We open with a photo of the kids sat next to a gigantic, creepy-looking rabbit. They don't seem perturbed, though.
Back at the ranch, it's some early cycling practice for Gregory, trying out a hand-me-down balance bike (from friends).
The sun was shining in the middle of April, so out came the blankets and ice lollies.
Never mind cycling, with two bikes strewn around the back garden: it's time for scooter action, which Gregory approaches with relish.
I'm not entirely sure whether this was a Mother's Day card (in which case this was photo was taken a few weeks after the day itself) or something to do with Easter.
Or maybe this was an Easter card. Or maybe it was a Mother's Day card! Who knows!? All I know is that neither of them are for me.
We're still on the same day (which is Good Friday) and the sun is still out, so it's time for the old sandpit.
That's enough sunshine: time for shade, fluids and some lunch.
It's all action today as we head down to the park for some football action, with a fluorescent green ball.
Then to the swing, although it appears that he has stolen my cap.
We move onto the Saturday, still blessed with lovely weather on a bank holiday weekend.
It's sufficiently warm to get the paddling pool out, with Gregory on chief pool filling duty.
Cap? Check. Stripped down to tiny trunks? Check. Ready for water sport action? Check!
This was the exciting scene for Easter Sunday...
...and here is what was Gregory had (including some crazy hair).
Later that day, Gregory was happy to help out with cleaning the car. Always good to have a bit of help.
On Easter Sunday, which was also Nana Sue's birthday, we headed over to Aunty Katie's for a BBQ in the sunshine. Here, Gregory lines up a shot against Uncle Graham, whilst Aunty Katie does her best to get out of the goddamn way.
In what could almost pass as a spot the ball competition, we try to find a small fluorescent green blob. Uncle Graham was comfortable enough that it was going wide not to dive, whilst Daisy seemed to be a bit more excited by the prospect of it heading towards goal. Aunty Katie and Lynne are completely disinterested, instead chatting amongst themselves, which is fair enough of course.
All that action has inevitably given junior an appetite, so he tucks into a ginormous burger. He sees no distractions. He is at one with the burger.
Maybe that burger WAS a bit big for him. That moment when you want to endure the meat sweats by yourself.
Shades definitely do help in a stare down with your Uncle Matt. They can almost smell each other.
Aunty Janet challenges to retrieve the ball from her. I suspect a tackle ensued given the proximity and the lack of ball adhesion created by sandals.
After all that action, sometimes your aunty wants to treat you like a big baby. He is only too happy to oblige.
His enthusiasm with football is emphasised by the need to chill with it like a cuddly toy. (He is, at this stage, yet to discover a love of cricket, coming as it does a few months before England won the One-Day Cricket World Cup. But it will come.)
A trip to Stanford Park with some of Lynne's friends saw Gregory and Daisy wonder what to do with a young girl. There were also some ball sports going on.
Thankfully, to break up the awkwardness, there was a play area, where Gregory bravely traversed a rope bridge.
For the love of god, don't have a bath in water that colour. (I think it's one of those dissolving things, so it's deliberate, but not something that I personally would want to do.)
I'm not entirely sure why they are posing with Easter eggs several days after the Easter weekend whilst in school clothes, but that is what they are doing.
After having done my first Wilmslow Triathlon (sorry, I know this is not about me), and I just made it home in time, we headed over to Hale (maybe) for Wilson's first birthday party. Forget all that, though, as Gregory has decided to stand under a tree.
The next day, we headed over to Uppermill, Uncle Matt's neighbouring village. Here he attempts the old double swing push, requiring some decent core strength (hence the stabilising knee).
There are varying degrees of interest and enthusiasm (which varies in each attempt I made). Daisy is a willing participant while Matt is making the effort despite well-concealed gritted teeth. Gregory is rubbing his nose and reading, while Lynne is maybe wondering which sandwich filling to opt for.
There's nowt like an uncle-to-nephew chinwag.
More soon (ish)...
Gregory was clearly at this point going through a Duplo phase, making large constructions (perhaps with my help, although I'm not after any credit). I obviously insisted that he pose beside them.
Before you start gardening, there is the tricky task of putting your gardening gloves on. It looks to be a very pleasant mid-May day.
It's not often that my vegetable patch looks in such good condition - I must have put some effort in to get it looking that way.
