GrumpyDaddy

Hello and a belated Happy New Year. There's been plenty of anticipation and excitement in our household over the festive period because 2012 signals change for our little family. I've held off mentioning any of this over the last few weeks until plans were finalised.

The big news is that my wife has got a new job. Okay, for most of you that's not very exciting. But as she's a vicar that means change for all of us. The most visible change is that we're going to be moving. Not far. We're leaving our sleepy West Dorset village and heading to another sleepy West Dorset village some half an hour's drive west.

We're moving to a large vicarage - which is nice. But it also means lots of change in how we live our lives. With my wife taking over a full time role I'm going to become one of those fabled beasts - a full-time house husband. Scary eh? Okay with the twins at school it's not going to be too tough in childcare terms - just me and toddler Will most days. But during the school holidays I imagine the stress levels will rise.

I wish to register a complaint. My complaint is with the jargon one has to work with when discussing your married relationships should you have been married more than once. The vocabulary of past marriages really is rather limiting in choice and makes no-one look good. Nor does it allow one to fully explain one's situation without having to digress.

When I talk about my "first wife" it implies several things. Firstly that I've had more than one wife - which is fair enough. Secondly that the first marriage ended in divorce - it didn't. And finally that I'm the kind of reprehensible dirtbag that can't honour my wedding vows - I'm not. For me the biggest problem with the phrase is it implies that I'm talking about someone who no longer means much to me, when quite the opposite is true.

I just thought I'd share with you a few snaps I took last week when we were on holiday in Croyde, North Devon.

I don't believe I've actually shared our wedding photos with you before have I?

Here are some pictures from April 5th 2008 when Jo and I got married, followed by some pictures from our wonderful honeymoon in Cornwall.

And yes the first set is much better than the second - the wedding photos were taken by a pro. The honeymoon ones by me!

Click through to see the slideshows (I've moved them inside the page so as not to slow down the front of the site).

I'm sure that you're not surprised there's not been much blogging in the last week or so. We've been very busy with the newest addition to our family - little baby Will. Or Baby Woo asd Jo and I continue to call him following Will's big brother's lead.

Last week was tough for all manner of reasons. Firstly there was the obvious addition to our family of a baby. He's pretty easygoing as babies go - sleeping much of the time - but we've had major angst on how to feed him. After much wailing and gnashing of teeth we've settled on a pragmatic rather than dogmatic approach and everyone seems much happier, especially little Will.

Then there are issues of how two toddlers will cope with the little interloper entering their lives. Patrick has been a complete star. His behaviou over the last week has been something to behold, he's fascinated by baby will but also seems to have grown up to fulfil the role of big brother. He's hardly been on the naughty step since Will arrived.

Well gosh what an action-packed year it has been. Exactly one year ago today I went on my first date with a rather lovely lass from Ealing¹.

As some of you may remember from the time, me going on a date in June 2007 seemed a very odd thing to be doing given recent² events. But I was right wasn't I?

I remember being rather nervous. I went to get a haircut before this monumental event and was rather shocked at the cost. What I really should have done was go out and buy some decent clothes because I was a sartorial disaster of a date.

Just a quick heads-up to those of your who are friends & family contacts on our Flickr account. Our rather brilliant wedding photographs are online there now.

Hi Folks. We're back. Thanks to all who made our wedding such as special day. We had a fabulous honeymoon in Cornwall and married life is just fantastic.

With marriage just a couple of weeks away it's worth taking a look at some challenging educational material from years past when matrimony was taken more seriously than it is today.

Women Keep Your Virtue

More of this sort of thing after the jump...

Do you know what day it is? Why it's March 5th 2008.

Which means?

Yes it's exactly one month today that Jo and I get married.

When we realised this earlier our simultaneous reaction was "oh crap!"

We've so much left to do and so little time. But even if we did nothing else from this point on all the things that make our wedding a wedding are sorted.

So far only two of my friends have said they are coming to our wedding. And while there are cases of perfectly reasonable reasons why some can't attend it's clear that some friends - well now former friends - are treating my bride to be and myself with a complete lack of respect.

I'm hurt, surprised and disgusted to be honest. Given the events of a year ago you'd think my friends would be jumping at the opportunity to celebrate this wonderful happiness I've found in my life after such dark times.

So let me just check this list...

Banns Form...check
Church...check
Reception venue...check
Flowers...check
Dress...check
Suit...check
Catering...check
Photographer...check
Music...check
First Night Hotel...check
Honeymoon Cottage...check

There must be something else we've forgotten? Ah yes...

Invitations Written...check
Invitations Sent...check

Yes we've reached that milestone already. Our wedding invitations went out over the weekend and so you should be receiving them very soon. And if you don't?

Well don't think it means we don't like you, there are plenty of people we're inviting that we don't like, we just like them more than you.

Either that, or the postie has nicked your invitation.