All sorts of updates

Snow – I did get a bit of a snow day in the end. Finished at lunch time on the Friday and got one of the best afternoons ever with my children and Neil – suspect that Neil and I threw more snow balls at each other than anyone else but we had a marvellous time.

Isla – We went to Oxford for the scan on Friday and have been given the all clear for at least a year quite possibly 2 or 3. FANTASTIC!!!! We will still be seeing Dr Archer every 6 months, and we still know that more will need to be done eventually, but not immediately. Interestingly, he suggested that she might eventually need an Aortic Valve replaced, but he hopes that this will be able to be done by catheter when the time comes as that is the way the technology is moving.

School – Callum is on half term, and got a really good mid term report and parents evening report, so really pleased with that too. And Isla has a place at the school as well, so all is looking good.

Friends – we had a lovely weekend with Ian and Janet and the girls. They have now spent one year in Box, though it seems like they have been there forever. It was lovely to see them, and they seem to be doing really well.

I have put the photo’s on the Facebook and will eventually do the linky thingy….

Formula One and other news

So we are selling the F1 team. Good. It’s a huge loss of face for our President, but has to be seen as the right thing at this time. The money is far better spent keeping the factories going than on persuing a dream round and round in circles (both literally and figurtively!) spewing out lots of carbon emissions…. given that I’m not that keen on F1 I guess that that is the expected reaction, but even those collegues of mine who do enjoy it agree that it is a necessary action. And it gives me hope that the management are concentrating on what needs to be done not on just trying to save face. There must be some sensible and good people in them!!

Auntie Marina came to stay yesterday, and has just gone home. We seemed to go through a huge amount of glitter in the course of 36 hours….. most of it spent asleep! We look forward to seeing other aunties as soon as they can make it over.

Nathalie had a concert last night – it was good I think!

Now, what to put in the Christmas letter?!

Birthday party

We had a birthday party this weekend! Shared with Amelie again, in the church hall again, with a bouncy castle again, and forgetting to do pass the parcel again! All the same as last year, and half the children were probably the same as well, if not more! But everyone appeared to have a good time, including Godmother auntie Ellie who came down all the way from Inverness, Auntie Marina and Uncle Chris, who came through from London, and various others as well.  My turn next!

School

Callum has started school, so far successfully forgetting everything that he has done each day. Never mind! He hasn’t wanted a photo taken yet – we will get one at some point and post it!

Amazingly

…. I have got all our photo’s up on to facebook and linked them here. Finally. So sorry it’s taken so long. Last weekend we were at Greenbelt which was fantastic of course. We are thinking of both volunteering for the children’s area next year. If we both do 2 out of 3 sessions we still get some time to go to some talks and the children are guaranteed spaces and we get free tickets to go and it is great fun… what’s not to like really!

Neil’s dad Howard had a minor op on Monday – so far so good the hope was that he might make it home tonight but we will see.

I’m back at work; so is Neil but no students yet, and Callum starts school next week then it’s a birthday party approaching. Mad!

All sorts of things

It’s been a bit extra-manic recently. Granny and Auntie Marina came to stay (which was lovely), and we had lots of fun with them. Including Isla’s birthday party. 14 children in our house, and no permanent damage I think has to be a good thing. Lots and lots of fun was had, Isla got so excited that on the Sunday night she was sick, meaning that she couldn’t go to the child minders the next day. Even though she was as fit as a fiddle by then!

Sadly, on the Sunday night, my Step-Father Giichi’s Father died. After 2 and a half years bed bound and 92 years of age it was hardly a surprise, and it was about as good as these things get lying at home with an oxygen mask surrounded by one’s family. For the record that’s how I’d like to go please! Love and prayers to the family…. and a good holiday to my Aunt who looked after him for many years, and gave up her job to do so. She still has my Grandmother to look after, and we hope and pray that she will gradually find a new lease of life in the same way that my Maternal Grandmother did, and we are looking forward to seeing them both in the summer.

