Alfie Month by Month Album ...

Check out Alfie's month by month album at:

Click Here ...

A day in the life...

After all that talk about how busy we are, its important to recognise that there is never a dull moment for Alfie either. His days are always busy too, there is just so much to do...

... Theres the taking the baby for a walk... (I'm not sure about the whole pram thing!)



... and the painting to be done!




... but always time for a well earned rest!

An update...

Its been a little while between posts. Things have been pretty busy here with me being at school doing Hamilton work in the evenings, Beth getting work as well as doing the full time job around the home... and then there are the weekends! Last weekend I had two games of football, we managed to win one and draw the other. In the first I followed up my ball in the face with a crack to the ribs, this has been painful ever since and after struggling through a game for the Hillsborough Hornets I decided enough was enough and went to hospital.



It would seem that I've dislodged come cartilage between the ribs and this has made a small puncture my right lung. It's pretty painful and the painkillers make me feel drowsy (hardly noticed any difference!!!), but there is little else that can be done other than plenty of rest. So it's a rare day off work today (Beth had to talk me into it!) ... and no football for me for a while.

The Hillsborough Hornets...

The Hornets chalked up their fourth consecutive win last Thursday against a competitive second placed outfit. The plucky Hornets seem to have come up with a winning formula, buzzing around the court before their opponents feel the sting at the other end. It was another consistent performance built on sterling defensive work by Mitchell and Beth. Amy-Jane again controlled things from the centre, while Sally was as clinical as ever. If the big fella up front can get back onside as soon as possible after scoring rather than celebrating each goal then the future looks bright!

Me Burfdee...

Yup yesterday was my birthday and I'm only a year off playing veterans football! It was something of a busy day as weekends seem to be at the moment. It was up early to open some lovely presents from Beth and Alfie before getting off to my first football appointment, a 10am kick off with my school team. They lost 7-2 this week, coming down to Earth with a bit of a bump after last weeks rare win. The parents of the children bought a cake and the children sang happy birthday with more enthusiasm than they had mustered for the game!

It was then back home to get ready for my game in the afternoon. It was my first game of the season and we managed a scrappy 2-1 win away from home. I also managed to get a ball blasted into my face from 3 yards.... Happy Birthday! ... which resulted in a bleeding snozzer and mouth as well as some time sitting forlornly on the bench. I had a banging headache for the rest of the day and talked rubbish! (Putting it down to concussion!)Interestingly Alfie also managed to "get on" while Mitchell should have been watching him!

After that is was back home to get things ready for the cup final, Matt Sharron and the boys came around, before Mitchell and Amy arrived with a cake.



... Is this an omen Bristol City 2 Hull City 1!!!!

Ross came around later and we watched the game (12 midnight start!) although there were some very heavy eyelids (closed!) at various times before, during and after!

A great day my all accounts.. thanks for all the cards, emails and other gubbins!

Alfie Top Drawer...

Sometimes you just want to sit down and watch a little bit of TV, but all the space on the sofa is taken. I guess you just need to sit further away? - NO! There is always an answer to every problem, usually Alfie finds it. Check this video out for a solution to the TV seating issue...



Alfie is at the drawer opening stage. We find drawers open but with nothing missing so no damage done you might think! Well the reason for opening the drawer in Alfie's eyes is to either sit in it or put something inside. I had a look in my hat drawer this morning (very cold at the mo!) and found a long lost dummy!

Football Training Session #2...

Here are some pictures of Alfie's latest training session...

... Warm up... Look at the balance.... and face of concentration!


... Alfie gets on the pitch!


... Drinking fluids. Very important!


... Alfie lifts the Milk Cup (A little joke there for you football fans!!)



... This is what Alfie will look like in the Paninni Football Sticker album!



... Alfie reacts to the fact that some people actually believe that Bristol City are good enough to beat Hull for a place in the Premiership next weekend!

Clean bill of health...

It's almost a year to the day since Alfie emerged from the Hospital, after a longer than planned stay, into the Australian sunshine. Over recent weeks we have attempted in our own way to mark this most amazing event in our lives.



