad Frank in the background. I think he loved it too.

The lights came on and Mr. Sanderson, the head teacher gave a thank you to us, the actors, teachers, and everybody he could think of.

I'll have to question Amanda about this trip, she took them, I didn't go, so I've no idea what goes on in these pix.

Much anticipated - the School Fair! We arrive, very keyed up. And cold. Esme's like a little girl possessed. We must arrive early!

Inside, it's very, very crowded

We're soon in Esme's classroom, there's no room at all, and we squeeze through to the stalls, to enter the lucky dip and other contests, soon, we've won chocolate and some tiny figures, and a purple horse thing.

And Esme sees all her teachers.

I soon realise the reason she desperately wanted to come. She's been making Xmas Crackers all day at school, and if she didn't get there in time, some one else may buy hers. Obviously, it's a scam by the school to ensure they want to come, and get there on time.

She's happier then Jack McHappy, winner of last year's MR Happy contest. There's sweets and chocolate inside her cracker. She even gives one to Bradley.

It's a long pensive wait in the queue. Moving up one chair at a time, sometimes three.

We finally get in. And I say come on Bradley. Santa says, "hello Bradley!" Bradley turns to me and says, "he knows my name!"

And he doesn't forget to test to see if he's the real Santa. The real Santa says, 'ho, ho, ho' when he laughs. So, Bradley has a prepared joke, especially for the occasion...

"Why does, beedy beed?" Asks Brad.
"I don't know, why does beedy beed," says Santa.
"Because beedy beedy beed," says Bradley, covering up his increasingly contagious laugh with his hand.
"Ho ho ho! That's the best joke I've heard all night," Says Santa.
Bradley turns to me and exclaims, "It is Santa!"

I dunno how it became my job, but here I am helping putting up the tree with little helpers. I know it's gonna take ages, especially with the little helpers.

Sorting out the correct branches and placing them in the correct holes is difficult enough.

Then, putting the lights and decorations on. I let then rip first, sticking them all on the bottom, where they can reach I guess.
No Bradley, that's not supposed to go on the tree. Or, are you showing the fish the tree?

Finished, with my rearranging. Which lasts all of one day.

Looks lovely, or it did.