Last Week

Last week was quite a big one.  Sean's old friend Peter was having his 70th Birthday celebration at lunch time on Wednesday, so we went to Poole on Tuesday, and stayed at the lovely Hotel du Vin.  I have an Aunt and Uncle who live near there, so Sean invited them to dinner at the Hotel on Tuesday evening.  

This is the Dining Room

Our Guests

Sean in conversation.  Doesn't he look good?

I have to say I was most disconcerted to see a Victorian roll top bath in the window recess of our room.  It was a relief to discover a far more private facility en suite.  There is no way I would have been tempted to use that bath.

Just after I got home, my mum phoned to say that her sister Mary had been knocked down at a pedestrian crossing in Spain, and had fractures to her left shoulder, arm and knee.  She is still in hospital there, but will be flown home, hopefully next week.  Mary is 80 in July so the injuries are even more serious than they would be for a younger person.  What a thing to happen!  Her daughter who lives in Finland has flown over to be with her until Sunday.  Josie may well go over to Spain to escort Mary back home.  

On Saturday, Sean and I went to church then went back to my flat for sausages and mash.  We had eaten such 'special' food at Peter's Party and at the Hotel Dinner that we wanted something plain and simple.  On Sunday, Caelyn, Nigel and the children had lunch with us at Keppels.  It was good, but they were very busy and understaffed, although the staff were helpful and good.  Teresa Jayne is teething, so I asked a waitress for some sliced cucumber, which the children love - and she was really sweet about it.  She said she had a baby of much the same age who also likes cucumber when she is teething.  

Here she is with her Daddy.  She's 9 months old, and lovely

When we got home, the kids were all over Sean.  They always are, and he loves it.  In this photo, they were playing Shop, but later when my mum popped in, Josie was Captain Hook and Sean was Peter Pan who had to rescue Wendy.  It was a great, imaginative game.

Caelyn is exhausted with Teresa teething and both children having been ill.  She got about 4 hours unbroken sleep over the weekend.  They are worried that their car needs an expensive repair as it failed its M.O.T ( a compulsory periodic examination of a car to check for road worthiness.  You can't use your car without an M.O.T ) and they can't afford it.  Nigel needs the car to get to college as he is in his final exam phase.  And it's Wendy's birthday on Wednesday and they can't afford to get her the expensive present they wanted to get for her.  I know exactly what that feels like, but Wendy WILL have presents from the family and from her parents.  She will have a celebration at Nursery School, at Toddler Group and at home with her friends.  Parents always get terribly upset when the can't give their children what they would like to, but the children actually do well enough in the end.  Its just unfortunate that her birthday and the car's M.O.T fall in the same month.

Wendy said to my mum "I'll be four soon"  "Yes you will" said my mother.  A while later she pipes up again "my brain be four too!"

And on that note, I'll sign off.