Photo

OK, hands up, who knows what happened to December? Someone? Anyone? No, fair enough then. I will just say that it was rather busy and for a change we have enjoyed quite a sunny Christmas and New Year. Two small boys were spoilt outrageously during the six weeks of their summer holiday. With a grand total of three different holidays to, in turn; Putty Beach, Kingscliff and then Soldiers Point. Although they did remark that all of this leisure activity tired them out before returning to school in February. The good news from this year’s holiday activities is that there were no broken bones and everyone is sound in wind and limb. Here’s hoping it lasts through the rest of 2013.

It’s November, which in this part of the world means the approach of both Summer and Christmas. I’ve been too busy to notice as there were 4 test matches on this weekend and I did my best to watch them all simultaneously. I’ve put in some hard work watching at the ground as well. A couple of weeks ago I spent the day at the SCG for the opening day of the NSW v Victoria Sheffield Shield match. But enough about me, what about the two subjects of our photo? They have been busy attending school but managed to wrangle a day out last week. They both took part in a chess tournament and managed a few wins each.

Say hello to the luckiest, and possibly most spoilt, young boys in the world. This weekend they have been exceptionally fortunate and have both received new bikes. They can thank their Mum for this. Inspired by Uncle Benjy she has decided to become a middle aged lady in lycra. As she was at the bike shop spending an extortionate amount of money she ordered a new bike each for 2 small boys. They all picked up their new 2 wheeled chariots this weekend.

Spring has sprung in the southern hemisphere as you can see from the fact that JFGP is wearing shorts in this picture. Not a lot else has changed since the long winter months. No one has broken any bones for a change. No one has won the lottery, sadly. There have been the usual school related fun and games; band concerts, excursions and quite a lot of speeches delivered - some of them were even written beforehand. But apart from that we continue on with life and two small boys continue on their quest to get bigger and bigger.

In an effort to stop consuming so much internet content and start producing something I have talked myself into a little experiment. Starting last week and continuing until I lose interest I’m going to be taking and publishing a photo each day with my phone camera. Using one of those new fangled ‘apps’ I can take a photo and publish it on the internet, just not on this site. So I’ve exhumed a tumblr blog I created a while ago to host my photographic scribblings. My enthusiasm didn’t extend to coming up with a novel name though, so say hello to my experiment with a daily photo.

We have had some birthdays in the Todd household recently. JFGP turned 9 and MIGO 7. I could regale you with stories of presents and how wise it is to organise two different parties on Saturday and then Sunday. But I won’t. Instead I’ll let you gaze on two small boys fully decked out in the gear supplied by their Guernsey based relatives. Thanks to Aunty Ju-Ju we have been digging foam darts out of various nooks and crannies around the house for the last couple of weeks.

We’ve had a bit of a milestone this week. JFGP’s second plaster of the year has been removed. He is still on crutches, the doctor says that it will take up to a month to get back to normal. It was a good morning when the cast was removed though, as he had his first bath in a month and a half. To celebrate even further, and because his Mum insisted, he has also lost some more excess baggage. Yesterday I took him for his first haircut in quite some time. I think the results look quite good and even the subject himself seems to like it. Unlike my suggestion of a buzz cut which wasn’t very welcome at all.

We skipped the March 2012 growing boys photo because one of our subjects wasn’t able to stand on the coffee table. I managed to persuade him to pose for this month though so here are two smiling boys in April. The crutches and plaster are a bit of a giveaway but JFGP broke his leg last month. Ten days after the plaster came off his broken arm. Twice would appear to be the charm. On a happy note SWMBO has been told, and believes to boot, that on the third break we get a visit from DOCS. Here’s hoping that the newly christened clumsiest boy in the street manages to go a bit longer between this break and the next one. My wish is for at least 10 years.

The norse invaders have landed. Well, they made a guest appearance at our annual Jervis Bay weekend. We weren’t put off by the inclement weather - although I did have to try and keep the rain off the barbecue whilst I was cooking dinner on Saturday. As usual we had a great weekend and everyone got into the spirit, even I dressed up in a furry gilet and horny helmet.

