A new year for all

Jack and Stuart were up just before 7 am and were downstairs meeting up with the brothers and nephews. They went for a coffee while Millie slept and I got ready for the day. They ended up renting scooters and riding around the city. 

Looked too chilly to me for a morning ride. 

They returned just after 8. The boys went to Matt’s room and Millie kept sleeping. Stuart came back into the room for a while. McDonalds was purchased and brought back to the hotel. Millie was then awake and had a hash brown. We finally made our way, as a family, down to Starbucks around 10 am for a coffee and a sweet roll. 

Millie hasn’t met a chocolate cookie she doesn’t like. 

Zurich and the sunshine were a pleasant way to start our day. Off to Arosa and the ski resort we go. 

We took a train to Arosa which was slower, but less expensive, than a car transfer. The first train was about an hour long and was really packed. We had purchased some sandwiches for the journey as we would be on the train for a couple of hours and our train left just after noon. I will warn anyone ever coming to Switzerland. There is nothing cheap here except the chocolate. It’s a pricey place to visit, but gorgeous. 

Our first train journey was relatively uneventful. But the second train was amazing. We had a car to ourselves most of the time. The train took us straight up the mountain, to almost 6000 feet. The scenery was picturesque. The snow depth increased the higher we went. 

This was at the beginning of the second train ride. 

And this was just before we reached the resort. 

Once we arrived at the resort, the kids had to play in the snow. The downside is none of them were in ski pants so the snow stuck to their sweat pants and they were soaked by the time we brought them in for dinner. Oh well! Jack and Millie really haven’t been in snow, so they were having a blast. 

The hotel we are staying in is just to the left. Louise got a smoking deal for this time of year. She never fails us when it comes to perfect holidays. 

Once we were all checked into our room we got the kids’ ski pants on so they wouldn’t freeze. We went out to the patio of the hotel and had a beer. Nicole and Harper showed up. This is Matt’s girlfriend and her little girl. They were clearly jet lagged as they had just arrived from Sydney, but they plowed through. 

This is a view from the patio dining area of the resort. 

And this was the view from our room balcony. Stunning! Louise really knows how to plan some amazing trips. We are so blessed by her knack for travel and the generosity of the Telford clan. 

Our package was a half board deal. So we had breakfast and dinner each day. Louise has already booked all of the restaurants as not to be stuck with nothing once we were here. Our first dinner was delicious. It was at a casual restaurant called The Basement. Ironically enough, it was in the basement of another sister hotel. We had free transfer to and from the other hotel, which was fantastic. Arosa is a small ski village, but still too big to be walking up the mountain for dinner. There was a kids’ club right across the hall from where we ate. All of the children, except for Josh, were able to go in there. It made for a much more relaxing dinner for all of us. 

Monday morning was an early start for skiing. We got up and had breakfast and then went to pick up our ski equipment. Lou and I went with Josh and Billy for ski lessons. What a crack up that was. To be honest, I really should have resigned myself to not skiing at all. My left knee is not good on a good day, let alone on skis. I just wanted to try because Stuart and the kids love it so much and I just wanted to be able to join in. However, considering I can only fly down the hill and not stop myself, it’s not the safest for others or myself for me to be on skis. I did keep Louise in stitches, though. As the instructor was trying to tell me what to do, I was soaring down the hill, knocking out many things in my path. It was quite hilarious. It’s a shame no one has pictures or videos of the events. My favorite words of the morning were ‘Sorry, sorry, sorry!’ as I tried, without success, to avoid impeding anyone else’s skiing fun. It was disastrous. 

Billy and Josh has their lesson first. 

I waited patiently for what would prove to be an epic fail event. 

My view once I resigned myself to the fact that I wasn’t able to ski. The heart was willing, but the knee wasn’t capable. Sometimes getting older is no fun!

These four had a rest on the mountain. 

