Aidan is now three years and seven months old. He's really starting to show an interest in crafts now, enjoying painting, colouring, sticking, making a model Tyrannosaurous Rex (a wooden craft kit), as well as making "pictures" (painted handprints on mugs) at The Ceramic Experience.

He's been getting on well at playgroup too, and the playleaders have been commenting on how well he is playing with the other children. He's having lots of fun at Tumbletots and is a very confident and cautious (for the most part) climber. He enjoys coming to Pre-5's too and playing with the slides, and the play kitchen and, his especial favourite, the wooden train set. He's also been to SpaceBugs (softplay) with Gungle on a couple of occasions - lots of fun!

Aidan (thanks to Chappie entering him) won a competition in the local newspaper this month - he won a family ticket to see the Linlithgow Player's performance of "The Sleeping Beauty". He took Mummy, Daddy and Megan along, and he and Megan enjoyed their first proper pantomime. The highlight though was when he went to look at the spotlights at the end of the performance, and the operator showed him how it worked, and then let him have a go at operating it. How to make one small boy very happy!

We've had some nice meals with family and friends this month, and especially enjoying seeing a bit more of Jill now that she's moved to Scotland. We had a lovely weekend visiting Auntie Elaine and Uncle Chris in Inverness, and Aidan enjoyed his first real hot chocolate (made by melting chocolate in milk) in the Maya (Belgian chocolatier) cafe in Strathpeffer! Aidan also had a great time when we drove to Brechin (east of Dundee) for the day to visit Stacey and Becca.

Aidan's been having lots of fun being outside (whatever the weather!), whether that was going out for a wet and windy walk with Daddy, scooting to the park along the road, or walking to the big park nearby. He and Megan have lots of fun playing in the back garden (and getting very muddy!), and he, Madi and Ju-ju had a wonderful time running around in and out of the playhouse, when they came to visit for the afternoon.

We've had one day of proper snow this winter, and Grandpa and Aidan made the most of it by making a snowman in the garden. It survived long enough for Daddy to see it when he got home from work that evening, but was gone by morning.

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Image 0064-3213 Canon PowerShot S45 1/60 sec., f/2.8 2007:01:21 17:42:41 UTC (c) Keith & Carolyn

Drinking Coca-Cola - an occasional treat.

Constructing with Lego.

Image 0064-3218 Canon PowerShot S45 1/60 sec., f/2.8 2007:01:21 19:25:43 UTC (c) Keith & Carolyn

Image 0064-3236 Canon PowerShot S45 1/49 sec., f/4.5 2007:01:27 12:31:29 UTC (c) Keith & Carolyn

The flying fox - Aidan's favourite playground activity. In Inverness (at Whin Park) with Uncle Chris.

Blowing up Uncle Chris - like a balloon, of course!

Image 0064-3240 Canon PowerShot S45 1/60 sec., f/2.8 2007:01:27 13:32:14 UTC (c) Keith & Carolyn

Image 0064-3256 Canon PowerShot S45 1/60 sec., f/2.8 2007:02:06 08:24:57 UTC (c) Keith & Carolyn

Stuffing the sofa. Aidan loves playing with sofa cushions, and will pull apart any sofa given half a chance - the cushions become all sorts of weird and wonderful things, from thrones, to gates, to fish tanks. Mummy has since rebelled, having once too often not had a seat to sit on, and refused to allow him to do this anymore - now he just plays with the little cushions which normally reside on top of the sofa!