Since that day we have made a number of follow up visits to the Hospital so that they can monitor closely the effects that the oxygen starvation, lasting some eight minutes, had on his body. We started with monthly visits which became three and then six monthly as he thrived. While we have always been positive about the outcome there has always been the nagging worry that on one of these visits we would be given bad news. After such a traumatic entry into the world the diagnosis of "something" seemed inevitable.

Well today Alfie was back at the John Hunter and given a clean bill of health, we are raising a glass to him tonight... what a fighter, raise a glass for him too! :0)

PS .. while the cork is out raise one for the staff of the John Hunter Hospital without whom .... well it doesn't bear thinking about!

"I will play football" ... repeat the mantra!

One of the obvious dangers of living in Australia other than the poisonous ones are the risks associated with your child wanting to play inferior sports that require you to handle irregular shaped balls. I'm thinking that if I coach Alfie early enough to can reduce the risk.

So fresh from my Under 9 teams first victory in three years, in only my second game as manager, it was time to get Alfie kitted up and kicking. The boy has talent and could be the answer to England's left sided midfield problems in about seventeen years.



... I have forwarded a copy of this video to Plymouth Argyle's Youth Development Coach.

These pictures could be worth a fortune in years to come...

... Alfie and coach (AKA Daddy)


... ALWAYS cover the near post!


... "Who me ref?"

The Truck Stop ...

Alfie doesn't seem to sit still for that long. In a rare moment of rest however he will sit on his little sofa, kick back and relax. More recently his truck filled with bricks (... a birthday gift from the Murdochs) is the prefect place to climb up and chill out.



... we must teach him how to tip the bricks out before he gets in!

Nut Case...

Regular blog readers will remember a video clip from a couple of months ago of Alfie who had learned to nod his head gently in time with the music, well it would seem that now Alfie has developed his signature move into something a little more ... shall we say vigorous!



.... Parents will note the trail of devastation left by young child on their travels!

Beryls Back...

The bug is back after yet another stint back at the garage. With continued starting problems it was back to Numyers for a new starter motor. I needed our neighbour Mitchell's help on Sunday evening to get her going but she made it. I almost ran out of petrol on the way and so there was an anxious but successful attempt at a restart on the forecourt of the petrol station. I had hoped to just chuck the keys through the letter box and leave, although as with all things VW its never that easy. Firstly the garage don't have a letter box and secondly that the car door wouldn't lock. Not surprisingly despite being left overnight unlocked it wasn't stolen and nothing was taken!!!

I now have a car which starts first time and which is running (thanks to a much needed and long long overdue full service!!) better than it has ever done. Fingers crossed that there won't be a Beryl post on the blog for a while...

Spot the Difference...

Take a look at these pictures, then spot the difference...

A


B


Answers on a postcard to Alfie Won't Keep a Hat On Competition 2290, NSW Australia! ;0) Thanks to Amy and Mitchell for this picture and others, with a little Photoshopping it's almost like he actually wore the hat! We're keeping a beautiful picture of theirs for the thank you cards!

Birthday Boy...

Just found the time to update the blog after a very busy weekend.

We would like to thank everyone who sent best wishes, cards and gifts. The sending of thank yous will now need to become something of a military operation! We received so many gifts and cards that we had to split the opening into several sessions!

Thanks also to everyone who helped make Alfie's day by helping out in so many ways, you know who you all are! We had so many guests passing through the garden throughout the afternoon, sharing Alfie's big day as well as some food and a couple of drinks.
Beth and I had a great day too, in stark contrast to the same day twelve months ago, we still feel blessed that we have the Alfie that we have today.

Still that's enough words, take a look at these birthday snaps...

Alfie feeds himnself or just makes a mess... you decide!

Alfie seems to be getting the hang of his plastic fork and spoon. Until this point these implements had merely been something to bang on the table, however now with yogurt pot in hand (... and mouth!)its time for him to become a little more independent with hilarious consequences.

Here's his first effort...