Happy New Year

A quick swim this morning nearly finished us off. 2 hours to get ready, 1 hour of tantrums afterwards and a stack of soiled towels, and all for just 20 minutes in the water. But then the rest of the day spent doing nothing very much at all, dipping Pringles into custard (not me), reading (me), and just chilling out (all of us) meant the girls were up for a late night.

A text from my brother with the best possible news meaning we could go out to celebrate with light and thankful hearts.

All to one friends' holiday house for eats and drinks and watching many silly adults dancing with wiis. The girls lasted til 11, which is impressive given their usual fall-apart-if-not-in-bed-by-7 state of affairs. Even then, Little Fish conceded defeat with just a hint of "I tired", and held it all together until I told her she couldn't watch High School Musical before bed. Now she's fast asleep, Mog is in bed and singing quietly to herself, and I can hear the others gathering to see the New Year in.

A very happy New Year to everyone; may 2010 be everything you need it to be.
Tia and the girls.

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside

It's possible we chose the wrong time of year to come here. Still, in its own windswept and wet way, this is a pretty island and it's always good to be with friends.

Tia

Still happy

I do it!

"Not help me, I do it myself!"
pause
"Help me do it myself."

Clothes on, toast spreading, dolls dressing, teeth brushing, you name it, this is her refrain. Interrupted briefly for a quick round of "I want that/I not like that/you not eat that" whilst shopping today. Inbetween the mass frustration and mutual impatience though, it is deeply satisfying to have a child begging not for chocolate but for carrots and smoked salmon. And as for the rest, please keep reminding me independence is important.

Tia

Lazy days

The beds must have been comfier than they first appeared, because we all slept in til 8. Mog's wheelchair covers were still drippingly wet, giving us the perfect excuse to stay onsite - her buggy can't be clamped into the bus.

Grand plans were made for energetic walks into and around town. And abandoned. We sat around, visited with friends, and went for a swim.

Now it's nighttime and the girls are sleeping. Grownups are congregated in the flat opposite; the doors are propped open and I'm flitting between the two. Mulled cider in one apartment and the gentle snuffling breaths of sleeping children in the other. It's a winning combination.

Tia

A less than stellar start

Some interesting assistance from Little Fish; funny but distracting. One pump charger forgotten and returned home to collect. Frustrating, but also a sense of relief that we had only gone half a mile.

One ferry just missed and a 90 minute wait for the next.

One Mog, still full of giggles, but also turned into a one woman poo factory. Apparently ferry travel is the ultimate constipation cure; it shook out several days' worth.

One arrival at the very nice holiday apartment to discover "laundry facilities" which are not quite the same as a washing machine in the kitchen. Two very tired and smelly girls. One foully despoiled wheelchair. And the ever pleasing discovery that spare covers are still at home. As is the phone charger, meaning this update will be very brief as my phone is also my clock overnight.

Still; we got here safely as did our friends, and we'll join them tomorrow - too tired tonight
Tia

And the giggle goes on

A minor hiccup with some painful wriggling into awkward positions at silly o'clock in the morning, but after that a long day for Mog, filled with more giggles and laughs and chuckles and yells and other variations on general fizzing over glee. Gentle fizz as we walked to my parents, louder shouts through lunch, and hysterical shoulder-heaving laughter all afternoon. Utter mischief; two unruly legs which stayed still unless her little sister wheeled herself near enough to be kicked. Absolute triumph when she kicked her slippers off, and tears of laughter as she pedalled frantically against whoever tried to put them back on again.

And Little Fish? She lost her other wobbly tooth and has put it safely in a bottle for Grannie and Grandad to look after. I'm not sure what she expects them to do with it.

Meanwhile, witnessing my own grandmother (90)trying to explain the principles of webcams and skype to my uncle (younger) will stay with my cousins and I.

Another good day. And tomorrow we have a third and final family lunch before heading off on holiday. I should probably book that ferry.

Tia