Moving out of Covid....

 A little behind with my blogging (does anyone still blog?). Adulting, dadding and generally existing in a global pandemic is a little consuming. All is well at this end and the boys are both well. I'll sync my images between phone and Google later and upload some pics but I've even forgotten to do that recently (below pics are from the end of 2020).

Not surprisingly but wakeboarding and surfing have taken a beating recently and i can't really remember the last time I got wet. The mountain bike has been dusted off though and I've been trying to relocate both my old skills and fitness. Taking even what to some might look like a small jump/drop is challenging at the moment and there's no way I'm bike-fit enough for any epics rides.

Back to the boys and they're growing up. The Weedude is coming to the end of his first full year at school AND he's not even 5yrs old yet 🤯 

Both of them are now in the same room and are a great pair of brothers. Little-Zee just wants to be bigger and be able to do the same things big bro can. I can already see that we're going to be in trouble/some adventures when the pair of them are bigger.

Growing up & getting older....

Life is good but it's definitely having its ups and downs this year. Mentally, things are good but my body is taking a bloody good beating. Sport, motorbike crashes and possibly age are taking their toll.

Outside of our little family unit, it was a very sad day when Jojo (possibly Ls closest friend) lost her battle with cancer. We all know cancer can be a right ol' fucker. My mum, dad and now little sis have all had it or still have it and are taking the fight to the c*nt but you losing Jojo the other month was a proper kick in the metaphorical nuts for L. 

As friends we don't see enough of one another. Growing up gets in the way and we just don't have the time to make those important physical contacts. Then, when you lose someone (as I still feel about my dad), you feel guilty for not spending enough time with them and only then realising you had so many more questions for them.

Jojo and L taking their foamies down to the surf.....neither of them were any good but they had a blast trying, only eventually to leave them on the sand and just splash about like kids.

In Between injuries, I have actually made some progress with my wakeboarding. A ripped rotator-cuff and then a motorbike crash have taken their toll.

Can't even pop to the shops now, without the Weedude wanting to 'help'.

Playgroup (or whatever it's called) is now a thing and the boy loves it.

One Easter Egg hunt and he was addicted. Every time friends came around, we had to recycle and hide the same eggs - at least it reduced the amount of chocolate he consumed. 

Bumble-bee is no more. Took a spill and killed off the poor machine. With grown-up things getting in the way, I think it'll be a few years until I'm allowed to buy a replacement.

Visiting a Didcot Steam Day was very exciting by all accounts.

Pizza time.

He always needs friends (dinosaurs on this occasion) to share his bathtime.

Getting a new mountain bike and so was checking my kit. I forgot how hard I have hit the ground on occasions.

Syncing-up for the Blenheim Tri.

Kiddies weren't technically allowed in the transition area but the Weedude was oddly allowed in on my shoulders. He gave my bike a quick once-over.

My my best time (slowest for a while) but considering I'd written-off my motorbike a week earlier, I'm ok with it.

It's all about the adventure with the boy at the moment. Either on his own, with Ted (the dog) or with friends.

After a tiring day, a snuggle and a read on my Voit blanket.

She might be old and a tad tatty but already she's been a great little alternative to camping. Unfolding and setting her up takes a couple of minutes - even in the midst of a storm. The Weedude loves 'Kitty' as if she was a member of the family. Explaining to him that it's not his own play-house is sometimes a problem.

Please slow down...

It's an obvious thing to say but I wish the Weedude would just slow down the growing-up. This will be his third Christmas and frankly I can't really remember the previous two.

He remains a beaut of a boy - heart and soul - and does us proud wherever we go. Definitely a people person, he loves being with friends or if they're not available his invisible friend 'Tiger' - Tiger also has a mum and dad who occasionally visit or come to collect him at the end of the day. Tiger has also been known to have the occasional sleep-over.

Physically capable; like his daddy, the Weedude isn't the most resistant to coughs and sneezes.

Tilly (our old dog) has been gone for a year now. We all miss her but I do fear that L misses her the most. In part because it was her who dropped her off at the vets, with complete faith in the fact that she'd be picking her up later in the day 💔 She was a huge part of our family and got us through some really tough times (amazing what dogs can do). A rescue dog that turned into the best friend in the world.

On a more positive front, I have found a new place to go wakeboarding. The winter can be tough to maintain any motivation to get wet (UK weather) and add-in the fact that Tom (who runs the lake I have been using form the last 5yrs) buggers off to warmer climates in the winter, I struggle to drive for over a hour to use the cable at Liquid Leisure (it just lacks soul). Anyway, it seems CJM Ski and Wake might have saved my sanity. At about 40-mins away and more than happy to have L and the Weedude jump in the boat (a beaut of a Centurion) and watch me get beasted for a set. Yeh, the water is going to get colder but Chris has plans to keep the boat going all winter and as long as the lake doesn't freeze over, I'm planning on getting my feet wet that entire time.

Finally.....I'm going to get back to some proper training and do the Blenheim Triathlon again next year. With the 100km run I did last year, I lost all drive to do any running and so had a year off any athletic training. It'll not be a problem but I do seem to have forgotten how to run any distance beyond 6km and swimming more than 300m does feel like a push.

RIP Tilly - 15/11/17

10 months of dadlife...

Bleddy hell, I'm still coming to terms with this entire dadding lark. Don't get me wrong; it's a brilliant happening but (obviously) it's a huge life changer.
Summer is about to hit and there are so many things/jobs that I want to get done but days just vanish and weekends just seem to slip away. I get up earlier and seem to go to bed still at the old regular time (most of the time) but the available hours seem to have shrunk. Even the most mundane of tasks now seems to be quite a challenge - hoovering the house now take a modicum of planning, rather than a simple fly around with the vacuum.
On a less boring front, the wee-dude is now 10-months old and has added to the challenge/joys of growing up. He's found his voice and can be VERY vocal when his needs require. Taking him swimming and he needs to make eye contact with everyone and wave at the majority (be be honest, this is the same wherever I take him). He can neither walk or swim but seems to think he can do both. He refuses to sit down for any length of time and always wants to move.
Outside of dadding (not sure there is such a thing now), I'm still managing to get a decent level of training in but my running has struggled to keep up. Wakeboarding is still happening and in fact I'm off to the lake after work (meeting L and the weedude there) for a bit of a rip and then a spot of camp-style cooking. Haven't surfed for a while but getting to the coast is a real challenge at the moment (time and money) but the gym and lake are keeping me sane.
Summer is just around the corner and by all accounts this week is set to be a cracker - which is why I'm at the lake tonight and this weekend.
All-in-all, things are ever evolving but good.