Monday 9th March 2009

Believe it or not, out of a selection of twelve photo's taken within a three minute period, the top two pictures were easily the most concise. He's so active now that - without the presence of a professional photographers camera and related apparel - it's nigh on impossible to gain any clear images of Luca. For those of you familiar with comic book legend, the closest comparison I can compare to Luca is "The Flash". Though I expect the mentioned superhero would, on the very odd occasion, stop moving at the speed of sound long enough to say cheese. Luca, as I'm unfortunately painfully aware, would never consider this to be an option.

To combat this, I'll take more videos of "Flash Junior", which increases the chance of catching the occasional Luca shaped image which is recognisable to the naked eye. Hopefully today's videos will make up for the atrocious pictures. And for Luca's Lincoln based family, go to his Granny's blog - http://jostewart.blogspot.com/ - for a cute video of Luca singing Happy Birthday to his sexagenarian Granda.

And while we're on birthdays, best wishes to his Aunty Jane who turned 24 today. Or something like that anyway.

Since the last blog, times have, as usual, been quite eventful. As always, most activities/frustrations/tiredness/hyperactivity/physical meltdowns/etc have either been caused by or featured Luca. In a good way obviously. Friday was a rare exception, with the cancellation of my Friday 5 a side enabling an evening with my "hermoso senorita" - whether she liked it or not! Luca was behaving (ish) so I disappeared back out to pick up a Chinese meal, which gladly was the tastiest we've had in a while.

On Saturday morning, after our usual weekend lie in (8am, and grateful for it...) I took Luca swimming again. His confidence is increasing, but he stills wraps both arms and legs around me, even in the baby pool. He splashes and mimics my front crawl and breast stroke actions, but has a mental block about going further. He enjoys it though, and actively looks forward to visiting the "big bath", and that's the progress I'd initially only hoped for a couple of months ago so surely my concerns are ill founded?

Afterwards, a damp Dad and boy hopped back into the car and headed through to Aberdeen, as we had a number of miscellaneous items to buy in the shops as well as my usual overdue library books to return. Luca, strangely for him, fell fast asleep on our journey through, despite the moderately sociable hour (11am). Once I'd parked in Aberdeen, however, he woke with such a start it was as if I'd thrown a bucket of water on him. His trademarked grimace, a warning to me not to wake him so suddenly again, is so similar to hi Mum it's frightening. Indeed, the physical resemblance to his Mummy increases day by day - the video of him in Carole's arms on Granny Jo's blog (as linked to earlier) shows a perfect illustration of this fact.

He forgives as quickly as he damns though, and he was perfect in the library again. Actually, almost perfect, as there was unfortunately the incident where he walked across to the old man sitting in a chair reading a book and held out his hands insisting that said article was indeed "Luca's book - want it!"

After the library and the shops (interspersed with demands for chocolate, and reluctantly predictable submission and provision of a Twix) we set off for home. On arrival back he was exhausted, yet still demanded his beanys, occasionally asking where his Mummy was - of which the answer was at lunch with pregnant pals and gym buddies. He went to sleep rather rapidly thereafter, and I took the opportunity to start dinner. Words which send chill up Caroles spine, as I can - as much as this may surprise you - occasionally create a little bit of a mess. However, after Carole got home, and Luca awakened, we sat down to a (relatively) edible meal of chicken, roast veg and mixed rice and peas.

Luca ate the tomato sauce on the side of his plate, steadfastly refusing to try anything unfamiliar. As time runs closer to the holiday, we're redoubling our efforts to be as strict as possible foodwise, even in the face of a hungry toddler. He's going to have to learn, but it's going to be an emotionally fraught period.

After he went down for the night Carole and I sat down to a film, "Against The Dark". It was a zombie movie. Starring Steven Seagal. Was it any good? Do I need to comment after that most crushingly basic of synopses?

On Sunday I took Luca swimming again, with much the same result as Saturday. It was only enlivened by my ever so slightly stern "words" with a plump gentleman (I'm being polite) who drenched (and as a result terrified) Luca, and also by the words only a toddler can get away with. To explain the latter involves obtaining a basic knowledge of a certain childrens book "Peppa Pig". Peppa is a pig (honestly), and Peppas has a mum who is of the slightly larger, more rotund variety. With that in mind, try to picture the scene where a rather rotund mother and baby walked passed us at poolside. Is it even necessary for me to tell you that he pointed at said woman and shouted, at the top of his voice, "Mummy Pig!".......

After returning home Carole headed through to her fitness class, before all three of us drove to Banchory to have a 60th birthday (belated) dinner with Luca's Granda. As he had only returned from a week away on Friday night he was still little weary, but in good form, and Granny cooked a terrific dinner - one of her best, and almost Heston Blumenthal-esque.

I'm not entirely sure if that's a compliment right now, considering the alleged 400 plus cases of food poisoning that have recently enforced the closure of his world famous restaurant...

Today - intermittently mixed with doing a little work in the office - involved finalising certain arrangements and requirements for the forthcoming holiday. Things are - as most of you will already be aware - much more complicated to plan when accounting for a toddler and his demands.

Carole also has a piece of - highly confidential news - involving her work just now that, once finalised, will bring a large glint to her Spanish eyes....

**Useless fact of the day - Gordon Ramsay is the worlds highest earning chef, with an annual income of £15,000,000.00**