WylieNews: August 2006

Today I'm a screever...

and as you can see...

a screever's an artist....

of 'ighest degree!...

and it's all me own work...

from me own memory.

This week

We didn't get up to too much damage. We've filled our time with a visit to the Thurlby's (forgot the camera... sorry!), making rhubarb crumble for tea, painting, feeding the ducks at Daddy's work (we can actually say that now that they pay him!!!!), sticking, drawing etc etc blah, blah, blah! Hopefully we'll do something more interesting this week!

Anyway, the weekend was more exciting because the girls and I were thrown out of the house and sent to Nana's. Meanwhile Dad, John and Andrew (and Nick) stayed at our house to replace the toilet stack (mmmm nice job!). Apparently Nick makes a good housewife, tea and cakes a plenty!!!!Unfortunately there's no photographic evidence so you'll just have to imagine the fun and japes! So, Lucy, Ella and Thomas came up to Mum's for the day and Ella and Jessica had a ball, Maddy had fun too.... she's quite taken with babies so Thomas was a BIG hit and she wanted to hold/cuddle/kiss him the whole time he was there! Definately didn't leave them both alone in the same room! Anyway, we played, stuck stickers, dressed dolls, baked cakes, and generally trashed Mother's house (Sorry Mum!) which was great fun. Abracadabra for tea (fish and chips that is) and bed - halleluia! In the morning Nick took the girls to see Nanny Carol (and didn't take the camera) then we had lunch and headed home to see the damage whilst Nick played with his friends!!!!!!!!!!!

That's about it really. A nice weekend if not slightly hectic, but aren't they the best ones?????

Ta ta for now!

Crumblin'

Kissing Thomas

Hangin' at Nana's

Mug shot

Nana and Grampy with their favourite grandchildren

Mummy I scraped my knee

s,... and hand, and elbow, and foot.... !!

The story? Maddy and Jessica were tired and winging because they wanted an ice cream so Nick and I were carrying them to the car being silly and racing to "be the leader". I wasn't looking at the floor which apparently contained a huge crater area, which I put my foot in, tripped, tripped some more (continuously thinking "how do I stop Maddy hitting the deck and me landing on top of her?") and thumped to the floor, skidded, and missed a cars headlamp by approximately an inch. A bystander (namely Nick) described my fall as spectacular. Once I got used to the pain, the loss of pride kicked in! Maddy was fine so I feel a very small smattering of relief for that. Still... it wasn't as bad as childbirth!

The worst one

Mottled hand

An almost matching pair

The kitchen fairies didn't come...

But we had a fantastic holiday in Bude, so that's ok. However, I've spent so long ploughing through 350 photos that I can't be bothered to write really! (Now I know how you felt Pete and Courtney!)

Anyway, the first week was spent with Grandma and Grandad (a.k.a. Janet and Graham), we went for walks, played on the beach, ate, walked the dogs, listened , listened and listened some more. By that I mean Jessica has learnt the female role in life and out-talked even the grown women. Boy has she got stuff to say! Anyway, rant over, we did lots of not very much but the girls had a wail of a time. And so did we as it happens, I was whisked off to a romantic (if not shoddy) hotel in.... Ilfracombe. I got a blue rinse especially! We had a lovely, slightly inebriated, time despite the rules and regulations;
- Swimming but only after 9:30am - breakfast being served from 8 - 10am.
- A la carte dinner served at 8:30pm only in the dining room,
- Only bar meals (a la Weatherspoons) to be served on the decking and only between 6:30 and 8:30pm
The list went on. Very Fawlty Towers! But despite that we had a nice child-free anniversary and many thanks to G and G for looking after the girls.

So then on Friday we were left to fend for ourselves. Having said that we had a great time, the Big Sheep (cutely named "Baa baa back sheep, has you any woooool" by Jessica - obviously), cream teas, crazy golf... so crazy that I actually won. And fair and square!!!!, the Maize Maze and lots of beaching!

The Big Sheep was great fun, Jessica was well up for all the feeding and shearing and particularly the play barn (can't believe it can you!), Maddy also liked it all but more from a distance.

Crazy Golf was obviously superb although I think Nick has some excuses lined up.

The best bit was the maize maze which had it's own Wylie style chain of attractions. We decided, after receiving the maps and instructions, to be "intrepid" and not use them. So we followed the leader (Jessica). We made Walt Disney proud (and a considerable amount richer in loyalties!)searching for dinosaur eggs. We saw red, then blue, then green, then blue, then red, then blue, then PURPLE, then green..... and so on. So we took a break, had a drink and went back in using the map. Jessica was tired and didn't want to walk, Maddy Pooed and wouldn't lay still amongst the maize to be changed and Liz had a little epi because she couldn't carry either of her two children, they all growed up and heavy! Fun, fun, fun!!!!!!!! We laughed a lot that afternoon.

As for the beach stuff it was all fairly monotonous, surfing, sandcastles, rockpools, car/helicopter building etc etc (but enjoyable I hasten to add!).

Then on Wednesday morning Nana and Grampy arrived (a.k.a. Janice and Pete) to take over the entertainers role. Again very little of any consequence happened, we still went for walks, played on the beach and ate. The only major difference from the other grandparents was the lack of dogs. Jessica still talked incessantly, followed Nana like a shadow this time instead of Grandma, and all was really lovely and calm!

Until Saturday. We packed up to come home, but decided to stay the day and invade the Thurlby holiday! So to summarise, 6 adults and 5 children to feed, beach and clean up afterwards. It was nothing short of a miracle, especially as the Wylies had a deadline for leaving and two VERY grumpy and tired children to boot! Tra la la. It was fantastic fun. The girls REALLY enjoyed having more company of their own kind, and we enjoyed having even more company of our own kind too! So muchos thanks to Bec and Andrew for making us feel so welcome. I think the photos speak for themselves on that one!

Well... it seems I found the energy to write, must be the caffeine. I hope you enjoy perusing our photos. In the words of Madeline, "All gone!"