Following the snail trail

It's that time of year again when Cbeebies has its Springwatch. Last year Callum didn't really take too much interest in it but boy is that the opposite this year. Each time we venture outside he's on a mission to find "bugs" of any form. We've hunted for woodlice in our front garden and watched ants bumping into each other and making us laugh and we've sang the Ladybird Ladybird song to countless ladybirds found in my flowers out back. We watched sparrows taking baths in the big puddles on the cafe roofs near where we live and watched the Pigeons being chased off the roofs by the big huge black bird that we have no idea what it is. I think a fun time has been had.

Now we have another item to put on our Springwatch list, this one is following snail trails (although I do have to confess they aren't real ones just ones that Callum "sees"). The real snail watch started a few weeks ago while the three of us were shopping at B&Q, on the walk through the car park we saw a snail moving along the footpath so we stopped and watched for a bit. Callum was fascinated by it and the trail that you get to see. We told him that we'd check on the way back to see how far the snail had gone. Sadly poor Mr Snail #1 had "moved home"... yes someone had stepped on the poor thing but rather than upset Callum we just told him that snails can move home, he didn't seem to notice too much the snail remains trod into the ground. Since then he has been keeping a keen eye out for more snails and was enthralled last week when we came out of playschool (in the pouring rain) to see the church notice board covered in snails. I think we counted about 20 plus snails. Of course by yesterday (Monday morning) all but two had gone and so this morning we had to look for their trails and find where they had gone. The conversations that took part were so funny.

One snail went up past the bus stop and crossed the road. When I said I didn't think snails crossed roads because cars were dangerous to them I was told that the cars all stopped and waited for the snail to cross even though it took a long time for the snail to cross.

Another snail turned right at the road the other one crossed and kept going straight as that was the way to the pub.

The third one we met near what will be Callum's school come September but I don't know what happened to him as the conversation changed to turtles and what snails and turtles have in their shells, sadly they don't have beds, toilets or baths in their shells. The main benefit of the shells I've been informed of is that it allows animals to live longer. I wonder if this has some truth because look how long some of those giant tortoises live till, however I don't think it's the cases with the snails, poor Mr Snail #1.

So what else I wonder have we got to look for in Spring Watch. Maybe it'll be squirrels.

Blue Steel? Ferrari? Le Tigra?

Yesterday at playschool they had a professional photographer in to take photos of all the kids. Callum can be a bit hit and miss with the camera and until a few weeks ago when he saw a camera it was "camera, aaarrrrrggghhh, hide!". However since then he's shown an interest in wanting to take photos himself of other things and have his photo taken but of him in silly (but adoring) poses. As you can imagine I was wondering (and to some degree still am) what sort of photos I'll be presented with to buy.

The night before the two of us practiced smiling properly and trying to not scrunch our faces up and have big wide eyes. Then in the morning as I dropped him off at playschool I reminded him about nice smiles so that Daddy wouldn't have an excuse to tell me I couldn't buy any photos (hehehe, I know I'm a sneaky one aren't I?).

It seems all our practicing may have paid off. When collecting Callum I was told by Audrey his head (and favourite) teacher how Callum went straight into the photo area and did all the poses (lying on his belly on the floor, cuddling the teddy bear, standing up etc) and that he looked adorable. Then that afternoon while round his friend James' house, James' Mummy who had spent the morning at playschool told me how great Callum had been with the photos and again this morning I've been told by another one of the teachers at playschool how awesome he was. Maybe everyone was just surprised that the little monkey monster was calm and still enough to have photos taken and not his normal manic running riot self, perhaps trying to cut down/out all the sweets, chocolates etc is working. Also it seems like we have a little wanna model on our hands here!

Now here's hoping that I can buy a few of them as those things don't come cheap.

The Birthday Girl!

Saturday gone was my Nan's (Callum's Great Nanny's) birthday, she was 84 years old. For the special occasion my Mum (Nanny Mary to Callum) had a little party for her, just close family. What was great that a few weeks ago my Nan had been in hospital and even though we all put on a brave face I think we were very concerned. Thankfully she's now out of hospital and although not looking 100% is looking better. It was a great afternoon and we even got to see my Auntie Ida and Uncle Paul which until recently (while my Nan was in hospital) we hadn't seen each other in ages, I think the last time they may have seen Callum he was only a few months old and he's going to be four years old next month. Unfortunately the weather was awful and it rained most of the day so there was no BBQ but plenty of my Mum's good old cooking and it did eventually hold off raining long enough to allow Callum and his cousins Eloise and Alex a play out in the garden... and some peace and quiet for the adults. As always I had my camera with me so here are a few photos (mostly of the children).

