Boys weekend in :-)

Mummy has gone to Vegas with Kerrie, so the boys are having a boys weekend in.Β  We have been toy shopping and had lunch, and then Olly decided bed was the order of the day – so Elly and daddy are playing with Olly’s new toy πŸ™‚

Check out this bunch – and take a look at the Japanese guy on the right – he’s got all the camera kit right there with him πŸ™‚

23rd August 2010 – Olly finally has taken his first real steps…

OK, so he did it over the weekend, but has taken at least 15 steps so we think that this counts for being able to walk πŸ™‚

Grandma and Granddad left this morning and looking at he flight tracker are now about 1.5 hours from landing in Manchester.Β Β  The two weeks has absolutely flown by and it feels like they did not really get any time here in the US ForkHall πŸ™

Kerrie arrives on Wednesday so the fun starts again very soon.

Apparently Elliot was none too pleased this morning when he came downstairs to find not only was daddy not there, but Grandma and Granddad were gone as well πŸ™

Simon’s date car has a fault front tyre – largish egg shaped thing sticking out of the sidewall = not good.Β  $300 USD to repair :-(.Β  Going to see if we can `get the manufacturer to stump up something for it – the car has only covered 3000 miles and there are not other marks on the tyre or wheel itself to suggest a collision with a curb or other.

Vicky is heading out to Vegas with Kerrie this weekend – means boys weekend coming up – a shame that the credit card is maxxed out (from Waikiki) – Vicky might just have returned to a whole heap of new toys… πŸ™‚

Waikiki vacation – great place, great trip

We got back a couple of days ago following a wonderful time in Waikiki.Β  It was not at all what we expected – we expected a Blackpool type setup from what people had told us – we got nothing like it – i.e. 4 Louis Vuitton stores in Waikiki – one in the hotel in which we stayed!!!

Elly and Olly LOVED the beach, and swam in the Ocean every day – we actually couldn’t get Elly to come in each day πŸ™‚

We are already looking to get a holiday into Maui now – be a bit less shopping type – i.e. there are just store after store of designer stores.Β  You name it, it is there.Β  Maui, will be much more green and more fun for Elliot and Oliver.Β  We are considering going there in November – what do you think? Grandma and Granddad to see the city (they missed it last time they were here) in all its glory.Β  Typically it was very cold in the city today, so we ended up buying some fleeces etc to keep warm.Β  Then at the end of the day, we (Vicky, Simon, Elly and Olly) ended up walking back to Fisherman’s Wharf from Union Square.Β  That’s the second time we have done that – and the LAST !!!!

Any future visitors can do the trolley ride SOLO πŸ™‚

Beach @ Santa Cruz tomorrow πŸ™‚

All Back :-)

Even though the flight was almost 2 and a half hours late in leaving New York, it was only 45 minutes late into San Francisco, so Simon nearly wasn’t at the airport in time πŸ™

All are safely back and the boys are up playing with Thomas trains, and Mummy and Grandma and Granddad are still sleeping.

Olly has been awake since 5am and Elly awoke at 6:30am.Β  They are going to be tired later on I guess.

Then, it is not all bad, since we are going to be going to Hawai tomorrow and they are 3 more timezones to the left !!! Hence the body clocks will be reset again tomorrow night πŸ™‚

Great to be back together again !!! πŸ™‚

All back today :-)

Vicky and the boys and Grandma and Granddad are presently sat on a flight somewhere over Illinois on their way to San Francisco.Β  It is going to be a very long day as each flight has been delayed – the first by 40 minutes and the second by almost 2 hours πŸ™

Olly has apparently had a high temperature (39 degrees) on the Manchester to New York leg and the seating arrangements have not been ideal.Β  It probably won’t go down as the best flight ever, but in 3 hours time it will feel like it when we are all together again :-).

Simon has managed to get both cars at the airport ready for collection duty even though V probably won’t really feel up to driving back home after the long day that they have endured.Β  The good news is that there is a nice bottle of Californian Cabernet sat airing on the breakfast bar at home πŸ™‚

Simon has been busy washing, ironing and generally cleaning the house in preparation for the arriving family, although we only have 36 hours there as we are jetting off to Hawaii – NICE.

Out on the bike…

Simon has managed to get out on the bike tonight – 12 miles in 50 minutes – not bad for an unfit, fat git πŸ™‚Β  Didn’t quite manage to get all the way to the reservoir though – he is OK until the hills appear πŸ™

A nice Filet on the grill tonight – even managed to have salad that was picked up from Trader Joe’s πŸ™‚

Simon was driving up to a hotel near the airport at San Francisco today, when a damned mud flap from a truck fell off……yes that’s right readers, and STRUCK the front of the date car !! πŸ™

Thankfully the damage was cosmetic, and so with a little persuasion, the front bumper is now pulled back into shape and the marks that were left behind have come off cleanly.Β  The cleaning process did point out that there is a stone chip (unrelated incident) on the front bumper (other side of car to the mud flap) πŸ™

Hoping somewhat that there is NO damage under the car – it bumped all the way back until it came out the back πŸ™

Simon is really missing the boys and Vicky – can’t wait until next Monday evening…. See you soon guys – all my love xxx oooo