Easter

Its been lovely weather and we have been out a lot enjoying it.  I still have a nasty cough and a snotty nose....yuk.  I think I'm teething, so I'm a bit sensitive and can get a bit grumpy sometimes.  This is me in my cot.

We went to Compton Abbas Airfield and for a nice walk.  Daddy carried me a long way in my backpack carrier.  We got to ride in Granddad's nice new car and he made faces at me, so I stared back!

Granddad showed me some aeroplanes

During the walk I got hungry and a bit grumpy so we had to make a pitstop on Compton Down

Here we are just starting off

Pitstop time!

We stopped for tea and some cake about half way through, then we had to walk up a big hill and it was very hot.  Daddy did well because I'm getting heavy and Nana & Granddad did well because they are much older than me!

On Saturday Daddy & Mummy took me for a walk to see my first bluebell wood at Kingston Lacy.  Lots of ladies came up and admired me which is fun.  Daddy says I should make the best of it because it will be much harder to attract them when I'm older!

We took a break in the field near the wood because Mummy thought I was hungry.  I didn't eat much but the mosquitoes tried to eat Daddy!

I gave my Mummy some big wet kisses

Mummy had a go with Daddy's biggest camera and took this shot.  Daddy took me in the front carrier as it wasn't a long walk.

The evening sun in the wood was amazing

O Sunday we went to Moors valley when Daddy came in from work.  I had a good play on the picnic blanket with a nice ball that Mummy got me.

My hair was a bit wild in the wind and of course I tried to eat my ball!

Its a bit frustrating when the ball runs away and I can't catch it!

I love eating breadsticks but I dropped this one and wanted it back!

Nana and Granddad sent me a lovely pop up book for Easter with farm animals, Auntie Mie sent me a fab Gruffalo T-shirt and Auntie Sal sent me some lovely fish for bath time.  I squealed when Daddy read me the book last night and squealed when Mummy gave me one of the fish to play with in the bath tonight.  Thankyou everyone!

Another Bluebell Hotspot!

I popped down to the Kingston Lacy Bluebell Wood to check it out.  It was very busy when I arrived in mid afternoon but thinned out later and was quiet once the light was really good.

Its an impressive sight and the aroma was really intoxicating.

To get there travel along the B3082 from Wimborne towards Blandford.  After going past QE School turn left into the first turning signposted to Pamphill.  You should be in Abbott Street.  Very soon you will see a church along a long drive to your left and a road with an avenue of trees to your right.  Turn left and park in the car park or along the road.  Walk back to Abbott Street and turn left then turn left into a small lane called All Fools Lane, which is just a farm track.  Follow that for about 150-200 metres then go right over a style and over a very small field to another style...you are now in the wood!

Keep an eye out along the lane as there are lots of ferns emerging, plus a few primroses, wild garlic and anemones.

Mid April 2011

I am 7 months old now and starting to vocalise into much more distinct sounds.  I still eat very well too.  I have still been waking Mummy and Daddy up this week but not as bad as most recent times because I sleep for up to 3 or 4 hours.

We had a nice meal at Nan and Granddad's  a bit over a week ago and Granddad took me for a look around the garden.

Last week we went for a walk at Milton Abbas where I saw some big, friendly cows and had a short picnic with Mummy and Daddy.  It was a bit cold and windy.

After we went to a pub for a cup of tea I decided to eat my feet, which is a great form of Munchkin entertainment!  I have some shoes now and even those seem to taste nice.

Someone had a birthday this week...18 sounds very old to me.

On Sunday we went for a walk at Moors Valley before Daddy went to work.  It was sooo busy because it was lovely and sunny, like a summer day.

I had a very exciting new toy last weekend that Mummy got second hand from a baby sale....it cost just £10.  Daddy put it together and got some rechargeable batteries so I can swing as much as I like...I love it!

If you go down to the woods today.......

Garston Wood is the place to be again as the bluebells begin to create a misty blue carpet all over the woodland floor.  Today was fantastic as the afternoon light was great and all the flowers are young and vibrant with many more on the way.  The carpet certainly hasn't reached its peak but all the flowers are fresh with none looking tired at all.

There is a new car park marked with a small "RSPB" sign that is positioned about half way along the side of the wood and not as far as the main, original car park.  If you park in the new one the best area for bluebells is literally a 1 minute walk, through the gate and straight onto the path across the wood.

Kingston Lacy

We all had a lovely afternoon walking around the gardens and woodland at Kingston Lacy today.  Daddy carried me in my Vaude baby carrier.  It was so lovely and sunny I needed the sunshade up.

I was hahhpy and a bit sleepy for a long time but got a bit grumpy and needed a drink by the time we reached the play park.... then I was a happy boy again.  Daddy had a huge piece of cake when we had tea in the stables tearoom.

Daddy said it was hard taking decent photos today as the light was so bright...he had to expose manually for the background and then add some flash to fill the shadows on lots of shots.  He only used his Nikon D300 and 35mm f1.8 lens as he was carrying me!

Look at me in my Munchkin carrier!

Dazzling tulips

Daddy loves the grotto because of the bendy trees and the cool flowers that come out at different times

Auntie S beat JB to first go on the rope swing!

....but not for long!

Sometimes I really laugh when I see people wearing sunglasses

Early April 2011

Its been a busy week.

On Sunday we were invited to Auntie Sal's where we all had a lovely meal and a very nice evening.

JB was playing on his computer and concentrating hard!

I was a good boy and enjoyed all the attention

Daddy has been on his Advanced Car Refresher Course, which he has to do every 5 years to requalify at Police Advanced level.  He says its a very tiring course as it takes so much concentration to drive to such a high standard and at very high speeds on the open road, but he said it was good fun as he felt relaxed this time and enjoyed driving a big motorcar, using someone else's fuel and getting top-class instruction.  I think I made it a bit harder by being a bit of a monkey and waking Mummy and Daddy up at night.....oops!  Never mind because Daddy passed his final drive examination today.  He says its the last one he should have to do now as he will hopefully be retiring in just under 3 years.

After Daddy's exam today he finished early and we all went out to Bournemouth to have lunch at the Print Room Brasserie.  Its lovely and it used to be the printing room for the Evening Echo newspaper.  Its a big, roomy place in Art-Deco style and the food was yummy.  I was very good and only got a bit unsettled by dessert time, when Daddy sat me on his knee.  Mummy and Daddy kept giving me little bits to taste.  I got especially interested when I tasted the lovely pears from Daddy's dessert...my face lit up and I kept reaching out and calling for them!  He gave me a lot of little pieces which I ate up very fast.

Daddy paid with some of the vouchers those nice people gave him for rescuing the little girl from the lake last year...it was much appreciated as the food was great and Daddy said it was very good value anyway.  A big platter of home-baked special breads and dips was only £2.95 and a lovely 3 course lunch was £15.

I was very interested in what was going on...as always

It was lovely and light with lots of colours and people moving about

After lunch we went for a long walk along the seafront.  It was amazing weather...looked just like summer with lots of people on the beach.  People were getting sunburned and some brave ones were even swimming...brrrrr!

The Lower Gardens were immaculate as ever

There were whole rows of spanking new, colourful beach huts!