Number 12

Dad's favorite number used to be number 12 when he played sports so I have been wearing a number twelve bunny hug that I finally grew into. I am getting better at kicking and throwing balls as well as shooting various items with a hockey stick. I am pretty much keeping my options open as to what professional sport I will play. The only sport I don't like is basketball, at least that's what mom and dad say.

As you can see I am waiting for the mail and for someone to send me letters and presents. Unfortunately we only receive mail like twice a week but sometimes fun stuff comes!

Hasta Lasagna

Why does food take so long to cook in the over? Sometimes I am so hungry I just stare at the food. Eventually I try to adjust the controls (and then I get my hand slapped, mean!). All I am trying to do it turn up the heat so it cooks faster.

Funsters

What an original name. Anyway, Funsters is a place for little kids, like me, to play at. All the toys are supersized and soft so you can't hurt yourself. There is so much to do and I love to rip around all day.


I have a little car at my house but it doesn't have a sun-roof like this one has! Its funny watching the other kids at Funsters. Mom is always only a yell away. Last time she almost had to protect me from a girl who was a lot bigger than me. This time I am prepared. I had some new moves but she never showed up. She must have heard I was in training.

Edinburgh, Scotland

Saturday morning mama and dada wisked me away at 4 AM Janet Reno style (Elian, not Waco) in order to get to our 7 AM flight out of Cardiff. Once we were in the airport there was a video game area where I got to hang out on rides. I never actually put any money in the rides but they were really fun just to sit on. My favorite was the helicopter (see above).


After one hour flight we arrived in Edinburgh. We stopped off at the hotel and headed towards the downtown. Unfortunately I hadn't slept very good since getting up so early and I couldn't even make all the way downtown before I fell asleep in mama's arms. I slept about an hour and then I was ready to go again!


The first thing we did was walk through the old town. In Edinburgh almost all the buildings are unpainted granite and stone making for a spectacular view in almost every direction. Above is a picture taken from Edinburgh Castle. You can see the spires and cathedrals that pierce the skyline all around the city.


This is what the old town looks like from across the park from Princes Street (Edinburgh's most famous street). Princes street sort of seperates the old Edinburgh from new(er) Edinburgh.


After walking around old town we made our way up to Edinburgh Castle. For those of you that have seen our Welsh castle posts Edinburgh is not like medieval castles at all, at least not anymore. A castle was built there after the turn of the millenium but after numerous battles rages over the castle it was dimantled by Robert the Bruce. Eventually the castle was re-built but it now resembles a fort or fortress structure that you would see in North America.


As you can see in this picture with me and my dad the castle towers over the entire city. Me and mom and dad went through the castle and got to see the Scotland crown jewels as well as the Stone of Destiny.


After a busy day of sightseeing we finally hit the sack because we had to get up early the next day for the main reason we came to Edinburgh, mom's race! This is a picture of mom right before the race.


This is a picture of mom finishing the race, nice photo dad. Dad wanted me to tell you that the camera delay was really slow (plus mom was running really fast). Mom finished the race in one hour and thirty seven minutes. The fastest male ran the race is just over sixty three minutes (he was from Kenya) and the fastest female ran the race in seventy two minutes (she was from Serbia-Montenegro).


During the race me and dad checked out the shopping and the other sites. Since the race was at the docks we got to see a lot of boats. Here is me and dad in front of the Royal Britannia (the royal yacht). We both were like "whatever" it's not that cool. Actually it was pretty cool but we didn't go on it.


Beside the Royal Britannia was the H.M.S. Severyn. Some military guys were loading the supplies onto the boat. I was like "hurry up you slackers!"


After the race we went down some of the sidestreets in the newer area of Edinburgh. I checked out some stores and then got a bite to eat. It was a lot of fun and the weather was grea the whole weekend. Actually it was warmer in Scotland than it has been this spring in Wales (about 13 degrees Celsius).


Finally we had to check out of our hotel. Our room was really nice (dad was upgraded to a suite) and I even got my own room, which doesn't happen very often in Europe. By the end of Sunday I was so exhausted and ready to head home. Unfortunately, our flight was delayed and we didn't get home until late at night. I missed my nap so it was a long journey home. However, I was quite the trooper and I went to bed right away and even slept in!


Edinburgh was great and I highly recommend visiting there if you have the opportunity. I am already preparing for the next weekend when we are traveling to Amsterdam!

Where's My Kilt?

Well, I am off to Scotland tomorrow morning so I thought I'd put a post out tonight since I don't know exactly when I'll have email access over the weekend. I am looking forward to buying a kilt when I am there since I heard that you don't have to where underwear underneath a kilt. I do like to fly free.


