The Bug

The Bug: now you are 10

I don’t often do these posts. Marking an age never seems to be any more poignant than the other things I want to write about our lives, and I’d rather write when the mood takes me. But this week the mood does take me, and I can’t let your birthday pass without comment. Because you’re amazing. You know that, right? Do I tell you enough? I try to, because although I laugh about it, it bothers me that you know that there are 32 photos of your sister, and only 23 of you. It’s that classic parent thing of being …

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Expressions portrait photo #07: Freeze movement

My stubborn boy. He is typical of his age: not given to narcissism for the sake of the camera; he will make a fabulous photo-bomber when he’s old enough to be strategic about his ludicrous facial expressions and goofy grins. But give him a project and he will apply himself. “I want to try and make fairies. Will you help me?” And so he stood, in a shady corner of the garden, blowing dandelion clocks. Imagination held hostage for a few moments as he checked the camera to see if we had caught them. My patient boy. To freeze movement and capture so …

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Project 365 #01: Love Bombing

By The Bug (mostly) We started joining in with Project 365 – taking and publishing a photo a day – at The Boy and Me in 2011. We tried, but failed to keep going, consistency not always a guarantee with us. Sensibly, we didn’t even sign up in 2012, but as this blog has become more successful, we have increased our brand-related posts, at the expense of some of the anecdotal stories of our family life. That is a shame. And so 2014 sees us joining in again. Just one photo each week. Sometimes with a story behind it, sometimes …

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Skylanders SWAP Force is here!

By the Bug… I am the envy of all my friends. Skylanders SWAP Force is in shops today, but I’ve had it for a whole week already so I could review it and let you know what I think. Which means I have been much in demand for playdates. Understandably, as the Portal Master in our house, I impose certain conditions upon players. They are as follows: Skylanders SWAP Force – Bug’s rules of the game Swapability – you may swap the 16 SWAP Force characters into more than 250 unique combinations, but I retain final approval – especially over …

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Sibling Harmony: Wot So Funee?

I am back from my little project (more on that soon) and am indebted to Just a Normal Mummy and Mummy Never Sleeps for hosting this linky for the last 2 weeks. Not only did they do a hilariously good job of posting, and sharing all your lovely posts, they also broke the record for the number of people linking up! Apparently you were bribed with gin in week 2. I’m not averse to bibery, and I have just been through Duty Free (I have a LOT of Haribo) – just saying… There is often a fair bit of dischord …

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Poorly: Wot so Funee?

I’ve got a shed-load on this week, so the quite frankly hilarious Cas from Mummy Never Sleeps, has kindly offered to host Wot So Funee? for me. If you don’t know this blog, you’re in for a treat! She is feisty and funny and you will be adding her to your Google reader (or whatever random substitute you’ve settled on in the wake of it’s demise) toute suite! Here’s my #funee for the week: The Bug has been poorly this week. He has a sore throat and a cough that has us all awake intermittently through the night. Consequently he …

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Roast dinner: Wot so Funee?

  Homework by the Bug, aged 5: Now, if you have your own post to link this week, grab the badge code from the sidebar, and click the link below to enter your post – I can’t wait to see what you have! It’s not obligatory, but if you include a link back here in your own post, I’ll return the favour with a tweet-out. If you’re new here you can check out the Wot So Funee? main page for more info. Powered by Linky Tools Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…

Take a deep breath, and jump into the blue!

This time last year, the Bug was afraid of water. The weekly swimming lesson had to be tackled with a careful blend of patience, encouragement, tear-immunity, and McFlurry promises. If we could get him into the water without a tear falling, it would be brilliant; if the grumbling was allowed to take hold, an inconsolable wreck would be handed back 15 minutes later. So an element of trepidation hooked up with us as we hit the swimming pool on our Siblu holiday last July. We needn’t have worried: (Do watch to the end of this video; if you don’t have …

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Wot So Funee? Bug rants!

