Jack entertaining us with acrobatics ‘fail’…

What can you say? He likes to entertain us…

http://youtu.be/9YwLjAwL3tc

 

Annual Family Camping Weekend at…Standlake

We had our annual camping weekend away with Nikki, Gaz, Katie & Emily, and this year we went to Standlake which is only 25 mins drive from our house which is ideal. I haven’t been there for a couple of years as we’ve rotated where we go with them but this is the best place really as the facilities are great and right on the lake makes it perfect all round.

Gaz and Nikki had the day off so had been there since around midday but we didn’t turn up until after work and had set up our tent, got organised, sat down relaxing with a beer within an hour! Not bad… by 6.30pm it felt like we’d been there all day and the working week was forgotten about.

Great dinner, a walk around the lake and then into the club-house to finish the night off being entertained by what can only be described as a Wagner look-a-like on the karaoke. Unique and memorable are about the nicest description I can perhaps use…it was actually a good laugh and he was talented but it was still quite surreal. In fact it did bring back memories of visiting the Labour club with my parents on a Sunday night and hearing Neil Diamond songs and the like. You had to be there!

Saturday morning, huge great fry-up, nothing more to say – perfect start to the day!

What a great feeling to get up at 8.00am and know that there is simply nothing planned at all with no pressure to do anything or ‘use my time wisely’, it doesn’t happen often but that’s exactly how the day panned out. Sue came over around midday and brought Lewis over as well, he’d stayed at home on Friday night having gone off to a party and seen his girlfriend as well before she’s off on holiday. The kids all then went on the Ringos around the lake which they loved.

BBQ in the evening and one or two more beers and then party games…Ootchy Gootchy game which Jack loves and insisted on us playing.

Sad news though was that we heard Amy Winehouse had died, only 27, and most likely an overdose but we couldn’t get details and even at the time of writing no one really has confirmed how it happened. Great shame though.

Was up at 6.00am on Sunday morning – God knows why – so stayed up and we sorted out the tent as were packed up by 10.00am so pottered around the lake once again before leaving, it was boiling hot today and we could have stayed there all day again but we had things to sort for the coming week, it’s only a week before holiday to the States and with my work there is so much I need to get sorted, so we were home by 1.00pm. A fantastic weekend in which we all felt like we’d been away for an age.

Camping is certainly made by the weather, when there’s no rain it really is perfect – although it’s crap if you suffer back-pain! I am stiff as a board!

“Can we play bat and ball?”

I have never heard that phrase uttered by Jack so many times in one weekend than this one. ‘Demanding’ is certainly an apt description for him when it comes to remaining active, he won’t sit still and sees no reason for anyone else to do so either, and now my throwing arm is killing me.

Mind you, his hand-eye coordination is excellent and with the baseball bat he hardly ever missed a strike, really quite impressive, I need to get him into cricket for certain! I think he’d be up for that as he’s been playing with the older lads in the village so perhaps he’ll take it up instead of Lewis who has no interest.

More photos are on this link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliandark/sets/72157627185283607/

Cornbury Festival

Two weeks after the event I have finally got round to writing up the blog, sadly it’s not going to have been worth the wait for this posting!
Last year I managed to get a day at the festival to pick Charlotte up but this year we decided to go the whole hog and camp and stay for the weekend, so pleased that we did, but even then we didn’t stay as long as we could have done so next year…who knows.
Lewis, Dan and I met up with John Bampton and his mate Ashley and between us we set up our tents on the Thursday night, we ended up putting 8 tents up, Holdy turned up by the time we’d finished his! Reluctantly I took Lewis and Dan home leaving John & Ash to savour the atmosphere and have a few drinks…
I had Friday off so Lewis and I got there 1.00pm and wandered round with a few beers, and slowly everyone else started turning up, Wayne, Kez, the girls (and their friends), Tash and Jack and Charlotte & Maisie and everyone was excited and enjoying everything that was on offer in the tents and that.
Unfortunately,the beers were flowing a bit too much…drank too much and made a fool of myself so that was a shame! No more to say on that episode…
Serious hangover following morning so everyone just left me in the sweltering tent until midday..up in time for lunch, beers and more importantly…Deacon Blue! They were the band I was looking forward to all weekend and they didn’t disappoint. I got to within 6 rows from the front and it was fantastic, looking round it was just middle-aged men jumping up and down singing along, they played for an hour and all the favourites were run through. I could have gone home after that as I was happy!
We then went over and watched Sophie Ellis-Bexter and she got the crowd going during her stint as well.
On the Sunday we packed up (didn’t have to as we could have stayed the night and come home on Monday) and that took ages to sort out but once done we then wandered round again and watched more music, The Straits (Dire Straits) and then what all the kids really wanted to see – Olly Murs – he went down a storm and was actually pretty good even for the grown ups! That was then 7.30pm so we made our way home – exhausted.
Everyone had a fantastic time, total freedom to come and go as they pleased and just chill, relax, eat and drink. If tickets were available now for next year I’d buy them right now, so hopefully we’ll make it for longer as the Sunday would have been nice to stay the night as well.