While I was crashing and burning on the tiny little bunny hill, Stuart, Jack and Millie were tearing up the slopes. Jack was a bit bummed as he decided he wanted to start skiing instead of snowboarding. I think this is because Josh and Billy were going to be skiing, and it seems that skiing on an actual mountain proved to be more challenging than skiing on a man made ski slope in the desert. We finally talked him into sticking to his chosen skill, mainly because we had already paid for the equipment and we weren’t going to let him change to skiing. 

Millie, on the other hand, had an absolute meltdown on the slopes. She was doing really well until her dad accidentally took her to the top of the mountain and they were forced to ski down a black run. Hello! It seems he misread the map. If you know anything about skiing, you know that if you get to a black run the only way down is skiing. He coaxed her down part of the way and then they called me on the phone. She was bawling. I told her she was brave and could do it. I also told her she had no choice but to come down the mountain. Apparently at that point Stuart said she sucked it up and came down on her butt the whole way. He said there were people all along the way who were so sweet to her, and probably judging her father for taking her up there to begin with. When they got to where Lou and I were having lunch I thought for sure Millie would be done and want to come back to the hotel with me, but that was not the case. Billy and Josh had finished their lessons and James and Stuart took all the kids back up the slopes for one more run. 

Our lunch was this! Greasy and amazing! No wonder I have to hit the diet hard when we get back to Al Ain!

Once we were finished with lunch, Lou and I went to the ski rental and returned our things. She went to the spa and then we went to the bar with everyone else for some chips. We got back to the hotel and Nicole and I headed to the spa. Once I was finished with my hour of relaxation, I went to the room and had a shower. The kids were at the pool swimming with Matt and James. Stuart took a shower as well and then the kids arrived for their showers. We got ready and headed to James and Lou’s apartment for a bit before heading to the restaurant. We fed the little girls some pasta and the boys ate some as well, as an appetizer. 

Dinner was amazing! It was a 5 course meal and very fancy. The kids went to the kids’ club again, but unfortunately it closed at 9:30 pm. We didn’t finish our meal until nearly 10:30 pm. We had fed the kids before thinking it would keep us from having to feed them at the restaurant. Our meals were included but the kids’ meals were not, so feeding them prior to our meal seemed to be a good idea. The girls were fine, but the boys wanted food, as boys do. 

Once we were back at the hotel we hit the bed, resting for another day of skiing, but not for me. We were at breakfast by 8 am and then to the lifts by 9:30 am. Jack, Millie, James, Billy, Josh and Stuart went up the lift and skied down to where Josh and Billy had their lessons. 

Matt, Nicole, Harper, Zoe and myself headed to the ski school for Harper and Zoe. 

Zoe and Harper got matching ski suits. So cute! They got in a van and went up the mountain. We followed on the bus and ended up sitting on a patio to a restaurant across from the ski school. 

The four of us enjoyed our time on the mountain with beautiful sunshine all around. 

Stuart, Millie and James rode the ski lift up the mountain and were on their way to a full day of skiing. 

The three boys had a blast once Billy and Josh were finished with their lessons. 

Once everyone was finished skiing we met and had lunch. There was a playground close by where the kids were able to play. 

Millie entertained Zoe and Harper quite well. 

The boys enjoyed their cokes and anxiously awaited their spaghetti bolognese. 

This ski mask was one of Stuart’s accessories he had to have for skiing. 

After we had finished lunch, Harper, Zoe, Nicole, and Lou caught the bus back to our hotel. The boys, James and Stuart skied back into the village and Matt and I walked to village, which turned out to be a bit scarier than I had anticipated. It seems that the trails we walked on were ski and toboggan trails. I nearly was hit by a toboggan. 

The scenery on the way down the mountain was fantastic. 

Once we were down the mountain, I went to a gift shop and bought the kids very expensive zip up hoodies to remember our trip by. They have a beautiful embroidered mountain range with ‘Arosa’ written on them. I bought them a bit big so they would fit for a while. 