We are having a trying time with the Bug at the moment. We thought he’d outgrown his “threenager” period, and had settled back into being the thoughtful and polite boy we knew before. However it seems we were being conned into a false sense of security, as his temper is well and truly back. Whether it is down to a testosterone surge, the latest Wii game competitiveness, or the new trend for karate chopping at school, labels are not helpful, and we are somewhat bewildered by his new outlook on life. Here are some examples of his recent rants: But …

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Wot So Funee? The Bug

At what age do children really start to make sense, do you think? Recently I have uttered very little in the way of #funee verbal errors. My writing has been logical, with good spelling, and sensible dénouement. Hence I am forced to feature my 5-year-old brother today, and his best friend: Bug: England is the capital of London Bug’s Friend: Wales is in the Kingdom of the United Bug: Manchester United? Bug: I’m having my birthday for camping! BF: Oh, I really wanted to miss you… Bug: Why is your Grandad old? Isn’t that the most disjointed conversation you’ve ever heard?? I have no idea what …

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What to pack for a camping holiday

Camping was never Mummy’s style. She likes her super-kingsize bed with Hypnos mattress far too much to leave it without due care and consideration. But we have friends who twisted her arm tempted her into giving it a try. We are just back from our 5th trip with them, and Mummy reckons she has finally got her Camping Packing List maximised for comfort. So for anyone wondering whether they can cope with a camping trip, here are our best tips for what to take. Click the link above for a tick list you can use for your own packing. If you want …

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Trains? Planes? Automobiles? His first Demolition Derby…

He really didn’t want to go. Under pressure he picked a favourite caravan. He cried when it was the first to get smashed up by the other cars on the track. It was raining. He didn’t see the point. But his Daddy loves stock cars. Here’s how he coped with his first Demolition Derby… This post was inspired by the Gallery at Sticky Fingers

Easter – the photo gallery

In classic GG and Bug style, I give you – what we got up to in church on Easter Sunday morning. I completed a resurrection-themed crossword: And the Bug copied it: Then we both hung around the elderly gentlemen, who seemed keen to collect all the chocolate eggs for us in the Vicar’s egg hunt. Swot you do, right? This is my Photo Gallery post for Sticky Fingers. Will get some better pics next week 😉

Sunday Funny! Yorkshire Pudding and other Bugisms

Today with #SunFun I am going back to my Wot So Funee? roots. Mummy jots down our funny incidents for posts such as these, and has been trawling her note book for inspiration. She has decided to have a good old clearout, so here are some gems from our daily life for you to giggle at: As you know, the Bug is doing very well with his learning to read, but at the very beginning he was a bit of a chancer. He and Mummy were looking at a First Words book, and to get him started she sounded out …

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Saturday is Caption Day

I am posting this picture of the Bug and his erm, friend, for Caption Saturday over at Mammasaurus. If you are in the mood for some quick fun, leave me a caption for this, and then head over to her place for some more!

Top 5 Photos of 2011

Over on Kate Takes 5 there is a Listography take on the year-end blog round-up post, and having seen in the New Year  for my first time ever last night (yes, I made it to midnight, and could have continued if M&D were not such lightweights) I am a little too tired to write much today. So here is my year in pictures: This took place in April in the beautiful bluebell woods of Ringshall. It is my top picture for a number of reasons, most notably that moments like this do not happen often between the Bug and me, …

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Just Get Him a Puppy! Dear So and So…

The puppy discussions have reached epic proportions in the Actually Mummy household this week, so I have decided to wade in and complete the trilogy of Dear So and So letters…. Dear Bug….. Do not worry. Mummy has promised not to get you a Coral Snake, therefore it will not bite your puppy and he will not run inside and hide. Coral snakes are poisonous and will actually kill your puppy. What you want is a Milk Snake – they’re fine….Always here to help, your very intelligent sister x Dear Rhino…. Do you realise what you have done by bringing …

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