Here is a link to some more of the photos from the weekend: http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliandark/sets/72157627023156369/

Jack’s Sports Day

We’re not allowed to go and see Lewis & Charlotte’s sports days any more as they’re grown up now so it’s still a pleasure to go and watch Jack’s one. Perfect weather today as far as they were concerned with no rain or sun so nothing to worry about.

Jack is so competitive at all he does and you could see his disappointment when not winning races, but he won his skipping race and came second at the sprint, ‘waiter’ race and the long distance race so he was pleased with his performance.

The school is good because it is inclusive and the kids that clearly can’t run or do well are not criticised by the other children for ‘letting the side down’ as would be the case perhaps when older, it nice to see them all cheering on some of the children who are quite clearly not physically able, it’s a great way to introduce humility to a lot of these other kids at a young age.

I was speaking to Jack about it in the car taking him to karate as there is one particular lad who’s clearly disabled but the whole school love him and encourage him which is impressive as we all know how horrible kids can be!

I’m now sat outside Charlotte’s gymnastics class for an hour whilst she, Isabella and Rosie work on the bar, this week I think. Normally it would be mum doing it but she’s not feeling well after her most recent chemotherapy on Friday and has been off work today and yesterday. We’re wondering if it is only sickness and tiredness or whether it’s more of her hair coming our and it’s depressing her and she doesn’t want to be seen.

We’ll get to the bottom of it and will probably just turn up on the doorstep and see her, Tash plans to anyway.

Jack’s skipping race can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qmiVZRf9o0 – he’s quite shy and retiring at the end!

Race for Life & other things – making it hardly a lazy Sunday…

Charlotte & Natasha ran the 2011 Race for Life this weekend, both doing a great job of completing the course in exactly 30 minutes which for them was really good, it was incredibly hot as well so all the more impressive. It was packed there at the University Parks, they had 7,500 participants along with Dads and kids supporting tells you how many were there.

They ran with Kerry, Chloe and Sharon. Katharine Casey was there too and it was her birthday so there was a ‘bring and share’ picnic organised afterwards which was nice, loads of lovely food! Stayed there for an hour or so, whilst all the kids played football or did their acrobatics or competed with each other at something or other like climbing trees and the like.

We then went up to the Rover Cowley Works as there was a Family Open Day there so we met up with Holdy and Millar and pottered round taking the kids to the various stalls, they’re all competitive in their own way on the running machines and rowing machines and anything else – funny to watch them. Stayed there for a couple of hours and then went over to Bicester to see Nikki and Gaz for a barbie.

 

Stayed there for a few hours as well!!!

All day it’s been unbelievably hot, we’ve had crap weather this summer so far and Sunday/Monday were forecast to be hot and we’re all moaning that it’s too hot…can’t win eh?

Had a good day though and it was great to see everyone, managed to get some good photos as well

 

 

 

 

Jack found a unique way to cool down in the heat when he got back to our house!

Visiting Wimbledon with Charlotte

Had a great day yesterday when I took Charlotte to Wimbledon for her first time. Mum got some tickets from a chap at work so we took them on as Mum and Sue are going to the Men’s finals as well…it’s alright for some! Tash couldn’t get the time off so I took Charlotte instead.

