Shark Day

Sharks are over 400 million years old...so Auntie Sha Sha is really just a young pup and her birthday is but a small (although important:)  milestone in the long history of the shark.    

Sharks are speedy creatures and some can travel up to 69km per hour (pretty crazy, actually).  I think our Shark might need her skate skis to get close to that kind of time, but she still does well crossing Loch Okanagan. 

Sadly, Shark populations worldwide are at risk due to overfishing, finning, and by-catch.  Even British Sharks are suffering the wrath of human carelessness and evil.  In the 1940s, 35,000 Spiny Dogfish Sharks were caught off Plymouth each day.  This has declined to less than 20.  Sharks of the Auntie Sha Sha variety are even harder to come by, particularly in British seas.  If you spot one, please call me immediately.

Lastly, not all may realise that Sharks are trained in Haute Couture.  Please note El Squalo purse in the first pic.  To ask, "where is my Shark purse?", Savvy says "raaawwww" [the noise a Shark makes] and then gives a look of "?" [with hands out to side and open].

Happy Birthday Auntie Shark!

Riding with Team Marshall

We had a lovely morning out with Team Marshall on the bikes. A bit cold, but glorious sunshine and good eats at the Coffee Bothy.

Mine

"Mine" - just the word you want your toddler to learn in time for Christmas so that she can steal for her own every and anything going. We were all spoiled for presents and managed to get them back off of Savvy (eventually) to make our own piles of loot. This picture below isn't posted to show you me stuffing my face with potato fry up, Savvy eating grated cheese straight out of the bag, or Grandma's lovely new dress. It's to highlight the heap of presents in the background that kept on going all the way round the tree in our bay window. Lucky us with treats from England, Canada, and Japan. Thank you to our international santas!









The big hit gift for Shaun (poor uncle Glen is jealous)









Christmas morning - Santa's been!









We had a lovely time with the Dobsons and Tipping combo. Shaun and Jess took well to crokinole. Savvy took well to Shaun and Jess (she misses them already).









The three santa's helpers with Nonno.







Ash and Jessie

Nonno and Nonna










Andrea and Shaun









This pic was taken on Christmas day, after our turkey feast and after Team Toffeefee (Nonna, Nonno, and I) crushed team L (Grandma, Glen and Andrea) in sudden death in a game of Red Herring. Was it a long life, a long journey, a fruit salad, or loads of wealth...probably no one will remember. The important thing is that Team Toffeefee took gold.








A sleepy breakfast









Savvy so excited that she is actually drooling.

Christmas Tidings

Nonno, Nonna, Grandma, Andrea, Shaun and Jess all arrive today to stay chez Stanley House. We are very excited. We will no doubt be off line for a while as we tuck into turkey, treats, and toys, but we'll catch up with the blog as soon as we can.

And the new pics will include snaps of me again. I have been ducking the camera recently since Savvy is struggling with the "no throwing" concept and I took a book in the face pretty hard. I think the little monkey is calming down again after a good few days with Charlie Bear and at long last, (after the terrible family flu of 2008) some food in her tummy.

Soft Play

When the weather is rubbish, Savvy loves a good play at the Alloa Kidz World. Shots aren’t the best, but you get the idea. Loads of climbing, jumping and sliding.

While we are on the soft play topic, here are also some pics of us with the Pauldings at Ratho a few weeks ago at our "goodbye lunch". The Pauldings have now moved South to pursue new opportunities. Two sporting legends lost to Scotland. They will be missed, as will their little star, James.

In other news, Savvy and I have been quite unwell. Poor MegaDob has had to become even more of a MegaDad, taking care of us both. Savvy has needed so much comforting. When she cuddles, it’s so intense that it feels like she is trying to use a special power of osmosis to become one with you – maximum skin on skin coverage, strangling the neck and crushing the chest. The nights have been so rough that for the first time since we’ve been married, we had to chuck Savvy in for cuddles with Glen while I’ve jumped ship and slept in the loft. Here’s hoping we are on the mend over the next couple of days so we can get back into the Christmas cheer.

Savvy's First Please

When Savvy said her first "please" the other day in the bath, I don't know who was more chuffed - Savage herself, or her Dad. I don't know whether it's because it was Savvy demonstrating politeness and civility, or because Savvy has her Dad wrapped around her little finger, but MegaDob had a grin from Tofino all the way to Aberdeen!

Savvy and Ash Sleep and Play

I don't often get to nap with Savvy - that's MegaDob's job. It was lovely. Same with the post nap yoga session.

I can update that Savage went -on this very day- from a vocab of few, to a vocab of hundreds. Only last week you would say


"night night savvy",
and she would copy with
"flip flute rap rap".

From this morning onward she has been so brave, trying every sound, repeating each word, and getting most of them on the mark. We even heard a few "Mamas" today en route to Glasgow. After 20 months of being shouted on as "Daddy" at nursery, the supermarket, and at home, it was quite a nice treat. Not sure what made it all click, but we are pleased this could mean the end to our constant game of charades.

In terms of games other than charades, Savvy is fully on board with hide and seek, successfully "hiding" Dob's wallet for over 2 hours the other night. A depressed Dob was heading to the bins outside (head torch and all) to dig through them when I pulled out a win, finding the wallet tucked into a pocket of a food bag. Savvy and Dob also like to play "silhouette" - crayon-ing around hands, feet, and full body images. A bit disconcerting to come home to a police scene-like outline of Savvy on the floor, but she seems to love it. And lastly, she has perfected "the decoy" - doing something naughty with one hand/foot, and something clever with the other, calling out for attention on the latter only. I know she is only one and a half, but she is surprisingly skilled at this and it can be some time before we recognise what is really going on and a little grin appears. The time-out corner is a very busy place.

Jonathon (WB) and Lizzie - Engaged

It was a long time coming since the above mentioned were engaged some time ago, but at long last we had them round for a sleepover and mini frosty walk the next morning. The dorks in action above. Congratulations!

Beautiful Day

Savvy and I went for a morning walk around the uni. Saw Santa's Reindeer getting ready for the big day next month.

Down at the uni - frosty.

Up on Dumyat

Can't take credit for this one. My biking buddy Steven took it. Savvy and just went up there for our midday nap.