I took the afternoon off work on my birthday, elongated by ride home, and Nicky and Callum popped round (not featured). In the lovely weather, the kids had ice-cream lollies. And why not. This was perfect preparation for a birthday curry takeaway.
Here is the card that they got for me, mostly written by Daisy but Gregory has written his name pretty neatly.
The following weekend, we headed over to York Sculpture Park with the Wards (Charles, Sally, Oli and Lucy). Feature here, though, are Daisy and Gregory, with three deformed chess pieces.
Gregory appears to be trying to get inside a funky-looking tree.
Mothers and their sons on a very reflective floor.
You will stay on that tree trunk until I say so.
An expanse of water has young Gregory's attention.
No tree swing? I can make my own entertainment!
Not sure why these silly photos aren't rotating properly, but you can read them if you tilt your head. But this is an early sign of Gregory's maths enthusiasm (and understanding).
The coloured boules that Nicky and Callum gave me for my birthday (although it was perhaps more of a present for the whole family) had Gregory's attention.
Well now, who is this cool dude?
Not exactly sure where we have been on a Sunday evening (of a bank holiday weekend) after 7pm, but it's a glorious day so perhaps some scooter action. Gregory certainly seems happy with life.
I presume Gregory made this - or at least painted it - at school. But who knows!
It's a little hard to tell in this zoomed out shot, but Gregory has given this an almighty whack as his right leg is perpendicular out front.
Due to a Whitsun holiday to Portugal (which may or may not eventually feature on some other page) and some Ride the Nation cycling action for me (which or may not eventually feature on some other page), we skip a few weeks ahead to mid-June, at which point Gregory has secured the Star of the Week jumper.
On the longest day of the year, it was time for Daisy's school assembly. For whatever reason, Gregory was one of three getting early dibs at the seating choice. Oh to be able to sit on a hard floor these days.
A week or so later, with Lynne out for the evening from early on, I got some BBQ action going, featuring at least halloumi and tomato-(and-probably-garlic-)marinated chicken, and probably burgers. Gregory seems pretty OK with that as a concept.
And another batch soon (maybe)...
We're back now and we're now at the Brunger-Roes' new house in Cheadle Hulme for some outdoor buffet action. Gregory, obviously, has hunted down the pizza. There was a bit of back garden cricket action, including Daisy bowling at Paul (not pictured).
We went to All Star Lanes in Manchester for bowling and then lunch (not sure where) for Lynne's birthday weekend. Gregory was still sufficiently young to use the ramp...
...which he did to good effect, coming in second (behind yours truly) with some impressive scores. (We later went home to watch England scrape home to Cricket World Cup victory against New Zealand, by the " barest of margins".)
Here are Lynne's birthday cards from the kids, with Gregory's being the one on the left. Not exactly sure what the right hand side of the writing inside is meant to be driving at exactly, but hey he's only five.
Gregory had a school sports day on this day and, presumably, had the requirement to dress in red for the red team, which he did. He seemed pretty excited about it.
And here is some of the sports day in action, with Gregory taking part in a race here. Difficult to tell how fast he goes (looking back now in 2024, I know he is like a whippet, so I am going to assume that he was going fast here).
We had a spare ticket for Daisy's drama play in the evening and so Aunty Katie came along.
At the local hairdressers, Gregory gets stuck in with some hard work. If only he did that now!
And that's a very sharp haircut, on a coy-looking Batman.
A couple of days after the drama play it was time for Gregory's school assembly. Gregory is sat at the front in the middle of the stage, so it might well be the one where he - amazingly - read through the entire We're Going On A Bear Hunt book, pretty nervelessly it has to be said. (Or maybe not - it feels like a big ask for someone in reception!)
And with that it was the end of the school year. Gregory got a really good report. Most heartening are the comments such as where they refer to him as developing "into an incredibly kind, caring and gentle friend, who is always on hand to help others".
On the Sunday, we headed to Old Trafford cricket ground for (I think) the kids' first proper live cricket match , with Lancashire playing Durham in a Twenty20 match, which I think Lancashire won relatively comfortably.
We fast forward a few weeks, after I had spent a weekend with friends in the Lakes and then as a family an almost-two-week holiday down south (Redditch, Newquay and Wells). This is a Saturday trip to a fun day at Heaton Norris Park, with a brass band in full operation.
They brave a go on the Super Jets ride, although they seem a bit disinterested (or just unwilling to look towards the camera).
