Monday, November 02, 2009

Ruby party

We all has a fantastic time at my mum and dad's ruby wedding anniversary party on Saturday. It was great to catch up with so many extended family and friends of old and share in such a wonderful happy celebration.

And it was great for McGrew, Cuthbert and Dibble to meet many of their family for the first time. And for family to meet them.

Highlights had to be:

Dibble running around the dance floor trying to trip people up in the middle of a Dashing White Seargent

Dancing a Gay Gordons with Cuthbert - 'can I twirl yet, daddy?'

McGrew running at full pelt onto the dance floor and then dropping to his knees to see how far he could slide

All three boys' politeness and confidence among so many unfamiliar people

Cuthbert and McGrew asking to go to bed because they were tired (hard to believe, but true! - Cuthbert lasted till 10 and McGrew till 11!)

So, congraulations to mum and dad - and here's to many more years!

Friday, October 09, 2009

How to be miserable

Thanks to Antonia for finding this...

Tuesday, October 06, 2009

Sunday, October 04, 2009

No sterilisers



A momentous day today for McGrew...
He rode his bike without his stabilisers (or sterilisers as he insists on calling them!)

I remember clearly the day I rode my bike without them for the first time, with my dad running behind holding the seat... and then without my knowing, he let go, and I was away... until I realised and promptly fell off!

And so it was today, with me running along behind McGrew, holding his seat, and then when he was on course, I let go and watched with pride as he kept going...

'Look straight ahead McGrew...
Keep peddling McGrew...
Keep your head up...
Well done McGrew!'

Happy memories!

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Weekend away

Mrs DHG, McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and I have just returned from a fantastic weekend away with our church family. We hadn't been away like this with the boys before, so we were a wee bit apprehensive. But we needn't have been. It was such a lovely time, being with those we love and cherish and who love and cherish us.

This 'church weekend' takes place every couple of years, with the past few being held at this beautiful place near Whitby. The weather couldn't have been better - warm September sunshine from dawn to dusk all weekend.

The food was grand (let's face it, just not having to prepare, cook, serve and wash-up for 48 hours was a blessing in itself!), and the accomodation was really quite comfy! All five of us were sleeping in the same room (another first!), but in actaul fact the room was almost split into two with the bathroom in the middle - so it felt more like having a small apartment! We all slept extremely well, and thankfully the fire alarm at 5.45 this morning didn't sound in our building, so we slept through the roll call and visiting fire engine! There is a rumour circulating that the prayer coordinator was trying to boost numbers for the 8am meeting! He strongly denies this!

The teaching was both encouraging and challenging - a timely word from God, brought to us by this man, speaking straight into many of our church situations and things we're working through as a body. The teaching was from Titus, and focussed on:
  • authority in the church (what should we expect from our leaders / what should they expect from us as congregation?);
  • believing (have we lost our impact as Christians? / do we really believe that Jesus is Lord, no matter whether others accept that or not)
  • belonging (what does church community really look like / how can we nurture and encourage real community, involvement, getting stuck in when people are so busy / how does consumerism impact on how people feel about church);
  • transforming (it's all about people getting to know Jesus / having grace to understand that we're all a work in progress / not expecting people to conform to our understanding of what a believer looks like, says, acts).

Yesterday afternoon we had time to relax - the DHG clan together with another family (boys aged 7 and 3) headed to nearby Grosmont where we boarded, according to Dibble, 'Percy' (this owing to the colour of the engine pulling our carriages!) 'Percy' pulled us up what I have been reliably informed is one of the steepest gradients in the world frequented by steam engines (1 in 49 by all accounts!). Dibble was enthralled by the clickety clack, the guard's whistle and green flag, the smoke and steam. And the ice cream at Goathland (aka Hogsmeade for you Harry Potter fans / aka Aidensfield for you Heartbeat fans!).

So - a really good weekend. Very different (more dipping in an out of things, running after boys, playing at the playpark and wiping noses) than previous church weekends.
But a real blessing none-the-less.
It really is a privilige to spend quality time with family.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Aim Lower, Think Smaller, Give up

I found this last week... lots to think about!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Election results unclear

There may well have been a formal announcement at school, however this hasn't been conveyed to the DHG household.

