2022

Getting Billy back

A 3am start to our travel home day was tough but not at first because there was, I guess, some adrenaline going on because not only did we need to get home but we were keen to leave the house as we’d found it and all that with both Reagan and Lincoln on 4 hours sleep. They were both brilliant all day and really should be proud of themselves because it took 14 hours to get home and we were all tired but we made it without any problems.

The taxi picked us up at 04:10 and took us to Seville airport where we flew to Barcelona and then from there to Milan before finally flying into Manchester at 14:47 we then retrieved the car from the meet and greet and drove to Summerhill Pet Hotel and Spa to get Billy. He was very timid initially but as soon as he realised it was us he was overjoyed to see us, and immediately jumped in the car and if he could have he would have just said “take me home”! I am not sure he will be so keen to be left there on Saturday when we leave again but for now he was happy again!

Everyone is tired and I am sat here trying to stay a wake so that I will sleep all night as I am back in work tomorrow so for now that’s our short autumn holiday over and we have a lot of great memories to look back on

/by

Spanish Sunburn

Let’s just say that when the sun comes out so do the Brits and and when they go abroad it is the law to get burnt even if you’re only there for a 4 days so when in Rome as they say….

We all slept in until past 9am so we must all have needed it because the children both went to bed excited to be going to the beach again, Mommy was just tired from driving us to Torremelinos and organising us all yesterday and me because I didn’t get to bed until 01:30am after watching the Broncos. (We go to Wembley on Saturday for Sundays game against the Jags and I can see HC Hackett being sacked if we fail to win, we are now 2 – 5 (0 -2 in the division) and our season will be effectively over if it is not already?)

So after leaving the Airbnb and dropping off anything we didn’t need at the beach at the car, we headed for breakfast and then onto the sand. The day basically consisted of swimming in the sea between lounging around doing nothing, the children played with Nathan once him and Nellie got there but soon enough it was 18:00 and time to drive back to Mairana del Acor to prepare to fly home. Once at the house we realised we were all bright red and even though sunscreen was applied, factor 20 was clearly not enough especially for the kids (BAD PARENTING) so tomorrow’s journey home may be an uncomfortable one for us all!

Another great day tinged with sadness but so many great memories made and already plans afoot to return fingers crossed.

Again thanks dude you really are amazing

The

/by

Torremelinos bound

I knew we were going to be in Spain when the Broncos played this weekend but I’d forgotten we’d be in Torremelinos but I needn’t have worried because the Airbnb Mommy had booked us into had great WiFi so here I am, sat outside on a beautiful night watching #NYJvsDEN

I love you too dude!

Another great day began slowly with a breakfast in the square before packing our stuff and driving a couple of hours to Malaga, Torremelinos for a couple of days at the beach which I know both Reagan and Lincoln had been looking forward to most of all, and it didn’t disappoint. The beach was sandy, the sea was calm and the sun shone we set up on beach chairs and spent the whole afternoon soaking it all in swimming sunbathing and playing with a young lad named Nathan who was there with his Momma.

Jamie and me got talking to his Mom Nellie and it was a chilled end to the day watching the three children just be children and it was nearly 7pm before we left to go to dinner. Reagan had her heart set on steak after seeing The Steak House as we arrived and it didn’t disappoint even though Reagan’s Steak look a little too rare but she ate it! We had a few games of Uno during dinner and it was a really fun night with all of us laughing and joking and just enjoying each others company, it just doesn’t get any better than this?

/by

Joy in the face of adversity

Sometimes you can plan too much and miss the the joy that was right there for the taking but you had a plan and stuck to it. Today was mostly defined by leaving our tour bus tickets at the house which meant we had to decide whether to waste 2 hours retrieving them or make the day up as we go and forget about the plan, which was tough for everyone for various reasons. Reagan has to know the plan and have it set out in her mind and she will be fine, Lincoln likes a plan but will accept change and not show his disappointment even if he really wanted to do the planned stuff, Mommy made the plan and was distraught that it was unachievable and felt like she’d let us down, me as always don’t care so long as everyone is happy!

We got up and went to meet Miriam and her family for breakfast at the town square cafe we visited, the first night we arrived but with local help soon realised it was a very good place with great food. The children soon found common ground and were playing football together in the square while 2 hours just disappeared chatting over coffee. Another car ride into Saville which was alot less stressful than yesterday, for me anyway we wandered down to the golden tower to catch the bus to the aquarium.

Once Reagan had stopped pouting, Mommy had risen above her sense of failure and Lincoln had an ice cream we walked along the Guadalquivir to the Plaza de España where we had so much fun. We met the the toilet cleaner with the cleanest toilets in Spain because he would not let anyone in to dirty them up, we rowed a boat around the lake infront of the Villa which was supposed to be Reagan and Lincoln rowing but we quite quickly established it wasn’t as easy as they had imagined. Flamenco dancers, big trees, birds, ducks ants, fishes and a kids park would never have been in the plan but sometimes it’s the simple things that turn out to be the best?

As we left we happened upon a world music festival in full swing and along with the music we’re street food’s of the world too. We were all hungry so Lincoln went Italian, Reagan Mexican, Mommy Spanish and I went Greek and it was all DELICIOUS and finished off the best day so far perfectly!