To keep you busy I put up a picture of the Swansea marina in the fog that my dad took during one of his first visits. I better get to bed because our flight leaves out of Cardiff at 7 AM on BMI Baby Airlines. Any airline that has baby in the title must be a good airline.

My mom is running in a 1/2 marathon on Sunday so everyone wish her luck. I think she is going to win the whole thing so I'm going to cheer extra loud! Hasta Lasagna!

Little Swimmer

It is official...I had my first ever swimming lesson. My mum took me to the pool today & there were teachers in the pool & we got a lesson & learned so much. I learned how to do a jump in from the sitting position on the side of the pool while singing the "Humpty Dumpty" song. My mum also learned a few techniques to teach me how to swim and become more confident in the pool. Best of all I went all the way under the water! Can you beleive it? I didn't really know what to think, because I had never been completly submerged, but it was ok, and I am looking forward to trying it again.

Footballer or Hockey Player?

Well today my mum dressed me in this flashy football vest, which by the way I just love...Thanks Grandma! As we were playing in the living room my mum asks me "Are you going to be a football player or hockey player?" I immedietly picked up my hockey stick and a makeshift puck and started playing hockey. So I guess that answered that question. We continued to play hockey for a while & I guess I commited a penalty??? What ever that means? Mom said something about high sticking? So she sent me to the penalty box! I think in the future I may be spending a lot of time in this place :)

Tusks

Man, my tusks have been bugging me lately. Last night it took forever for me to fall asleep and the last few days I have been waking up before 6 AM. Tonight I found a cool way to ease the toothing pain is to eat ice cream. For some reason my parents wouldn't let me eat as much as I want but it still felt good on my tusks. Hopefully my teeth take a break from coming in because it is really painful and belief me, I am a bear when my tusks are bothering me.

Missing You

After Nana and Papa left I was really missing my visitors and friends so I was looking at pictures of them. This picture is of me looking at a picture of Uncle Trevor and Aunt Lenae plus Gracie and Massak. Its not too long until I will see everyone again soon in North America. Plus Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle Kirby and Auntie Pam will be visiting within the next couple months.

I love visitors so I can show off my new tricks. Today I learned how to crawl and all fours (not on my knees). I learned this from dad when he sneaks up on me like a bear. Now I can sneak up on him!

Worm's Head

Today Nana, Papa, Mom, Dad, and me went out to the far west end of the Gower Peninsula to the place called Worm's Head. It's called Worm's Head because when the tide is in the land mass turns into an island and the land looks like a 'worm's head' poking out of the water.


The weather today was very sunny although it still was quite windy. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and it made for some greats sight seeing and photo ops that Papa took advantage of (see above).

The town next to Worm's Head is Ricilli and it's only about twenty minutes or so West of Swansea. We heard many foreign languages during our short time in Ricilli, apparently a lot of people like to visit the area. I can't believe more people don't visit the town to see the sheep because they are everywhere!

Nana and Papa and Me

Here is a picture of Nana and Papa and me. Nana and Papa are leaving to go back to Winnipeg tomorrow. We've had a lot of fun since they have been here. Hopefully I can see them again soon. I was just getting used to saying Nana and now everytime I see a camera I yell "Papa!". Since we are only here a few more months it won't be too long!

Insurance Premium

I have been taking some driving lessons over the past few weeks. This is my favorite one, driving with a cookie in my hand, both feet on the dash, and zero hands on the wheel. All I can say is insurance premium dad!

Number 1 Fan

Here's a picture of me waving the Welsh flag before the big rugby game this weekend. Unfortunately I fell asleep and missed the entire game but dad made me take my nap.

I should let you know I am the number one fan of the Welsh rugby team. Unfortunately Wales lost to France in the final game of the tournement. France was the winner of the Six Nations championship. On the plus side Wales played their best game of the round robin and lead the entire game up until the last five minutes. Hopefully Wales builds on the good game for next year's tournement.

Green Ninja Caught In Action

Finally someone brought a camera to catch me using my ninja outfit! Nana and Papa came to the pool with mom and me today. Here's a picture of me using my ninja walk on water technique. Mom and the toy were helping me flow on water but most of it is my ninja skills.

Ride 'Em Toaster

Today I decided to wander the house and find something that I had not played with yet, that was not a toy. Under the counter I found this toaster that is perfectly curved so I could ride it like a rocking horse. I can't believe that this is not being marketed as a toy!

