As we begin Gregory's fourth year, we are fast approach Easter season (it's Maundy Thursday, pointless religious day fact fans), hence the Easter bonnets. What perhaps is less easily explained is Gregory's lack of trousers and the fact that he is reading the Playfair Cricket Annual 1995.
On Easter Sunday itself, it's time for chocolate overload, although we don't quite recall the particular animal being represented by Gregory's Easter present. It is perhaps a cat or a squirrel or a dinosaur.
Gregory gets all practical with one his birthday presents, a construct your own car type thing.
We're still in Easter Sunday morning and we have constructed a Blaze and the Monster Machines track thing.
Later that day, Gregory and I took to the greenhouse to plant some seeds from the Funky Veg Kit which was a present to me from Katie.
On the Easter Monday, Gregory and I headed for the park (not sure what Daisy was up to, as there are no signs of her on any of the photos around this time). First up: the slide. (At the beginning of 2018, which is when I write this, the park had been done up and so this is now the secondary slide.)
Next up: the obstacle course, along which I have to accompany Gregory and hold his hand, as his balance is not quite sufficient at this tender age.
Finally, he looks a little lonely on the roundabout (which they have now removed). (I used to like roundabouts, but they make me ill these days.)
This being a Thursday lunchtime outside of the Easter holidays, there is a little explaining to do. Firstly, Lynne went away in the morning to spend three nights in Chester with Avis and Louise, for the latter's 40th birthday celebrations. Secondly, Daisy was still recovering from chicken pox and was thus kept off school. Thirdly, and naturally with all this going on, I had taken the day off work. Gregory had gone to Barbara's playgroup and then football (taken by Dylan's dad, Nick, as we met at the Barbara's playgroup pick-up). I laid on a treat, which was a picnic in the lounge (on a blanket, of course). Phew!
The next day, Daisy remains in quarantine (she was not keen on going back to school), although she certainly seems happy enough here. The weather must have been pleasant enough for the two of them to enjoy the sandpit outside without coats on.
Shortly afterwards, I set up this construction, which was a present for Daisy (I think) for her birthday. Gregory crawls out of the doorway of one end of the, er, castle, where Daisy seems to be hiding.
And even later that day, Gregory assists me with a rhubarb harvest.
That evening, ahead of a trip to Waterdale Close the next day (today is Nana Sue's birthday but, it being a Friday, we are waiting for the weekend), Gregory assists me with the chopping of the rhubarb and strawberries.
"Look! Here are some strawberries that I have chopped (or rather watched my dad chop and I put them into the plastic boxes)!"
The evening is still going (it's getting quite close to bedtime but, hey, Lynne is away and it's a Friday night; Daisy is presumably watching TV in the other room at this point), so we start to make the crumble, first weighing out the flour...
...then mixing in the butter.
At the late time of 7pm, we pack in the crumble mixture ready for assembly the next day. (As I seem to remember, in the midst of having to remember lots of things to take to my mum's, I forgot this mixture and so had to make some more whilst there, thus meaning we had lots of crumble mixture at home. But anyway, it was the thought that counted.)
At the old queen's birthday party itself, Aunty Katie puts on her best face whilst holding Gregory...
...meanwhile, later on, Gregory sat on Jonathan's knee in the doorway.
It was a sunny day, so worth spending a bit of time outside, although it's not so warm that Nana Sue can be without a coat.
I'm not quite sure what Matt is dishing out from his little bowl here, so you'll just have to make it up.
This was the stencil that Matt created for Gregory's birthday present wrapping. I think that it would look good as a superhero film cover, perhaps if G-Man's special skill is spreadsheets or graphs.
This is still the same weekend (it was a long one, in every sense). This is leisurely breakfast on the Sunday morning (the timing says 9.17am - hopefully they gave me a nice lie-in). Gregory tucks into Rice Krispies with gusto. (And maybe a soupcon of milk.)
So, that left behind crumble mixture... In the evening, I created yet more crumble, the thing that I am destined to make lots of but for it always to be leftover (since only Lynne really likes it, and she gets quickly bored of it - as she says, there is only so much crumble that one person can eat). Gregory is keen to assist with the crumble making.
Here are the finished products. I think they were apple crumble on the left and maybe strawberry crumble on the right. With perhaps some rhubarb in there, I don't know.
Lynne is still away and Gregory is going through the motions with one of his favourite meals: pasta.
Next week, G-Man is very much down with the kids.
I'm not entirely sure what Gregory is doing here, but he was most interested with his own reflection.
As we near the end of April, we plant some more potatoes and inspect those growing.
Gregory seems less impressed by the seedlings coming through. I did struggle in 2018 so perhaps he's just sad for me.
For Uncle Matt's birthday, we headed for Dinnerstone, a restaurant in Oldham, where Gregory wanted to give Matt a double low-five.
After the meal, Young Gregory was keen to be walked back to the car by Uncle Matt.