I then returned to the room. Stuart and the kids had just returned and were getting ready to go to James and Lou’s room for a while. After about an hour we returned to our room to get ready for the New Year’s party in Twist, the restaurant in our hotel. 

It was a relatively fancy party. 

There was a phot booth with props that kept us entertained for a while. 

The food was wonderful and there was a kids’ club the kids went to until their food was ready. Then they came up to eat and returned to the kids’ club. We had to collect them at 11 pm, which kind of helped us make the decision to ring in the New Year in the apartment. We were all exhausted but managed to stay awake until midnight and wish each other a happy new year. 

We were down for breakfast around 8 am and the decision was made to take the day off from skiing and just rent toboggans. There was a lot to see around the village and up the mountain. Everyone was tired and needed a break. 

So we met down stairs just before 10 to rent the toboggans. We then started our adventure. We decided to sled down the mountain to the next village, Litzirüti. It was about an hour and a half journey. The kids, and adults, had a wonderful time. There was a lot of crashing and burning. 

The first venture on the sleds. 

Down the mountain we go. 

Needless to say, no hike is complete without the brothers having a beer. 

A much needed break for the most energetic people on the trek. 

A restaurant with weiner schnitzel was our reward at the end. 

We took a train back to Arosa. 

I went to the supermarket when we returned in order to get food for the kids. The adults were going to dinner and the kids were having a babysitter. We then went to the pool for a dip. The kids ended up running out into the snow and then coming back into the pool. It ended up breaking Jack’s skin in his leg. Silly boy. 

Once the pool time was finished, we went to the room to get ready for our night out without the kids. Stuart went to Lou and James’ to help get dinner ready for the kids. Jack, Millie and myself walked over just before 6 pm. Then the babysitter arrived, but was only expecting two children. Oops! Six, two, what’s the difference? At any rate, she was a university student and was sweet, so nothing to worry about. 

We went to dinner at a Michelin starrestaurant called La Vetta. It was well deserved of its star. The food was amazing and having the 6 of us together without children was even more of a treat. 

This collage does not do the food justice. It was incredible. And you know that small plates of food mean it’s amazing! Ha!

After dinner we went into the lounge where there was a lady singing, a dance floor and music that didn’t end. Of course, I had to dance. We got back to the apartment around midnight and relieved the babysitter. The report of the children’s behavior was good, which made the night more sweet. The boys usually wrestle and cause issues and the girls are little and scream. But all turned out well. 

We were up and down to breakfast on Thursday morning. We came back up to the room and packed a bit. Then the kids and Stuart went to the slopes for their last full day of skiing and Lou and Nicole took Zoe and Harper to their ski school. Matt and I tagged along and then Lou, Nic, Matt and myself went for a coffee on this beautiful cliff side cafe. 

I don’t look terribly thrilled, but the sun was in my eyes and now that I have to wear glasses full time, sunglasses are out. 

Nicole, Matt and Louise decided to go back to the hotel, while I carried on up the hill to look at some shops. I bought some chocolate for Stuart’s pupils, as he is representing Switzerland in their topic for Term 2 at school, and then I headed back to the hotel. I sat on our patio and enjoyed the view until it was time to go up the mountain for lunch. 

This was the view from our room. 

We met out in front of the hotel at 12:45 and got into the horse drawn carriage. The ride up the mountain to our lunch destination was amazing, and very cold. As we rode further up it dawned on us that we would have to walk back down the mountain once lunch was over. 

Alpenblick was the name of the place where we ate lunch. It was packed, but we had reservations so our table was secure, or so we thought. Louise has to step in and sort them out. Apparently someone else was attempting to take our table. We were under the impression that this lunch was part of our half board, yet when we asked they told us it wasn’t. We paid the bill but then Louise questioned it with our hotel. They have been so good to us and said they would sort it out. 

This was before the food came. 

These were our starters. 

