. . . . Ricks Extra Long Summer . . . .: Stop moaning and think of Pterodactyls...

Hello there, happy new year.

Everyone is moaning about 2020 being the most shit year since ever!

Well, stop it.

I am well known for being moody, angry, boring and a pain in the arse who one minute is full of the joys of life and the next is moaning about cheese, snow, dust, pasta or shoes. My brain flips from bright and sunny to dark and gloomy more than Hannah's slinky, flips over and over as it topples down the stairs.

BUT - I enjoyed 2020. We did some good stuff - go back and read the last 20 blog posts to see if you don't believe me.)

Hannah has grown from a crazy mental amazing 1.5-year-old to a slightly taller crazy mental amazing 2.5-year old who can now have full-blown conversations about Pterodactyls and Triceratops and is already cleverer than me and Buffy combined.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1CprxjVvvI

Oliver has gone from being a blob, to a 4 month old kid with a great little personality who loves to have his toes tickled, likes holding onto hands and fingers, is getting the hang of baby balancing and is now also beginning to sleep much much better (as are we). he coos and gurgles in the cutest way, which makes up for the farting and snorthing he makes when his belly is rumbling!

I now go into the new year with 2 full months off work, so that I can spend time with Oliver in particular, but also with Buffy as well as give her some free time and space so that she can get back into her work schedule.

We are healthy, happy if a little tired.

We have started playing video games together sometimes, instead of watching TV at night, I still get out for runs a few times a week and actually ran 83 hours over the last year and will continue to try to keep fit in the new one.

Buffy spends a lot of time reading and chatting with her friends online and with facetime and she is looking forward to the new year and more work and the kids growing up!

We have nothing really to complain about - even though I complain about everything - but that's because I am a knobhead. So just ignore me and my rants.

So what if we have to wear a mask? (You have to cover your face this time of year anyway or it will freeze off)

So what if we haven't been to a pub in ages (We have two kids, it wouldn't be much different)

So what if we haven't seen friends in a while (I don't really like that many people anyway and sites easier to leave a Zoom meeting than someone's crap party at their house! 😁😁😁)

Nothing much has really changed for us - We ARE lucky, I know.

I have sympathy for anyone who has struggled through this last year. But as one of our neighbours told me a few days ago as I built the blood coloured Ice robot that now guards our little house -

'There is light at the end of the tunnel and at least now, it is no longer a train coming to hit you'. (Thanks to Mark, from Raspberry Manor) for that - I do like our little chats!

Here are some photos to look at from December-