Left Oxford around 10.00am and made our way to the Park & Ride in the local College and it was nice and easy and we made perfect timing to get there. Charlotte didn’t stop talking the whole way there, mostly about rubbish but it was nice to listen to!

When we got there she was really impressed, I don’t think she had much idea as to what to expect and couldn’t believe the size of it, the numbers of people (it was packed) and the money evidently on display everywhere! We had a walk around some of the courts and the tennis was under way on some of the outside courts so we watched some of that before making our way to Henman Hill, or is it now Murray’s Mount, and we started on the packed lunch watching the huge screen.

We were on No.1 Court sat right at the very back but it was a good view as you got to see everything and could appreciate the angles and quality of the tennis on show, we were in the shade though so were quite cold but we got to see some good tennis from the following players:

 

- Andy Roddick v Andreas Beck (Roddick won but it was a decent match)
- Wozniacki v Parra Santonja (Women’s game in under an hour – Wozniacki destroyed the other girl!)
- Robin Soderling v Phillip Petzshner (looked to be good but we left after first set – Soderling won 3-1)

After the Roddick match we sneaked out and sat on the Hill, or Mount?, and had our strawberries and cream – they were great and as we’d taken our own we had loads more than the punnet for £2.50!!

We saw Sue & Simon just below us but we didn’t get the chance to have a chat and catch up with them, sent a couple of texts but that was it, we left at 6.30pm and got some chips in Merton and then got home for 9.00(ish). We were very lucky with the weather, it’s been raining today and Day One as well and we got uninterrupted play which you always worry about here in the UK!

It was a lovely day and it was good to spend time with Charlotte as just the two of us, she’s a lovely girl – I am very proud of how she’s growing up. My only regret is that I didn’t leave my phone at home, I couldn’t help answering it and sending work emails and the like and it just made me feel washed out at the end of the day and I didn’t feel I gave Charlotte enough attention – I won’t do that again and will be more protective of my time with her and the family in the future.

That’s my intention anyway!

Weekly round-up…

It’s been a very busy few days, and I am writing this sat in a school reception area watching Lewis do skipping with some of his old friends from the Jump Nation competition here in Kingston-Upon-Thames. They’ve opened a class and there are about 25 kids in there of all ages and Lewis is one of the oldest. The team from Pulse are here so it’s nice to see some old faces although the journey here was a bit of a pain and took 2 hours because of the rain and traffic. Not sure how many times we’ll be coming but I have done the ‘Good Dad’ thing and brought him along and will let him decide what he wants to do, just a 135 mile round trip is a bit of a pain and clashes with Taurus training on a Monday. (Updated comment – he loved his time there tonight and wants to come again)

Talking of long round trips, last week I was in York training 2 Science Learning Centre users on SPIRIT – 7 hours round trip but thankfully stayed overnight on the York University campus on Thursday. That was interesting to see how it’s all set up and it would be fantastic experience for any one of the kids to attend. I was very impressed indeed. Training went well but it meant I didn’t get back home until 9.00pm on Friday night, made the weekend a whole lot shorter!

Sunday was Father’s Day, the kids know me too well and Charlotte got me a bag of toffee and Jack got me a bar of chocolate, Lewis got me the world’s biggest mug – yes it was bloody huge and I filled it up with coffee, drank it out of principle but won’t be doing that again…half measures will be plenty in the future.

Father’s Day was also Summertown Stars 5-a-side tournament, my A team did really well and got to the quarter finals and were all over Cumnor but they equalised with seconds to spare and then beat us on penalties which was frustrating as we’d have had a semi-final with Kidlington had we won as we deserved. Ah well. They had a presentation for me at the end of the tournament (my parents!) and they gave me a card with loads of nice thank you comments but also another Red Letter Day voucher – incredibly generous.Tash and I will probably do something together such as a pamper weekend or something like that, we’ll got through the website and spend it well.