McGrew has given us a number of different accounts, some of which have him winning the election, and others where one of his classmates has been chosen.

Mrs DHG and I suspect that McGrew has been unsuccessful in his first foray into the political arena, however he may be holding out for a recount. Vote rigging scandals, perhaps?

Anyway, if we become aware of any further robust information which sheds light on the results, you'll be the first to know!

Monday, September 14, 2009

Vote McGrew!

McGrew has been nominated as a candidate in his School Council elections tomorrow.
This is the poster he's made to persuade his classmates to vote for him...



Election results will be posted here tomorrow!

Sunny days

Blue skies and sunshine at Cragside on Saturday...



It's amazing...

It's amazing what too much red food colouring can do...

Sunday, September 06, 2009

5th place!

The five of us and doglet (plus a good friend and her doglet, Rosie) went to one of our local parks today to 'Paws in the Park', a kind of open-air crufts for local pooches, all in aid of 'Dogs for the Disabled'.

We entered doglet in five categories including 'Best Condition'.
Amazingly, to everyone's surprise, doglet came 5th and received a pink rosette, much to Cuthbert's delight!
Well done, doglet!



Our good friend and her doglet, Rosie, did even better.
In the 'Loveliest eyes' categories, Rosie took first place against very stiff competition!
Well done Rosie!

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

X:Sited

X:Site North East is coming soon...

"X:Site is a fantastic new regional event for children in school years 3-6 run by Scripture Union. The events are packed full of fun and excitement, a great place for young people to bring their friends and learn about Jesus at the same time.

The events take place once every 2 months on a Saturday from 6-8pm at All Saints College Newcastle.

The first event is on 3 October 2009."

Monday, August 31, 2009

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday Cuthbert!
5 today!

We've had a great family day out at Alnwick Garden - the boys loved jumping around in the fountains and got thoroughly soaked to the skin!

Lunch at the Treehouse was great, too - Cuthbert was enthralled with the magical fairy lights and the fact that the window next to him was pink! He couldn't quite get his head around the fact that they'd built a treehouse that you could sit in, with tables and chairs and a kitchen and lights and toilets!

His last words before he fell asleep were:
"Thank you mummy for today. It's been amazing!"

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

One year on



"Happy birthday family" said Cuthbert to McGrew this afternoon.
And then they hugged each other, before we all went out for a celebration pizza.

I can hardly believe that this time last year we brought the boys home for the first time. In many ways, the time has flown by, but I can't actually remember what life was like before...

So much has happened.
The boys have come on in so many ways...
McGrew is so much more confident.
Cuthbert feels part of the family.
And Dibble can walk and talk!

And we're all smiling (well, most of the time!)

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Into a big boy's bed

Tonight was the night.
Dibble's cot has been turned into a bed.
Much to his excitement!




He got into it before tea tonight, rearranged all his teddies, threw them out of the bed, put them back in again, said "I go to sleep now" and giggled a lot!

We managed to get him out of bed for tea - but he was desparate to go back upstairs!
"I go to sleep. My bed."

He went off to sleep with no problems, but we'll see what happens in the morning!

Friday, August 21, 2009

Mixed feelings

The 'credit crunch' is biting, and my employer is being forced to reduce costs.
The biggest cost being salary.
And so a number of my colleagues are facing the very real prospect of being out of a job.

I'm safe at the moment, and for that I am very thankful.
But my relief is tarnished with concern and thoughts for those who are facing redundancy.

And anxiety that more redundancies may follow in the months to come. Or maybe not.
I don't know.

But I know my God, and I know that He knows. And that's enough.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Stinky!

I awoke (for the third time) at 7.30 this morning to some very mournful sounds from Dibble's bedroom.

On entering, the following scene lay before me...

Dibble standing in his cot, crying.
Dibble's pyjama suit undone to his waist.
Dibble's nappy half undone.
Dibble's index finger on his right hand a strange brown colour.

"Daddy. Nappy off. Stinky."

