Sunday morning was rough going. I might have had a bit more wine than my body could metabolize. Fortunately I rebounded rather quickly, as was necessary because we had to check out by 11 and get on the road to Portsmouth to see Stuart's paternal grandmother.
We had breakfast at 9 am, which was totally wasted on me, but was a full English cooked breakfast. Everyone was there, even Granny, who was a bit bruised from her fall the previous day.
After breakfast, Stuart shuttled people back to the reception venue to collect their cars. Once he had returned we checked out of the hotel and moved on down the road.
When we arrived in Portsmouth we ate some lunch at Gunwharf Quays. We ate at a Mexican place that actually wasn't that great. The kids and I shopped while Stuart visited Mimi. We were told that she wouldn't know us any way and the facility where she stays has difficulty accommodating very many guests for one resident. So we decided against taking the kids. We ended up buying two pair of shoes for Jack, although we were looking for shoes for me.
Stuart picked us up just before 3 pm and we drove back to Hastings. We arrived just before 5 pm. Grandma and Grandpa had spent most of their day tending to Granny at the emergency room. They found out she had fractured a bone in her foot. Poor Granny.
They arrived home after we did. The kids had been bathed and fed by that time. I felt having the kids taken care of would diminish the stress a bit. The kids watched a movie and then went to bed. We got a Chinese take away and then watched the end of the World Championships. Everyone was exhausted from a very eventful weekend.
Our original plan was to go to London on Monday morning to have some time with the pastor who performed our wedding ceremony, Roy Lawson, and his wife Joy. It was just going to be Stuart and myself. But since Granny was not well and Grandma had come down with a terrible cold, plans changed and we took the kids with us.
We got the train from the Battle Station at 10 am. We arrived in London and got the Underground to the station closest to where Roy and Joy were staying. Their daughter and her husband live in London part time so Roy and Joy have popped in and out of London on their journeys over the past 18 months.
We got to the flat just after noon and had a bit of a chat. Then we headed out to walk on the South Bank. When they told me Candy and Mike's place was on the Thames River, they really meant it was ON the Thames River. It was incredible!
We had lunch down by the river and then I made the error of letting Jack go off to find a bathroom on his own. Oops, we aren't in the UAE. Stuart had a bit of a grunt at me and headed off to find him. Jack returned, but not before Stuart called to ask if I had seen him, which panicked me a bit. This, folks, is an example of a fine parenting moment.
We ended up walking down to the HMS Belfast, an old naval ship docked in the Thames. It has been made into a museum. So while Joy, Roy and I chatted about everything we could think of, Stuart took Millie and Jack into the museum.
We then went back to the apartment. The kids played on their electronics and had a shower. We had dinner, and as usual, Millie was picky and tired. The entire scene required her to bed early. She won't act like this forever, right?
The adults stayed up and watched the first episode of The Crown. We had already seen it, but Stuart had recommended it to Roy and since I typically fall asleep through every show I watch, I felt I might actually get to see the first episode this go around. We then went to bed, moving Jack into the living room to sleep on the sofa. Millie slept on the floor beside our bed. All was well with the world.
Breakfast Saturday morning was scrambled eggs that had spinach, onions and cheese. Of course this was not to Millie's liking either. Thankfully she didn't have quite as big a meltdown as she had the night before.
After breakfast we went to a local park for a few hours. We just chatted while the kids played. It was so wonderful to catch up with Roy and Joy and hear about their adventures. They are brace people who decided, almost two years ago, to sell everything they own and travel the world, experiencing as much as possible. They have done things the way I want to do things one day, God willing. After we had exhausted the park and our children, we went to eat lunch at Pizza Express which has gluten free pizza crust. Joy is also gluten free so it was great to have a bit of a chat about that beast. Roy and Joy insisted on paying even though I felt I was very clear that we were treating. We will get them back when they come to visit the UAE.
We went back to their apartment to collect our things. We Skype Brian, our mutual dear friend. Our chat was shot, but it's always good to see a face you hold so close to your heart. Stuart then called an Uber to take us to the train station. We figured out that we could save £10 by using the Uber instead of the Underground.
We trained back to Battle station where we had left the car. We stopped at Sainsbury's, our favorite supermarket. Stuart bought another casual shirt because all of his clothes have had to be replaced this trip. He's lost a total of 74 pounds since June 2. In so proud of him and he's thrilled with the results.
