Days with Tom #1

Hello Tom.

Before you were born, I promised myself that I would keep a constant online record of you. It was to be a multimedia extravaganza. Much like that Google Chrome ad (sniff, still makes me well up).

Then you actually arrived.

“Morning! What now?”

And all those grand plans went by the wayside. It had a lot to do with the fact that you were really quite time-consuming. But if I’m honest, it was more to do with my innate laziness. Sorry, son.

Anyway. Now I find myself with a bit more time on my hands than I did before. I’ll be looking after you for a day or two a week. No mummy. No child minder. Just me. And I’ll be chronicling our adventures here.

Starting with…

Friday 20th April 2012

Thank you Cbeebies for being on from such an early hour.

I quite liked watching Postman Pat with you. I say, “with you”. I mean more you watched it, spellbound, while I lay on the sofa wondering if letting you spend the whole day in front of the telly would make me a bad father.

Of course it would. So we went out for brunch at La Cafeteria, Walthamstow’s premier eatery. You ordered the toast. I’d brought a banana as an amuse-bouche. I fed it to you while singing “Ba Na Na Na Naa”. Like the Kaiser Chiefs song.

Oh, we met Brian Harvey, formerly of 90s Boy Band East 17 (it’s good to see some people don’t abandon their roots). You were on your trike and waved at him as he walked past. You said “Hiya!” Good lad – nice to see that celebrity doesn’t faze you.

Of all the times not to be carrying a camera. Sigh.

Anyway, here’s a picture of Brian for old times’ sake.

“And ven ver fackin baby said Hiya!”

After that, nothing could really live up to your brush with stardom. I mean, we went to the swings, you had your obligatory middle-class lunch of pesto chicken pasta and did a poo. You also ran around. A lot.

But in the words of East 17, deep, deep down the whole Harvey thing was the real highlight.

Talking of which (tenuous link alert). You’ve got your first trip to the hairdresser’s tomorrow.

Should be fun. Fingers crossed.

Tags: Brian Harvey, East 17, La Cafeteria, Walthamstow