Back from holidays...

The time always always always comes around... no more looking forward to the holiday, now only looking back wistfully at the pictures on the camera and hoping we can manage to get through to next Summer! It was, as expected, a hectic week in the run up to departure day, and the day itself was pure stress and adrenalin. Elizabeth and I had our induction morning at school. She went off with her class-mates to meet her teacher, while I listened to talks by the head and the reception class teachers, and got a view of what she would be doing and when. Dashed out from there, got home, packed final things into the car, then set off. Felt strange to be stopping after an hour at Frankley, not for the buying of the sandwiches as usual, but for lunch. Consequently we arrived much much later than normal, and it was an absolute mad dash to get the house set up for bath and bed. We made it though. Then I had to dash to Sainsburys in Dartmouth before closing time to get bread and basic essentials to get us through breakfast.





We had an amazing two weeks. So lucky with the weather, such a lovely place to stay - Little Cotton Barn, just five minutes from Sainsburys - perfect location. The children loved the trampoline and slide/swings/climbing fort in the garden, and 'nature' i.e. rabbits and cows etc. The house was huge, we liked playing on the Wii every evenings and looking at our photos on the Wii. Got a new camera just before we went, so pleased with our pictures. Went to many of our usual destinations - Totnes (or Top Nest as Edward calls it), Exeter (used Pizza Express vouchers), North Sands and Winking Prawn, Slapton, Thurlestone, Bigbury, Kingsbridge... also went to Looe (never again!) and boat/steam train to Paignton (never again) and many trips around Dartmouth. Ate twice at Sportsmans Arms, went swimming in Kingsbridge. Didn't have a 'rest' though, but am beginning to see that this much sought after state might be some distance away from us. Sarah didn't really have a good night all the time we were there, so very tired, and difficult not being able to put her down anywhere, plus of course having to watch Edward every second (he managed to remove a spindle from a staircase, flatten the car battery, break one of the only nick-nacks left out (a wicker bowl that for some reason was stuck down to a table)... Lovely time all together though, and since we've been away Sarah has started clapping and in the last couple of days she has started sitting up without support. Edward hasn't had a nap in the afternoon since we went on holiday, and hasn't used the double buggy either. It is harder in many respects, but a feeling that progress is being made! Back to mayhem of wedding/bridesmaid stuff for me and executor stuff for husband. Long for a rest....