Friday 31 August 2007

week twenty eight

Nelly and I joined my sister on holiday for a week in Anglesey - she assured me there are lots of things to do even if it rained! We were lucky only to have rain for one afternoon, the day that they had predicted gales across the country and the day we had planned to visit the Anglesey Show but most of the day was dry so we had a good time. The week was spent rockpooling, flying kites, two warm days on the beach - sun protection required! long walk around the site of an old copper mine. Nelly had an absolutely stinking cold and slept really badly. On the way up to Cheshire she slept most of the journey not even managing to watch Kipper The Dog on the DVD player. I then picked up the cold, which nearly three weeks later I am just shaking off! SO I now feel for how she must have been feeling while we dragged her out in her back carrier! Poor Beth and Anna really took the brunt of her bad feeling on the end of her hand for hair pulling, pushing and scratching....Sorry girls she did not mean it ....Here is a selection of the pics from that week....

ANglesey is a pretty little island - spoilt only by the houses! all low level, pebbledashed in drab grey with bottle green or nast brown woodwork! I am sure the place would be more popular if they painted some of the houses white - would do a whole lot for tourism!!! The Windturbines are v impressive too! It is also very very Welsh! At the Show I have never heard so much Welsh being spoken I can say that as I went to school in Wales for five years!


Nelly making a sandcastle on the beach at Red Wharf Bay
THree little cousins getting to grips with the sand castle making ...Grandma watches over - she came over for one night...
Stuart and the girls watching the showjumping - due to the foot and mouth scare there were no farm animals - only horses and hens!
Nelly and Aunty Clare out rockpooling...


Uncle Stuart bags a crab - not the largest we caught that week

Me prepared for wet weather gear ( wearing a rather fetching 12 year olds anorak!!! ) with Nelly in the Back Pack Carrier...very handy but telling on the shoulders! Checking out the Hens!
Clare takes a turn with the back pack!

She can take a nap anywhere - even in the carrier!


Anna at Cemis Bay
Checking out the freebies picked up around the show! keyrings, teddies...
Nelly enjoying an icecream at the end of a long day at the Anglesey Show




On the phone to Daddy from the beach
Nelly and Anna - more sandcastles...
Napping again - on the beach ...





Ikes it is so windy here! but can you see the shadow the sun was shining...

Beth at Llgwy Beach
Enjoying the beach with kites






week twenty seven

the sun shone for a few more hours...Nelly and I had a few social engagements - including a picnic with a friend and her little ones, Nelly tried scootering ..it is quite amazing what she attempts...it only seems a few weeks ago that she was a baby and now every day she becomes more adventurous, climbing everywhere and is a real little tom girl! She is also starting to exert her personality ! OK pushing, scratching others! I find myself plugged into Christopher Green Toddler Taming to read about the various theories on toddlers ! I have to go with the flow but it is so hard when she has a go at others! She saw her friend Molly this week after two weeks away and proceeded to bonk her on the head at every opportunity! M's Mum is very good having had three kids already so is used to it! I find myself apologising constantly to other mothers in playgroups! She has learnt to say sorry to me by stroking me but has not taken this onto her treatment of other little ones!



Finally met up with Ginny and Kelly who were over here for their annual trip to the UK from Tobago. Nelly met her first Rasta and they got on well, well Nelly and Kelly rhyme so they would get on wouldn't they!

Rob is full steam ahead with project Management - he has not got a hard hat yet ...but only time! He is running about 20 different spreadsheets with budgets, timeplans...etc etc ....I have to book well in advance if I need him to look after Nelly when I am working as he has his days planned out by the hour! This week was a week of tiles and bathroom fittings...........











ALison and Tom - looking serious, well he had woken up and realised that he was on a picnic with more than 12 females and he was the only boy!!!!!!!




Nelly with her ST J Boyfriends Kamran and Fraser - K driving and taking away his dad's guy!




Ginny Kelly and Nelly on a Saturday evening in East Dulwich...






Nelly anf Kelly on a close encounter...



Nelly trying hard on that scooter - getting the hang quite quickly!

Monday 6 August 2007

week twenty six

Been really slow at updating the blog these last few weeks.,..wk 26 saw the sun come out! apparently ....judging by the photos...so Nelly got plenty of summer frocks out and we sent the time in parks , in the garden and generally enjoying the sunshine! We spent the weekend at the house and A and R came over to the house for lunch and it was so hot we had a picnic in the garden and even sat in the shade !

AU and Nelly in the house...


Rob and Richard taking in the rays.........




Nelly with Papa Frank and her cousin Gergei from Hungary.....

So the sun was shining and Nelly got out the watering can ........

Bubbles ......................








Wednesday 1 August 2007

week twenty five

Another week of manic house viewings - a couple came back for a second viewing and next day we got our first offer! Unfortunately for them the buyer for their flat pulled out two days beforehand on the day of exchange, so despite the offer we are continuing to market the house as we cannot wait for their flat to sell.

The place became like Piccadilly Circus on Tuesday of week 25..! there were five viewings in three hours on the Tuesday , and more viewings in more torrential rain on the Thursday! it really paid to change agents and the first stint with the original agent was a dress rehearsal in our eyes!

Nelly and I had a lovely day on Friday with a former colleague and her children, so funny how Nelly loves playing with older children and just pushes and tugs at those of the same age. She sat nicely and had tea with Maddy and Oliver, and they loved playing with her!


More second viewings that weekend - one very favourable....all fingers were crossed....

Nelly played with her boyfriends in Kambo's Dad's car !

On Sunday we had arranged to meet up with Nelly's little friend from the Orphanage, they were staying one night in Gatwick after their holiday in Europe....So we headed off early on the Sunday morning to meet Lottie and her family. It was nice to meet them, I don't think the girls recognised each other although Nelly pricked up her ears when one of Lottie's brothers used her nickname Fei Fei ( her Chinese name is Xiao Fei ). So funny as Lottie really is a little dot! tiny - Nelly looks like a bruiser next to her! especially decked out in her latest Duffer basketball boots and jeans! It was lovely to have the chance for them to see each other and a really important part of their stories. We definitely raised a few looks in the breakfast area of the Holiday Inn Gatwick! It was good to hear about the orphanage as Battle and Shannon visited the SWI while they were in China, and to share stories about the girls and our experiences in Guangzhou.

SO another week over and Nelly with us now for six months plus! Ended the week hoping and chanting for another firm offer on the house so we can start to plan our move to Croughton....



the picture we were given of Nelly and Lottie at the orphanage , the one that helped us to locate the Watkins family in the US


Nelly with my friend and former colleague Genevieve with Maddy -




Family Norton meet Family Watkins from North Carolina with their little Dianbai Girls


Nelly and Lottie - trying to get away!


Lovely carpets in the Holiday Inn!!! Nelly and Lottie



Nelly with bubbles - one of her clear words...one of the days when it did not rain!
watering the patio!

Nelly with her boyfriends - Kamran driving and Nelly on Fraser's knee!!!!!!