Good morning Kirsten

You turn three today: happy birthday!

2 v. 3

As in previous years, this was you on your second birthday:

And this was you a few days before your third birthday:

What have you been up to this year?

This year hasn’t been as action-packed as 2022, at least as far as holidays go, but we have been busy.

The usual routine is still that you spend three days at nursery each week, often seeing Gran and Pappie during one of those afternoons; two days with Mum, going to lots of classes and seeing friends; and two days with Mum and me, going on “Mummy / Daddy adventure days“. We still see Uncle Mark most Saturday mornings and Grandpa on Sunday mornings.  

You’ve got into trains in a major way.  It doesn’t matter what type or size: you love them all!

We’ve been going to Troon a lot for tea.  You seem to really enjoy ‘picnics’ in the car (i.e., fish suppers from the Wee Hurrie) and watching the waves.  A couple of times ago, we saw a big sailing ship and we all decided it must have been pirates!

We built your new ‘big girl bed’ together and you’re now very happy in it.  No escapes, so far.  

You continue to enjoy music, thank god. The Encanto soundtrack is your current favourite:

When the weather has been good, we’ve spent time at the beach.  Playing in the sand is up there with your favourite things to do.

We went to Girona for our summer holiday.  You had a great time there and, If we’d let you, I think you’d have lived in the pool.  You also bottle-fed fish at the Barcelona aquarium, which I didn’t know was possible.

We took a gamble by taking you to see some of the cycling World Championships in town.  Turned out you enjoyed it!  Belgium next, I think…

You’ve also spent lots of time with family, of course:

What are you like?

I’ve been thinking about how to summarise you at this point in your life:

You love everything: from cats to umbrellas; your parents to conkers; everything.  And you show it.  

• You love to sing and dance.  Particular favourites include the Encanto and Lion King soundtracks.  

• When we ask you how you’ve slept, and whether you’ve had any dreams, you tell us that you’ve dreamt of rainbows, unicorns, Spider-Man and ice cream.

• You listen out for planes overhead and say that you’d like to fly in a plane yourself.

• You go up to other kids at play parks and introduce yourself.  You also ask other kids to help you onto climbing frames that Mum and I have said are too big for you.

You get the picture?  You’re incandescent.  

Take a look at these reactions to things:

I hope your outlook on life continues like this.  

Thoughts for the year

My thought for the year is: forks.

Mum and I have been watching a programme called The Bear.  Season 2 just finished.  

An episode of Season 2 is named Forks and, in my opinion, it’s a perfect episode of television.  

It involves a character that’s been drifting and knows himself that he doesn’t have a purpose in life.  During the episode, he discovers the thing that gets him out of bed in the morning and in which he takes pride.  He’s a changed man after making that discovery. 

I’ve been thinking about that in the context of what we can help instil in you.  Where I get to is that we should encourage and help you:

• To do something that gets you out of bed in the morning.  We don’t mind what the thing is for you, and maybe you’ll need to try a few different things, but you’ll work it out. 

• Once you have found the thing, to take pride in it.  I distinctly remember your Gran (and my Aunty Margaret) rubbing out untidy homework and saying “if something is worth doing, it’s worth doing well”. I think that’s right.  In The Bear, learning to take pride in the little things – forks – was the catalyst for the change in the character’s life:

• To constantly try to improve the thing.  In my experience, this is where things start to get fun. This is about fulfilling your potential and doing the thing at a level that you couldn’t have imagined when you started out.

• To teach the thing to others.  Someone other than Mum and I will, along the way, take extra time to explain something to you, or give you a bit of extra confidence.  You should pass that on. 

If you can do that, and maybe even find more than one thing, I’d like to think that it will contribute to you having a fulfilling life and, maybe experience days like this every once in a while:

A few final words in relation to The Bear (can you tell I like it!?):

• The main character is Carmy: a Michelin star chef who has returned to his family restaurant following the death of his brother. 

• His brother used to tell Carmy to “let it rip” when he needed encouragement.   I’m a fan of that.

• He and his brother had a complicated relationship but it’s obvious that, for better and worse, Carmy has been heavily influenced by his brother.  Their thing was the same.  

• At the end of Season 1, there’s a very brief montage of them cooking together.  They don’t speak – they just glance and smile at each other – and I think the scene is in the show because it’s a pivotal moment in Carmy’s life.  It may be the point at which he and his brother were at their happiest.  