Woebley Castle

Today I took the family to Woebley Castle out on the Gower Peninsula. Woebley is what is called a fortified manor house. It wasn't used as much as a military station like most castles in the Marches but it was actually used by a family and was fortified to protect their interests and wealth. In the above picture I am checking out any possible interests hiding out in the fireplace.


Here is a picture of me being a tour guide to my Nana and Papa. In the area of the manor house there was sheep farm and I got to go in a barn of about 300 sheep. Mom refused to hang out in the barn because it stunk so bad but I was in there with Nana and Papa checking out the sheep.

Mumbles Visit

Today we went to Mumbles with Nana and Papa. Even though it rained in the morning the weather was ok in the afternoon. I cruised around in my stroller most of the time except for when we went to Verdi's and I ate a ton of food. I am pretty much over my teething pains now. Hopefully they don't come back. Since my teeth don't hurt I have been eating a lot more!

We forgot to take any pictures so I attached a few more pictures of the Abbey for inspiration.


Here's me hiding in one of the corners of the Abbey. I was checking out the stone structure to make sure it is still safe. It is.


The windows in the Abbey were spectacular. As you can see they are lot bigger than me. And I didn't break the windows dad!

Tintern Abbey

This past weekend we took a trip to Tintern Abbey. Tintern Abbey was founded in 1138 AD by the Cistercian Monks. Over the following centuries the Abbey grew through various construction projects into a towering architecture masterpiece.


At the beginning of the 16th century the government began to suppress the church estates of Wales and turned over their land to wealthy landlords. The Abbey fell into disrepair as opportunists milked the iron out of the roof and removed any other elements of value.

You can see in the above picture how small I was compared to the building. I needed to cruise around the building and check out every corner. Dad was following me around the whole castle to make sure I didn't fall into any of the open floors. Like I would fall!

Tour Guide

I have been showing my nana & papa around Wales this weekend. On Friday I took them to Margam Park, it is a huge country Park with a manor house, gardens, old Abby's and even some animals.

Baby!

The new word for this week is "baby"! I have learned a new word and it is so much fun to say. I see babies all over the place, at the pool, at the store, in books, my friends J&K in pictures, on my diaper package. I always have to point out the babies. I guess at one point in my life I was a baby, it must have been a while back, because I am a BIG BOY now. I attached some photos that prove I was a small baby. Mom asks me if I want a baby brother or sister sometime. I don't know about that though, I think that would mean the attention would be off of me. If that is the case...no thanks.

Mom & Dad just reassured me I have no baby's on the way...yet!

Papa and Nana Arrive

Nana and Papa arrived today from Winnipeg, via Sioux Falls, through Minneapolis through Amsterdam and finally landing in Bristol. They were promptly welcomed by a British downpour.

I am looking forward to spending a lot of time with Papa and Nana. I have a lot of country to show them. Hopefully they can keep up! They aren't off to a good start however, there was a lot of sleeping going on. I am going to need to keep them up!

Cardiff Devils

This weekend dad went to watch the Cardiff Devils hockey club of the British Elite league. Most of the players are late round NHL draft picks or AHL, ECHL, even NHL journeymen. Dad is convinced he could have played in 'his prime' but I am not so sure. To gain an automatic U.K. work permit you need to have played in the NHL, ECHL, or AHL. This is to keep various hockey players, like my dad, from coming over to take away positions from mediocre British players who would eventually be chased out by foreign nationals. Dad agrees this is a good rule for the league especially when history shows what can happen to hockey development when countries eliminate these restrictions, i.e. Germany.


The Devils played against the Coventry Blades. Cardiff won in OT 3-2. The Cardiff arena is a classic old barn that probably seats a few thousand people. It is a great atmosphere and the Devils have a large cult following, even if not all the fans know all the rules!

Checkout the Devils' website at www.thecardiffdevils.com. Next time I am going, I don't care how late the game goes or how loud the arena is.

Teething

Just in case your didn't know, teething really hurts! Today my temperature went to 100.6 F and I felt warm all over. All of a sudden all my teeth are coming in after many months of nothing. I am always rubbing my gums to make them feel better. I have resorted to begging mom to give me drugs to relieve the pain. Of course both mom and dad refuse to give me morphine. Arggghh!

Visitors From America

But the visitors are students from Boston, Massachusetts! Our church is hosting a bunch of students from Gordon College just north of Boston. There are about a dozen of them. Their professor, Mark, is staying at our house in our spare bedroom until Wednesday. They are on a school sponsored trip where they visit the local public schools and teach in their religion classes. This group comes back every year and are well known at the schools.

Tie Head

When dad gets home from work we wrestle a lot and play hockey. Here is me with dad's tie on my head after some rough housing. I think it makes me look tougher.

