More the Ollie Boy & Amy

Hi all,

Some interesting ones here, a complete hot potch update for you all for the 2 little'uns;

Ollie's Birthday Photos that were taken by the lazer shoot company can be viewed at; http://www.lasershootout.com/gallery/v/091017OliverLaserBDParty/

I just wanted to share this email from Ollie's teacher that she wrote the other day. She had asked for a copy of his portfolio from his Year 2 to use as an exemplar for other students. I asked if all was OK still with him at school, and to make sure she looked at this birthday party photos on the blog and this was the reply: "Looks like you guys had fun in his ;arty. I had a look at the blog. Didn't realise Oliver's birthday came with some other memories as well. I think you're an amazing Dad. You're doing such a wonderful job with Ollie, Brian! I have never had to make any leeway for him on account of single parenting in the last few months. You have such a good rapport with him and of course he is a good kid! He is doing well emotionally at school. In fact, he's being tightened by me every now and then because my expectations are higher from him. I just compared last year's portfolio to his work now and there's an obvious expansion of his knowledge base and abilities. It is such a pleasure for me. I am so glad I still have him with me.

Atima, thanks so much for these wonderful words - it means so so much to hear this, and makes me even more proud of him. Thanks so much!

Amy and Ollie were asked to be in a photo shoot by Sash Alexander, a Dutch professional photographer who lives in Singapore, and has Asian wife. He has decided to create a coffee table book full of about 125 people of all ages that are mixed race - European and Asian. So my two got asked to be part of it and hey presto this weekend we went to meet Sash and have the photos done. They're not uploaded yet but check out the following link over next week or so to see them. The book is called 50/50 (& Thereabouts)

http://sashalexander.wordpress.com/category/books/

Well that's it for today - back to work work work - aaaahhhhhh.

Love to all - Bri xxx

Well hello hello who is this mature boy, a mature 8 year old boy that is. His first without Mum bless him. Was always a strange day for us as Ni's brother passed away very young actually on same birth date as Ollie - so we were always in a mixed minded way on this day - very sad but very happy. Same this time and maybe even sadder as we had to think about his mum as well. But we got there didn't we Ollie!

Well I think you'll see he had a great time for his birthday on the last bog I posted, so today opening presents in pyjamas on his actual birthday was almost too normal for him, ha ha.

He did want to say massive thank you to everyone that got him a present and came to his birthday party - you have made an 8 year old very happy so thank you, and a father very proud of this wonderful little man. He sends his love to those he cannot and has not seen for a while in England, Australia and America. And of course the same comes from Amy and me - thanks to all, much love Bri xxxx

Happy Happy Birthday Ollie

Well how time flies - my wee man is now 8 years old. Good grief. We had 20 or so of his mates from school and our of school all come to a "laser shootout". Amazing fun for the kids and you could measure that on their sweat levels, ha ha. All mum's and dad's too I think had a great day, as most stayed the event duration not a "drop off". Great day and thanks to all including Mary, Miz and Yuko who made it all possible for me to arrange, thank you! A great day that I think Mr Kennett enjoyed immensely - love you Ollie - Happy Birthday matey.

Daddy xxxxx

Bohol, Philippines

Here are some snaps of an amazing time me and the kids just had in Mary's home country, and in fact Mary's home island in her home country. After a pretty tortuous trip - involving me getting kids to bed at 8 then waking them at 2230 for a flight to Manilla then Bohol, they were sleepy/grumpy etc. I ended up standing for a 4 hour flight as I held Ollie's nodding head and the other arm was wrapped round the other seat to stop Amy rolling off. Oh dear. So no sleep for one whole night for that trip.

But when we got there Mary was there to meet us at the airport, and then we're off. What a beautiful country and what wonderful people. We had such a nice time. We got the opportunity to meet with Mary's family and kids, who all got on so so well with Ollie and Amy. Lovely to see that.

We did a lovely lunch in Tagbilaran, capital of Bohol. trike rides to and from hotel (like a tuk tuk), days tours to looks at chocolate hills, smallest monkey in world, butterfly gardens (yes Yuko I did get some photos that I will send to you), dolphin spotting etc etc. Just lovely!

We all had such a nice time and I hope Mary rested and enjoyed herself too with her family.

So above are some sample snaps and videos of the fun time we had. I hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoyed being in them and taking them.

All our love Bri and the kids xxx

Some new pictures

So a very good freind comes to the house after I had had a bad night morning - in fact missed a client meeting, which luckily Ged was there to cover for me. He sees the huge canvass picture I just had done of the kids and we start chatting re it. I was mentioning that I was going to go to photographer but she was looking to charge $2k. It was then that Ged mentioned he dabbled in photography and that he'll book a studio and he'll take a few snaps of me and the kids, all artful like with black and white, including the clothes. So along we all pop yesterday and had a great 2 hours, we go to meet Ged's wife Susan and also another freind from work's kids. Great fun and then WOW look at the output - and Ged says he "dabbles". Crikey I think you'll agree the man is a professional!!!! I LOVE THESE PHOTOGRAPHS!!!!!!!!

Love them or Hate them?!?!?!?!?

Well love them or hate them, here is my newest addition. About 5 weeks in the making and a lot of pain, but I love the final result, my new half sleeve koi carp tattoo.

I apologise now to my Japanese family, don't worry no plans for becoming Yakuza, this is actually for sentimental reasons. Also for my Japanese family I hope you can read the writing, in fact on the wooden block is Mizuyo's hand-writing converted to a tattoo.

So for those that cannot read Japanese on the wooden block is Naoko (Ni's real name), on the bottom half in the water is Amy (she's the youngest so the lowest on the tattoo) and on the top in the water is Ollie. So I now have a life long memory of my family, including my beautiful wife, and the symbolisation of the koi swimming up stream is "love and prosperity" - what more could you wish for your family? Plus the koi and the water design is classic Japanese.

So again I have to say I love it, worth all the pain to have something with me for ever. I hope you all do too. In fact both mum's, English and Japanese, who are not avid tattoo lovers have sort of showed their appreciation - isn't that so ladies! And finally apologies to Naoko, I know you didn't want me to have one babe, but hey it is so nice, if you were here how could you not have loved it to!

6 months and still missing desperately

I've been having some terrible times lately without Nina. Just missing her like crazy. So about time I posted some thoughts of her and found this beautiful song by Seal - it says it all - "I'm still in love with you!" A really beautiful song, so please listen the lyrics it hits all my thoughts. Although I do believe this is a song about someone's current thoughts for someone alive. I only have memories to go back to.

But I am still crazy about the girl and wish at every opportunity that I could have her back - my love, my soul-mate, my best fried and the mother of my children. Naochan missing you terribly sweetheart. Need that hug and kiss you always promised me when I got back from travelling. Need it bad honey!

Because she's gorgeous

I really don't need to say much to this Blog as I think the song says it all, and I quote; "Because you're gorgeous I'll do anything for you, because you're gorgeous I know you'll get me through!" What more can I say, never a truer word said Amy Boo. Love Daddy xxxx

Here we go with  proud father moment for the wee man. Such a good boy, I promised I would do this for him. Lovely lovely Ollie - my best mate,  you make me so proud every day Ollie. Hope you all like this lovely little collage of him. Turn your head though to watch the robot dancing king! Love you mate - Daddy xxxx