And these were our main courses that we all shared. We all felt a bit ill after all of this food. 

The skiers needed to leave at 3:30 pm in order to catch the lift that would close at 4:15 pm. So we stayed behind and settled the bill while they headed out for their last ski. Jack was worried as he had been crashing a bit more than he had expected. He had lost a bit of his confidence. I assured him he would be fine and he just needed to enjoy this last run. Off they went, and we followed shortly after. 

Our walk down the mountain to the main road was adventurous with two little girls and one large, yet very ‘young’ boy! Matt kept throwing snow on everyone. We made snow angels and he dumped a huge pile of snow on my face. He’s always full of ‘fun’. The little girls were rock stars. They didn’t moan one bit about the walk. They just had fun in the snow. 

Once we were to the road we had to wait a bit for the bus, but quickly got back to the hotel and went to the pool for a swim. We had decided that our last night in Arosa would be totally chilled. We had leftovers from lunch and cleared out the fridge from James and Lou’s room. We did our best to make sure everything was consumed and then called it a night. 

We were up at 6 am to get a transfer to the Zurich airport. We had one bag that was way over the weight limit and one that was way under. The one that was under couldn’t hold any more than what it had in it. We usually end up this way, unfortunately. We decided to take the bags down and deal with the excess baggage when we got to the airport. Whether that meant we would buy an extra carry-on bag or just pay the excess baggage fee, time would tell. This luggage issue is the bane of my existence. 

The transfer vehicle was a huge van with a trailer attached for all of our luggage. The ride down the mountain proved that Switzerland is a beautiful country with amazing scenery. 

As we were winding down the mountain, this was one of the villages we saw. 

This was a round about in Chur. 

We checked in with ease. We were a bit concerned that one of our bags was about 6 pounds over weight, but Swiss Air said nothing so it was a breeze. Once we got through security, we had a bite to eat with the family and then headed to our gate. Passport control happened just as we entered out gate and it was manic, but surprisingly quick. We got right on to the flight and it was pretty uneventful. We were a bit delayed because of connecting flights, but it wasn’t a big deal. 

Brian picked us up at the airport. We always do these kinds of things for each other because no one has family here and we have to look out for each other. Once we landed, the baggage claim was chaos as usual. We got home just before 1 am and made the kids take a shower. I knew our house cleaner had washed all the beds so the last thing I wanted to do was put dirty kids in them. Stuart went to get some milk, bread and butter. I ended up having to go and get fabric softener in order to get our laundry started. I finally got into the shower and into bed around 2:15 am. 

No more had I gone to sleep than my alarm went off. I figured if we had to get up and open presents that we had in Al Ain, I should make sure the laundry was still running through the cycle. Jack got up about 45 minutes after me and then Stuart followed. Jack went to wake Millie up at 8:30 am. We had to get the present party started as Stuart had booked tickets for him and Jack to go see the new Star Wars film and for Millie and me to go see Cats at the cinema. 

I had ordered these matching pjs, but they came the day after we left for the UK. So, in order to get use out of them, I insisted we put them on. 

The kids seemed pleased with their loot and Daddy tidied up as we went. It was a good bonus Christmas. 

We were dressed and out the door just before 10 am. We had to get to the mobile phone store to get Stuart a replacement SIM card, and he lost his somewhere along our journey. He got it sorted rather quickly and then we all went to the cinema. We got treats, as we always do, and then Millie and I headed to Cats as Stuart and Jack headed to Star Wars. We were out of our movie before the boys were so we shopped around for a bit. When they finished, we met them for lunch. Then I decided to have my eyes checked and discovered that the prescription I currently have is wrong. Surprise! So I ordered some new lenses. 

We then went home and I resumed my boring job of doing laundry. After I got another load start I wandered over to Lara’s for a chat. I was there for nearly an hour before my kids showed up. Why is it I can’t have some ‘me’ time without them invading? If I were sitting at home on my own they wouldn’t be in sight, but when they know I’m at a neighbor’s house they have to hunt me down. 

