28/52 2018

Week 28
9 - 15 July



Here we are again, at a local park, having a good clamber around. This elephant bench is because of a local circus in the 19th century which included elephants who used to be taken to this part of the river to wash.

It occurs to me that maybe I should mention that yes, England did have a heatwave this summer, and no, I am not stupid or cruel to put Jamie in a long-sleeved hoodie and long trousers and socks. Our response to the heatwave was to move the daily routine forward to start earlier in the morning, so we could go out and do things, gradually shedding layers as the day warmed up. Then after lunch the Mama And Jamie Vest And Pants Club could have a good long nap through the hottest part of the day.

27/52 2018

Week 27
2 - 8 July



If there was ever a tree that grew for toddlers to climb, it is this one.

13/52 2018

Week 13
26 March - 1 April



We went to visit family back in Lowestoft for Easter, and although it wasn't perfect beach weather, Jamie (the little orange dot in the picture) had a great time running around on the sand with his cousin.

06/52 2018

Week 6
05 - 11 February



I wasn't actually present when this picture was taken. Steve took Jamie for a Daddy Outing to Foundry Wood, which is one of those rare places where I really wish I could go (it's a lovely outdoors natural environment community project with an interesting activities program), physically cannot go (there's only one entrance and that is a steep dirt track way beyond the capabilities of either wheelchair), and yet I can make my peace with the inaccessibility (natural environment, etc) as long as someone ensures that Jamie isn't missing out.

Also, not to put too fine a point on it, while I'm trying to soak up and enjoy all of Jamie's childhood it is also good for me to have a couple of hours OFF every now and again.

Anyway, Jamie and Daddy both loved it. They came home and showed me dozens of pictures of an absolutely idyllic time discovering all manner of interesting things. Choosing just one was difficult but I do love Jamie's happy little face in this one.

04/52 2018

Week 4
22 - 28 January



Another cold, wet playground. But. This is not the toddler frame. He is way up high, and managed to get up there by himself. I was impressed.

03/52 2018

Week 3
15 - 21 January



Another cold, wet, yet cheerful morning at a park. Steve took this photo; I'm the blue and grey blur in the background. Jamie was running back and forth between the two of us laughing his head off.

02/52 2018

Week 2
08 - 14 January



This is Jamie at the Terry Pratchett exhibition at Salisbury Museum. Jamie does not yet have the encyclopaedic Discworld knowledge of his parents, but he does enjoy Where's My Cow and recognises the portrait of the late Sir Terry on Young Sam's bedroom wall. He behaved beautifully at the museum (and the cathedral) and while the trip was more for me and Steve than for Jamie, we feel glad that he was there too.

01/52 2018

After a lot of dithering I decided to do the 52 project again. Yes, it's February already, and a late start. Yes, my timekeeping was terrible last year. From a social media guru perspective I might as well not bother. But from a parent perspective, I really enjoy having a collection that is just one photo a week to enable me to watch him grow without a disproportionate focus on big events where dozens of pictures were taken.

If I ever *really* get my act together I might try and have each year printed up into an actual physical photo book to keep, but my imagination is tempered by low self esteem.

Week 1
01 - 07 January

As you can tell from the rain, the hood, and the colour of Jamie's nose, this was a cold wet morning at the playground. We needed it, though, and he wasn't the only one smiling.

48/52 2017

Week 48
27 November - 03 December

Steve had to get up silly-early for work this week, and while Jamie usually stays asleep, on this day he woke up, and it's hard to persuade a two year old that it's still night time and he should go back to sleep when he's had nearly a full night's sleep and can hear morning-type sounds.

As a result, the nap that usually happens in the afternoon, happened in the morning, and by 2pm Jamie was fully rested, fully fed, and ready for whatever the world had to offer on this muddled-up day.



What it offered was this: the really good park in Stratford, practically empty and glowing with a winter sunset. We stayed until dark (about 4pm, sniff) and even then he didn't want to leave.

Yes, he did end up having a second mini-nap.

46/52 2017

Week 46
13 - 19 November



Look at him climb! He still needs a bit of encouragement and reassurance that a trusted adult is there before he'll go over the top of the net and onto the playframe, but he's quite confident getting himself well off the ground. I think he finds it easier in autumn when the playground is more sparsely populated and he can take his time and concentrate.

