New beginnings

Well, that was an eventful week - but I feel we are starting this week in a better place, so let's take a deep breath and move forward. It has been so nice to know that M-I-L is being looked after and not dread that phone call to say she has fallen again.  An added bonus was that Jon came for the day on Saturday with Max while Sophie was at a friend's baby shower, so he was able to pop in and see Grandma in her new home.  Before they visited Max very kindly took us out to one of my favourite restaurants for a Thai tapas lunch - which was very generous of him, bearing in mind that he couldn't eat anything as the only food he's tried so far has been broccoli and avocado!  It may be a while before properly join in but he was very well behaved and almost got a finger in his dad's massaman curry!  

One very nice thing that did happen last week was that we booked a holiday.  Rachel and family invited us to join them again this year and we handed over all decisions to her, in some ways it was really nice to have someone else do everything, I'm not always good at relinquishing control!  She did a lot of research, talking to friends who have used family friendly websites and asking from recommendations from the 'Mummies page' on Facebook and narrowed it down to a lovely resort in Sagres, Portugal.  We know the Algarve well as my sister has a home there, but Sagres is just that little bit further along so it's a new place to explore for us too.  I suspect that a little bit of babysitting may be involved but give us a glass of wine and a balcony to drink it on while watching the sun set and we are more than happy to oblige!  In anticipation of time spent around a pool I have already ordered a couple of new swimsuits.  That should give me the impetus to get back on the healthy eating regime (now I've finished off all the Christmas chocolate).

Reading through other people's blogs from other parts of the world it is weird that some are battling snow and ice on one side of us and on the other side of the globe they are experiencing the hottest temperatures ever.  Here it is just mild and damp, the kind of weather where a dog can leave the house spotlessly clean and return with mud splashes up to her 'armpits' (except dogs don't have arms, but leg pits doesn't sound right does it?) maybe getting a white dog wasn't such a good idea!