Absolutely the End

An example of the slightly over zealous prescription system in America.

Alfie running a-muck in the Charlotte airport.
Please note the beeping car he was infatuated with in the background.
Also note the amount of crap one must carry around when travelling with a small child.

The Last Supper

Yep, you guessed it...biscuits and gravy, country ham, cooked peaches, need I say more? Just some family pictures before and after the event. Alfie toying with the idea of becoming the first baseball player from Bristol, UK.

The Last of Our Photos

Alfie revisiting his baby glory days.
Alfie trying to show affection to Ella Hayes.
Alfie and Waylan obviously unsupervised or they would never have been allowed to sit quite so close to that massive TV.
Alfie and his Grandma and his Great Aunt Margie's house.

My Grandma Loves Me

My Grandma bought me these ultra-cool gingerbread man jim jams along with my awesome Tonka truck. I spent hours playing with my truck: riding it, demanding that someone open the lid and using it to pick up things with it's sweeper. It also makes really neat noises which I liked to try out at 2am when I woke up thinking I was still asleep in Bristol. At least I still have the pyjamas and should be able to wear them and think of Grandma for at least a month or two before I grow out of them.

More NC photos

My cousin Waylan has a huge tent in his basement that Mopsey gave to him. It is in the motif of the movie 'Cars' and he let me play with it while I visited. In fact, 'cars' became my favourite word and I say it all the time now. It is difficult for my parents to walk anywhere with me because i stop at each and every car and point and say 'cars' in my beautiful Bristolian accent.
The next photo is of my new friend, Renna. Her mama is my mama's oldest friend. Renna was cool and let me play with her toys.
The lst photo is of me playing in the dirt like an all-around boy. The wind was so strong one night that it blew over a planter from Aunt danielle's porch. Everyone else was bothered about cleaning it up, but I had a blast.

Me and Papaw and a few other things

These are some photos of me with my Papaw. He is a lovely man who lets me play with his straw, food, face and loves to kiss on me. I managed to say 'Papaw' a few times for him when he came over to play. Papaw also let me try some unsweetened ice tea one night at dinner.
I tried lots of new things whilst in NC. Here are a few:
Nilla wafers (a delicious cookie I will miss eating for my snack)
Goldfish crackers
hot dogs ( It was grilled to perfection by my Uncle Brattan on his outdoor gas grill. I wouldn't let go of it unitl I was done)
hamburger ( from one of the best places for burgers: Fuddrucker's...Yum!)
applesauce
marshmallows (Grandma insisted but I wasn't too impressed)
chocolate croissant (again with Grandma at her fave cafe' hangout)
Calabash shrimp
hush puppies (Mama turned around to talk to Uncle Michael and when she turned back around it was gone and in my hand)
pancakes
Belgian waffle
It was a great trip on the food front. My mama and daddy enjoyed it too and even managed a dinner and a breakfast on their own. I've no idea why that should be such a treat for them but they were excited.

Playing at Jones Park

There is a fabulous park about 15 minutes walk from my Aunt Danielle and Uncle Brattan's house. Daddy took me there several times to play. He used to take the kids he worked with there before I was even a consideration in my parents' minds. The weather was beautiful and clear but there has been so little rain that things were not their usual lucious green.

A Visit with my American Cousins

I just spent 11 days visiting with my American family. It was a long trip over...a 2 1/2 hour car journey to Gatwick, a 3 hour wait in the airport, where I amazed my mother by falling asleep on her chest whilst positioned under a blaring PA system and nearly drove my father to madness by constantly striding off to check out the airport cars that beep and drive the disabled folk around the terminal and finally a 9 hour flight. My parents were lucky enough to get the bulkhead seats so there was room for me to roam a bit. I also did a lot of walking up and down the aisles meeting with my admirers. On the whole, I was a great little traveller. Once in NC, we had an hour long wait at Immigration in a sweltering room and then a 2 hour car journey with my beautiful Aunt Danielle. We were also met by my very sweet Uncle Michael.
These pictures are of my cousins who I miss dearly now that I am back in jolly ole England. Waylan was a great playmate and Ella Hayes has probably only now stopped flinching...I never intended to hurt her. I just wanted to pat her because she is so pretty!

Working with Gravel

Alfie recently discovered that there is actually a positive side to having a gravel back garden...there are loads of rocks to play with!!!! He had a grand old time sorting them into flower pots while his dad photographed. He's wearing a new hat. It was a bit snug around the chin so Bertie sewed on some elastic to keep it on our little guy's head.

Exciting things from Big Boxes

We have had some things pop up in our lives of late that have come from very cool, large boxes. I know it's a cliche but Alfie honestly has had as much fun with the boxes as with the things that arrived in the boxes.
The first was a new forward-facing car seat. Alfie is much happier now that he can see all from his throne in the back seat. He made a nice house out of that box and you might catch sight of a few cardboard cut-outs,a cat and a lion, fashioned by his incredibly talented mother. We have been working on the sounds these animals make. Alf is a competent miaower and an erratic roarer. His father and I have confused the issue however by adding to the mix dogs, monkeys and cows. We get oo-aa's but not specifically for monkeys. Cows and dogs must be prompted.
Anyway, the second large box contained a belated Christmas present from his Godmother, Suki. Suki has yet to meet Alfie as she moved to NYC before he was born. Suki compensates for this by purchasing crazy gifts for her godson. The latest being the police motorbike featured in the accompanying photos. Unfortunately or possibly fortunately for you, there is not a video as of yet of the bike. Leave it to say, it makes an incredible barrage of noise. Bertie and I are anxiously awaiting the birth of Suki and Harj's first born so that we can (godparents or not) repay the favour in kind. Regardless, Alfie loves it and looks like a dreamboat riding on it.