We have lift off In anticipation of the new arrival, we (with a lot of help from Webster Babysitting Inc.) finally got around to redecorating the second bedroom as Dom's new bedroom. (Looking around the house as prospective purchasers , I clearly remember thinking it was alright but we'd have to redecorate that bedroom - green carpet, green woodchip walls, green woodchip ceiling - pronto if we were to buy it). Anyway, seven years and four coats (!) of emulsion later Dom has a new bedroom complete with as many spacerockets as any small boy would ever need. He's loving having a room that's big enough to play in (especially in the rocket-tent that Jobley bought him for Christmas) and to have all his books where he can get at them. He wasn't that impressed at first, though. We're loving that he's just that little bit harder to hear when he stirs in the night and that we're beginning to reclaim the front room as our own.
Camp Dom's been on his second and third camping expeditions of the year. This last trip bore witness to Dom's phrase of the day year. When visiting Lyme Park on an earlier expedition Dom had seen some Alpacas up close. One of the books we'd taken along for him this time finishes up with all the farm animals crowded into the house and, as usual, he was carefully identifying them all and getting us to choose our favourites. He stumbled over one particular animal though. "Come on Dom, you've seen these the other week, with NanNan and Grandad." He thought long and hard, then
I do know what these are called. They are called big old knackers.
Jet-setters My Grandad, Grandma and Aunty Pam flew up from Bristol to stay with Jo in Leeds and came across for the day. We spent half the day at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, only really getting as far as the excellent light exhibits by James Turrell. 
In fact, the Health and Safety lecture (précis: it's a dark room, be careful!) scared off my grandparents from what might have been their first ever exposure to modern art, although they did get as far as the deer shelter (pictured). Pam loved the 'space' but was unconvinced by the artistic theorising behind it, almost using language unsuitable for a family blog. Grandma and Grandad liked the sit-down in the shade. Dom loved all the attention and especially took to Aunty Pammay despite her persisitent mocking of his Yorkshire-isms - someone cheekier than me would say he loved having someone his own size to play with. Anyway, on waking the next day Dom was asking "Where's my Pammay?", always a sign of a hit.
8oz silver lining On the pregnancy front, Helen is well past the nausea stage but is finding everything very tiring, especially when the weather has been as hot at it has been. This has not been helped by being a bit anaemic, but on the bright side we had steak, cabbage and chips for tea as a result. The baby is pooting like mad (specialising in star-jumps Helen says) though never during the brief moments we can persuade Dom to feel his Mummy's tummy. He is however confidently informing people that when the baby "plops out" it will be a little sister. All is pretty good.
