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Monday: Adam's last day at work!!!!!

A big group of people from his work have arranged a good-bye dinner party tonight...and the wives are invite too.

The White Lambanana. I love how Chaplin is holding his ears.

This was Adam's last Saturday at work, and this studio is very strict in their NO VISTOR policy.

But last Saturday one of the people Adam has been working with brought in his son and Adam asked "are we allowed to do that?" the person said "well if they want me to come in Saturday's I have to bring in my child as my wife is working..." so Adam decided that this Saturday I would go shopping and he would take Chaplin in... and I can't say anything more about where or who he works for in a blog because his contract actually has a line in it about no blogging.

I became one of the thousands to be shopping in Liverpool One. The roller girls were out in full force, and I felt a bit sad that this was my last Saturday in the bigger than life Liverpool. Saturday night we went out to another very fancy club called Palm Sugar. We meet Jan and Dave, and Tim and Karen for drinks. The best part of the whole evening was talking with Karen about our children. Tim and Karen have two girls, the oldest is 6 and she is the youngest published author in the UK at the moment - The Dancing Dinosaur - and Karen was not bragging about her daughter, she was just proud, the same way that i am proud of Chaplin for drawing pictures or writing his name.

SUNDAY - MARCH 28th

Happy Birthday Auntie Courtney!

We sent you an email with a video song and we tried to call you - but you were out celebrating (I hope). We love you lots!

Pontypandy

Over Christmas break Chaplin discovered a TV program called Fireman Sam. All the characters have a lovely Welsh accent as the show takes place in a Welsh community Pontypandy. Chaplin is enamoured with the show and now promotes fire saftey to me daily. "mommy it's dangerous to leave items around the stove top. Mommy don't leave your curling iron on. Mommy only adults can turn on irons..."

Today we got to see real Fireman in action...

Our friend Jan works for the Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service and she invited us out for a very special day. She picked us up and had a surprise for Chaplin : a fireman costume and a fireman Sam back-pack!

When we got to the Fire Station training centre Chaplin put his suit on and we were in for a real treat. The Merseyside Fire & Rescue runs a youth program called The BEACON Project. These kids learn all about team work, community spirit, and of course learning what it takes to be a Fireman. The program runs for 12 weeks and today was their graduation where they got to show the public what they've learned and receive their certificates. It was loads of fun to watch.

The kids perform like true firemen.

Chaplin is watching a fire truck approaching.


The leader asked if Chaplin wanted his picture taken with the grads.
So Jan took him into the middle and I could see about 100 other cameras taking pictures!

Chaplin got to sit inside a real fire-truck and turn on the siren!


He got to hold the hose and pull the lever back to release the water.
you should have seen the smile on his face.

This is a real fireman helmet, and it's heavy!
(You should have seen my face)


Fireman Lambanana.
Inside the station we had tea, then watched the award presentations and then had lunch. As you can tell from some of the photos - it really started to rain during the program. But I didn't hear one complaint out of Chaplin, he was a really good boy the whole day.


Jan even took us over to her mom Marg's house for another cup of tea and a visit. Chaplin got a kick of this dog, who unlike our dog, actually plays with a ball.

His name is Hector, and he's scary large, but really really kind.

The Spider Moves

There is a new exhibit at the National Museum called Plantastic. However when I first read it out-loud to Chaplin i said 'Plantplastic" So he now thinks this exhibit is about plastic plants! We've been a few times this week and it's really good, and most of the interactive displays are plastic, and about plants.


This was one of his favorite displays, a carved out hill with little windows inside that you can see into bunny holes and mole holes. There is something about digging in the earth that children and grown men like... Adam has said that if he wins the lottery he would buy a back-hoe and dig himself a big hole, and Sheri said "Troy does it without having won the lottery! I catch him out in the yard just digging holes for no reason."


This was part of the bug exhibit on the same floor as the Plasticplant exhibit.
Chaplin ran into the room and laid down in the middle of the web and looked up at the spider on the roof above the web... then the spider moved and Chaplin leap from the floor web into my arms in about 1 second flat!


"ohh dark blue butterflies."

Sun setting.

Pointer tips for parents:
If you go to John Lewis in Liverpool One - go directly to the third floor and borrow this scooter!
Chaplin zig zagged his way through one full hour of browsing.

In like a lamb out like a lion

It's Spring.

