Robert shows his swimming skills

Robert vids oct 2009 (b)

Robert vids Oct 09

Robert vids 2

At the maise maze..Robert leads the way.

Robert vids

Robert crawling

Robert plays demolition

Self explanatery really

Keith Moon eat your heart out

Robert gets the drumsticks.

Robert waving.

Robert was waving at the ,ysterious baby in the mirror he keeps seeing. Then I got the video working.

A tough day by the hot pool.

Robert was having a real giigle today.

Very cute pictures of Robert and Kara

Kara's friend took these and she is a much better photographer than me.

Happy Birthday Grandad (Dad) Laing!

And now for a comercial break:

Torchwood

The new series has been up and down, but last night's episode was great.

Ghosts I-IV by Nine Inch Nails

I wrote a huge review of this album. Then I deleted it. So I am now going to summarise what I wrote. In the last year NIN have released:

A concept album.
A rap album (OK it was officially a Saul Williams album, but Trent produced it, wrote half of it and Saul sounds like Trent when he sings).
A quadruple instrumental album, with no song titles.

Ghosts 1 to 4 should really be terrible. I hate double albums (edit it!), I'm not a big fan of soundtracks either, but a quadruple album of soundscapes, arghhhhh! What has he done? We fought wars to end progressive rock like this.

But it's great. I love it. So there.

Here's to three albums a year from now on.

Oh, and this post didn't once mention the digital download surprise release of Ghosts.....Oh, it did.

Robert speaks on major issues of the day.

We were all sitting round a friends table talking and Robert decided to join in.

Robert sitting in his bumbo

The bumbo is an amasing device that allows babies to sit up comfertably. Robert took a while to get used to it, but now he enjoys watching things from his seat. Here he is:

Robert is trying to roll over.

There I was, about to post about visiting the Tate today, when Robert decides to steal the first post back. He was trying with some effort to roll over, and eventually managed to get himself onto his side. To demonstrate that it was no fluke, he later on rolled onto the other side. And lo, the childproofing of the Laing houshold began.

Robert plays with his toys.

I put Robert on his play area today, and he suddenly started interacting with it. He was knocking different hanging toys and watching the results. He had trouble getting the one to his right, but when he did, he squeaked with delight (more than once). He also played for ages. A real cheeful moment, especially after those first few unresponsive weeks.

Christmas carols.

I am not a religious person. I was brought up in a Christian society, but I have always found organised religion unsettles me. But like many people in the UK, I slip in and out of Christian celebrations like a thief in the night.

And so it was I found myself grudgingly trudging through Sawbridgeworth (a village where Kara's parents live) on my way to a caroll concert. I has visions of the internimable caroll practices at my secondary school, where the highlight was a tuneless rendition of the school dirge.

This though was surprisingly fun. Instead of a smattering of people, there were actually hundreds of people on the enclosed village green. The lyrics were projected onto a wall by a digital projector, and it was balmy for a christmas evening. I felt like I had stepped onto the set of a romantic comedy (probably by Richard Curtis), as the protaganists visit the local village festival, smiling children and all.

It also reminded me of the power of organised religion, especially when it invovled singing. Then again, this effect is also present at most big concerts, even when they involve such areilgious bands as The Rolling Stones.

On another note, Kara got me a book and a DVD that wern't on my Christmas list, but were absolutely brilliant choices. Great to be married to someone who knows you, except when you are doing something wrong. :)

My Sister's book is now available in UK

We interrupt this blog for a word from our sponsors.

My sister has written a Children's book based around Children travelling through time to World War 2 Britain. Obviously I am not the most objective reviewer, but it is a rollicking read, and is incredibly well researched (Annette has a PhD in History).

The book is now available in the UK on Amazon.co.uk at the following link:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dont-Know-Where-When-Snipesville/dp/0979476941

It is well worth a look.

Advert ends.