Hello! It's good to be back!

Sorry for the ludicrously long absence. Just caught up with work / home busy-ness.

Photos of our recent trip to see Thomas the Tank Engine, and Joe's birthday party at home this weekend. All good!

Try walking in my shoes

So Sylvie is officially walking now. As I'd suspected she waited until she was completely confident that she'd got the hang of balancing and now she's off - doesn't fall over, climbs over everything. So we're off to get her first pair of shoes this weekend, there'll be no stopping her.

She tried out Joe's old wellies when we had all the snow, we had a few days of welly envy but hopefully that's passed now!

The kids had great fun in the snow. It was lovely the first couple of days when no one could get to work or school. Everyone was out in the street building snowmen, igloos, snow chairs etc. There are still carrots littering gardens and pavements all around Teddington. Bushy Park had hundreds of snowmen body stumps at the weekend where they still hadn't melted.

Simon has been away this week working for HMRC in Telford, not even sure where Telford is! Gearing up for our weekend in Center Parcs at the end of this month, kids are booked into the creche and we're booked in to the Spa, can't wait. After that we'll be making our fancy dress for Camp Bestival in July, must start practicing my sewing!

One day I'll fly away

Came home yesterday and there was a pair of huge green parakeets in the tree in the front garden! They were having fun tucking into the little crabapples, they stayed there for ages, squawking away. What next?
Joe is having fun working on his scooter technique but I think it'll be a while before we need to buy him a helmet! Slow and steady and all that...
Sylvie is back at Roehampton on Wednesday for more audiology checks. Her bald patch where her pressure sore was is causing her some discomfort so we'll be off to Kingston hospital again to have that checked when we get our appointment. What Simon didn't mention was that she started walking on Christmas Eve - at mum's house, just like Joe! She's still quite cautious and I get the feeling she was able to do it months ago as she's very steady on her feet. Anyway she's very pleased with herself and has developed a fierce love of hats to celebrate!
Mr Mackie was staying with us for a couple of days before flying back to Singapore. Joe was particularly enamoured and now says hello, JoeJoe and Roly (steamroller on Bob the Builder) with a Scottish accent! Neil will probably need a week off to recover, not sure he knew how exhausting carrying a two year old around on your back all day was!

Rocking around the Christmas tree

A lot to catch up on! Left for Ireland on Dec 17th: Heathrow, Dublin, Hire Care, Ardara - and hence began 2 weeks of bliss with Niamh's mum Breda.
Let's have some photos:

Our stay included a lot of lie-ins (forever grateful Breda), nights with Sam & Paul, days with Siun & Murphy, Christmas with Conor and Liz , a visit from Sarah, Pete and Rosie (incl Sarah's birthday), Niamh's birthday, a night at 'O'Fabulous', some trips to the beach a lot of guinness, home made moscow mules, and, as any decent compilation album would claim: 'much, much more'.

What's another year

December already, how did that happen. Lost my voice at the weekend, Simon was very pleased! Kept insisting I rest my voice! We went up to Soho for Mr Hodson's birthday to a flash Japanese restaurant and had a lovely time. One of those places where you can't find the way in or where the toilets are, the waiters look like models or performance artistes etc! Much hilarity ensues, but the food was excellent!
Zara and the Simmonds clan were round today. Skye is going to be joining Sylvie at nursery on Fridays. Am grooming Milo to be a future catsitter for Astro.
Have started working for Nathalie my hairdresser, answering phone etc on Thursdays and Fridays. Fits in great with nursery, five minute walk to work and get to wear black without being covered in mushed up biscuit! Will soon know the grey hair secrets of Teddington's yummy mummys and any other secrets if the first week was anything to go by!

I've got your number

Community spirit on the 281 bus back from Kingston on Tuesday. Outside the new pub on the high street a very shiny, large black Maserati was being ticketed. The warden was smiling as he took a photo and his friend captured the event on his mobile. People on the bus were laughing and clapping, everyone started talking to each other, the whole episode was very amusing.
G and P were here on Thursday. They survived the excitement of seeing Teddington's christmas lights being turned on, I don't think Joe will be happy when the lights come down though! Grandpa bought him and Sylvie little wands with flashing lights on which are now the favourite toys of choice and go everywhere with us. The entire town was out for the occasion and we even managed to squeeze a mojito in on the way home.
We're just back from a very nice Christmas lunch with the Haines clan. The children behaved beautifully and were very amusing. Joe sadly now seems to have an ear infection and I think we'll be off to the doctor in the morning.

Go wild in the country

Keep expecting Bill Oddie to jump out in the garden this week. First of all we had a visit from a sparrowhawk who dropped by with her lunch, which looked like a pigeon. After she'd plucked all its feathers she didn't even leave any bones. It was very exciting and I was expecting a bloodbath on the lawn but there wasn't a trace apart from all the feathers. We also seem to have a tribe of very cheeky squirrels who've moved in for winter. Not content with getting into the shed and chewing through the handles holding up the bag of peanuts, they're now coming right up to the window to entertain Joe and Sylvie and tease Astro. We can get rid of the telly at this rate!
Apart from today's snow, Teddington is abuzz with the Christmas lights being turned on this Thursday by Peter Davidson. I think we're going to be visited by a few Dr Who geeks.
Sylvie and Joe have their parents evenings this week at nursery so God knows what they're going to tell me about Sylvie.

Disco Inferno!

Photos!