New Gadgets

We haven't had many gadgets recently, but I decided that I needed a carpet cleaner (of all the mundane objects to desire) as I am fed up with the yukkiness of our 'cream' carpet and with the impending onset of potty training I decide it would be a good investment! Lucky for me my mum had bought one a couple of months ago and was very pleased with it (and she is not easily pleased!) so with the leg-work done, I set to finding the cheapest one I could....and I did! One hundred quid off! Bargain! Just need the heating fixed so I can try it out!

When we went to collect said item from Curry's (yes Curry's...unbelievable that it was the cheapest!) Peter insisted on going into Comet (sigh) to have a look at PC's/Laptops for use in the living room as his dear old lappy is a tad slow these days...when we stumbled upon this little beauty for a knock-down £120! Yes! £120! A definite bargain considering what Amazon is selling it for!!! So we spent most of yesterday evening setting it up with the digi-antenna, adding the newest photos, connecting to the home network and marvelling at how quickly it booted up...Next the big telly! So far we are both impressed...and if it only lasts a couple of years, what have we lost? (hopefully not all out photos!)

Holiday Books

Nature Girl...very good ending...in fact I really enjoyed this book! It took a while to get into it as I started it a few weeks before we went away, but once I got the thread it was hard to put down. The core revolved around wreaking revenge on a ruthless telemarketer and it was great...

Deception Point ...I didn't think I'd read another Dan Brown as I felt I'd had enough of his style. But I did enjoy this book, there was certainly suspense running throughout and a twist near the end which surprised me...

State of the Union ...I started this one and it is a bit of a page-turner! I pinched it from the villa book-cupboard as I had run out of other books..and there wasn't much else which took my fancy! I finished this recently and added it to my Bookmooch inventory and someone wants it already!

Happy 2008

Goodbye 2007...Hello 2008....I did manage to see the clock change at midnight...I couldn't sleep (how much of a wet blanket am I??) Well, we were so knackered from our trip home from Portugal, that Peter sloped off to bed at 9:30PM....I did try but was too wide awake at 11:30Pm so I got up. I'm sure by the end of 2008 we'll be in a similar state when Shark puts in it's appearance mid-year!

I don't usually do resolutions as I seldom keep to them...but this year I am going to be more positive about things - I hadn't been too good at that towards the end of 2007. Also I am going to be ruthless with the 'stuff' that has accumulated in the house over the years...Watch out Freecycle/eBay/Municipal tip/Bin men!

New year, new challenges and plenty of them!!

Mind your language

I'm going to have to really watch what I say....Sunshine has been absorbing words and expressions like a sponge...some of which I'm not sure where from but some are definitely from me...:(

At least she seems to be using them in the right sort of context (if there truly is such a thing!)...

Big bumps/potholes in the road elicits an "Oh my god!" response...

Dropping something or bumping into inanimate objects results in "Bugger!"....

hmm....well...at least that seems to be the worst...so far...

Christmas 2007

...was spent in Portugal. A quiet affair with Peter, Sunshine and Peter's Mum....almost a repeat of the last time we were out at Christmas as a family except with more activity from Sunshine...she seems to be solar powered and enjoyed endlessly running around the pool with either, a ball, brush, both or neither but a devilish glint in her eye!

On the whole it was a good holiday...away from the hectic-ness of Christmas shopping and crowds and the like...the weather started off a bit rotten -2 days and nights of torrential rain and thunderstorms- but this eventually gave way to glorious days of sunshine...

Sunshine was great on the plane there and back...and seemed to enjoy herself although trying to get her to nap in the afternoon seemed impossible...but then she slept soundly through the night (in a cot which we thought may have been a bit of a problem!!). Peter seemed to get the raw end of the deal with chaperoning Sunshine on the patio when she was most active...whilst I cowered from the heat of the sun trying valiantly to finish the book I was reading (I managed to get through 2 -shame on me!). We had a few trips to the local beaches where Sunshine enjoyed collecting shells and sea urchins which had been washed up...a few shells made it home, but the sea urchins just smelt so they got left behind on the sand!

Christmas Day itself was fairly quiet, the day infused with Sunshine opening her presents as the day wore on...more from Sunshine on that...

We didn't get a chance to have a meal on our own...but I guess that was wishful thinking...It was nice to get away but better to be home despite the cold weather, the lack of heating and hot water! C'est la vie...

Sunshine's Phrases of Note

We think this was initiated by Sunshine discovering the washing machine with a load of her wet, clean clothes....

Me/Peter: "Time to get dressed...."

Sunshine: "I've got nothing to wear...." 

( A bit worrying from a 2-year-old!)

After a pretend phone call to Grandma (and Bella the dog)....

Peter: "How are Grandma and Bella feeling?"

Sunshine: "Rough."