After a general cleanup of Dibble's finger and a change of nappy, I questioned Dibble on his actions so far that morning.

"Why did you try to take your nappy off, Dibble?"
"Poo. Stinky. No like."
"And why did you stick your finger in it, Dibble?"
"Stinky, Daddy."
"And what did you do with your finger after you put it in your nappy, Dibble?"
"Ett it. Stinky. No like."

Let's hope he's learnt his lesson, and doesn't try that again!

Friday, June 19, 2009

Congratulations

Congratulations to my little brother and his fiancee on their engagement...
Fantastic news, you two!

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Dibble takes the mic

At church this morning, little Dibble was beside himself. He desperately wanted to go up to the front to tell the person leading the service something very important, but he wouldn't go himself. And Mrs DHG wasn't for accompanying him!

For 10 minutes he ran up the centre aisle, and then back again to get Mrs DHG's hand to try to drag her up to the front, but to no avail... but Mrs DHG eventually relented.

So little Dibble dragged Mrs DHG to the front. He then climbed the steps onto the stage (mid children's talk) and poked the leader's leg to get her attention, before speaking something into her ear. She then stopped the talk, picked him up and said, 'OK, you say it into the microphone!' Which he did, clear as day....

'Our God is a great big God!'

So, what can you do? Only one thing for it... the worship team struck up a few chords, and we all launched into an impromptu rendition of the chorus of that song - Dibble's favourite, in case you didn't know!

Not sure if this now sets a precedent for requests during the service? Perhaps not unless you're 2!

Friday, June 12, 2009

10 metres

All of us in the DHG household are extremely proud of McGrew...
On Wednesday he managed to swim 10m on his own, no armbands. And he's got the certificate and badge to prove it!

Unfortunately I wasn't there to witness the athletic feat, but Mrs DHG was.
He tried once, and got halfway before stopping to hold on to the teacher. Mrs DHG thought he would give up, but no, he tried again - and got 8m across before sinking...

After a brief rest to gather all of his strength, he tried a third time - and got across. Helped not a little by Mrs DHG shouting encouragement from the viewing gallery!

By all accounts there were copious tears from Mrs DHG as she congratulated eldest son on his achievement... When asked how mummy was after his success, McGrew simply commented, 'She cried!'.

Well done McGrew!

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Giving thanks

We've had a lovely day today.
It's been the boys' dedication at church - where we've said thank you to God for bringing the boys into our lives, we've asked God to use them for his purposes, and we've promised to be the best parents we can be, bringing them up to know Jesus. With the help of a multitude of god-parents!!

We were joined in church by our immediate family (though my lil sis couldn't make it because of work), good friends, McGrew and Cuthbert's head teacher and class teachers, our social worker for the past 18 months, and our fantastic church family. It really was a celebration!

The boys had asked if we could sing their favourite song during the service - all five of us were therefore made to stand on the stage to do the actions of 'Our God is a Great Big God' - Cuthbert had a fantastic time with the actions, and by all accounts his face was a picture!

We had lunch at home for family and god-parents, and thankfully the sun shone, so boys could play in the garden, expertly looked after by multitude of god-parents, while Mrs DHG and I had some grown-up conversation!!

A great day of thanksgiving and celebration!

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Legal at last

An epic day today.
McGrew, Cuthbert and Dibble got a new name.
They're now legally Masters 'DHG'.

The day didn't go without its hitches, mind you!
We didn't get stuck in traffic.
None of us was ill.
We didn't get lost.
We weren't late.
We didn't break down.
We didn't get the wrong day....

... but the boys' social worker did!

Yes, as incomprehensible as it may seem, she put the wrong date in her diary.
So no social worker, no adoption hearing.

Thankfully she managed to organise one of her colleagues to come in her stead, and we had a very accommodating judge who agreed to wait. So instead of things happening at 10 o'clock this morning, it was nearer 11.15. And what a long hour that was!

But the boys now have lovely certificates, which they are so proud of. And the judge gave them each a tractor too! Dibble asked for the 'geen' one, and being the youngest, he got it!