Your brother is about to arrive and I’m sure that the relationship between you two will be special and important.  I hope that you can throw him the odd “let it rip” or smile of approval; I suspect it’ll matter more to him than you realise.

By the way, this photo of you reminded me of that scene:

Until next year.

Love, 

Your Dad.  

Good morning Kirsten,

It’s your Dad, again – here to mark your second birthday: happy birthday!

As I think might become a tradition in these posts, this was you a year ago today:

And this was you a few days ago – climbing, no less!

What’s been happening?

… Loads, is the answer.

You still go to nursery three days a week (spending the other two weekdays with Mum); you still go swimming and to music classes, etc.; you still see your grandparents and Uncle Mark most weeks; you still love reading books; and we get out and about together every weekend.

We’ve also been able to get out and about more, this year. We’ve been on three holidays:

We went to St Andrews for a few days over Easter:

We were in the South of France a couple of weeks ago for John and Paloma’s wedding:

And, of course, we spent three weeks in California with most of the family for a wedding of our own:

It’s been a busy year.

How have you been?

… Incredible, is the answer.

The pace at which you change remains unreal!

This time last year, you were still a baby. Since then, you’ve become a fully-fledged wee person:

• You can walk, run, jump and hide;
• You can talk;
• You have friends (Josh and Sadie from nursery, in particular);
• You can play with and pat the cats;
• You can (and frequently do) ask for cuddles;
• You insist on putting hair clips on Bertie the Bear and Tombliboo (I’m still not quite sure what they are);
• You sometimes throw almighty tantrums; and
• The thing I enjoy to do most with you: you dance and SING!

You have a brilliant sense of humour; you’re mischievous; you’re affectionate; you’re observant; and you’re bright.

One of the particular highlights of my week is currently our Sunday morning routine. We usually have a bit more time on our hands and we spend it playing “slamming tunes” (I can sense your mother eye-rolling, even now) and dancing, while we eat breakfast.

A favourite track of yours is “Tate” by Fred Again. We were having breakfast this morning (a Sunday, so the tunes were slamming) and you demanded that I put on “broskis” – you’ll understand why you call it that, if you listen to the track (I try to turn down the bad language at the beginning…):

Thoughts for the year and What’s Next?

Do me a favour please, Kirsten, and hit ‘play’ before reading on:

[Who knows whether in 20 years Youtube will still be a ‘thing’ so let me also tell you that it’s “Photograph” by Arcade Fire, from the soundtrack of an excellent film called ‘Her’.]

For me, this feels like our last year.

• It’s called “Photograph” because, in the film, it’s used in lieu of a photo to capture a moment in two people’s lives together (we’re lucky in that we have plenty of photos).
• There’s a definite rhythm to it, but with changes of pace and key.
• The track is also instrumental, which sort of reflects that we’re not quite at the stage where we can speak properly with each other.
• Importantly, I think it’s hopeful…

Speaking of which, you’ll hopefully have a sense from everything explained above that your second year has been brilliant – there’s nothing that I would have done differently.

As for ‘what’s next?’ (the eternal question), we’re thinking hard about the future: there are decisions to be made about where we’re going to live; where you might go to school, etc. By the time you read this, you’ll have an opinion as to whether we made the right decisions. All I’ll say is this: you can rest assured that we’re trying our best for you. We may not get everything right, but that won’t be for lack of effort.

I’ll leave you, for now, with two things:

First: some photos of you with your loved ones this year:

Second: a ‘Tash’. There aren’t (currently) any photos of me keeping an eye on you as you play / dance / do any of the other things that keeps you busy, but I imagine the expression on my face is similar to this (Joaquin Phoenix, ‘Her’) – he’s mesmerised.

Until next year, Kirsten.

Love,

Your Dad

P.s. If you read / look at photos at the same pace as me, “Photograph” will just be ending. Please don’t tell me if that didn’t work: I spent more time than was reasonable playing around with it.

Good morning Kirsten,

Who knows when you’ll read this, if ever, but you turn one today: Happy birthday! 

In some ways, your first year has flown by.  In others, it feels like a lifetime. From your perspective, I suppose, the latter is exactly what it’s been.

I have tried in this post to jot-down some of the things that I remember most about your first 365 days on Planet Earth.  I reckon that’s important for two reasons: first, perhaps you’ll enjoy reading about your younger self one day.  Second, because you change so quickly, I want to make sure that I don’t lose any of the memories that I’ve accumulated this year.

