Get Well Soon Mark

On Guernsey my friend Mark took a tumble on his bicycle. It's a good job he was wearing his helmet, but a bit of a shame he wasn't wearing his cape and spangly bodysuit.

Get well soon Uncle Mark.

AMK

Proportion and Balance

It's taken 6 months for my body to catch up with my head - the one is now in proportion with the other. And I've also discovered balance (albeit fleetingly).


So here I am putting it all together. Sitting. Just sitting. It's what I like to do.

AMK

This Week, AMK Recommends...

On the 12th January at 16:53 local time an eathquate of a catastrophic magnitude hit the Republic of Haiti in the Caribbean. The United States Geological Survey recorded a series of at least 33 aftershocks and The International Red Cross estimates that about three million people have been affected. It's feared the quake could eventually claim 200,000 lives.


This is an old photo. I hope these boys are ok.

Lots of people are working hard to help everyone on the island. I'm sending this week's pocket money to help. This week I recommend you donate your pocket money too; it's easy, just click here.

AMK

Hello Moto, Animoto

This week, AMK recommends ANIMOTO

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

I like watching music videos. And now I can make my very own. Bonkers!

AMK

ps Type ILKBDWGT into the promo code box to give it a go yourself

Ski Sunday. Ski Monday. Ski Tuesday...

Despite the arctic conditions here in old Blighty, millions of folk have traipsed off to the Alps in order to hurl themselves down snow-laden slopes. GG and Grandpa are now off on their grand ski tour and Auntie Danny is hurling herself down the slopes with her chums too.

Here's a picture of Grandpa trying to get back down to the village bar in time for happy hour. And down below you'll see GG in mid-flight: all that practice on the Wii paying dividends! Eddie the Eagle has nothing on my GG.

While I'm still struggling to find my own feet on terra firmer, I think I'll give this skiing malarky a wide berth. But when I'm older I'd like to give it a bash, although I can't ever see Daddy being brave enough.

Perhaps I'll go with my chums, but until then the Wii will have to do.

AMK

Friday Night is Alright

Friday. Woo woo. You toil all week long, but when Friday swings round it's party time.

Although one day will often merge into the next, Friday's are special because they usher in the weekend. And that's when I get to see the funny man and we all go and do nice things.

This Friday was a corker as we went over to see Billy for the afternoon. Because my house is so small, M&D decided to borrow Billy's house to entertain the Winterfloods on their own patch. Mummy was going to cook up some nice food, while Daddy was going to entertain Auntie Kate and Uncle David (heaven knows how, but the daft shirt he was wearing got a giggle).

It's important to have good friends; people you can unwind with, laugh with, cry with, piddle on the floor with and just be with. Friends like Billy.

AMK

Man Cannot Live by Bread Alone. Nor a Baby Milk.

M&D do the strangest things with some of my toys. They roll them around the floor or fly them through the air making daft noises. All I'm really interested in though is sticking 'em in my mouth to see how they taste.

Milk, milk, milk gets rather dull you see. So out of desperation I'll try just about anything. Thankfully Mummy at last got the hint and has started to mix things up a little bit. Well, more than mix... more like blend to a pulp.

So far I've tried parsnip (excellent), carrot (good), sweet potato (tolerable) and banana (distinctly unpleasant, but I'll try anything once). Should you visit Bistro Angoose, I can recommend the parsnip and carrot blend.

Just be wary of the 'yellow surprise' and give my nappy bin a wide berth.

AMK

You Spin me Right Round, Baby

After the chaos and anarchy of my early months (during which I'd stay up all night if I damn well pleased), I've now matured and found contentment in routine.

After 12 hours sleep I'll take my breakfast before a little nap. Then it's onto brunch. And a little nap. Before Mummy takes me for a wander around the shops. While I take a little nap. Then we lunch, I nap. We go home, have a play and it's supper and bedtime.

Today we had Auntie Amy and young Ellie to visit so I did my very best to postpone a nap or two in order to entertain. Thankfully that was the only part of my routine that was disrupted; sure enough, at about lunchtime we went for a walk round the shops.

Mummy is still banned by Daddy from buying me any new clothes. Santa did me ok though, so I'm not down to my last threadbare vest just yet. But Auntie Amy is under no such pressure and so bought Ellie lots of nice outfits.