The Birthday Girl Blowing out her Candles

Having a snack to eat

The Birthday Girl

Who Ate All the Cake

One of these two did!

And still Alex is hungry

Callum happy enough with his jelly

Joe showing how enjoying it is spending time with family

Katie showing what's so great about Mum's grub

Push!

It's this way Alex!

You Can't Catch Me I'm the Gingerbread Man!

Time for a rest... and a pose

And so as not to leave the adults feeling left out...

The Funny Things The Children Say

Children always have that innocence about them and I love how the simplest of things can have a different meaning to a child. So here are some examples from Callum lately.

As with most children Callum is (again) going through the "I'd rather play than eat food stage". Each time I ask him what he'd like for lunch or dinner or if he's hungry his response (well apart from "A surprise Mummy.") is "I'm a Playboy not an eating boy!" to him it's something simple he's saying but to me I obviously see both ways of that word and it gives me a little chuckle, especially seeing that he apparently has a little harem at playschool. I just wonder if he'll his occupation in later years will be International Playboy.

The next thing is probably explained better by repeating the conversation I had with Callum with a bit of background to it. The other stage that Callum is going through is the "ignore Mummy or whomever is calling you stage". Yesterday he was a big a star student in this so I sat him down to have a talk about it and to try and explain it's rude to ignore people.

Mummy: Callum if someone calls you what do you say?
Callum: I don't know.
Mummy: You reply to them saying "yes.", "ok" or "What do you want?"
Callum: But I don't want anything.
Mummy: No that's what you ask whoever is calling you. Shall we practice?
Callum: OK.
Mummy: Callum.

I look at Callum for a response:

Callum: Yes...

I nod encouragement waiting for the next bit, but nothing comes.

Mummy: What else do you say?

Silence

Mummy: What do you want?
Callum: But I don't want anything Mummy.
Mummy: No that's what you say to me, "What do you want?"
Callum: I told you, I don't want anything.

He then turns round and says

Callum: What do you want Mummy?

And you can guess my response. LOL ! I probably could have gone on all day with this conversation but in the end I decided to leave it as it was, he kind of understood he had to acknowledge me calling him.


There will no doubt be lots more of these moments to report. The latest interest Callum seems to have is why are girls girls and boys boys. Oh the joys of parenthood!

Ladybird Ladybird

Ladybird ladybird fly away home,
Your house in on fire and your children are gone,
All except one and that's little Ann,
For she crept under the frying pan.

This is for my Daddy to see in case I forget to tell him when he comes home from work tonight.

Daddy, today I saw a ladybird and Mummy has said she'll teach me the ladybird song so that next time I see a ladybird I can sing it the song. It was very pretty. There was a bug too but it went a different way from the ladybird and there isn't a song for bugs.


Ladybird Ladybird I like you.

It's a Shrubbery!

Yesterday morning Daz, Callum and I headed off out into town. While I was in the bank Daz took Callum to Woolworths to buy some new Hot Wheels cars to go with a new track we'd bought him. On the way over to Woolworths they walked past another bank and a guy was outside and said: "I'd love to walk into the bank with a plant and say Hands up it's a Shrubbery." Callum found this hysterical and started laughing to which the guy turned round to Daz and said "You have an awesome Kid, he found my joke funny."

Gooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllll!!!!!!!!

Seeing that England are playing Brazil tonight in the first national game at the new Wembley Stadium I thought it only fitting that Callum and I go and play some football of our own at the highly appraised, perfect pitch of... Kingsmead Stadium.

Kick off was 3pm and it was off to a good start with star Striker Callum scoring one goal after another. It was pretty hard for me to defend my goal as it kept getting moved whenever Callum kicked the ball so hence there not being a record of the score... I lost count.

The game only last a little while and was mostly interrupted by me talking to one of the neighbours but still fun was had. The neighbour (Pat, well she's actually one of the Mum's of one of the neighbours) was amazed at Callum's skill with the ball and reckons we should get him playing somewhere soon, I'm biased obviously but I do have to agree. Daz and I have always said how good Callum is with a football, he seems to have a natural talent for it and whenever we've played he understands the concept of the game really well.

So we'll have to wait and see if we have the next David Beckham on our hands.

Here are a few snap shots taken today.