When I’m Gone

Today was an interesting one.  On Wednesday mornings I look after the kids after my wife leaves for her work.  I take them to school (though normally she has fed them) after looking after them for a bit.  However, on the way to school, we realised that my son had left his glasses at home (again).  Fortunately, we were walking, and what we have been doing was walking on a different route to school, one which the kids can take themselves if needed if they have to go to school alone.  So, as I was walking with my bike, I cycled home, got the glasses and then cycled back to find the kids further down the road, as instructed.  But, my son now was feeling low and down, and had told my daughter that he wanted to die.  Well, it was an interesting conversation on the way to school talking about death, especially as a friend of his had a relative die that had affected him.  My son is amazing, and earlier in the week, when the boy broke down crying, gave him a hug.  But after school the kids were back to normal.

On the bright side, Arsenal are back to winning ways after escaping with a draw last week in the European Cup.  It was sad to see Jack Wilshere give away a free kick when playing for Bournemouth against the Manchester Team that rhymes with City from which the first goal in a 4-0 defeat occurred.  Maybe we can survive without him afterall.

And with chess, as you can see, I have won a game against a better opponent.  They had tried a gambit with a knight, but after it failed to checkmate me, I was left with the advantage, and for once, I was able to use it.
The update on tournaments won and lost includes
5th Friends & Family - won.
32nd Chess.com Quick Knockouts (1401-1600) - lost but I surprisingly gained tournament points in this despite finishing last in my group!
Two knights defense - finished joint second.
Episode 2 - finished joint 5th.
Wallyjacks 200th Anniversary Of Waterloo 18/6/1815 - 1302-1402 - 17th placed finish.

Blakeney Point

This is a post by my daughter on her school blog

Seals

Blakeney Point seals are what draws many to Blakeny. The colony at Blakeney Point is made up of Common and Grey seals and in the Winter of 2014/15 became the biggest colony in England. This is because common seals have their young between June and August, and the Greys between November and January. Both suckle their pups for about three weeks during which time they grow very quickly.The seals are very inquisitive and often pop up and swim around the boats which can usually sail close to the basking seals on the beach.There is a significant colony at Horsey and you might also see seals turning up in the water or on the beach around the Norfolk coast, in Wells harbour or on the sandbanks at Holkham, or you might spot them bobbing around at Sea Palling and other beaches on the eastern coast. The seals travel on land at just 3 or 4 miles an hour but can reach 30 to 40mph when swimming submerged!

Birds

All year round there is plenty of wildlife to see, whether the nesting Sandwich Terns or rarer Little Terns, oyster catchers, the pink-footed geese, barn owls, birds of prey such as Hen and Marsh Harriers and Peregrins.  The list could go on and on.  Whether you’re an avid bird watcher or not, there’s always something of interest to see at Blakeney Point.On the sands you might also see Oyster Catchers, Ringed Plovers, Turnstones and Dunlin. During the winter months, you might see numbers of duck and geese including Mallard, Widgeon, Teal, Pintail, Pinkfooted Geese. Greylag and Brent Geese usually arrive from October onwards. In the summer you might see'll Common Terns, Sandwich and Little Terns and also Arctic Terns. Many of them begin to arrive from West Africa in April and breed into the season. They make a small scrape in the shingle where they lay their eggs.On the sands you might also see Oyster Catchers, Ringed Plovers, Turnstones and Dunlin. During the winter months, you might see numbers of duck and geese including Mallard, Widgeon, Teal, Pintail, Pinkfooted Geese. Greylag and Brent Geese usually arrive from October onwards.

  

Do it anyway

It has been a while since my last post.  I am better now, as are the rest of the family after our weekend of being ill.  As it was, I was not back to 100% on the Monday which surprised me as normally, if I have a flu like illness I am normally back to normal within 72 hours.  The following weekend my son and I went to London as my mother was featured in a literary meeting.  Jeremy Corbyn was meant to attend, but with the leadership challenge that he is facing, he had to cancel.  Still it was amazing to be reminded just how amazing my mother is.  I forget her work as a feminist, nurse, author, midwife, grandmother, health visitor, political activist, film maker, single mother and human rights campaigner.



