Monday, April 30, 2007

Bumble Bee Boots

While we were in Somerset, auntie Teresa bought me these funky wellington boots...


I can't wait for it to rain so I can splash around

Seriously Sunny in Somerset

On Saturday mummy and I travelled all the way to Taunton in Somerset to visit great auntie June. My auntie Teresa (Tee Tee) came with us too and we had so much fun together. On the way there we passed loads of cool places like Heathrow Airport where the planes were coming into land right over the motorway. We also passed Stonehenge and some villages with funny names like Chicklade and Henlade. It was a beautiful day and we saw lots of hills and valleys that looked like my patchwork quilt and enormous oak trees in different shades of green, brown and red - it was amazing and helped us through a long journey.

On Saturday afternoon, auntie June took us to the seaside town of Dawlish. Auntie June couldn't wait to buy me my first bucket and spade, but when we got to the beach, the sand was all gone because the tide was in. The sea was amazing though and we watched the waves crashing onto the beach. We also took a stroll along the river and saw some black swans and huge seagulls.

On Sunday we went to the best place ever. The Stable Cottage Tea Room in Triscombe serve gorgeous cream teas and everyone stuffed themselves with scones, jam and clotted cream. The tea room is situated by the Quantock Hills and the view was stunning.

It wasn't long before we had to head home. Daddy spent the weekend in Amsterdam and was waiting for us at grandma Wendy's.

Watching the waves with auntie Teresa

"I can see for miles up here auntie Tee Tee"

The Tea Room at Stable Cottage in Triscombe

Three generations - Great Auntie June, Auntie Tee Tee and Me

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Michael Buble - Everything

This is my favourite song at the moment - beautiful lyrics and I dedicate it to my Coby

Dragon's Den Here I Come

I absolutely love the mess Coby makes when eating!!!! (she said sarcastically)
I've decided to invent a special baby utility belt that consists of the following items:

Wet wipes

Hand grabber/reacher

Dustbuster

And industrial strength cleaner

With the patent pending on that invention,
perhaps we could cut some corners in the meantime...


Monday, April 23, 2007

Coby Takes Notice

All previous visits to our local farm were met with a bit of indifference but now of course, Coby is fascinated by the animals and even showed some favouritism towards the cute, fluffy bunnies. We showed Coby some ducklings and than took him to see how big they grow along with some strutting cockeralls and rather ugly pheasants. He seemed a little scared of the goats because they came quite close to the fence and made a lot of noise. He was also wary of the pigs and sheep, but overall he loved being able to roam around and especially loved the farm shop where he pointed to every tractor and declared "car!"

What's that Coby?

A closer inspection is called for

The fluffiest bunny we've ever seen!

The cockeralls were rather magnificent too

Daddy shows Coby the model railway

Coby wasn't sure about the lambs -
he toddled off and made some friends instead

Mummy's Crush

Mummy is very excited as the wait for her long anticipated DVD is about to come to an end. Mummy ordered Series 3 of her favourtie TV show, Hustle in November last year and those lovely people at Amazon sent her an e-mail yesterday to confirm it has been dispatched, so it should arrive this morning. And series 4 is due to start on BBC 1 on Thursday 3rd May. Brilliant! When we'll be able to tear mummy away from the TV is anyone's guess - she has a crush on one of the actors!

FIRST OFFICIAL WORD!

Daddy is very disappointed in Coby's lack of environmental sensitivity as we confirm that Coby's first official word is CAR. But daddy is also very confident that he is referring to a Hybrid and is quickly attempting to add the word TREE to Coby's vocabulary to counteract this noctious emission.

Coby also says "narna" in correct reference to a banana. Wheeeeeee in correct reference to "this is so much fun" and "nanna" in almost correct reference to grandad as well as grandma.

Saturday, April 21, 2007

Happy Birthday Granny

Grandma Wendy celebrated her birthday today - the same day as the Queen! We took her for dinner at Madisons in Stanmore with Justin and Stacey. Coby flirted with the waitresses again!

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Bouncing Baby Boys

Coby delighted in bouncing on the trampoline today in Eric & Delissa's garden. He and 14 month old Eitan enjoyed each others company in the beautiful, bright sunshine and couldn't stop smiling...

Cobes loved hanging out with Ilan & Eitan

Cute little Eitan

Bouncing on the trampoline

Make him stop!

Coby loves cars




Freedom requires vigilance

Today is Yom Hashoah - Holocaust Rememberance Day - in the Hebrew Calendar. I thought it would be good to blog about Coby's grandad so he can see it when he gets older.

Coby's Grandad Lipa survived, amazingly, those tragic events but paid a high price - he was the only surviving member of his immediate family.

On these days I think of the Aunt and cousins I will never know, of the Grandparents I never met. Dad always told me I was like his Dad. Wish I could have met him.

From 1939-1945 Dad was in many concentration camps, principally:

Buchenwald
Schlieben
Plaszov
Tereisenstadt

He was 13 when he entered his first concentration camp. 13!!! He was liberated at just 19. I already know he is Coby's hero. He is certainly mine. The stories he told. The time he nearly took a bullet from an SS officer for stealing potatoes but got a good kicking from a sympathetic guard instead. The time he told me about the crippled dying man who dragged himself out the hut to prove he could work - the SS were not convinced. The time my father saved his friend Benny's life, literally. And my dad was only 13 to 19 years old. Whenever I think life is tough I think of my dad and what he endured. I think of the stories he told and the stories he never could.

My father never really came to terms with what he saw. Pointless murder after pointless murder. He saw innocent people dehumanised, lined up and shot. Mothers, Fathers, Children, Babies. And the shot ones were arguably lucky. Babies stamped on. Children experimented on. Entire families gassed together. No ceremony. No dignity. No mercy.

And today, whilst we all sit comfortably blogging and reading such crimes still occur against others in places like Darfur. Do something about it. Lobby your MP. Tell others about it.

Cheers

Al

Monday, April 09, 2007

Easter Egglets

What a lovely Easter weekend! Amazing how the sunshine makes everything alright. We had a really good bank holiday because daddy was off work and mummy was happy because she finally got round to cutting the grass in the garden. On Friday we went for a pub lunch with auntie Roxann. On Saturday, mummy was in the garden all day so I played in the ball pool and daddy pushed me around the garden in my car. On Sunday, grandma Wendy, uncle Justin and auntie Stacey came over for lunch and on Monday we hung out with Louis and Maddy in their garden. Louis has a fab sand pit and mummy helped us to build sand castles with the moulds - a hippo, a snail and an oyster. Auntie Maddy made yummy cakes and Louis and I both slurped our Smoothies in the sunshine



Louis is so cool - he let me borrow his Bob the Builder CD - thanks chum!