Saturday March 20th. The first time we came to this park it was under a foot of snow.

We found a nanny for Chaplin through a government agency that screens and monitors all their nannies. Julie, the nanny we picked had first aid training, 15 years experience, is registered and has a great resume. Julie came over at 7:30, Chaplin was already in bed but not asleep so she got to meet Chaplin and he said to her "nice to meet you Julie, will you be here in the morning to play?" and on that note we left.


On our way to the first place.... Alma De Cuba.

The building is what sets the stage; it was an old (1770's) church before they converted it into a bar & restaurant. It has a few levels to it, and from the balcony down to the bar floor they drop rose petals like falling snow. And it's full of fancy people of all ages.


We found our reserved table and a waitress came over and said to us
"I don't know how long you can sit here, but this table is reserved for DAVE GOLDRING."
Adam said "Perfect I am Dave Goldring."

Dave, Jan, and their friends Andrew and Heidi showed up shortly after our first drinks.
We have a few more rounds and wow - it's already 9:40pm already! our dinner reservation is for 9:50 at another place ... this town is awake at night and the party is about to start. So we dash three blocks over and quickly get started on our long meal.

Sapporo Teppanyaki! what a great place.

We sat at a U-shaped table with the chef and grill in the middle.
We thought ourselves very continental.
In England, eating Japanese food with Andrew from Scotland, Heidi from Chicago USA, us from Canada, and three other people at our table from Greece. I think dinner took about 2 hours. And now onto the THIRD place. I don't recall the name of the last place because it's a secret spot for people in the music industry. The building was an old recording studio, and i believe it's where Dave and Jan first meet 15 years ago. She was a back-up singer for OMD and Dave was recording with Bullyrag.

Adam had the camera most of the night... Heidi and I were talking about driving in Liverpool! I still find the traffic flow backwards and would have to take some lessons if I were ever to drive in the UK. And then it was time for Adam and I to leave. We were home at 1:00am, and Julie said Chaplin did not wake up once. I think we are going to call on Julie a few more times so we can get out and see some more of the nightlife.

SUNDAY MARCH 21st

Those are some pretty big shoes to fill son. All I can say is at least he had pants on ...I'm sure anyone that has a kid reading this will at some point see their child in nothing but footwear.

This is a very special day for Chaplin. He's been waiting all week for his daddy to take him out shopping for his very first wallet.

Chaplin decided he wanted one with the Liverpool FC logo on it.
Good idea.


And finally, someone gets to ride a lambanana!
Woot Woot.

just a cute photo inside the elevator at the Liverpool FC store.
He's excited about getting his wallet.


Adam exchanged a pair of jeans in a store he had taken Chaplin to earlier. so when Chaplin was in the store the first time he noticed these mannequins (Chap told me about them last week). So when he went into the store the second time, the first thing he did was take me right over to them and he said "these are my friends and now I am going to dance." At least there was music playing, and boy did i laugh. He posed for this photo, then danced more.


and another funny photo. I told him to get off for safety reasons... because telling him that it is bad manners to have your arse up next to your plate when it's a coffee table just seemed a bit backwards to me.

Mystery Ingredient

I decided to have an inside day full of activities:

Word Flash Cards

Chaplin arranged the cards correctly and then we sang our word song:
Lori: The J says
Chaplin: j (correctly sounds it out)
Lori: the E says
Chaplin: e (correctly sounds it out)
Lori: the T says
Chaplin: t (correctly sounds it out)
Chaplin and Lori: and the word is JET
Chaplin: BUT look mom what happens to our word if we take away the letter t.
i think he is starting to understand letter arrangements make words! cool.

Big Cook Little Cook make chicken noodle soup.

Big Cook earlier hid two items of the same colour under a cloth...
• Put spaghetti into zip-lock bag and ask Little cook to break it into small pieces.
• Help Little cook snip chicken into chunks.
Time to reveal the mystery ingredient.
Big Cook "what is orange and crunchy"
Little Cook: "an orange. no... an egg. i give up"
Big cook lifts up one corner of the cloth and shows him an orange wallet.
Little Cook: "NO we can't cook with a wallet! is the mystery item cheese."
Big Cook: no it's crunchy." lift the cloth and show Little cook a CARROT
Help Little cook peel one carrot
While Big cook cuts carrot, Little cook rips apart 2 mushrooms
Little cook: add ingredients into 4 cups of chicken stock and stir.
Little Cook: add salt and pepper and a 1/4 cup of apple juice - for yummy flavour.
Big Cook: put on stove top and cook for 10-15 mintues.

time to clean while soup is cooking:

Wash windows

Vacuum... and now it's time for some soup.