So the end of one chapter of the boys' lives.
And the start of a new one.
With a new name.
Adopted into our family.
Forever.

Monday, April 06, 2009

Dibble's cake



Is there no end to the talents of Mrs DHG?

Saturday, April 04, 2009

Happy Birthday Dibble!

2 today!
Many happy returns...

And thanks to all who made today so special for him - a very happy boy is now fast asleep, dreaming of fire engines, Thomas the Tank Engine, his new guitar (OK, it's a Ukulele), special colours all for himself, oh, and hitting Lynne with a big stick till it broke :o)

Friday, April 03, 2009

Adoption Order granted today

Some fantastic news - we have just heard that the Adoption Orders have been granted today in court.

We now need to go to the final hearing together as a family in a couple of weeks - but this is really just a formality.

So as one chapter comes to an end, we can now focus on the future... and the boys can have absolute certainty that they are secure in our family.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

The fort

This has just appeared at the bottom of our garden...



Well - perhaps not just appeared!

After much toil (45 man-hours), driving wind, temperatures as low as 2 degrees, and with the help of Mrs DHG and 6 good friends, not to mention Nana and Bog for keeping McGrew, Cuthbert and Dibble out of the way during construction, the fort is now complete and open for business...

All welcome to make use of it - just give us a phone to make sure we're in first!
And when we're not all on it, children can use it too!

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Six months a daddy

Today.
Half a year.
Six months.
Twenty-six weeks.

Here's to the next six months!

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Martha and Arthur

It would appear that young Cuthbert has been learning songs at school...
The latest one (as sung to us at tea time yesterday) goes like this:

Martha and Arthur
Martha and Arthur
Martha and Arthur
Come Lord Jesus, Come.

This prompted many questions among the DHG house...

Who is Arthur?
Why is he going around with Martha?
And what do they have to do with Jesus' return?

Monday, February 16, 2009

Goodbye Bugga Bugga

Goodbye 'Bugga Bugga'.
Hello 'Piggle Piggle'.

A sad day indeed :(
But I suppose inevitable...
We couldn't have Dibble talking like that for ever!!

Sunday, February 15, 2009

God in the bed

The local grandparents were babysitting for us last night so we could go out - and on Valentine's day as well!! We had a lovely time: meal, wine, film...

While we were out, at bed time, Cuthbert had a lengthy conversation with Nana about God and where he was... Cuthbert brings this up a lot, but this has to be the funniest so far!

The conversation went something like this.

Cuthbert: God is everywhere, Nana
Nana: Yes he is.
Cuthbert: Is he is my bedroom?
Nana: Yes
Cuthbert: Is he in my bed?
Nana: Yes, he is
Cuthbert: Well, he'd better get down to the bottom, cause there's no room for him at the top!

Sunday, February 08, 2009

Tchaikovsky?

In the car yesterday...

CD: 'Half a pound of tuppany rice, half a pound of...'
Cuthbert: 'I know who wrote this!'
Me: 'Do you?'
Cuthbert: 'Yes, it's Tchaikovsky!'
Me: 'Hmm - good try, but I don't think Tchaikovsky wrote about rice, treacle and popping weasals!'
Cuthbert: 'Yes, he did!'

In the car today...

Radio: 'dum diddly dum dum dum dum dummmm'
Cuthbert: 'I know what this is!'
Me: 'Do you?'
Cuthbert: 'Yes, it's Tchaikovsky and it's called March of the Toys.'

Seems they are teaching him something at nursery after all!!

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Mummy's work

Mrs DHG said I had to post this video... and who am I to refuse?
I would like to point out that as of last week, I am now no longer grounded!!
Enjoy!

Monday, February 02, 2009

Awesome!

So was McGrew's description of HMS Ark Royal when we visited her on Saturday.
I think Dibble enjoyed it too - he just kept saying 'wow, wow'!






She is definitely a fair size!

Happy Birthday me


From Cuthbert...


From McGrew...



From Dibble...


And a lovely cake - thanks to the wonderful culinary skills of Mrs DHG!

Snowman



Created by Mrs DHG, Cuthbert and Dibble.