44/52 2017

Week 44
30 October - 05 November



A few years back, a couple of very large trees at one of our local parks had to be cut down for safety reasons after they were badly weakened by some sort of arboreal illness. In a burst of creativity and sensitivity, the stump and larger chunks of decent wood were turned into sculptures and dotted around the park, including our friend the hedgehog.

34/52 2017

Week 34
21 - 27 August



I bought Jamie this lovely little beach/water play outfit. Lightweight, UV resistant, suitable for wearing in and out of the water. Sadly what with one thing and another, this was the only time he wore it - at a water playground where most of the water appeared to have been switched off. Not that he minded, there were still plenty of things to twiddle, but he was a bit bemused by having his clothes changed first!

33/52 2017

Week 33
14 - 20 August



A slight cheat as this was taken on 13 August, but it's one of only a few photos where he's really looking at the camera. We were out for a drive with Daddy and had stopped for an impromptu picnic. It was a good day.

29/52 2017

Week 29
17 - 23 July

We visited quite a few parks and playgrounds over the summer. This is one of our favourites, in Stratford upon Avon. Jamie is still developing the ability and confidence for climbing, but sandpits and Things That Twiddle are always acceptable!

26/52 2017

Week 26
26 June - 02 July



Jamie is still quite the bookworm and the highlight of any shopping trip is the run around Waterstones. Sometimes he spots a beloved favourite from his own collection, and we have to explain that his copy is still at home. The negotiations required to get him to hand over his chosen New Book for scanning at the counter are delicate to say the least. And the idea of waiting until we own a book before thrusting it at daddy demanding "read!" is just silly - what are parents for?

25/52 2017

Week 25
19 - 25 June



At Burton Dasset, climbing a steep hill with the aid of daddy. He probably would have managed on his own, but we didn't quite have the confidence to let him scamper freely. It won't be long now, though.

24/52 2017

Week 24
12 - 18 June



Jamie's confidence and physical ability are continuing to expand, which is an absolute joy to watch. Admittedly his attempt at this cargo net was not entirely successful in terms of getting to the top. The difficulty is a philosophical one; instead of tackling it incrementally and climbing one row at a time, he wants to make a single big step of about three rows and then feels frustrated that he doesn't have the leverage to bring the rest of his body up. As soon as he wraps his head around the theory, he'll be away.

22/52 2017

Last week saw us travelling east for a funeral - and also to see friends and family.

Of course neither of these reasons makes much sense to Jamie, so we told him we were going hunting for dig-digs (his word that encompasses all commercial, industrial, agricultural and construction vehicles, although he also has subcategories).



This picture marks what Jamie probably considered the highlight of the trip: sitting in a Little Chef on the A14. Or in his world, getting to watch a never-ending stream of dig-digs and be given food at the same time.

14/52 2017

This week, we were on holiday in Cornwall, and Jamie had his first ever trip to the beach.



Warwickshire is landlocked and a beach day trip would be no small undertaking. Jamie's experience of sand so far has been small sandpits full of kids, and a sand/water play table in our yard. So having a large area of sand all to himself was a joy.

Not, however, a joy in which I participated. Steve took this picture. I was tucked up in a nearby spa, having three whole hours completely OFF. No household chores to get on with. No trying to get as much as possible done before putting the mummy hat back on. No attempting to relax while knowing that at any moment a plaintive "mama! mama!" will bring things to an abrupt halt. Just a chance to unwind in the knowledge that although I could be contacted via the spa in a "get your clothes on and rush to the hospital" way, I wouldn't be interrupted for feeds, nappies, grumps, teething, tiredness, or boredom. It was the first time in 18 months and it was lovely.

13/52 2017

Daddy and Jamie, going on a little adventure. We live not too far from Chesterton Windmill, and for years it's been a place Steve likes to go and take pictures. I can't get up there - impossible to walk and rather too off-road for my wheels - but with Jamie in his bright yellow raincoat, it's easy to spot them while I wait with the car.



Jamie enjoys sitting in the parrot position but I think he impressed Steve with how much of the distance he was able to walk. The biggest problem is convincing him to stay on the path!