When we got home I realised just how much Ellie loves her fashion. When she's not modeling the latest in haute couture pour le bebe, she's content simply to watch it spin around in the washing machine. Oh la lah.


I hope that's non-bio in there.

AMK

I am Just Going Outside and May be Some Time

We ventured out into the harsh frozen wasteland of Berkshire yesterday. As brave old Captain Oates said when he was larking about with Scott and his chums on their way to the South Pole, Daddy warned us we could be some time. The temperatures round Henley have recently dropped to a frost bitten -17 degrees: positively antarctic! And with more snow forecast we were prepared for a prolonged stay.


Fortunately, we were kept nice and toasty by the warmth of some Tassell hospitality (they'd had the heating on all day, you see). Uncle Steve and Auntie Sarah bought me a mobile phone for Christmas: it has cat, dog and mouse on pre-programmed speed dial. Daddy's not a fan because it makes noises and doesn't seem to have an off button (afterall, who knows when cat, dog or mouse might call?).

I sloped off to bed early after playing games with Eva and Zac but was kept awake by the grown-ups playing Rock Band for hours. If only one of them had some ryhthm.

The promised snow didn't come overnight so we came home after breakfast without a hitch, but the wind is up and it feels cold enough to freeze my milk.

If our antipodean chums would just send over a few of their gassy sheep, I'm sure we'd have the temperature back up in no time.

AMK

Drop the Bandit

Wassup Officer? 'Course I is over 18 innit. You fink I should Nudge or Hold?


Aye. Innit.

AMK

This Week, AMK Recommends...

It's been a couple of weeks since Father Christmas completed the Wimborne, Cardiff, Teddington circuit. Although the wrapping paper kept me entertained for a while, I've now had time to have a good play with my other new things.

Up until now, most of my toys have been soft and tend to rattle or squeak when I bash them hard enough. But tastes change and one must learn to set aside childish things, so now I prefer great lumps of plastic fuelled by double As. My current favourite is my v-tech ball: it flashes and sings and even rolls around in circles on its own. At some point soon I'll be able to chase it around the room.

But while my plastic ball was a fine choice by Santa, this week I'll be recommending my Brio toys. I have a train (thank you Caroline!), a helicopter and a turtle and all of them have a terrific action, without the need for batteries.

They're all wooden, you see, and rely on simple movements and a bit of push or pull power from yours truly.

It's true, I'm not quite big enough to play with them properly on my own but Daddy assures me they're excellent fun. I think the giraffemight be on order and when that arrives I'll make up my mind whether the animals or the machines will rule.

AMK

Food is an Important Part of a Balanced Diet

Today was the day Mummy decided I couldn't live on milk alone. The pictures below recount the episode of my first serious tussle with solids.


The unknowing anticipation


The battle. Where's my bloody bottle??


The bill please.

Was That A Landing Captain, or Were we Shot out of the Sky?

My new hero is Michael Palin. Or Paul Theroux. Hmmm, maybe even Columbus himself if he wasn't so Spanish. You see, now I've completed by maiden voyage I can honestly say I have the travel bug. (Not to be confused with my other bug, which has now gone after finishing that disgusting yellow medicine.)

I've already traveled far and wide in the car, but this was my first sojourn via aeroplane. Despite some practice on Grandpa's Wii, nothing could have prepared me for the rumble of the engines and the thrill of the take-off. That said, I was asleep for most of the flight there and back. Here's the plane that flew us across the Channel (hoorah for Aurigny - which other airline would allow their planes to wear big Santa hats at Christmas??).

My grand journey to Guernsey was a triumph. I met the locals who made me feel very welcome; experienced some of the local customs (walking on the beach after lunch); picked up a bit of the lingo (eh?); and also took in some places and points of interest (my favourite being The Rockmount). Here I am with my Guernsey friends Archie and Coco. It's a shame young Joe didn't make the picture but I'm sure I'll see him again too.



Auntie Danny lives on Guernsey's neighbouring island, Jersey. I might go there next, although my Guernsey chums tell me it's full of crapauds which doesn't sound very nice at all.

AMK

Happy New Year!

So, that was the year that was. Roll on 2010!

Here's a toast to all that this next year might bring.

Here's hoping it brings me back to The Rockmount for another pint of Monty's and a catch-up with my new chums Archie and Coco.

AMK