Home and dry (apart from this weekend)

We've been back home in Oz for just over a week now. We were all glad to get back, although we did have a wonderful time in the UK with all my family and our friends. It was great to catch up with people and Maddie loved being spoilt by everyone. I was a bit of a weakling with the weather and spent a lot of time moaning about the cold so am glad to be back in sunnier climes. Saying that we have finally had some rain this weekend and our garden is very grateful.

Even so, we have had a lovely weekend. To fuel Maddie's current passion for trains and all things railwayish we went to the family open day at the railway museum down the road today. Maddie got to run riot through a Victorian sleeping carriage and was treated to a free sausage sizzle (her favourite food). The highlight had to be when we saw both a proper 'Percy' and 'James'. Maddie has become a diehard Thomas the Tank Engine fan and can spot a branded product from a mile away!

We've been spending quite a lot of time at our local beach as it's been pretty hot recently. We also managed to go out for a lovely dinner with Maddie asleep in her buggy (a rare occurence). Other than that we've just been enjoying hanging out in Willi.

We're both back at work and Dom has already spent a week in Cairns...which makes a peaceful week for me.

Anyway, it's getting late so I'd better sign off. I promise we'll post some pics soon.

Toni x

Spider count: too many to actually count
Snakes: mercifully still 0

Happy New Year!

It's already 2008 at home, but seeing as we're in the UK this Christmas we're still not getting ready for New Year's Eve.

Maddie thoroughly enjoyed her Christmas and thanks again to everyone for all her presents. So far we've not tried to repack the bags for the journey home but I think they'll be groaning at the seams!

I will have to get around to putting some photos of Christmas up, but no time right now to hunt for the camera lead, etc etc.

It's been a good trip back to the UK, Maddie was good on the 24-hr flight back: slept for 12 hours in three stints, sat still for about 3 hrs and ran around the plane for 9 hrs!! It was only the last 3 hours where we were wishing it was all over, and we all arrived ok which is the main thing. Maddie has adjusted OK to the time difference, she hasn't woken up in the night since we've been here. We have had 3 or 4 early mornings at 5-5:30am though!

Toni and I even managed a couple of nights away at Lancaster, her old University town which was great even it did rain 95% of the time! A good excuse to spend a lot of time revisiting my favourite beers which were in ready supply, so close to Yorkshire. (Theakston's and Black Sheep if anyone is feeling like shipping a container out for my birthday next year!)

I did see one extremely disturbing example of how we have become a nation of shoppers as opposed to shopkeepers though: in Woolworth's, on the 28th DECEMBER, they were putting out Creme Eggs with a display saying "Easter is Coming"!
It's 12 weeks away! It's Next Year for God's sake!
And anyway, everyone knows the 28th December is when the Valentine's Day card displays go up - how they could have made such an elementary mistake is beyond me.
(For anyone considering emigrating and seeking something to tip the balance, you might be interested to know the shops in Melbourne didn't set up the Christmas decs & displays until December 1st. How refreshing.)

Got to go and get ready now, hope you all have a very Happy New Year!!!