Upon our return home, the children were rather hypnotised by the blossom all over our front drive.
And the day wasn't over yet. We still had time to convert Gregory's cot into a bed. He struggled to find the right position after first, but eventually he got it.
Here is an impressive writing of Uncle Matt's name by young Gregory, as well as some stickers and a picture of him.
The next day, Gregory is a reluctant trier-on of new swimwear, ahead of our trip to Majorca in a couple of months. He's not mega happy about it but does manage to find a Saturday Night Fever type pose.
A sunny day out, and Gregory and I harvest a chunk of rosemary. I was probably cooking some roast potatoes or something like that. The portable potty is visible in the bottom right corner. I can't remember when exactly he stopped using the potty, but it was probably some time during the summer.
And here he is helping me with making some sage and onion stuffing, which backs up my theory about the roast potatoes. There was obviously some kind of roast going on.
Gregory took a little while to get used to his new sleeping freedom, much as we saw with Daisy. It's not easy to make out but he had manoeuvred himself of his bed and on to the floor, with his head resting on one of the pillows we had strategically placed next to bed to minimise the impact if he fell.
Early May obviously sees some fairly warm weather as the children run around the garden with the sprinkler on.
Sometimes, the simple things are all it takes to entertain the children...
Brother and sister, united by a common love of the TV (showing CBeebies). A little bit close really, but I can't tell them that now.
A Sunday in the garden where Gregory is demonstrating his rapidly improving writing skills. I think I have written his name in purple and he has written it below in yellow in a very impressive way for a three-year-old. This happens to be on my birthday.
This is from a trip to Olive & Vine, a Dimitris venue (serving Greek meze), for my birthday. Gregory is always keen to be treated like a big boy, and big boys like curly straws in glasses.
The next weekend, the hens were away (Lynne and Katy were away in Malaga for Vicky's hen do), so residual other half James came round with Lucas (Daisy was with Rainbows on safari). Here, Gregory is patiently waiting while Lucas inspects the motorised car (actually a slightly precarious activity as the wheels spin at some rate and they are a little on the spiky side).
Evidence, if it were needed, of my ability to feed my children well when Lynne is away. Greogry is tucking into a delightful mixture of strawberries and blueberries.
Look, who says you have to put your socks on your feet? Gregory certainly doesn't.
The next weekend was sunshiny, so we headed into the garden to point at large yellow roses...
...and take advantage of the sufficiently warm weather (it's the Whitsun bank holiday weekend) to get the paddling pool out.
Later that weekend, Gregory shows off his balancing skills at the local park.
There are traffic jams and there are traffic jams. And this is a traffic jam. It spans three rooms and is more or less his entire collection of cars. We have since made this more difficult by splitting his cars between the lounge and his bedroom.
We're in mid-June now, having had a family holiday to Majorca in the intervening days. It's Saturday morning and the hunt for raspberries is on.
This is a great picture from Gregory's playschool. The joy is etched in all their faces, particularly Gregory's.
The next weekend, Lynne's mum and dad were down to babysit while we went to Paul and Vicky's wedding in Manchester. Gregory and Grandma Avis were having fun with bubbles in very similar tops...
...whilst later Gregory took advantage of a prone Grandad Graham who was trying, but failing, to enjoy the sunshine.
The next day, it was time for some BBQ action. Sausage, halloumi... what's not to like?
Later that evening, Gregory was only too happy to point to his freshly made sandcastle.
A week later and Gregory has mastered his catalogue model pose.
Daisy must have commandeered my phone as she takes a photo from other viewpoint, so that we can see Matt and I painting the feature wall.
Later that day, with the sun out (yet again!), we dig up some potatoes and we're very chuffed about it.
Those potatoes came in useful for the making of potato wedges, but Gregory is a bit funny about potatoes in any form other than crisps or chips and so he was seemingly keener to tuck into the corn on the cob with a slightly annoyed face on.
A couple of weeks later, on the other side of a French cycling trip for me, and we were round at Waterdale Close. It was all too much for Aunty Katie, who had to have a lie down.
The next day, a Sunday, and we formed a lovely scene of outdoor painting. Well, I didn't join in, but I did watch and generally police things. Or is it refereeing.
We're obviously reaching peak potato harvesting season. Don't worry, Gregory isn't going to eat the potato. There are clearly two different varieties, just adding to the intrigue.
In the afternoon, we take a trip to the park with the football, where Gregory scores a goal.
A nice action pose. Gregory unleashes a vicious penalty kick whilst Daisy looks coiled, ready to spring into cat-like action as goalkeeper.
Gregory was clearly getting more confident with the obstacle course, although sometimes I can't help the both at the same time (Daisy occasionally has to be lifted up to the bars, for example).
And suddenly that's the first quarter of Gregory's fourth year done and dusted. It's time for the next quarter. At some point.
Back to the Secret Portal.