Just another manic monday.

Another day over. This holiday is flying by but we are certainly making the most of it.

Grandpa rented a wonderful carw ith gismos and gadgets galore, yesterday he said that he was taking it back as he had rented it just for a few days, rhat was fine, there is so much to do right here we said we were happy to entertain ourselves and would love for him to come over and join us if he wanted to do that.

We decided that today we would explore the area and set off at 9am after our delicious breakfast. We walked and the boys ran, we found shops and restaurants, a mall and Walmart. We bought a cheap ( $17!!) stroller and so Eli could rest his weary little stumpy legs as well as us having the handles to hang bags aplenty on. ( Michaels,with it's beautiful shiny things and pretty things and more lovely things)

We got back to the hotel after 1 o'clock and were ready for a rest before swimming and dinner.

Grandpa called and had decided to keep the splendid car and should he come over. Hmmmm. Now we love grandpa, we want him to be with us at every occassion, the thing is he wants to pay for everything, which is not on, we have fought him so far, he has rented the car, that's enough. Dinner we can pay for, shopping we must pay for, admission fees are on us ( if we ever go anywhere we need to pay to get in, so far we are all loving the whole American thing without extra entertainment!)

H's brother and sister in law live near by and they have the most adorable baby girl, she is 14 months old and as cute as she can be, she is a baby. Here's the thing, we waited this long to do this so that we wouldn't have a baby around, so that we wouldn't have to run after a baby, stop to feed a baby, carry a baby...you get the drift. We worked this hard to do this so that we could please ourselves, eat where WE choose, go where WE choose, sleep when WE choose etc etc.

We find that we are sort of having to explain ourselves and excuse ourselves, stop what we plan and do what SIL is asking, the thing is, we don't want to do that. I am fast becoming that bad guy, I am saying no, I am putting my foot down and explaining that WE have chosen this today, asking if they would like to do that and then having to pretend I don't hear the irritation at our non complicance.

We have 3 weeks to make memories and cram in everything WE have planned, this is OUR holiday and whilst we would love to accomodate others, well we aren't going to.

Grandpa is happy for us to go away and do our thing, he loves to join us and he is happy not to. Marilyn ( next door) is the same, she loves to see us, understands when she doesn't, that makes us keen to see them more, enjoy their company more. When we start to feel obliged or bulldozed, we dig our heels in and before you know it we're saying NO to what actually could bea great plan! ( STUBBORN? Who said that? Get outta here, not me)

We told the boys that we were going to have dinner at Po Folks this evening, trains and all ( and you want to hear an English person say the name of that place..pathetic, just sounds stupid, "Poor foke? Less advantaged people's establishment?" ) sister in Law wanted us to travel across town and eat spaghetti somewhere. Ask H to eat spaghetti anywhere but home, I dare you!

"Why?" he blasts? " just about the cheapest meal you can make at home, why would anyone go pay 20 buks for damn spaghetti? Why? can eat damn spaghetti any night of the week, no way you're gettin' me to pay to eat damn spaghetti!" Spaghetti is our 'when you can't be bothered or afford anything else meal, we love it but if we're paying for dinner out, make it a good one. Thankyou.

Just as well we made her cross and stuck with our plans, the boys have walked a hundred miles, been swimming, played in the gym ( FABULOUS ....put that 6 / 7 year old on a tread mill, hit the incline button and sit back and watch the energy sap right out of him, just about the most incredible holiday pastime we've come up with. )







They were tired by dinner time and behaved very poorly, resulting in our leaving the restaurant and telling them that they would go to bed with no basketball on TV. ( the highlight of the day is when they get into bed and wait for 8pm, basketball starts and they get to watch it in BED imagine that....they have yet to stay awake later than 8.03pm, Seth was indignant when I told grandpa, that he replied " Actually, last night I definitely stayed awake until 8.06pm!!)

So, no basketball on TV, straight to bed, while Eli got to stay up....and fall asleep in the front room by 7.11pm!

Eli has been better today, feeling more in the holiday spirit, still the best behaved out of the 3. Isaac has been the LEAST reticent, not a single shy moment, almost embarrassing in his loudness. Seth has been incredibly shy and retiring...who'd have thought it ?



More pictures you say?













Sophie called, she got beaten up on sunday night, has a smashed nose and will have to have surgery to fix it, when the swelling goes down. 5000 miles away and that kind of news will still find you! She is now in our house ( I hope) Friends and family tell me they will alert me to a death and anything else they will keep to themselves because WHAT CAN I DO? all that can happen is our trip get spoiled. Sophie sounds fine, she IS fine.

All is well, Nyquil is soothing my throat and calming the coughing, sleep is coming very easily this holiday, just what the doctor ordered!!