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."

No More Excuses...

Ahem....After a couple of years of saying "one's enough" and "never again"...it turns out one isn't really enough (although there are days when one is more than enough!) There is to be another Allen joining our little family...At the moment it is called Shark...and we had our 12 week scan this morning!

Sunshine came too and was very good and even correctly identified the image as a baby...a "baby swimming"! And then it all got a bit too much and she decided that she'd seen enough and turned off the monitor!

So, I have an excuse for being a complete lightweight and going to bed at 8.30pm is becoming a bit of a norm! It's hard enough being a host but being a mummy to an energetic toddler can push you over the edge!

Oh, it's called Shark because I had an early scan and Sunshine also came to that and when asked what she saw on the TV she said "A Shark"....so Shark it was!

Away for a Week

I was in Altrincham all of last week giving a training course..it was enjoyable in so far as being the trainer is...I had a good bunch which made it a bit easier...I wouldn't say that I have a calling for the role, but it is good for the soul to occasionally get out of routine! It's exhausting standing in the front and having to talk,think, move, engage people all at the same time! A week also seems to be a long time these days, especially as Sunshine seems to change on a daily basis!

Needless to say I managed to fill each evening with catch-ups with friends...Katie & Mark (Katie cooked some fab lamb burgers and I didn't scare Tully too much this time!), a lovely evening with Marianthi in Manchester (I'm sure we walked further than we needed to....!) and a class night out...lots of good food and not too late nights...why am I so tired?!! Well, it would have been a bit rude not to make the most of my 'freedom'....but it was definitely good to get home...eventually...

FANTASTIC!

...and a little sad....But a brilliant book! This has got to be my fastest read yet...but then I am away from home...:(

'A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary For Lovers' is a love story between a young Chinese student and an English man...The story chronicles the year when Z attends an English school in London and everything that happens from her point of view. The story is written in ever improving English and tells of her heartbreak. I loved it! I finished it on the tram and I'll admit the end made me well up a bit....