And this weekend, was a trip camping for my son, and for my daughter, the eleven plus.  My daughter has been amazing at working hard, though I imagine that there have been many times that she wished that it would just all end.  After our return from France, she seemed to have made steps backwards, missing out questions and making silly mistakes in the practice questions that she did.  But once she got to school, things improved.  And on Saturday, she sat the paper.  Her brother had left for camping on Friday, so we did our best to relax her the night before the exam.  In fact, I stayed with her in her room until she fell asleep.  We walked her to the exam in the morning after my wife made her an excellent breakfast, and then it was off to work for me.  After getting back to collect her, we had the after exam chat, and spoke to others from her school who sat it.  Or rather she spoke to them and we spoke to their mothers.  After this, it was a trip to an Italian restaurant later that day where she had one of her favourite foods.  It was not made exactly how she wanted it, but that is something that I may have to rectify tomorrow!



And last of all, a story about the children that made me smile.  As all parents know, there are times that the kids do something naughty that we as parents are proud of.  Well, yesterday after getting back from work, I found my wife having words with my daughter.  It turned out that she had 'sold' my son a small magnet and two rubber arrows for two expensive board games.  My wife, when she found out made them give back the items that had been traded, but it got me telling the kids of how I was when I was a child.  I used to sell my brother ten coins for one.  It would be that I would sell him ten pennies for a pound, but it worked for me, and he felt that he had lots of cash as he had more coins.  Explaining this to my son hopefully will stop him being taken for a ride by the older sister he trusts and admires so much!

The house of ill

We are not feeling well!  Well, my son who normally is the ill one, has been found to be immune, for now.  So my wife and I are aching and trying to rest.  My wife is better than I am having come down with this on Thursday, and therefore giving this to me to be ill when at work yesterday.  I guess it was to be expected as she had a very stressful day on Tuesday.  After work, she had a very stressful journey to Southend for an interview where she ended up arriving an hour late.  Fortunately, the people there were kind enough to wait for her, and even better, later we found out that she was successful.

Last weekend, we collected my mother on Monday.  This was after a trip to Ikea, which I found out, has been made even more child friendly.   A lot of the areas to show living spaces and ideas now have other passageways that the kids can walk through.  And of course, happy kids, means happy parents, which for Ikea is excellent as this means that we end up spending more.  Kids can be strange.

My Mum was invaluable as we needed her to look after the kids on Tuesday and Wednesday.  And on Wednesday, after work, my son and I went for a walk with her.  It was relaxing, and this is something that I guess as a family we could consider to do more often.

And as for today, well, my daughter and I are watching Once Upon A Time while we both are ill.

On the bright side, I have had another great and unexpected win in chess.  I did not expect to have a chance in this game but the use of the bishop pair helped me.  Unfortunately, this luck will not help in my other game against this opponent.

Since the last post, I have done okay in online chess tournaments however.
Top Of The Pops 19
Speed King #151 - Very fast players 3(2)->1 U1500
Kings Gambit Knockout Tournament

But while I have done better than expected in chess, I am uncertain that Arsenal are to do the same.  I can not agree with the decision to send Jack Wilshere to Bournemouth, I felt, when we were offered Cesc Fàbregas that it it did not matter as we had Wilshere. And although I wanted N'Golo Kante to join us, when he went to Chelski, we still had Wilshere.  And now we do not.  In Arsène we trust, and we are going to have to trust him a lot this season.  

 

A memorable Wednesday

Well, today was one that the children will remember.

My wife and I had been discussing where I was to do with the children today.  We had been thinking about me taking them to London, but she did not appear keen.  And with today being a hot one, we decided last night that staying in Colchester might be better.  Anyway, the children did not leave bed until after my wife left for work, so a morning trip to London would have been useless.

