Yee-hah!

Hi folks - hope all's good with you. Thought you might like to see what we came up with in the end for Book Week...
Call me a cheapskate if you will, but I couldn't see the point in forking out for a 'fruit, vegetable or character of the world costume' which was only going to be worn once. (I really can't see Charlie opting to go to a fancy dress party dressed as a potato...)
So Pete suggested a cowboy, and a cowboy it was! It appears lots of other mums and dads had the same idea, because there was a veritable herd of little cowboys and cowgirls at the school gate this morning.
(There were, of course, other children clothed from head to foot in papier mache dressed as carrots, pineapples and bananas, complete with stalky, spiky head-dresses... yes, I felt I was failing somewhat in the effort stakes, but Charlie was happier as a cowboy anyway!)
Charlie's outfit was also cheap as chips - he already had the shirt and jeans, he was given the hat at a party years ago, the neckerchief came with a cowboy book from Pete's aunt, so I splashed out all of £1.60 on a sheriff's badge, holster and pistol. Bargain.
Just for the record, I'm normally a bit precious about Charlie playing with guns. (I don't have a problem with space zappers or other shooty things - just toy guns that look like real guns - there are so many better things I'd rather he was playing with instead.)
But it was either £1.60 for the badge and holster set to make him look a bit more like a proper cowboy, or £10 for a proper cowboy outfit... and skinflintiness won out. (Is skinflintiness really a word?)
Fortunately, at £1.60, the quality wasn't the greatest, and the trigger was broken before it even got out of the front door this morning. Needless to say, I think the pistol might be finding its way into the recycling box before very long.
But Charlie was tickled pink with his cowboy outfit - and that's all that matters. Tomorrow is the Harvest Festival at school. Because of space constraints, the parents don't go - we just have to send in produce (all the random tins and packets from the back of the cupboard) and then we go in at the end of the school day to buy it all back again!

It's also parents' evening next week - it'll be good to hear what Charlie's new teacher makes of him! He seems to be enjoying Year 1 though, and is doing pretty well from what we can tell.

Pete was away last night, and he won't be back until quite late tonight. His work is going really well, and his boss has just ordered him a Blackberry, so we really will be a house full of swanky phones! I'll be saving money on text messages because I'll just be able to email him.

Dad has been really unwell since his last chemo, and I don't think he is going to bother with the final session, as it doesn't seem to be doing a lot other than make him feel rotten.

His right arm and hand are terribly swollen because the cancer in his lymph gland is stopping the fluid from draining properly. The fluid is also starting to sit around his chest and stomach which is making breathing and eating uncomfortable for him.

It's a really difficult time for him and Mum, and it's very hard to see him feeling so poorly. We'd be grateful for any thoughts, prayers and positive vibes you are able to send our way.

We're off to the Little Hearts Matter run this weekend, so we're hoping for a dry day. It'll be nice to catch up with Charlie's heart friends again - watch out for some pictures soon!