I returned home to skype my mom and dad, make dinner for the kids, and put them in bed. Although Millie was in bed at 7:15, she didn’t go to sleep until nearly midnight. Oh, when she does things like this it just sends me over the edge. I finally went up and told her that she didn’t have to go to sleep, but she did need to stop yelling out for me, lay down and not bother anyone anymore. She finally drifted off after that. Oh these children! Back to school on Sunday!

We wish you a Merry Christmas!

Sunday morning we got up and piddled around the house until the early afternoon, when we invaded Barnes and Anna’s house. On the way, we collected Uncle James and Billy from a Burger King on the roadside. They had just flown in from Munich and were planning on going to the lights at Bedgebury that evening. Louise, her mum, Ev, and Zoe went on to their hotel and then later to Karen and Barry’s. 

We arrived at Barnes and Anna’s and their dog went nuts. She’s so cute, but super hyper. She settled down and we had some good before going to see the lights in the woods. 

Six of nine grandchildren in the Telford/Atkinson clan. 

Billy slipped in the mud while we were at the house, so that was a bit of an issue. It had rained the previous day, so once we were on the trail at Bedgebury we had to avoid puddles, which was easier for some than others. Fortunately we had brought wellies for the kids which helped a ton. 

The lights were prettier than what my photos captured. 

S’mores make everything nicer. 

Hope was able to be with us for a week. I think she had a wonderful time. 

We headed back to Highwoods for dinner. 

Monday morning we headed to pick up James, Lou and Zoe to bring them back to Highwoods. Louise and I went into town for Lou to do her Christmas shopping. We got the shopping done relatively quickly and then had lunch at Pizza Express. We caught a taxi back to Grandma and Grandpa’s where we relaxed for a while. The boys and Barry caught a taxi to a local pub to have some male bonding time. The ladies sat around the table and had a good natter. Dinner was ready around 7 pm, just as the men returned. Lou, James and Zoe got a taxi back to their hotel. I helped to clean up after dinner and then went to bed. 

I was awake by 5:30 am as Stuart got up to pick James up and make the Christmas food morning pick up at Sainsbury’s. By the time they returned, I had stripped our bed to get it ready for Granny as she was coming to stay the next three nights and we were staying at the Premier Inn. I then cleaned the bathroom and packed up all of our things. I helped peel potatoes and tried to keep the laundry going. The kids played while Stuart and James went to their dad’s house to pick up Matt and Josh. They had flown in to Heathrow and Andrew had collected them to bring them back to his house for breakfast. 

Everyone returned around 1 pm, after I had washed, dried and straightened Hope’s hair. She has a ton of hair and it’s really curly. We had lunch and then the kids, Stuart and I went to check into the Premier Inn. The kids weren’t staying but we felt it would help if they came with us to get out of the way at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. 

We went back by the house to collect Hope for our Christmas Eve Christingle service at a small church in Westfield. 

These three were like any kids in church. 

The light of the world has come. 

After the service, we went to our Christmas Eve meal at Bannantyne’s, a resort not far from Karen and Barry’s  house. This was where Lou and James were staying. The meal was amazing. Karen had made a plan in July to do a Santa sack with gifts for everyone from Santa. I purchased half of them and she purchased half of them. It was so clever and everyone seemed to enjoy that part of the evening. There were 15 of us at dinner. 

The Telford grandchildren. 

After dinner we all headed back to our places of slumber. All of the children, except Zoe, stayed at Grandma and Grandpa’s. We had gone by the house before going to eat so we had set up all the Santa items needed and then used Hope as our Santa’s helper once they were back at the house. 

Christmas Day we had Grandpa pick us up just after 8. We then went to collect James and Lou. We all headed to Highwoods. The kids were allowed to open their stockings before we had breakfast. 

They were very patient. Breakfast was served around 10 am and then chaos ensued as the gifts were distributed. 