After breakfast, we travelled into town, stopping at TESCO to get lunch.  After that, it was a cycle through town to the park which is where the picture was taken.  The kids spent over an hour playing in the park.  At the end of this, my son had an ice-cream, my daughter had a lolly.  We sat elsewhere in the park while my son ate his later and then rode to the boating lake (or rather, pond).  After locking the bikes, the kids went on the boats and loved it.  After this, it was a cycling trip to show them where the skate park was and then lunch.

They loved feeding the ducks later with the crusts that they had not eaten.  Then we rode along the river and across to the Hythe.  And that is when the day crashed.  While cycling along the river, at the back of Brook Street we came across two men almost fighting.  One asked us to call the police as he said he wanted to hit a bearded man who he said had accused him of selling drugs.  While I thought this was an extreme reaction, he then later claimed that this man had put a broken bottle to him.  They came much to close to us while they were discussing this, worrying me and freaking the kids out.  The bearded man had a chance to run to his bike, which we then used to turn round and cycle away.  And I have to say that my daughter can cycle really fast!

The journey back home was meant to be much more relaxed, but due to this, the kids just wanted to get home as quickly as possible.  Later in the day, we did get home, and I have to say, as freaked out as they were, they were amazing both with that and the journey back home.

Our first proper weekend back

Well, it has been a while since we have had a weekend at home with our holiday in France.

At the end of last week, my wife took her mother back to her home and stayed over there.  This meant that on Friday the kids went to Madame Tussaud's.  I have not been there since I was a child, and we had intended to take them there for ages.  But they went without me (sniff) and they had a great time.  When they came back on Saturday, I had been to work and got back to wait for them.  It was great seeing all three of them, absence does make the heart grow fonder.

On Sunday, we went out for a meal, but before then, it was the first bike rides of the holiday.  First, it was my daughter who now is even faster than before.  At the end of the ride with her, I was out of puff, and then, after a rest, took my son out.  And he is getting better at tackling hills as well.  I am determined that they are both to get fitter and cycling is a way that I can do so as well.  Saying that, we have discussed the option to swim as well, but that may come later. The meal was amazing, and once back at home I was finally able to watch the football.

Now on the game against Leicester, Arsenal were fortunate.  There were some decisions that could have gone against us, two penalty ones, and the other was when a second yellow card was not issued.  Saying that though, we look like we are going to be feared once more.  So long as our defence is protected properly.  The Ox was amazing and it is always great to see Ozil play.  And Cazorla almost got a goal from one of his fantastic free kicks.

And now an update on chess.  I have had a fantastic win but sadly have not won the following tournaments.
1st Amateur Arsenal Chess Championship
CCC Less Than 1300 Tourney
Queens Gambit
TSS Head-to-head tournament #3
ICC Division 2
Still I hope to do better in other games.

At home, finally

We have finally returned home.  Properly.  Yesterday we stayed at my in-laws which did mean that we got to visit my mother.  My wife, was knackered after driving so much yesterday so she rested, and if you have read some of the previous posts, you will know just how much she deserved it.

While at my mothers, we played a game of Chinese Chequers, the kids now being more determined to beat me when playing it (my son managed it once when he was winning when we ran out of time, so I said that he won).  They enjoyed it as did my mother, but the downside was that she was late for a meeting.

Anyway, we returned home, unpacked, and got to business as almost usual.  My daughter helped a lot while I rode my bike for the first time in two weeks to get some milk.  The kids have been unwinding and have spent the last hour or so before bed watching James Corden and his carpool's with various people.  It is great to be home, and great to be able to have spent time with the family.  I am truly lucky as I know so many others are not so fortunate.

Which sort of makes the loss of Arsenal today a bit more bearable.  While ironing, the kids and my wife went upstairs to watch Modern Family allowing me to watch the match.  And it all looked so promising.  But we lost, but regained some honour when pulling back the score from 1-4 to 3-4.  A loss, one where we had four goals scored against us, but one where we had a chance to draw.  Yes, we should have won, but the season shows promise and I think that we have a chance to finish in 4th place (I think that Chelski or the Manchester team that rhymes with City will take the top two places and ManUre will get 3rd).  So it was not as bad as it looked it would be.  But, I do think that Arsenal fans should get behind the team and stop booing.