Last Sunday was also busy, Lewis, Nathan, Gaz, Paul, Jason and I went paint balling as part of our Xmas present from Tiffany. Poured with rain the whole time but it didn’t dampen our spirits and we had a great time. Spend too much on the paintballs but it was really good, I was very impressed. Apart from at the end when I got hit too many times and it bloody well hurt! I think I’d do it again, but I must admit I prefer the Laser Gaming, probably because it doesn’t hurt!

I think I mentioned in a previous post that Mum’s hair is coming our gradually, it’s only thinning out at the minute but she’s only halfway through the chemo course, so she and Tash went out to the wig shop this week and had a laugh sorting one out. It’s the one thing that Mum was really worried about but I think she’s just got on with it as something she can’t avoid so is taking it in good spirits.

That’s it, Charlotte and I are off to Wimbledon tomorrow, we have tickets for No.1 court so looking forward to that, it’ll be nice just the two of us. Hopefully the miserable rain that we’re experiencing right now will disappear and we’ll have a long day of it – I’ll take the brolly just in case though!!!

A child’s wisdom…

"Dad, you're hair is going grey"
"Yes I know Jack, I'm getting old"
"You're not going to get another girlfriend looking like that!"

Mum’s Second Chemotherapy Session

Mum had her second session on Friday and once again came out of it saying that it all went fine and she wasn’t suffering any ill-affects which again was really pleasing to hear.

Spoke to her on Saturday and Sunday and the same thing, felt tired but thought that might just be the tablets that she needs to take. She and Derek had been out for the day to Stratford-Upon-Thames and watched some films back at home as well.

Tasha emailed her today though and unfortunately she’s started noticing that some of her hair is coming out, so the cold cap treatment might not be doing its work. I didn’t speak to her but Tash will persevere and if need be then Mum might look at getting a wig or at least some scarves.

This is what she was dreading, but I think her attitude is that “whatever happens, happens!”, but I think she’s not too pissed off because she’s getting through the treatment with such minor affects when expecting to be really sick and everything.

We’ll see.

Paul Scholes retired yesterday

One of my favourite players, Paul Scholes, retired from football yesterday. One of the best players in his generation and hugely admired amongst his peers, International and UK-based. There was loads of stories and accolades that can be found about his but he was looked up to by other players which can be no better compliment.
Some people on Twitter and noticeboards were criticising his tackling ability, or lack of, but that’s not relevant when you run a YouTube search on his goals and contribution if you ask me and shows a complete lack of understanding of the game.
Unless of course they were simply wanting to buck the trend and say something contrary just to be ‘clever’!
Thankfully, he’s not dropping out of football altogether and is going to continue being involved in a coaching capacity, I don’t much care that it’s with Manchester Utd as I don’t support anyone but for him not to pass on his skills and experience to younger players then that would have been a shame.
I wish him all the best good fortune in the rest of his career.

Another Great Weekend…

Bank Holiday weekend, what didn’t we do?!?!

Friday after work we had a BBQ and invited Jason & Sharon Millar and their kids, Wayne & Kerry Holden and their kids and Liam & Zoe Carroll and their kids so a bit of a houseful, or more to the point a garden-full as we stayed out all evening! As usual far too much to drink but all the banter and silly chat and it was a lovely evening. Got a fire up and running which always goes down well with the kids as they can toast marsh-mallows and add wood to the fire. Who doesn’t enjoy playing with the flames once in a while? Late night but well worth the effort, we enjoy having people round for food and drink.

Saturday was the Cholsey 5-a-side tournament for Lewis’s team, they did really well and got through to the quarter-finals but then were cheated out of it by some outrageous decisions but the local referee. I don’t get involved with the silly chatter but I was so close to going mental! I bit my tongue as I didn’t want to get some crap fine, but Sammy got sent off for telling the ref he was shit – he was right but he’ll still get a suspension and £40 fine, not worth it for some uptight bully!

In the evening it was the Champions League final between Man Utd and Barcelona at Wembley. Currently Barcelona are the best team in the world and they proved as much in front of millions of viewers winning 3-1, it was incredible to watch. They can’t be touched at the minute, they have the best players and team ethic where they pass the ball constantly to work the space and beat down their opponents. No one could begrudge them the win and they made it look so easy against a Man Utd team that are hardly lighting up the world but are still one of the top five teams around – but FCB simply looked like they were training! Messi, Iniesta, Xavi – gifted players that we’re very luck to watch at this time in our lives.

