The six week holiday

As we approach the end of the summer holidays (he's back to school on Tuesday!) I thought it was high time for update for family and friends. I haven't had too much spare time to blog as we were going along so here's the more significant happenings from the last few weeks.

I've embarked on quite a few mini-projects during August (fixing a friend's electrics after a break-in, demolishing another friend's wall and then rushing to hire some Acro-props(!)) but my greatest achievement has been in the field of carpentry. A trailer for the boy to tow behind his new go-kart is the near-perfect product of a borrowed mitre saw, a scientific calculator (with the original batteries that got me through my A-levels) and my unlikely remembering of some fairly complex trigonometry. Pictures will have to follow once I've completed some of the modular decks for carrying children, dogs, BBQ coals etc.

Speaking of dogs, Belle has continued to grow in size and confidence at a frightening rate. Her re-enactment of the Great Escape is repeated frequently at the back fence, although she's yet to make it to freedom. Training is progressing well and she's moved up a class - clever girl! So clever in fact that she can now from time to time open doors, her cage or anything else to which she applies herself. We've distilled a collection of toys that can withstand her chewing and she seems to be thoroughly enjoying herself.

We spent a fantastic weekend with Adrian and family in Bristol to witness the Balloon Fiesta. After meeting up in Shrewsbury on the way down so the girls could visit the QVC Outlet shop (even they had to admit it was a miserable pile of junk), we made a brief stop at the excellent RAF Cosford air museum. Unfortunately the weather in the South West was far too wet, windy and muddy for any balloon watching but this did nothing to spoil the trip. The hotel pool and four hour meals in various restaurants were great fun for all.

Over then Bank Holiday weekend we set an alarm for 1:30am so we could head over to Meadowhall to witness the demise of the Tinsley Towers. The boy and I were joined by another family and 8,000 or so other people who thought being out in the middle of the night was a good idea. Right on schedule at 3am, the towers disappeared into a huge cloud of dust. Once this cleared there were cheers from the crowd for a 100 foot chunk of one of the towers that was refusing to lie down quietly. We headed around via Kimberworth to get a better view (here) and to allow the masses of cars to disperse before we headed home. The nibbler drivers certainly earned their danger money as they razed what was left.

For this last week I've been limping around after tearing my calf muscle. "Just one last time" of launching the boy on his go-kart across the tennis courts in the local park resulted in the classic symptoms (I thought the wife had thrown half a paving stone at the back of my leg!). Thankfully it was only a minor injury with most of the pain subsiding after only a couple of days. Seven days on and it's nothing more than uncomfortable, although stairs are still not my favourite thing.

We're now looking forward to Sunday when the boss and I will become godparents for the first time. Proper bedtimes will then be restored and the countdown to Christmas will begin in earnest.