How hard can it be to choose a new pencil case?!

After five shops, at least three hours of searching and me displaying the patience of a large collection of saints (the most godly, pious and revered kind) Lucy finally chose a new pencil case for the new school term. I am going to say something extremely old fashioned now, but children simply have too much choice these days. Lucy must have had fifty designs to choose from and I can see why it took her so long. I was simply loosing the will to live. Amy told me to be patient and wait and she will find the 'one' and as ever she was right. Just when I thought I could cope no more, like the 'holy grail 'a pencil case boldly decorated with colourful owls presented itself in WHSmith and the beginning of  beautiful and long lasting stationary storage relationship began. THANK GOD!!!! I can forgive her though, as the picture attached is stunning and makes me breathless with pride at how beautiful my big girl is becoming...

The Majorcan girls have settled back in!

We have been back home for a week now and the girls are well and truly back into the swing of things and quietly enjoying their summer holidays (not sure that the weather realises it is summer - it is the coldest August on record for a hundred years). It has been a little difficult to wind them down from holiday mode and the expectation of extra treats and a meal out every day, but this seems to have been finally tempered. They have had friends over, back into their new and upgraded swimming groups (once again very proud dad), gym and football starts again on Saturday, hit the cinema today and Lucy is already making a play for a new pencil case and stationary for the new school year! What has really impressed me is that they have both taken up the reading challenge from the library (with a little assertive persuasion from Mrs Hammond) to read six books before they go back to school and both have knocked off two each. Well done girls! We do have one emerging problem, as I start working from home, it is proving very difficult to do so and I can't ask my family to go out every day. The girls have been very good but they can be very noisy and I have set myself up for a fall by always making myself as accessible as I can when I am at home, as this time was infrequent. Not sure how we will solve this one just yet? I have to say, I do so love being a part of their day, every day though.  For example the silly song we sang and bum nudging complete with giggles this evening are special moments I cherish. The ladies in my life are not known for their compromise, so it looks like eventually I will need to seek pastures new when the business builds up. Did I not mention? I am going it alone and have set up my own consultancy business. I have my first client and onward and upwards. Scary but exciting times...

Back home safe and sound...

It has been a memorable holiday and great family time together. The girls are worn out and now in bed, very happy to be home and back to familiar comforts, despite the 20 degrees difference in temperature! When asked what she missed the most, Lucy replied the sky remote controller, her spot on the couch, the cats and Libby. I am not sure how flattered anybody should be on that list considering this was the order given in. I come home with so many memories of a very relaxing place to stay: the friendly islanders, the ice cream sandwiches, the 'ChiChiWa' song, some great families we met, delicious paella, the wonderful views of the med, a meal out every night with my family, endless souvenir shops which the girls adored, chilling by the pool, way too many ants, game of cards, 'crazy fruit man' selling watermelon on the beach, Anna's hole in one on the first hole of the crazy golf, gorgeous pastries and watching the girls get on so well (most of the time!) The idea of going back next year has been tabled and is in discussion. Firstly I will need to earn some money and secondly I am not sure there are enough sedative drugs on the planet to get Amy back on a plane after a choppy flight today! In the meantime, a great holiday to remember..

The very long wait is nearly over!

After nearly ten days of wobbling, dangling, bleeding and generally freaking me out, Anna's latest wobbly tooth is literally hanging by a thread and ripe and ready to fall out and get her another visit from Boxer. Please be tonight, as I really do not want to see her wobble it in front of me any more! Finally, after purchasing some lucky Spanish keys and a little bit of help from her big sister with an over excited cuddle, Anna and I got our wish and out pooped the tooth in the middle of the dance floor at the hotel this evening, complete with dripping blood! We really do know how to leave an impression on a party, us Hammonds! 

More water fun....

Today we ventured afar for our 'big day out' and boldly headed off to the island's biggest and best water park and went to an even bigger pool (just for a change!) I would not say the girls embraced the adrenaline junkie rides on offer, opting instead for the more leisurely and gentle rides, slowly getting braver as the day went on, by which time it was time to leave the park! Lucy, sporting her first ever bikini, experienced the right of passage that most girls probably do - that bikinis and water slides do not always mix and can induce a slight dropping of one's bottoms in public! I think we may need to feed Anna up a bit, as she was the only child at the park who managed to stop dead on a slide, as the rubber ring would just not move and she was rescued by a Spanish knight in shining armour (lifeguard). Quote of the week last night : Lucy - 'Daddy he is wearing man heels!' She was watching the Rocky Horror picture show for the first time...

Uno, dos, tres.....

Not much has changed since I last wrote and this is just perfect! We continue to indulge ourselves as a family with the relaxing things in life such as more time by the pool, a boat trip on the Mediterranean, much more eating and great coffee (sorry Liam but I am afraid the coffee is better here!) There is however, one small problem I intend to address this evening and it is driving me nuts. Poolside life has one disadvantage, the girls have developed an obsession with playing 'Harry Potter Uno' and I am not so sure I can take anymore! Especially as Anna is wiping the floor on a daily basis with Lucy and I; tonight I can feel a purchase of travel Scrabble coming on to stop this rot! I would not say that Anna has been a gracious winner either, or Lucy a gracious looser! I was thinking this afternoon that maybe it would have been cheaper to play this game at home for two weeks and send the girls out to the tap in the yard every half an hour to get wet! Definitely not as sunny and warm though. Personally I think the expression on Amy's face says it all, although this could be heat stroke...

Just lie back and relax...

Marjorca has a great pace of life that suits me, no pace at all! A beautiful place to celebrate a new decade in my life with my family. I was not so impressed by the dose of food poisoning I acquired overnight on my birthday, probably a dodgy prawn. As well as all the amazing gifts I got at the picnic back home, Amy organised a photo shoot for her and the girls some time back. Got to say the pictures were so beautiful they drew me to tears. The girls love it here and adore the poolside life. What has been a real joy to watch is the relationship that Anna has struck up with a little Dutch boy, neither speak a word of each other's language, but are getting on like a house on fire playing ballon sword fights and squirting water! International language and communication seems to mean shouting only! Lucy wins the prize for the best tan so far and simply adores watching the entertainment in the hotel at night where we are 'treated' to some songs from musicals and a nightly kids party. Truly not my cup of tea, but the girls think it's great. Pool life took a turn for the worst today when the pool had to be closed, Amy asked a hotel staff member why and his monosyllabic reply was simply 'poop!'

Ola!

We made it to sunny Majorca and the place is simply quite stunning. The girls were brilliant on the plane and hyper excited after a few first time nerves. In the end we pretended it was a roller coaster and that did the trick. I have never known anybody to go to the toilet on plane as much as Lucy, though perhaps she was conducting a review of the plane's facilities for her book that has now gone global! So far we have done what the Hammond family does best - eat, drink, chill, swim and more swimming, more eating, more drinking and of course shopping. Oh, the pain I am in with the endless gift shops, that basically all sell the same thing - tat, tat and more tat; needless to say the girls are in their element and have already bought up half the island! (Best not to mention the comedy willies sold in most shops) I am struggling a bit, it must be my age as my eyes are swollen and not coping with the heat, despite this a good time is being had by all on our first family holiday abroad. Watch out world we may broaden our horizons further next year. Tonight we have been out for tapas with Anna opting for the 'bandit' portion which means helping yourself to your parents food! The main and very difficult moral dilemma we are facing is to swim or not to swim, life is very tough indeed..