At The Park

Today I went to the park in Mumbles. I was a really bright sunny day but a little bit cold. All the snow has melted from our snowfall last week, at least in Swansea (there is still some snow up in the hills and in shaded areas).


There were lots of play things just my size in the park but the one I was the most excited about was the little fort with a ladder and slide. Mom and dad finally let me go in all by myself (but they were watching very closely given my recently found ability to run very fast to dangerous areas).


I think I could have gone down the slide by myself but dad insisted on helping. I don't think dad knows how big I am getting! I'm not a baby I'm a toddler.

Reading With Mom

Here's me reading with my mom. I do like books that have fun words and colorful pictures as you can see in the photo. I like to read pretty much anytime anyplace. No matter the book I will try to read it but I have to warn you, sometimes I have a short attention span and I will try to get someone to read five books in less than ten minutes.

Internet Breakdown

Well there has been a slow down in the blogging since someone (yup it was me) broke the phone line so I haven't been able to post anything for the last day or so. The line has been replaced so I expect steady blogging to resume.

St. David's Day

Ok...so all of you who were wondering what St. David's Day is... here you go...

If you were lucky enough to be in Wales on March the first, you would find the country in a festive mood. Every self-respecting man, woman and child would be celebrating St. David's Day in one way or another. But who was St. David, and why is he so important to the Welsh? And just how is St. David's Day celebrated in Wales today?

Well, Saint David, or Dewi Sant, as he is known in the Welsh language, is the patron saint of Wales. He was a Celtic monk, abbot and bishop, who lived in the sixth century. During his life, he was the archbishop of Wales, and he was one of many early saints who helped to spread Christianity among the pagan Celtic tribes of western Britain.
Dewi died in the sixth century, so nearly five hundred years elapsed between his death and the first manuscripts recording his life. As a result, it isn't clear how much of the history of Dewi's life is legend rather than fact. However, both sources say, so we can be relatively certain, that Dewi was a very gentle person who lived a frugal life.

Dewi is said to have been of royal lineage. His father, Sant, was the son of Ceredig, who was prince of Ceredigion, a region in South-West Wales. His mother, Non, was the daughter of a local chieftain. Legend has it that Non was also a niece of King Arthur.
Dewi was born near Capel Non (Non's chapel) on the South-West Wales coast near the present city of Saint David. We know a little about his early life - he was educated in a monastery called Hen Fynyw, his teacher being Paulinus, a blind monk.

He founded a monastery at Glyn Rhosyn (Rose Vale) on the banks of the small river Alun where the cathedral city of St. David stands today.

There are many stories regarding Dewi's life. It is said that he once rose a youth from death, and milestones during his life were marked by the appearance of springs of water. These events are arguably more apocryphal than factual, but are so well known to Welsh-speaking schoolchildren that it is worth mentioning them here.

It is claimed that Dewi lived for over 100 years, and it is generally accepted that he died in 589. His last words to his followers were in a sermon on the previous Sunday. Rhigyfarch transcribes these as 'Be joyful, and keep your faith and your creed. Do the little things that you have seen me do and heard about. I will walk the path that our fathers have trod before us.' 'Do the little things' ('Gwnewch y pethau bychain') is today a very well-known phrase in Welsh, and has proved an inspiration to many. On a Tuesday, the first of March, in the year 589, the monastery is said to have been 'filled with angels as Christ received his soul'.
Dewi's body was buried in the grounds of his own monastery, where the Cathedral of St. David now stands. After his death, his influence spread far and wide - first through Britain, along what was left of the Roman roads, and by sea to Cornwall and Brittany.
St David's Day, as celebrated today, dates back to 1120, when Dewi was canonised by Pope Callactus the Second, and March 1st was included in the Church calendar.

Regardless of this, St. David was, and is, a very important figure to the Welsh. Naturally, then, St. David's Day is a time of great celebration in Wales. Societies all over Wales celebrate with special meetings and events.

St. David himself spoke an old form of Welsh fourteen centuries ago, and the Saint has become synonymous with keeping the language alive, and all that is good in the Welsh way of life. Welsh is one of the oldest living European languages, and although it has been oppressed for centuries, it has refused to die and is alive and growing today.

This is the reason I am wearing a Wales shirt with the dragon & Welsh crest. It is honor of St. David's Day. I received this shirt from my Welsh friend Emma.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

I can't beleive the snow is still coming down here on St. David's Day. I have been watching the snow fall out the window all day & it stops at times & the sun will come out, then a big cloud moves in and it is like a blizzard all over again. Mom & Dad say I'll see a lot more of this white stuff next winter in MN. I can't wait!