One bowl for Chaplin, one bowl for Lori and one bowl in the fridge for Adam.
Chaplin loved his soup and ate the full bowl.

Arts & Crafts

The Cyclops Glitter Bug.
Next was play-dough then putting all the stickers into the stick story book that Leif sent him.

Sports:
paper ball basket ball. Crinkle up paper and toss into garbage basket. I am not good at this game but it makes Chaplin laugh.

INCOMING MESSAGE FOR DADDY
call me on video tonight okay.

Shamrocks, Snakes and a Saint.

Top of the Morning to you .

and it is morning. Lined up at 10:30 am outside O'Neils pub - Adam took the picture on his way to work! the day is going to get crazy, and the night wild.

I thought that Chaplin might enjoy seeing the Victoria Gallery & Museum. I decided to walk through an area that we haven't been to yet - just past Duke Street up in the area around Everyman Theater.

this little walk explained a few nagging questions I've had since day one. Honesty.

I will explain my questions based on where I am living - but first you have to understand where I am living to understand why I have had these questions.

My building is in the Liverpool One shopping district, in the downtown core.

That is our building on the right! - with retail on the bottom and we are 8 floors up from the retail.

Liverpool One has it's own webpage, dedicated to the dedicated shoppers. It's closed off to traffic and attracts the most fashion forward girls in the world... yes really. That statment is not made up by me, these girls are setting the trends that are coming out in London and Milan. They are called Glam Girls, some look like scene girls (it girls) and they have their own glossy magazine called Liverpool Fashion.

I open my front door... and am in the middle of it. Nothing, not even snow stops these girls from wearing 5" platform spike shoes, tights, shirts for skirts, fuzzy jackets, big back-combed hair with orange fake tans and loads of makeup. This is not dressing up, this is daily wear.

And this is what I see every Friday and Saturday... no joke.

Hair stylist Andrea Daly of Barbara Daly Hair and Beauty in Lime Street explained to the Liverpool Echo: "It's a status thing. It announces the fact you're going out that night and intend to have the biggest, most gorgeous hair possible." ROLLER GIRLS ARE GLAM GIRLS.

And i am always wondering:

Where do these girls come from? I don't see them coming off the buses or trains, but there are hundreds of them.

How come there are so many that all look the same: a micro environment effect?

more about our area:

Liverpool One is right on the tip of the entertainment district. There are streets dedicated to just nightlife. Rows of bars, that pump out music and booze until 5:00am, Friday and Saturday I can hear the base and distant rumble of what i know is thousands and thousands of people dancing.

Why can't I go to starbucks without there being a line up 20 people deep.

Why can't i move my shopping cart around Tescos. Why is Liverpool One busy all day everyday?

And now back to our day out:

So there we were on our way to the Gallery and we noticed this one side street that seemed pretty busy with people. We decided to check it out, and it lead into the John Moore University Grounds... Here is Chaplin in the middle court raking some leaves with a rake he found.

More than 24,000 students go here...

And then we walked our way out of this lively area and right into Liverpool Community College, and Liverpool Hope University and then across to Liverpool University where Victoria Gallery is located. WELL... doesn't this just explain everything!!! This area is packed full of students! How did i not notice that the girls shopping were university age. I felt like i finally understood why this area has such a live pulse to it.

We actually didn't go inside the Victoria Gallery because the streets were getting fuller by the minute of Lepricons, Shamrock painted faces overly happy folk.... The pubs were spilling out into the streets. Chaplin and I didn't need to be caught up in this mix. So I told Chap we would come back to the Gallery another day so let's go to Tesco's and get a treat.

We walked down Mount Pleasant Street and some of the business on this street made me chuckle... A school named something like "Pleasant Catholic Reform School"... i bet there are a few who beg to differ! What about this store's name?

We past by O'Neils pub and took another picture.

This is at 2:30pm... And thanks to St Patrick there are no snakes in Ireland, so drink your green stout - Happy St Patrick's Day!

a little dance to make you happy.