Everyone was spoiled by family members. We had a great deal of help in the cleaning up of the mess made by all the paper. It always amazes me that we spend weeks getting ready for an even that lasts only minutes. I find Christmas Day to be a bit of a let down sometimes. At any rate, it seems everyone had fun. There are no pictures of the actual event, as Stuart was watching the kids open presents and I was distributing everything under the tree, with help from the kids. But I can promise you it was fun for the kids, and that’s the important thing. 

We had our Christmas dinner in the middle of the afternoon. The kids sat at a table in the living room and the adults sat in the dining room. 

The kids’ table. 

James carved the turkey. 

After the meal, Barry played the piano and I sang. This is one thing that really endears me to my father in law. He loves music and I love when he plays the piano and I can sing along. 

We headed back to our hotel around 10 pm. It was a good day, but we were tired. Karen, Stuart and Matt cooked and prepared the meal so I know they were ready for bed. 

Stuart walked to Highwoods on Boxing Day morning. He picked me up a bit later, as it was raining, and we went to Sainsbury’s one last time. We got back to the house around 10 am. Karen’s sister and her family showed up around 11. 

Clearly, my camera wasn’t the official camera, but this is Stuart’s grandmother, the grandchildren and the great grandchildren. 

The celebrations continued. We chatted and played games and then went back to the hotel. I had virtually finished packing that morning so Friday morning wouldn’t be so hectic when it was time to leave for London. 

Friday morning Stuart and I got up and had breakfast at the Premier Inn. I had started developing a head cold, which is so fun in the winter. After breakfast we called a cab to take us back to Grandma and Grandpa’s. We did another load of washing and then repacked our bags. It was a tight squeeze but at least we were underweight on our bags. 

Barnes, Anna and the girls all showed up around 10:30 am. The kids exchanged gifts and then we took a photo with all the cousins. Who knows when we will all be together in the same place again. It’s difficult when everyone is scattered around the globe. Giles and Jen were in Vietnam for the holidays, so there was still one of the brothers missing. One day we hope all 5 boys and their families can be together for a holiday. 

Any idea how hard it is to get 9 children to all smile and look at the same camera at one time? This was the best one I could get. 

We had such a brief time Friday morning with all the cousins. Everyone went to lunch except for us. Stuart, the kids and I headed to the train station. Jack, Millie and I caught the train to London to meet up with Cathy, Kayleigh and Claire. Stuart and Hope carries on to take Hope back home. His drive was to be about three and a half hours there and two hours back. 

The boy needed a nap on the train. 

Looking at the city from the train can be quite entertaining. 

Lunch at a pub was our first order of business. 

After we had a proper catch up, we went to Trafalgar Square and had a picture with the famous lions. Jack had to pull Millie up to the base as she couldn’t climb up on her own. 

We walked around Trafalgar Square and looked at the Christmas markets. Jack used some of his Christmas money to buy some gloves. He had ski gloves but needed some gloves just for warmth. After our shopping we walked to Regent Street to look at the pretty lights. 

My American boy in the streets of London. 

Stuart’s journey to and from Tipton took nearly 9 hours, when it should have taken him about five and a half. I felt so sorry for home. We returned to the hotel just about 20 minutes before he did. We all showered and got our things ready for the following early start. 

Our alarm went off at 3 am to get to the airport for our 6 am flight to Zurich. Our 6 day Swiss adventure was about to begin. We were all very excited. 

The crew is ready to take off. 

Our flight was about an hour and a half. When we landed we got to passport control and ran into the other Telfords who had flown out of Gatwick airport. We all got taxis to the Park Hyatt hotel and were ready to walk around Zurich. I was a bit disappointed the Christmas markets were not still up and running, but it didn’t really stifle my fun. The kids and dads decided to hire some scooters to ride around town, which was a bit of a pricey novelty, but a lot of fun. 

The girls rode with a bit of assistance. 