When we got home, Grandma still wasn't feeling well. Her friend Sue had dropped by and after unpacking our things, I sat down at the kitchen table and chatted with them both. I then bathed the kids and set them in front of Netflix until dinner was ready.
Millie ended up going to bed early again because of a small tantrum thrown at dinner. She really needs to get back to a routine. We've also decided she can't have sugar anymore. That should be fun. We will hold off on that until we can really enforce it at home.
Wednesday morning we had breakfast and then left for Maresfield to spend a few days with Grandma and Granddad. We were supposed to take Karen to Eastbourne to stay with Granny because she was having a minor eye surgery, but it ended up her eye corrected itself so the surgery wasn't necessary. We were in Meresfield by mid morning. We stopped for flowers and then on to Grandma and Granddads we went.
The kids bounced on the trampoline when we got there. Grandma and Granddad made a wise purchase with that little toy. We had lunch and then headed to Sheffield Park for the afternoon. We went on a sort of a treasure hunt, finding large top hats that described what children might have seen and heard when they came to the park years ago. I think Grandma and I were more focused on finding the hats than anyone else. We stopped at the cafe for a tea and the kids tumbled around on grass.
Once back at the house there was more bouncing and crafts, while the men folk prepared dinner. I wasn't terribly involved in the crafts, but pretended to help Grandma. The kids loved it!
We had dinner and then the kids went to bed. The adults stayed up to talk for a while, then sleep called.
Thursday was a very exciting day. Grandma and Granddad had paid for a Pony Day for the kids for their birthdays. We arrived a bit early and it was drizzling, but that didn't stop anyone. All of the children rocked up with their equestrian gear on and our kids had regular trousers on and tennis shoes. I suppose we were not terribly prepared for the day. The kids first got their safety gear on and had a talk about how to treat the horses. Then each child was given a helper that would help the kids groom and saddle the horse they were assigned to. Jack's horse was named Toffee and Millie's horse was named Bracken. They had an absolute blast. While they were riding in the field, we nipped off to the pub.
Once we were back at Grandma and Granddad's the kids bounced on the trampoline and did crafts with Grandma. It was a good day for sure. Millie had her 'I am so tired I'm sure it's time for a hissy fit' behavior. Fortunately Granddad was able to calm her and she went right to sleep. Thank goodness for calmer people to help out when your children kick off.
Friday we chilled around the house because it was raining. Just before noon we headed to the Half Moon pub where the kids played and we had a drink. We had lunch there and then bid farewell to Grandma and Granddad.
We drove to Eastbourne to go to TK Maxx (the U.K. version of TJ Maxx). We were in search of another piece of luggage (as always happens when we are gone for 6 weeks) and some sandals for me. We found both. I still need some more school sandals, but sadly at this point of the year your selection is small in the U.K. It's getting cold. Ha! Jack was able to get his rugby boots for about a third of the price as he would pay in the UAE, which is always a bonus. We also hit the TK Maxx in Bexhill, although initially Stuart didn't want to go because of the traffic. Sadly, if you stopped going places because of the traffic, you would never leave your house. The roads are small and it seems every year there are more cars on them.
Once we were back at Highwoods it was time for dinner. We sat down for a nice meal. The kids went to bed with no trouble at all. It was a nice change from the previous two evenings.
Saturday Jack finished Gansta Granny! He was so proud of himself. The book had well over 250 pages in it. He immediately set out to start the next David Walliams book, Billionaire Boy. Thank goodness he has started to really enjoy reading on his own.
After We went to a fundraiser for a boy who needs medical assistance. Jack and Millie participated in the bag tombola and each won various drinks, including alcoholic ones, as pictured below. Clearly we are starting them young.
Once we had given a bit of support and purchased some cakes, we headed back to Grandma and Grandpa's. We spent the afternoon cleaning out the garage. Everyone participated.
After the garage was finished the kids played in the garden while Stuart started a BBQ.
Of course it started raining. Dinner was served after the kids were showered. Millie had another meltdown, which we have come to rely on.
Once she was sorted out, we played Pitch and then Cards Against Humanity. We hadn't intended to stay awake until midnight, but got to laughing so hard at Cards Against Humanity that we couldn't stop playing. It's a bit of a naughty game, truth be told.
Another fantastic week on holiday, but I must admit it will be good to get home.
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