Sunday we went out for a cycle ride down by the river, past the Perch and into Oxford, nice to explore a new route. Jack spent some of his HMV voucher on a DVD, popped into the Old Prison complex to treat ourselves to a Krispy Kreme donut and then back home along the river again.

In the evening Tash and I went out to Newbury Racecourse as she was provided with VIP tickets for the Rod Stewart concert which was the first leg of his UK tour. So we were treated to a couple of free drinks in the VIP suite and then right down near the front of the stage to see the concert. At 66 you wouldn’t guess his age, the concert was brilliant and he played for 2 hours. So many songs that are memorable, you forget the ones that he’s sang in the past. Felt a bit guilty as there were at least 20,000 people so we left during the last song, “Do ya think I’m sexy” and then heard the encore “I am sailing” in the car park and left so as to miss the traffic, to make it worse they then released a huge firework display!

I’ve never left a concert early to beat the traffic and I will never do it again either!

So if that wasn’t busy enough on Bank Holiday Monday we took the kids down to Bath for the day, poured down with rain the whole time so that wasn’t much fun but we wandered round the Roman Baths which was really interesting and then had a bit of a walk around a walking tour. I’d downloaded the walking tour on everyone’s mp3 players the night before but for some reason they weren’t impressed that the now have a playlist called “Bath Tour”…no pleasing some people is there? Treated ourselves to Pizza hut at the end of the day to cap off a lovely weekend.

It was good to spend time with the kids today, they’re funny when they’re on form, each has their own personality to bring to the family and as much as it grates sometimes and we bicker we have a good laugh the majority of the time. It’s a shame I didn’t record us singing along to “Your Song” in the car on the way down…a most amusing rendition.

So all in all, quite a busy weekend really, now back to work for a rest…yeah right!

Working from home or in Starbucks…which is best?

Sometimes working from home has its benefits…this morning I dropped the car off at the garage for its service and MOT, then wandered down from Shotover to the Churchill Hospital and had my broken finger prodded and bent. Now that might not hurt the Physiotherapist but it bloody well hurts me! All good and only one more session required apparently. The finger is on the mend.

And then it was a walk up to Headington, sit in Starbucks and get on the wireless internet and work over coffee and cookies…I don’t get this at home!

I took a detour walking to Headington and went through Mattocks Close which is behind where I used to live and was a field, bit of nostalgia for a Friday morning, passed the Youth club and up New High Street where the shark is in the roof of the house and saw all the short-cuts we used to take as kids through people’s gardens when being chased or going to call on mates. I was tempted to knock on the door of one house to ask if the shortcut was still there, but then I thought better of it as they might call the police on me thinking I was ‘casing the joint’!

Just had a call from the garage, car passed MOT but brakes need sorting, so will get a call around lunchtime to go and collect it, so BLT could be in order now.

Now to get on with work, wish they’d turn the music down, it doesn’t sound so good when the phone rings to speak to clients.

What a weekend…

It all started off fine with the Summertown Stars Presentation evening on Friday night. We had a good turn out and it was very pleasing to be able to give Jack the Player’s Player of the Year award, well deserved as he admitted to some of the parents after getting it! “I agree!” he replied to a couple..ah well, he’s only 10. Lewis also picked up Most Improved Player for his team so it was a good night for the Dark family.

Saturday night Charlotte & Tash went to Newbury races for a concert and watched The Wanted, they had a great time.

On Sunday we were going to to canoeing but the weather was crap so pottered around and then went up to Shotover and met Mum. She’s doing okay with her cancer although throughout the week she’d been getting pains in her arm and she finally complained about it and they found that she’d had a blood clot – not good. So they sorted that out but it means she needs to inject herself in the stomach with a blood thinning agent for the next 6 months! It never rains…

Sunday evening wasn’t so good…Sue’s dog Heidi is on her way out and she finally died at 6.00pm, cue tears and sobbing from everyone in the house, Sue, Tash, Charlotte and Jack, all very sad indeed. I then had to bury her immediately, can’t say that was enjoyable. Poor thing, she didn’t suffer and went quietly in her sleep.

