Liam - Autumn 2006

Here is Liam, under the dinner table, beneath which until recently - don't read on if you're squeamish - he would retire in order to "do a poo". We knew something wick'd his underpants-way was coming when he sneaked under the table, and then refused all conversation! Happily, he's now worked out the mysteries of the 'big' toilet. Here, he's just playing we think...

And here he is, on the step in the living room, with one of his car carriers...

And here he is, sometime or other in September 2006, sat at our dinner table - presumably about to go out somewhere fancy as he's wearing his best shirt...

Liam and Mummy cooking

Here are Liam and Mummy making pizza and Italian omelettes Sunday mornings.

Grating the Parmesan...
Salting and spicing up the eggs... Note, too, that this all takes place under the watchful eye of Doc from the film 'Cars' (the blue toy car on the tabletop)...

Liam (and his Dad) and the train set!

Liam is 'train daft', and a particular devotee of Thomas the Tank Engine, so we've gradually built up a reasonably complex train network in our front room (variously pictured - no flash on the camera, alas).

Liam can happily sit down, or lie next to (or on top of), the tracks and drag his trains along/ deliberately engineer head-on crashes/ wilfully ignore broken track (there's a job waiting for him at Network Rail...)

If truth be told, his Dad loves this track set as much as Liam does, as I get to set the network up: how many lines going under the bridges, where the junctions head off to, how it all fits together... It's addictive - and not untreatably sad, as you might be thinking.

To prove it, here are some layouts. (Do any other Dads secretly admire their efforts in this - all right, I admit it - really rather pathetic way?!)

That said, note how Liam adds the best touches, particularly the Brontosaurus meandering trackside in one set, and the gateway made from two tenpins in another.

Trip to Yeadon (Sept 2006) - 2

In September Liam and Daddy travelled down by train to Yeadon, just outside Bradford, to see an old college friend Bernie, her husband Paul and their two daughters, Deaven (pictured here) and Morgan.

(It also gave Mum a very well-earned rest...)
We went down to the local park right next to Leeds Bradford airport to play and run about (see the other post), and Liam and Deaven had a great time - even if, on occasion, they can get quite, er, competitive with each other. This big picture is a great picture of them both.

At the end of the afternoon they look suitably reposed (*knackered).

Trip to Yeadon (Sept 2006) - 1

We had an ace day in Yeadon. These pictures were all taken on the run in the local park, with Daddy pretending to be a 'monster', chasing Liam and Deaven around and snapping pictures whenever I could, without the chance to manually focus the camera (it's an old-fashioned, proper camera!)


As you can see, some worked focus-wise, some didn't - though we do like how the blurring captures the moment. And the dog in the background is an unexpected welcome detail!

This big picture at the bottom here is our favourite picture of Liam, ever.

Liam the Boyracer (Durham, summer 2006)

Here he is, the Boy Racer! This is Liam's 'blue bikey', a present from Nonna and Nonno (or 'Noonoo', as Liam calls him) - Grandma and Grandpa from Rome. It says POLIZIA on the front. Liam absolutely loves this trike, and throughout the summer we took it out on to the streets in the evening... Liam loved to bomb down the hills of Durham city centre on it, through 'the tunnel' on Church Street (below, left). But best of all was the 'Ride of Mayhem', from a standing start at the top of Elvet Bridge which slopes pretty drastically downhill for 150 metres or so, hurtling down to the end, scattering pedestrians in his wake (see below)... He picks up a hell of a speed by halfway!

One time, Liam was going like the clappers down Elvet Bridge, to the huge enjoyment of the pub-goers in the Swan and Three Cygnets at the bottom of the bridge. When he (mercifully) steered himself away from the oncoming traffic, and crashed safely into the kerb in a self-satisfied heap, they all burst into cheering and applause. Well, he got all shy from the attention! A coy Boy Racer!

A few times he graduated on to South Road, which is much longer (maybe even half a kilometre) and much steeper, and was packed with students obliged to dive for cover as he came careering down toward them, with Dad running behind.