European side streets, especially in a city that sits on the side of a hill, are always so quaint. 

As we walked around the old town we decided to stop for a hot chocolate. Being by the river was very cold. Their outdoor cafes have fluffy cushions and blankets available to customers, which helps. 

Waiting for their hot chocolate proved to be chilly. 

We are cold!

A snack break was in order while we decided what we were going to do for Louise’s birthday lunch. In the end we went to an English pub for some fries and drinks. Then we found a fondue restaurant, which was an adult pleaser, but not as much to the liking of the kids. 

Cheeses goodness. 

After lunch, the crew decided to have another go on the scooters. We then headed back to the hotel. Louise and I went for massages, which were a bit pricier than I would normally spend, but was nice at any rate. 

Once the massages were completed, Louise went to her room for the evening as she has not been well since she arrived in the UK on the 22nd. Everyone else convened in our room until we decided to go across the street for pizza and pasta. Then it was back to the room for an early night. A transfer to the train leaving for Arosa was to pick us up at noon the following day, so having an early night after our early start was in order. Skiing, here we come. 

Over the River and Through the Woods!

We got up on Sunday morning and had a leisurely morning. Clare and May headed off to another swim competition. Since we had decided to leave mid morning, Clare went ahead with her plans to referee the swim meet. The kids had breakfast while I showered. Then Stuart, Scott and I took Millie to the park for a ride on the zip line. 

The dreaded zip line. 

These desert people are freezing. 

The plan was to head out around 9:30 or so to get to Grandma’s house at a decent time. Our journey was uneventful. We stopped at Blackbrooks, a garden center close to Grandma and Grandpa’s house, to get a gift voucher. Then we stopped at Sainsbury’s for my needed shop. I know I’ve mentioned this before, but Sainsbury’s supermarket is my favorite place to go when we arrive in England. 

Just as we got to Grandma’s it started to hail. We had seen that the weather wasn’t going to do us any favors while we were in England this year. Most days rain was in the forecast. We spent the afternoon lounging around and unpacking our stuff. We also opened all the ski equipment we had ordered from Amazon. It was like an early Christmas. Fortunately we had left a great deal of space in our luggage for the new gear. Stuart and the kids put some lights on the tree at the top of the garden, in the rain of course. 

Around 4 pm we headed to Westfield to see the beautiful, and somewhat tacky, Christmas lights, as well as have a drink in the pub. When we came back we had dinner and then sat around and chatted for the rest of evening. 

We woke up Monday morning and headed to get the Christmas tree. 

And the winner is?

It was a group effort to carry it to be wrapped. 

The completed product was beautiful!

Tuesday we headed to Grandad and Grandma’s. We stopped in Eastbourne to have lunch with Granny. We then took her to Sainsbury’s to do some shopping. 

We ate at a really nice Italian place. It may have been a bit too fancy for Jack and Millie. However, thankfully, they were very well behaved. 

We arrived at Grandma and Grandad’s just before 5 pm. It was completely dark outside. Coming back to England in the winter reminds me why I wouldn’t want to live in England. It’s cold, wet and dark by 4 pm. We got settled at Grandma and Grandad’s and then played a game of Scattagories. The kids then showered and had their dinner. Once the kids were in bed, we ate dinner and had a good catch up. 

Wednesday morning we got up and walked into the village so the kids could get some sweets for the pantomime we were heading to in Eastbourne. We ate a lunch of homemade sausage rolls. The kids got their nicer clothes on, with some griping from Jack, and we left for Eastbourne. In the car, Grandma played I Spy and other games with the kids. 

The pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk, was silly, yet very funny! The traditional panto in England is typically a common tale where the lead boy is played by a girl and the Dame is played by a man. It was really cute and the kids played along and laughed a lot. 

After the panto we headed to a place called Ribs & Co.  in a place called Hailsham. We were a bit early for our booked table, but in the end it worked out well. As we had finished our delicious meal of ribs, and there were a lot of them, a party of 14 came in with some very loud children. We were glad to be leaving. 

