We are sailing ... but for how long?

Any time that Harvey shows any interest in an activity I inevitably find myself pushing him headlong into it.

At the end of his year 4, his school was offered a day's taster session at Weymouth Outdoor Education Centre (WOEC). There were four activities on offer - but I 'encouraged' him to have a try at sailing.

I'm not sure if you've noticed, but there's a giant sports day event happening next year - and Weymouth is the only place outside of London to be holding any of the events - the sailing. I figured it'd be a great chance to get him into something that was going large in 2012.

And - surprise! - I was right.

He bloody loves it.

Since October 2010, he's fitted in six full days of sailing during school holidays and completed Stage 1 and 2 of the RYA Sailing levels. Big proud Daddy!

And he's now practising at Saturday Sailing Club when we're able.

In fact, he likes it so much that he wants his mates to try it out - so I've booked a morning's sailing tuition for him and seven friends for his birthday party. This'll wear them out, give most of them a brand new experience and is (I think) incredibly cheap at £125 for 3 hours! That's less than £16 each.

All fabulous.

Until ....

I had an email from the centre manager. WOEC is run by the County Council, who need to make a massive saving on their annual budget. Which means that there will be redundancies and that the sailing programme will be cut from WOEC as from September 2011.

This is a real shame - the place is brilliant, the staff have been incredibly helpful and professional - and Weymouth is getting the sailing events in 2012. Shortsighted? Yes, in my opinion.

I'll keep an eye on the situation - and start to make plans for how he can continue with his sailing without the involvement of WOEC.

Look what we won!

I entered a competition through Twitter and a Blog by Laura (Are we nearly there yet mummy?) to win a Lego City Passenger Train.

And I am still flabbergasted that we won!

Amazing - £100 of Lego!

I honestly can't remember the last time I won anything as cool as this.

I was going to save it as a Christmas present for him - but I figured I'd much prefer being able to bask in the glory of being a winner in the eyes of my boy. Self-centered - that's me.

Here's the page from which we won this marvellous toy:

http://www.arewenearlythereyetmummy.com/toyology-carnival-win-a-lego-city-passenger-train-7938/

No sooner had I shouted for joy (and scared some of the nice people I work with) the lovely Laura then goes and asks if the boy will review a Lego City Station to go with the train. In exchange for said review, he gets to keep the station. Double bubble! He now wants to 'divorce' me and ask her to adopt him.

Anyway - here's his review:

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Lego City Station 7937
A Review

It has two platforms and a bridge and a shop and is to go with the Lego City Passenger Train (remote control) and came with four pieces of track.

The station came with a cool taxi and a driver with a briefcase and it came with three other minifigures.

I like how it’s made to look like a real train station and I like the sliding doors on the shop and how there is a till to buy the drinks.

The station bridge is just high enough so when the train is going round it knocks off the minifigures I put on top of the train.

I loved building it because it was easy construction. It took me one hour. I am 9.

The Lego City Station is immense!!!!

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Not only did he write the review for Laura - he made her this video too. I'm the cameraman, and he's the director:

We own the BBC

Right - you now all owe me money. I am now due a proportion of the BBC licence fee.

Being a bit of a Twitter-addict, I noticed that BBC Breakfast were doing a piece about sheds on Wednesday 30th June 2010. My shed is boring and full of the usual tut - but Harvey's is ace. Bats, balls, fishing rods, bouncy castles, swords, shields, water pistols, playmobile - it has the lot.

So I duly sent them a photo of Harvey in his shed via Twitter.

They only went and showed it - on the telly - national - and namechecked him! I thought they might, so I set the Sky+ box just in case (I'm not that big of a fan to watch it all morning, and the BBC Breakfast Twitter person said it wasn't on iPlayer as it was the longest show on TV and would "eat computer power").

He was on at just before 7am.

I managed to play it on the Sky+ box, record it on my phone, upload it to YouTube and then add it to Facebook - all without turning on a computer. Genius! I think I'm almost as proud of this technical achievement than I am of the H-meister appearing on the tellybox.

Here's the vid



But - this is not our first appearance on Britain's favourite broadcasting network. We have a bit of history with the Beeb. Which is why you owe me money. I'm like a producer or summat now I think.

Here's the archive:

Children in Need film (November 2006)


Video Nation (November 2007)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/videonation/articles/s/southampton_harvey.shtml

BBC Radio Solent (December 2007)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dorset/content/articles/2007/12/18/christmas_bereavement_feature.shtml
So pay up. An email from my account manager will follow this blog, just reply with your bank account details.

Ta

Three years on

Sunday 6th June will mark three years since Jo died in my arms. A very sad day - but a welcome relief to her suffering, I think.

Each time this date rolls around, I feel the pressure to mark it in some way. At the same time, it feels strange to do this - mark what was a very sad day, rather than a happier one, like our wedding anniversary or her birthday.

Hopefully, the sun will shine and Harvey and I can go down to the beach and meet our friends, and just be together. There's also a music festival on in town, which would be nice to attend. Fitting too, given that Jo was a music teacher. By chance, I found out that it is being organised by a friend's parents - one of whom made Jo's wedding dress.

Last year, there were full on gales and we were lashed by rain - so lots of happy thoughts please, to keep the raingods at bay.

I also have about 20 Chinese lanterns that have yet to be launched. I have tried a few times - but so far have almost set a telegraph pole, the neighbour's house, a field of dry grass and myself on fire. Hopefully, the wind won't be too strong and we can do them on Sunday night?

Next year, this day falls on a Monday. Maybe that will remove the feeling of pressure to do something (which is all internal by the way).

What makes all this so much easier, is having someone to talk about it - someone who understands EXACTLY what I mean. She has kept me sane for the last two and a half years, and I love her a great deal. My island princess, x

You decide . . . . .

I'm giving serious thought to becoming an online version of The Dice Man.

This would consist of me creating online polls for all of my major life and parenting decisions, and then letting everyone who wants to vote on them.

This way, it can never be my fault.

To start this process - yes or no - do I do it? Comment now.

Any last requests?

I'm having my party on Saturday - and to add to the fancy-dress fun I have organised a karaoke.

This post is to ask - do you have any song requests? I might even post video of the chaos!

So, it’s my birthday soon . . .

List of wants:

• an underwater car (an estate version)
• a helicopter (and landing pads)
• a jet pack
• a bridge
  (not greedy – any of those four would be great)
• an hour for lunch every day
• a gym at work
• enough guilt to make sure i use the gym every day, during lunch, at work
• an au pair. For H, not me! Well, OK – for me – so I can go to the festival in June without him (sorry H)
• a term-time contract that pays the same as I am paid now
• everyone to have a great time at my party