Behind a net, where they belong. Pretty strict rules on this bouncy contraption - once round only.
It was a nice day so what better way to spend it than chasing huge bubbles around on the grass.
Later that day, Gregory shows the pickings from a summer fruit gathering session. Some green gauges and a few blueberries it looks like.
The next day, it was time to make some chocolate Rice Krispie cake, topped with sprinkles. Gregory was very happy to mop up any leftover chocolate (mostly by spreading it around his face).
Into September now and Gregory was beginning to get the hang of Mario Kart on the Wii. Looks like he may have won this one (or was at least second).
Gregory can't play the guitar, but he is pretty good at borrowing Daisy's and pretending that he is having a good time with it.
Oh good lord, it's that time of year again. The new school year. This is Gregory starting Year 1 (with Daisy starting Year 4). He seems suitably enthused to be going to school, which won't last forever.
A few weeks after the World Cup win and Gregory was inspired, playing lots of cricket in the back garden, with expansive shots such as this one.
Batman looks very happy to have constructed a Lego tower almost as tall as himself.
That will do for now. So many photos...
A sunny day in September and naturally we time for some lunch al fresco, with a mixture of sandwiches, crisps, pasta salad and other assorted items. They seem pretty happy to be out there.
The next day, perhaps inspired by the warm spell of weather, it is BBQ hosting time as Uncle Matt and Gregory meticulously prepare their burgers as Aunty Katie flings a sly look back at the cameraman, i.e. me.
It's not entirely clear what is going on here, with Daisy playing guitar and Gregory in an action position with Uncle Matt.
I'm not completely sure what they are doing here. Perhaps it is a tablet that they are looking at.
We skip forward a week for some late summer harvesting. We have been digging for potatoes (probably more accurately, I was digging and they were grabbing them when they came to the surface). Not sure why Daisy is barefooted nor why Gregory can't look at the camera.
Just a messy-haired grin at the prospect of scrambled egg with quartered wholemeal toast.
With Lynne away in Tenerife, I was on school run duty, and it was definitely a more mobile effort than usual, with Gregory on his scooter and, in the distance, Daisy cycling.
There must have been some sort of international day and I don't need to tell you which countries they were going for. However, I may need to tell you that the German on the back of Daisy's T-shirt means... daisy.
It's still September and I've ordered a curry for Friday night tea. I say curry, but the kids generally just have chicken tikka (alongside chips, poppadoms, naan bread plus rice for Daisy).
As if we hadn't had enough to eat, we headed round to Waterdale Close the next lunchtime for a takeaway chippy. All the usual crew are present.
Gregory seems very happy to be wearing his M&S Food "Little Shop" apron.
Here is the food shop in all its glory. Anyone fancy a miniature thing?
Clearly trying to fill the weekend with as much activity as possible, we head down to Redrock in Stockport, where we chance upon a crazy-looking frog.
We're down there to go to watch a film at The Light. My emails suggest that this was the Angry Birds Movie 2. I think I struggled to follow the plot given I had not seen the first film...
The cinema trip was in the morning so that left plenty of time in the afternoon for some baking. First up, we make some pizza dough. Gregory looks conscientious in the first photo and anxious in the second, for some reason.
While the dough is proving, it's time to make some fairy cakes. There has been some mixture made so they are popping the little paper cases into the baking tray.
The mixture requires some beaten egg, the viscosity of which has distracted Gregory.
Yes, dad, I know how to spoon the mixture into the paper cases without looking.
After baking them, it's time to put on the icing and sprinkles.
And here is the finished product. They're not about to make the glossy pictures in a recipe book, but not bad from the little kiddies.
Right, that's dessert sorted. Time to get back to the pizzas. The dough is being flattened out by the team.
Then the fun bit: applying the tomato sauce...
...before adding your chosen toppings. This has really enthused young master Gregory.
So that's quite a lot of pizza for a little man, but I bet he'll give it a damned good try. Corn on the cob is the healthy accompaniment (alongside the olives on the pizza).
A successful Monday at school for Gregory as he is awarded the Star Of The Week jumper.
And we finish with some school photos taken in early October. That's quite an intense stare from Gregory.
And that's everything, finally, for this phase of Gregory's life. If you want to carry on to the rest of Gregory's sixth year then go here.
Back to the Secret Portal.