Thanks you Dude for leaving the bus tickets at the house, we had a brilliant day thanks to you!

/by

Learning to drive again

Oh my god I have never been so stressed driving a left-hand drive car from Seville city centre to Keith’s house at night it was like learning to drive all over again. My senses were overloaded with information every second with actually driving the car when many of the controls and aids were not where they usually are and the nearside is way over to the right, add to that the roads and signage were different and on top of all that it was dark and just for good measure the sat nav took me down one way streets the wrong way that were blocked off due to roadworks.

We survived we got home but now I’m spent, tired and after a shower it’s bedtime!

/by

The rain in Spain

We landed last night in Seville and it was raining which we accepted and thought it was maybe a shower as it was dark and getting late. We got a taxi from the airport to Keith’s house and its was still raining the road was blocked but as the house was only a few yards away we told the driver we would walk the rest of the way. When we got to the door and it didn’t open  we were now stood in the street in pouring rain unable to get into the house we were staying in for most of the trip.

This didn’t phase us because we’re aware this may happen because of the smart lock batteries could and did need charging, but Rauls sister had a key but wasn’t answering the phone. We decided to walk the short distance back to the square where me Reagan and Lincoln could sit in  the cafe and order food while Mommy sorted the door out. At this point we realised no-one had and data and the cafe didn’t offer WiFi which was a problem because the proprietor did not speak any English and with no way to translate we managed 3 Coca-Cola and guessed some things that were edible but the kids wouldn’t eat they ended up with a bag of crisps each not ideal when we’d been travelling all day but that was all we could manage

We did eventually get intouch with Miriam who was superb and got us in to the house and made sure we were OK once she left we just went tobed all so tired it wasn’t worth trying to do anything else….

/by

Off to sunny Spain

John Lydon Autobiography sat on the plane taking my mind off flying losing myself in Reading a book the upto now has really kept me interested even though I hadn’t picked it up for many weeks I’d forgotten how much I love reading when the book is about something that interests me.

I was seated next to Lincoln who was super excited about the holiday and especially flying for the “first time” that he can remember. I had explained to him what to expect, putting aside my fears, telling him that we would be taxiing to the runway before the pilot hits the accelerator. Mommy had handed us a mint which he was told not to put in his mouth until take off, and he was nervous about not knowing when the right time to pop the mint or why? So I said when the engines get noisy and your back hits the seat pop the sweet, but just suck it because you need to be able to swallow when you’re ears feel funny and the mint will help!

How will I know my ears feel funny….Lincoln you will just know!

Two facial expressions will stay with me from the proceeding few minutes first the apprehension followed by pure joy and unbridled excitement as what I had just explained unfolded and we were hurtling down the runway and into the air. The second is the face of realisation when his ears finally popped after the wondering glances aimed at me when the ear thing wasn’t happening and then it did making us both deaf and pull wide mouthed faces at each other trying to make our ears pop again so we could hear again!

I always forget that you have to experience things like that before you know and I would definitely hate not being there to watch them gain that knowledge as much as I am able!

As I write this we are on our second airplane descending in Seville and my ears are popping  but a glance over to my family across the aisle and they look like seasoned travellers but I will always remember the first flight and I think he will too!

/by

I don’t want it to end

We go on holiday tomorrow and I have been worried about it for a while even though I know it’s ridiculous I don’t seem to have control of my pessimistic thoughts. The truth is I have many thoughts that are not congusive to maintaining happiness but generally I can overcome them and plough on but flying is tough to ignore.

I know millions of people fly every week without incident and we will join those millions without incident but I have such a great life right now and I don’t want it to end and I just think about trying to avoid anything that might derail my happiness but ironically it is these thoughts that spoil my happiness

I wish I could be like Reagan and Lincoln who can only see excitement and nothing will get in the way that because Mommy and Daddy won’t let it! Not a care in the world!

/by

I got dibs

Reagan made me smile tonight, when she got home from school she saw that I had been out and bought a cabin sized suitcase.

Reagan: I thought we were not allowed cases? Me: Well Mommy upgraded us to a second case. Reagan: Well I’ve got dibs on Mommy’s case because I am wheeling it through the airport!

Soooo cute she has this image in her head of how it will feel to walk through the airport “wheeling” a case, and I imagine to her it is such a grown-up thing to be seen doing?

I love it and hope I can get a photo of her doing it and I also hope she has many more opportunities to “wheel” a suitcase through an airport but this will be her first time (even though in 2013 I remember her wheeling her pink suitcase through airports on the way to Denver)

/by

Chargers at 01:15

It’s yet another prime time ko and yet another god awful display on offense yet the defence was brilliant and kept the team in the game until an overtime muffed punt condemned us to defeat and a 2 – 4 record….

If Bill Bellycheck had this team we would be 6 0 seriously O line not great but a good HC could scheme for that until help comes but the 5th ranked defence can’t do it all when on the field all night!

Rookie corner Mathias got picked on and referee’s were watching and were harsh a couple of times but LA saw this and exploited it He needed help and the coaches didn’t send it…coaching is one of the main things failing and its tough to watch right now, especially at 01:15 until 04:38

We play the Jets next and I am hoping to stream the game in Spain and watch it reclining on the veranda….hopefully that will make it more palletable if things don’t improve?

/by