Millie acted absolutely manic on the way home. This rain is keeping them cooped up and they have way too much energy that can’t be expelled. Therefore, this always ends in Millie losing the plot. Millie was immediately sent to bed when we got home. She yelled from her room and then finally fell asleep. Jack followed shortly, and the rest of us were not far behind. 

We got up on Thursday morning and while Grandma did something that was a secret with the kids, Grandad, Stuart and myself headed to the Costa coffee up the road for a roll and a coffee. When we returned we played some Scattagories before heading for a pub lunch. We had a light lunch and then headed to Hastings, first going by the fish shop to pick up some crab meat for Karen to be used in a Christmas dish. 

Once we were back at Karen and Barry’s we started a load of laundry, as we always do, and then the kids played on their iPads while I wrapped presents and Stuart did whatever Stuart does. When I came down with the presents I had wrapped from us, Karen informed me that the wrapping paper I had used was the paper she had purchased for all the Father Christmas gifts to be handed out on Christmas Eve night. Now what are the chances I would buy the exact paper? It was baffling. I think this proves that my mother in law and I think more alike than any of us would ever believe. Funny! 

We had ham, egg and chips for dinner and then the kids were ready for bed. They had showered before dinner, so putting them to bed is really no big deal after they’ve eaten. Typically we eat a bit later than normal, so by the time we are finished eating, they are generally tired and are easy to put to bed. The adults didn’t stay up much later than the kids, once again. 

Friday morning Stuart got up and took his mum to her doctor’s appointment. Then when she returned we headed to TK Maxx and Marks & Spencer to try to find something to wear for New Year’s in Arosa, Switzerland. I was not really born to be festive, but will attempt to be this year. After our successful

shopping trip, we headed back to the house only

to find Grandma and Grandpa had gone out for a bit. The kids ate lunch while Stuart and I played games on our phones. We are so lively! 

Stuart then went out and hung some more outdoor lights on a tree in the front. Then the kids and I sat down to watch A Dog’s Journey.......again. We had watched it earlier in the week and the kids wanted to watch it again. It’s a sweet, but sad film. The rest of the afternoon we relaxed and had some more down time, which is the important time around the holidays. 

We had ordered an Indian curry for dinner and Millie had fish fingers and broccoli because curry is not her bag. At the end of the evening we had talked about having a game of Oh Heck, but since the kids couldn’t keep it together, we canceled the game and they went to bed early. It was for the best because Stuart was getting up at 5 am to go collect Hope from Tipton. 

I got up just as he was driving away to drive for  three and a half hours to collect Hope. He was going to pick her up and go to Ikea as he and his mum and grandmother had decided to buy Hope a desk and chair for Christmas. His plan was to put it together before they headed back to Hastings. 

I went back to sleep until nearly 9 am. I got up and started getting blow up mattresses ready for the next lot of folks to come to the house. I put covers on the duvets and had Millie take the rest of our dirty clothes down to the laundry room. Jack helped with the beds and then I showered. The kids helped Grandma place presents around the tree. We then had a bite of lunch and played Oh Heck. Millie played with her toys while we played cards. Stuart and Hope arrived around 4:30 pm and chaos ensued. She brought loads of gifts that also had to go around the tree. The kids started playing Monopoly while Grandma and Stuart got dinner ready. 

I’m pretty sure Millie doesn’t know how to play, but she pretends well. Of course, it ended in tears, as these things do. They all ended up on their electronics until it was time to eat. We had sausages and vegetables for dinner. I took the kids up to their room and helped Hope unpack. Once she was unpacked, I read Barry the Fish with Fingers, upon Millie’s request. Millie then went to bed, Hope showered and Jack went downstairs for a bit. Everyone else sat in the living room for a bit before turning in as well. The week of a Christmas was upon us.