To start off, and illustrate just how much you’ve changed during your first year, here’s what you looked like when you were three hours old:

And here’s what you looked like when you were 363 days old:

The most important thing about the first year of your life is that you’ve been healthy and happy.  There have been times when you’ve felt a bit under the weather (e.g. after starting nursery, you seemed to catch every bug imaginable, including chickenpox) and a bit grumpy (like me, your sugar levels need to remain topped-up in order to be on top form), but they have been few and far between. Most days, you’ve been like this from the moment you wake up:

Of course, playing is your favourite thing to do, preferably with something you can chew on.  When you’re really enjoying something, you laugh, clap and roll your ankles. You’ve also recently started to bop along to music and nod your head when one of your favourite songs plays (I’m particularly delighted about that!). You get a kick out of books; especially ones with windows that you can open and things that pop out. For example, there’s a book called “I’m Hungry”, by Rob Campbell, which includes a pop-out tiger at the end.  You could read that book all day and still laugh every time at the last page.

This is one of the first times that we read a book together (shortly before you overtook me on the hair-front…):

You now really enjoy your food. You tend to eat at least some of whatever your mum and I have, whether we like it or not!  We also go out lots at the weekend. A current highlight of the week is brunch almost every Saturday morning with Uncle Mark at a café called Patricia’s. We’re there so often that they know how you like your toast and that you enjoy your orange juice from a takeaway espresso cup! 

You go to lots of classes (swimming, dancing, gymboree, etc.) and have had no trouble settling into nursery. Your mum has opted to spend two days each week with you this year. You get up to loads of fun things but you especially like swimming:

I could write loads more about what you do but maybe you’d be more interested in what you’re like. I’m biased, of course, but I think you’re a joy. You have your own distinct personality: you’re developing a sense of humour (you hide under your bath towel, for example, and play peekaboo); you’re interested in the world around you (I remember when you were very small and we used to walk beneath trees while out for a walk because you liked to look at the leaves); you enjoy company (just this morning, you were waving and talking to people while we were out and about); and you’re confident.

You needn’t take my word for all of that. Just look at how much folk enjoy spending time with you:

You’ve brought more joy into all of our lives than certainly I could ever have imagined. That’s especially the case for your mum and me but also for your grandparents and Uncle Mark (to name but a few). The world is simply a better place with you in it, and that’s before you’ve learned to speak and tell us what you think! It’s miraculous, really.

We have some fun things planned for your second year. I’ll check-in here to let you know how they went. Until then, as you’ll gather if you scroll down, the key question for you is: What’s Next? I can’t wait to find out how you want to answer it.

Love,

Your Dad.

P.S. This wouldn’t be a proper TF without a Tash (I’ll explain that to you one day). I’ve gone for Steve Carell on the basis that he played a dad in a great film called “Beautiful Boy”. I don’t think that I would have properly understood that film before you arrived:

At the risk of extending an already mammoth TF, I’ll also leave you two of the tracks that remind me most of your first year: the first is a ‘recomposed’ (whatever that means…) version of a Bach’s “Cello Suite No. 1”. I don’t really understand the names of classical pieces but this one seems to be called “Prelude“. I distinctly remember it playing during the drive home from the hospital after you were born and thinking that it was perfect for that moment. The second is “Treasure” by Sampha. It’s the soundtrack from “Beautiful Boy” and, again, it seems perfect for you. You’ll no doubt be sick of hearing both of them by the time your old enough to read this post..

Good morning Tash Appreciators,

It’s been a while!

Back when TF was in everyone’s mailboxes at 5am each Friday, it was usually drafted while I was on a minging, over-priced, Scotrail train on the way back from Edinburgh.  However, this edition, for the first time ever, is being written (Sierra Nevada in hand) from TF’s spiritual home: the tiny bit of coastline midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles called San Simeon.

