She loves the seaside....

we decided to brave the elements and head off to Cornwall for a long weekend to see our great friends Frank and kate - we would go more often but the thought of the long drive is really off putting with a near 3 year old! so we set off at 6 30 pm and Nelly plugged herself into the DVD - watched Pooh Bear's big adventure for a while, chomped on sandwiches and bsicuits and then fell asleep at about 8 15! It was long even for us and as we came off the M5 at exeter we stoppped for more provisions and coffee to keep us going and I got into the wrong car in the service station car park! we laughed hysterically for about half an hour !it passed the time - finally arriving in Penzance at about 10 50pm....

Nelly, as I think I have said before is from South China and the town where she spent the first year of her life is right on the coast; everytime I see her at the sea I feel her amazing affinity for the place...she runs to the sea whatever the weather shouting BEACH.... we bought a bucket and spade in a shop in Sennen in November - ( the shopkeeper thought it was his lucky day! )

We spent a good couple of hours in total on four different beaches over the weekend!

A Year in the Country.....!

A year ago we were packing up and moving from the Smoke - to the Country! so glad that we sold our house when we did!

Amazing that a year has flown by ....has it been worth it ? yes - the quality of life is better, the air is better, less evidence of crime( although I am sure it is here..) friendly people, but also we are only an hour away from Marylebone on the train, an hour on a Sunday and we can be in Selfridges ...the schools are better,... children can get a place at a pre-school without any problems...but we do miss the people...can all our friends move into the village please!

Nelly loves it here and I don't think she really remembers her time in London as she was only 20 months when we moved her; she remembers her friends but not London the place...and as long as she can alsway maintain her commection with London then I hope she will not hate us too much for moving out!

In time for the one year anniversary of being here we have just laid the stair carpet and that is the last thing to do in the house! ( garden not touched yet but the design done..and the conservatory still to be repaired ...)



The front door now....

the van packing us up last year

Nelly and I saying goodbye to St Julians Farm Road

Remember Remember the 5th of November....

one week after Trick or treat and bang - we had another big friday night! the village bonfire..Last year we were still in London and we went along to the Streatham common fireworks Nelly was fine with them but it seems lots of little ones do not like them...All Friday Nelly was looking forward to the Bonshower and the Crack Bang Pop - fireworks..! She was a tad reticent at the beginning but soon warmed up after a sausage and a juice and seeing lots of friends from the village! we enjoyed it too! The mulled wine went down well !


enjoying the Crack Bang Pop ....!

Bit wary at the start of the evening .....

this was a couple of weeks ago in a Dim Sum restaurant in Milton Keynes - Nelly getting the hang of ordering!

Halloween... Half term ... and some exciting times across the pond

Nelly has been going through a big clingy phase and not wanting to go to nursery and pre-school...so a week of half term was a great respite for us all - no wailing in the car on the way and no tears ....instead a house full of cousins and friends popping in to keep Nelly entertained...! After a week off she has gone back and today when I picked her up from her half day in nursery one of the carers said 'It was lovely to have Nelly back again today! '

After a week of older children's company her language has improved enormously...she is really good company ...but as I read on another blog recently it is so difficult to leave behind those early days, thinking about Nelly this time last year when we moved here she still needed us so much she was still a baby....

Halloween - Grandma came to stay and we dressed Nelly up as a spider and put out our pumpkin lanterns at the end of our drive. Apparently in our village they will not come trick or treating unless you place a pumpkin outside - which is great so we could regulate the amount of time we would have to man the door and ration the sweets! Nell was both scared by some of the childrens' masks but excited and wanted more children to come to the door for sweets - nevertheless she woke at 3 having a nightmare! I think it was the blood dripping Edvard Munch mask that did it for her...!We will wait and see what she thinks of Bonfire Night on Friday in the village with all those bangs and flashes!

As I type Rob and I are tuning in to US election coverage -and thinking back to that night in May 1997 when we were on the verge of electing Blair after years of Thatcher - remembering that excitement and thinking how exciting and momentous this night will be for the US and the world...

Blenheim Palace...

Nelly and her cousins with my sister...

Nelly and her favourite Beth!

Three cousins....