April 2008 Archives

AT 2.15pm on Sunday a litle bit of history was made...and it cost my wife dear.

A TIDAL wave of green swept through the city today as the first Birmingham Mail/Macmillan Fun Run saw the young, old, athletic and not so athletic take to the streets for a fantastic cause.

I don't really consider myself a runner as such, but anyone who has never done one of these 5 or 10km 'races' should seriously consider giving it a go.

It's fun with a huge feelgood factor, but most importantly it is utterly life affirming and something that even makes getting up at 7.30am on a Sunday morning worthwhile.

My little Jess was off school today with a tummy bug and, sucker that I am, I always bring her a present home when she's not well.

But today was hectic in the newsroom and I forgot - but I'm so glad I did!

IT'S now 7.05 and the eldest still hasn't left the house to do the paper round.

For the past few weeks he has very cleverly got me doing more and more.

Tonight though, my wife and I decided enough was enough - time to stand on your own two feet.

IS IT me or do teenage lads develop a swagger when they hit 14.

If anyone were to look at Nick's gait and manner around the house they'd think it was he and not me who paid the mortgage.

When his mates are round he sees it as his main duty in life to belittle his parents, deride us as dull and boring and generally seek to stretch any boundaries to the limit.

Last night as he gleefully greeted the onset of the teachers' strike, he had a pal round and wandered down at 9pm to announce "Me and ***** are just popping out for a bit".

Does reverse psychology work with kids?

This morning I asked Jess to pass me a bill that had tumbled through the letterbox - why do they always come on Saturdays in time to wreck the weekend? - and she ignored me.

I asked her again and she said in a seven-year-old trainee teenager way "why don't you get up and get it?"

I was in charge of Alex's football team for a top of the table clash in midweek.

Both sides had played the same amount of games and were on the same points so in a flash of Brian Clough-like brilliance I printed off the league table.

I didn't give a team talk - I just handed out the sheets and asked the boys what they wanted from the next 70 minutes.

I knew the time would come when my eldest thought he could take me on.

Last week at football training he marched up to me bold as brass at the end and challenged me to a 100 metre dash...in front of his team-mates.

Now I'm no competitive dad but I believe in making my lot work for their successes.

It's taken me four years but I've finally plucked up the courage to make a confession in the hope that it will somehow absolve me of guilt.

It surrounds an event I'm really not at all proud of when my eldest lad was aged 10.

CAN anyone help me with one of life's great mysteries?

A loaf of bread weighing 800g costs £1.20 and a load of 400g costs 60 pence, a pint of beer costs £2.50 and a half will set you back £1.25.

So if a pair of adult size nine shoes costs £35 who do child's size 5 shoes using half the leather costs errrrr, £38?

Doesn't make sense to me, especially as I've just been told both my lads need new school shoes about two months after their last pairs.

The bloke who invents stretchable shoes will become a millionaire overnight.