Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

Oh the weather outside is frightful, but my toothbrush tastes delightful.

Catch up 7

Catch up 6

Catch up 5

Catch up 4

Catch up 3

more Glasgow memories...

Glasgow memories

Just a few old photos from our Glasgow summer.

Our little Gymnast

We've found a lovely secondary schol here in Dunfermline which runs toddler classes on Saturday mornings, so Curtis has now been to 2 gymnastics classes. We did try singing classes but both Curtis and I have had enough of these and are keen to move on to more active classes. He loves the gym class where he gets to run about on benches, slides, trampolines, crawl through hoops, balance beanbags on his head, clatter sticks on the floor, dance with ribbons and make new friends. At the first class he kept looking at me as if to say 'am I actually allowed to be doing this' cos it was so exciting for him he thought it must be forbidden! We've also been doing some baby yoga on a DVD at home and he loves this too. He's at the age where he can copy what other kids are doign and enjoys following instructions so he happily copies wit me and all the moves on the DVD. As we get to pretend to be various anaimals at the same time, its heaps of fun.

Captain Curtis

It's a sad reflection of how busy our new life in Fife is that we don't get time to blog anymore. Its been great using this site to catalogue the development and adventures of Captain Curtis however, so I will try my best to update a little more often. Since last writing we have had visits from Stephs mum, Stephs dad and both Nanna and Taid. Curtis is so happy to have visitors at home and had a great time playing with his grandparents. Everyone had to take part in running circuits around the house, going down the slide, through the tunnel, dancing with him to his favourite tunes, playing hide n seek in the wardrobes and being taken about the house 'hand, look, come, see' to see whatever he wanted to show them.

Curtis is completely settled here and at nursery now and seems to be speeding along with his development. He's a little gymnast at home, quite a comedian and a fully fledged chatterbox now. He speaks fairly clearly so we havent had to much trouble understanding him tho have puzzled for days at a time trying to unravvle some words. He still makes us and others laugh by exclaiming 'MAN' quite loudly when he sees a man on the street. Our cleaner, Martin is also 'man' to curtis. 'Man come see'. 'man, slide', 'man, run' 'man, sit'.

Out little spaceman

Curtis indulges in 2 of his favourite pastimes - running around the house and putting something on his head. Our crazy spaceman!

Getting along just great

Hooray! Finally it's happpened...I think I can now say that Curtis has at last settled into his new nursery. It was always going to be a bit of a jolt moving away from someone he knew and loved so much and getting into a routine at a new location, with unfamiliar faces, with several staff and lots of new toddlers and babies to meet. But these past 2 days have been the first that he has not been upset when I've left. It all started last week when he ran back inside when I tried to take him home, then yesterday and again today he wandered in happpily and went straight into the playroom with his buddies leaving me at the dooor with no little Curtis to say goodbye to!! The staff have all been great and its lovely to hear them talk about Curtis in the same way Tracey used to, laughing at his funny little ways and giggling along with him. Best of all for Curtis I think is that he has struck up a great friendship with a little girl called Morven. She seems to have the same energy and humour as Curtis and they play the same type of chasing games Curtis used to play with his pal Daniel.

I know I know, you really want photos, not text. As you may have gathered our new life here is rather busy and we've had little time to upload photos or update the blog since we moved. I'll put a couple on the noo and update properly at the weekend (I hope!). Steph xx

Here he is cuddling his daddy, wearing hats (he loves hats), looking cute and playing on the beach which is just 15 mins drive from our house. (Yes Tracey he IS still wearing that 6-9 month ASDA coat and it is starting to look too small. New winter coat comiong soon!)

Happy Hands

Curtis amuses us anyhow, but has done even more so these past few weeks with the development of a strange hand wringing action he seems to do when he's very happy about something. It's a bit like the satisfied hand wringing Fagin from Oliver Twist would do on acquiring some more ill gained loot. We, and the nursery staff puzzled over what it could be, thinking maybe he'd misunderstood the sign language for nappy and heard happy, but a few days ago we got it. He is copying an action by 2 Czech animation puppets he's been watching on a DVD lent to us by our Polish friend Agniesvka. Curtis has become completely hooked on the hapless duo featured in these classic Czech cartoons. In Laurel and Hardy style the animated pair make a total calamity of everything from cooking up a simple meal to going for a drive presenting Curtis with many excuses to shout 'Ohhhhhh Noooooo!' Video evidence appearing here soon...

Guys and neigh neighs

Its been interesting to have more two way interaction with Curtis since he's been talking more. Rather than assume what he may want to eat, or whether he'd want to walk, be carried, read a book or play he tells us what he wants to do fairly well. He says yes a lot which we really must enjoy just now before we reach the stage when he says no to everything. He has a very exagerrated and slow nod of the head along with a yesssssss when he agress with you and still uses a repetoire of no's from silly playful no's to defiant and angry ones. His repetoire of animals increases with a mixture of names and sounds: horses are neigh neighs, monkeys are aaah aaahs, dogs are ooooof oooofs, whilst ducks, cockerels, cats, frogs and others go by their name. The one we struggled to get for some time was cow. He'd been saying what sounded like guy for days before we made the link to his Belfast born Nannas recent visit. The guys are of course cows (coys - ooh thats hard to get right phonetically) with a fairly strong Irish accent! For other words he has a Scottish accent, especially when he exclaims with hands outstretched a very dramatic 'Oooooh Noooooo' to any calamity he encounters.

ME!!

Curtis has been increasing his vocabularly more and more lately (its to be expected at his age I know!!), today reaching a milestone by being able to identify himself. He triumphantly exclaims 'ME!' whilst pointing to his chest which is very cute. This was used to great effect in the park when he stood longingly beside a group of 10-12 year old boys having a kick around with a football. First he won them over by shouting 'ball' and 'WOW' when they kicked it, but was finally invited to join the game when he pleaded 'me?' with just the right tone of voice. I was very touched to see the boys pass the ball to Curtis and patiently let him have a turn, and even encouraged him to have a shot at goal.

Almond Valley Farm

Muddy Puddles