I managed to get out for a run in the evening, first one for months and I was useless, 4 miles in 40 minutes so not good at all. But I will try to get it going again over the next few weeks so that I start to get fitter and in more shape, we’ll have to wait and see. So a traumatic weekend all in all, hopefully this week will be better.

More wisdom from Jack

More wisdom from Jack before going to bed...

"God is actually a really good person, he's invented loads of good things but he's made some bad things as well...such as...school...fruit....and girls!"

I love our little chats at bed time!

Olympic Torch Announcement

Lord Coe unvieled the route of the Olympic flame today and announced that it could be viewable by 95% of the population as they are trying to ensure that it's almost in everyon'es back garden

When asked how close that is in reality he replied "About an hour's drive" - how big is his back garden for goodness sake?!?

Mum & Cancer

I have been meaning to write this sooner

Around January this year, Mum was diagnosed with Breast Cancer as part of the 3 year routine checks, they didn't know how bad it was until the results and then said she'd need a mastectomy which she duly had a few weeks later.When getting the results from that and her lymph nodes and the like they were able to confirm that it hadn't spread elsewhere that they could see but it was a particularly aggressive cancer and they couldn't give 100% assurance that it was cleared and out of her body.

So they have decided that she needs chemotherapy and a course of Herceptin so that they can basically try and completely flush it out of the system and it not creep back in 6 months time.

So Friday last week was mum's first Chemo visit and incredibly she suffered no side-effects other than to be tired - incredible. She has 6 chemo sessions in total 3 weeks apart and then 9 months of Herceptin about 2 weeks apart so all very serious and time-consuming.

Her work have been brilliant as has Derek so she has no worries there.

It's obviously been a huge shock but she's borne it well and we (my wife is very pro-active) and the kids have kept her busy taking her out and having meals and all sorts. Louise lives in Kings Lynn which is annoying as she's not down here much but we're doing our best to support her etc.

I hope this diary will be a record of her battle and success to defeating this awful disease...

Love you mum.

Jack's Praise to me!!!

- Dad, did you get a certificate for making me? 
- Your birth certificate I suppose Jack. 
- No that's mine, you should have got a certificate because you did a good job!

Another weekend over

Butlins was fantastic, kids had a great time and loved it, parents as well, some great photos.

Mum had first chemotherapy treatment on Friday and has suffered no affects whatsoever, can't believe it. Amazing woman and very proud of her. Hope that's the way things will continue because you hear all the horror stories of illness and that which we were preparing for...5 more sessions to go, fingers crossed.

Worked hard this weekend, off to British Red Cross tomorrow for training and then to Rochester and two Oxford customers on Thursday - all over the bloody place! 

Butlins

Off to Butlins tomorrow taking Jack's team and doing what I have done twice with Lewis's team. Should be fun and everyone is looking forward to it. Still haven't packed yet so need to get that sorted.


It's been a really bad time of things later, I'll update all the happenings shortly as I don't have time now, but we've had Roy next door die, my Mum has breast cancer and is now going to have chemo, all sorts happening. 


On that note...

It's the weekend

Thought I lost my Facebook account last night - I removed the email addresses linked to the account so that I would stop getting notifications and then logged in use a Hotmail.co.uk address and it started a new account - nightmare! Eventually worked it out after over an hour of emails etc but it's now back to normal. In saying that, I am trying to reduce Facebook use so I shouldn't really care about it. But once in a blue moon won't hurt I guess.

England cricket is in good voice this morning after we thumped the Aussies in their own back yard again to retain the Ashes with a 3-1 series win Down Under. It's been very easy for the team which is a shame but it's good to be able bash the Aussies of course! The Barmy Army have been in good form as well.

Looking forward to the weekend, Jack has his mate Danny over and then there is football at the weekend, should be nice. We play Abingdon on Sunday, hopefully get a decent result after a very indifferent first half of the season. We'll have to wait and see.