My Mother and sister left on Tuesday, and we had the normal busy week at work, culminating in 11 people for Sunday lunch today. We had our vicar and his wife, a friend Ruth, and John and Jo Parsons and their children Hannah and Isaac who founded and work with the Turning Point Trust in the Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya. It was lovely to catch up with them and the fantastic work they are doing – read the web site and be inspired.

I ought to add that it snowed over night last night, so we managed to build a snow man and have a snow ball fight before church.

The bed rooms are gradually coming together, and this means that we finally have a spare room. Isla can fit on the floor in Callum’s room and that leaves her room free for visitors. We’ve even moved Isla out of the cot bed and in to a proper bed so that visitors can sleep in it, and there is a put up bed underneath it. So couples can come and stay!!

The tickets have been paid for to go to Japan in the summer – so we are finally off. There’s so many people we want to see over there goodness knows how we will fit it all in without collapsing exhausted.

My sister Jenny comes to stay this coming weekend, after successfully hitching to Morrocco for charity. If you wish to donate, please see Link Community Development.

Photo’s to follow when we have found the cable…! Though I might get some up from the phone I suppose…

Callum’s new bedroom

Callum has a new bedroom. He painted it himself (with a bit of assistance from Isla and Daddy!!) He is thrilled. The rest of the house? Let’s just call it work in progress shall we?!

The concert last night was fab by the way – 250 or so people there and we think we sung well too. Mum is over and managed to come to the concert, and we are looking forward to seeing her after Easter for Isla’s party

I’ve added a couple of new links for photo’s…

Good things and bad things

We now have Callum’s bed in the garage in bit’s. That’s a good thing. We’ve sorted out the travel insurance for going to Japan in the summer. That’s a very good thing. And the 2 other members of my new team at work are likely to be leaving Honda in 3 weeks. That’s a BAD thing. It’s Friday night and I’m just about to have a large G and T. That’s a VERY GOOD thing!

What’s happening?

All sorts of things!

We have bought Callum a new bed, which is a “mid-sleeper” meaning that it is raised and underneath it there is a book case, cupboard, desk (ready for homework!), and a set of draws. We bought it on ebay this evening, and have yet to collect it.

We have also bought several tester pots of paint; yellow, green and PINK as we are all moving rooms – eventually. Callum is going in what is currently the study, on the midsleeper because that’s the only way to get any storage in here, and this room will become GREEN. Isla will move in to what is currently our room, which will become – you guessed it – PINK – with most of the toys and also a spare bed. This means that when we have guests, Isla can sleep on the floor in Callum’s room on her camping bed (it’s small!) and we have a spare room. We get the biggest room, because we get all the study junk in with us, although the computer will move downstairs into space created by toys moving upstairs. We are currently trying to clear out the study, and box up books that we don’t need out (something I hate doing but I’m afraid is necessary at the moment), and lots will no doubt end up at the charity shops as well. All very exciting and lots of work!

Marina came to stay for the weekend, and we discussed Japan and Weddings and celebrated Mothering Sunday with a family lunch at the local Japanese restaurant. Under 5′s go free – we will have to rethink next year!! Isla however demolished large quantities of fresh tofu, edamame (fresh soy beans) raw fish, and all sorts of things. Callum had 3 puddings….!!

Today…

Callum had his pre-school jabs, and Isla got a pillow for the first time! Well – I thought I’d share it with you!

More importantly, I ought to share with you what we were doing on valentines day – we were at the licencing of our friend Janet as Vicar of Box Ditteridge and Hazelbury, near Chippenham. We had already been to stay, but it is great because it is only 40 minutes from Swindon – a vast improvement from Taunton! The service was splendid, Nathalie sung a solo, Bishop Lee preached, and the Church was full Wahay. See a photo on the Monster blog linked to the right. We look forward to seeing much more of them now.