Mr Tash Friday Senior (aka Dave-Dawg) likes to check in with me every now and again to make sure I haven’t done something stupid.  Earlier this week, he text to ask where I was and that I wasn’t dead in a ditch somewhere.  When I explained that I was in Yosemite and that I was going stargazing at Glacier Point that evening his reply was:

“…you always find the great add ons…”

I should first mention that if you’re ever in Yosemite overnight you must go stargazing at Glacier Point.  Glacier Point (as mentioned in previous TFs) is where John Muir (a serial Tash) persuaded Teddy Roosevelt (he of “Daring Greatly” fame and also a serial Tash) to make Yosemite a National Park.  It looked like this the other night, as the sun set and moon rose:

It’s a long drive to get up there at sunset and it seems even longer when you’re going back down in the dark but it’s inspiring stuff: no photo can do it justice.

I hadn’t thought of the trip to Glacier Point as an add-on.  I had just thought: “I’m here – let’s do it“.  Now I think about it, I wasn’t always like that.

A few years ago, I’d have said “it’s too long a drive” or “it’s too dangerous to drive those roads at night” but I’m more inclined to have a go at things now.  I think a lot of that stems from people’s reaction to TF.  The positive reaction to TF (and Operation Zorro in particular) was a real boost at a time when I was swithering about what to do with my life.  I think that’s why my attitude to things now is to think “let’s give it a bash and see what happens“.  Sometimes all it takes is a little encouragement, you know?

This week’s Tash has to be John Muir.  If it wasn’t for him, I might not have had the chance to see the Yosemite which I saw the other night.  He said in 1912, about “The Yosemite” that: “[e]verybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike.”  Having seen the place, I know exactly what he means.

TF might not be as regular as it once was but the question on my mind is the same as ever:

What’s next?

Have a great weekend folks – hope you’ve got some time off coming up.

Post-script

While I’m talking about fun add-ons, I should share what I’ve found this trip:

(1) Kirby Cove – San Francisco

This is only really do-able because of the wonders of Uber.

Kirby Cove is on the Marin County side of the Golden Gate Bridge (i.e. the far side).  There are a couple of ways to get there: either get an Uber all the way there or (the more fun way) get the ferry from Pier 39 to Sausalito and then an Uber from Sausalito.  You’re then heading for the first observation point on Hawk Hill (overlooking the Bridge).  Once you’re there, there’s a path which runs down the hill to a small beach.  On the beach, there is a swing over the sea…

It’s not a lot to look at in this photo but the views of the bridge are the best you’ll find and there’s no-one else there.

(2) Moonstone Beach – San Simeon

I’ve banged on about this before.  If you’ve never been (and, if you haven’t, you really need to take a long, hard look at your life choices), it looked like this tonight:

I’d rather spend a day here than anywhere else in the world.

Good morning Tash Appreciators,

As we head to work today, most of us will be looking forward to the end of the week and a couple of days off. It might even be a non-uniform day at work because it’s the last Friday of the month. However, for one chap in particular, this definitely isn’t a “dress-down” day and he definitely isn’t looking forward to a nice weekend at home.

This morning, Scott Kelly woke up in the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and won’t go to bed on Earth again for a whole year. That’s because Captain Kelly is going to spend a year on this:

The point of spending a year in space is to find out how the body changes in zero-gravity conditions over a long period of time. That’s going to be useful information to have before folk start heading off to Mars in the not too distant future. The guys at NASA are apparently concerned that long periods of time without gravity could lead to eyeballs changing shape; muscles (including the heart) weakening to the extent that they don’t function properly when back on Earth (or Mars); and bones losing minerals like calcium and weakening.

Of course, in any experiment about the effects of a particular type of situation on the human body it’s useful to have a control subject. Luckily for NASA, Captain Kelly has a twin brother – Mark. Mark Kelly was also an astronaut and you may recall that he’s married to Gabrielle Giffords, the former Congresswoman who survived an assassination attempt.

Mark Kelly isn’t just a control subject though – he’ll be key to his brother dealing with a whole year away from not just his home and family but his planet. As Elton John predicted: “it’s lonely out in space”. to Scott, the feeling of helplessness while he’s away with absolutely no way of getting home is likely to be the hardest part – he’s been in space for long periods before and he doesn’t seem all that concerned about the physical side of things.

Mark will be the person at the other end of the phone who’ll keep Scott’s spirits up and makes sure everything is OK at home. I guess it’s really true that no man is an island; even when he’s 229 miles above the Earth, going at 17,500 mph.

I almost forgot the Tash. You’ll never guess what Mark Kelly likes to rock…

He’s grown his Tash out a bit since his days in space ended – no doubt that will be some comfort to his brother.

Have a great weekend folks!

What’s next?