Spot the Ball.

It was a beautiful autumn day, sadly I had to spend the whole morning chained to the kitchen table working on my preparation for uni next week, for some strange reason as a postgraduate student work for the week ahead has to be submitted for Sunday so effectively for some tutorials the written submission has to be completed 4 days prior to the session, I sometimes wonder if these academics appreciate that part time students have jobs, families and maybe even a life out-with the institution, this is making the work load punitive.

After 5 hours it was time to take Fraser to a party, the guys were all going to play football at one of the five aside pitches, when your 8 that's a party I'm told!!! Kit on boots thrown in the car off we went, we arrived and it was beautifully warm, the bold boy got his boots on and trotted off with the others and soon they were bibbed up and underway. I hot the books again for a while, sitting on the steps listening to the laughs and shouts of joy as I read, the sun warming my face.

I put the books away and sat a while just watching them play, enjoying their exuberance and my mind drifted away, thoughts of my friend a week since we said goodbye but it seemed only yesterday we were eight and running in the park playing for the local village team. I pulled the camera out of my bag and shot a few frames of Fraser, how quickly he seems to have changed recently. Two girls who were watching their boyfriends on the adjacent pitch were laughing and joking, one of them said "Awww look at the wee blond boy, he is dead cute, he looks like a mini David Beckham" Fraser seems to attract attention, he is the smallest, he has an infectious smile, a smile that endears him to anyone he meets, and eyes that when you hold his gaze it is as if he can see into your soul, he is a very deep little person, a very special little person and I should tell him that more often!!!

I like this shot, the goal keeper had hoisted an up and under and as the other boys scattered afraid of being struck by the meteorite as it descended, Fraser kept his eye firmly fixed on the ball unerring in his concentration, he took the ball on his head and controlled it like I could not even have dreamed of doing and took it down before passing it to the wing, I was in awe of his skill. with the ball out of sight it seemed a funny shot but those observant enough will have seen the shadow of the ball behind him and see it was at that point level with the flood lights!!!

Again I only have a little action and really no more than a family snap today but all to often we miss these moments and they are nice to have for all too soon he wont want dad around as it wont be cool and I would never want to cramp his style!!!!

I hope it makes you smile and I hope you enjoy a little glimpse of the joy of childood