Here we have two small boys at the end of February, 2012. They have survived the first month of school and it’s all downhill from here. JFGP’s cast is starting to show it’s age. Both with the accumulated dirt and debris and also with the odour. Four weeks of small boy activity and no washing can do that to a limb.

JFGP had a little accident. He was on holiday with his Mum and his little brother and managed to take a tumble. They were camping just north of Newcastle and it had been raining - quite a lot. The assembled small people were playing in the playground at the camp site and number 1 son went to slide down the slide. He didn’t want to get his trousers dirty so he decided to go down the slide on his feet. It all went well until he got to the bottom. Where it all went very badly.

Here are our subjects at the start of the calendar year. New Year for us is at the beginning of the long summer holiday from school so I think we can say that the boys are relaxed. This picture was taken on the first “Dad day” of the holidays. This is where I and two small boys get the day to ourselves to play and go on adventures. Or in this case play computer games and go to the pool for a swim.

This is our official family photo for 2011. If I was witty and eloquent I would accompany it with an annual family message. But I can’t compete with Mil Millington. So go and read his message for a few wry smiles. I will let you into a little secret about this year’s photo. I had it all planned - and in advance, which is a first for me. We were going to go to the beach and get a shot of 2 Aussie boys on their boogie boards enjoying the surf, sun and sand that epitomises living in Sydney. With Father Christmas hats on. It was already the perfect Australian Christmas photo, in my head. Unfortunately the weather had other ideas. It has been cold, grey and raining for the last few weeks and on the day I had allotted for the Christmas photo it wasn’t any better.

In a first, at least recently, here is the November photo of our two subjects actually published in the month of November. You probably won’t notice a lot of difference since last month but a variation in dress and expression is at least worth an extra picture. November is always a quiet month here. Spring is just getting started but it’s still not unabashed sun and warmth every day. We are on the home stretch towards the end of the school and calendar year and small boys thoughts turn to those endless days of the summer holidays. Small boys parent’s thoughts, meanwhile, turn to how are we going to be at home for six weeks and still keep our jobs. Some combination of 4 day weeks (SWMBO), extra utilisation of Lesley and strategic days off (yours truly) should see us through. Fingers crossed.

I know it’s November, but I’m playing catch up. Somewhere between watching the Rugby World Cup, paying scant attention to the bin lids and working a little bit too much there doesn’t seem to have been much time to curate my photos. But I’m catching up. Slowly. Here is the formal picture of two small boys that I took in October, 2011.

Please ignore the small boy behind the curtain. But if this works I may be moving my photos. More later, or not as the fancy takes me. On the off chance that anyone is still reading this collection of ramblings could you let me know by email or in the comments below if you can’t see a picture of MIGO next to this text. Also, could you check that when you click on the thumbnail that you see a much bigger version of the picture? Thanks awfully.

A special double month bonanza in this post. First, we have two small boys from July, otherwise known as the birthday month. We had quite a busy time with 2 parties to (in my case) attend. MIGO’s was first, even though his birthday is later, and we enjoyed a couple of quiet hours at AMF Bowling in Dee Why. Well, as quiet as you can expect with 12 children between the ages of 5 and 8. Still no one lost any shoes and there was very little crying. So I count that as a success.

The new car has arrived. I think it looks marvellous, and everyone who has walked past has stopped to take a look. And definitely not to snigger. There has been no sniggering. It’s been named the orange taxi for two reasons. The first is rather obvious but the second is because it’s the first diesel car I’ve ever owned or driven and when I was growing up the only car type vehicles with diesel engines were the black cabs in London. I know that they are all the rage now but to this day I can’t hear a diesel engine and not think I should be putting my arm up and whistling for attention.

In a special shot from Aunty Lorna’s wedding to Uncle Richard here are two small boys in their outfits for this special occasion. The addition of the top shoes was my idea, apparently that makes me a style guru. They had a great time with their cousins and the rest of the family who gathered at the Old Bell in Hurley for the nuptials. I took this photo nice and early in the day in case the boys got dirty later. It was a great wedding and you can see some of the photos I took in this gallery.