What a roller coaster of a week! Had some great great days/evenings, but have also both been sick as dogs in our own particular ways.... also, poor old Mark's mum had been ill on the lead up to Christmas (was sick and very tired), although she had a reprieve at the last minute and made it to Caroline's for Xmas dinner...Last weekend we (Mark and I) struggled against our respective colds, and entertained Jez and Marta from Madrid. Was SO great to see them both - and we were soon back on old form, and extracting the urine-a-go-go.... was a really fun night! I cooked chilli, and then we walked into the village and met Jamie and Chris in The Red Lion for a few pints. Jez and Marta left in the early hours of Xmas eve (they had to get to Norwich in time for a panto with Jez's family), and Mark and I both headed to work for a few hours.
That afternoon we headed to Lowestoft... Mark had taken a turn for the worse (very very snotty and feeling a bit feverish), and so we were not exactly in the festive mood by the time we arrived. We had a nice evening though - Mum cooked fish and salad, and we were all entertained by Henry's mounting excitement at the impending arrival of Father Christmas. Bless his little heart, he bought back so many memories of my own childhood, and that terrible feeling when you think that you will never ever get to sleep, and Father Christmas consequently won't come and visit. We had to put out the "Santa Stop Here" sign in the front garden, and sprinkle "magic Rudolph dust" on the lawn (which basically consisted of 'oats to tempt the reindeers' and glitter 'to light their way' - a gorgeous innovation by Henry's school teacher!). Tracy and I read "Twas the Night Before Christmas" to him again this year, and yet again he piked up on the fact that Father Christmas was smoking... I find Henry an unusually perceptive child (but I guess we all find our own particular little acquiantances particularly sharp). I asked him whether he thought that Father Christmas would get wet when he came over the sea to his house - he said that he *would* get wet, as the full moon was out and it would pull on the water like a magnet??!!! Where on earth does he learn stuff like that?!
I got up at 7:30 (to the sound of Henry's ear piercing screams of delight), and watched him open his presents. Sam called at 8:30, so I made my excuses and went to visit Nanny and Grandad (both ill with colds - Grandad more seriously with bronchitis!), and Alison and Kevin and the children... all very pleasant. After Aidan decided to give us a rendition of some song or other with his new electric guitar, I made my excuses and left! Mark was unfortunately suffering quite badly, and didn't surface until gone 12:30. We had a lovely Xmas dinner in the afternoon (joined by Nanny Brown); I have never had goose before, and thoroughly enjoyed it - especially the crispy skin with chinese 5 spice rubbed into it! Yummm..... We spent the rest of the day watching the boys play with their new toys (of course, Henry only wanted to play with Oscar's toys, and it seems that Tracy would have been better off buying Oscar a few small blocks of polystyrene, since the ones out his toys kept him amused for hours!). I was spoilt, and am now the proud proud owner of a set of GHD hair straighteners from Mark! yayayay!!!! Mum and Dad also spoilt us with lots of vouchers from John Lewis, and Tracy bought me a rather cool digital picture frame which I am looking forward to filling up!
Boxing day was another fairly sickie day... I didn't feel top notch, but we came back to Cambridge to watch the boxing day football (Cambridge Utd vs Histon). This was a fairly tense match, not least because Mark's family were divided in their loyalties! heh... unfortunately, it was Mark and I that had to do the walk of shame on that occasion (1-0 to Cambridge in the end) - although I have to say it was a very close match, and Histon in no way let themselves down! In the evening I cooked Sausage and Mash for Mark's parents, and we had a nice evening watching TV and exchanging gifts in front of the fire. Unfortunately, Nanny Brown ended up in hospital; she had been vomiting all day Boxing Day, and has what looks to be a clot in her leg :-(
Yesterday, I had to return to work. Unfortunately, I only made it for half of the day. I had woken up feeling a bit nauseous, but by lunch time I could no longer contain it - one sniff of the soup I had taken for my lunch had me running for the loo. I spent the afternoon in bed, and only managed to get up for a cup of tea and to watch a movie later in the evening. Ah well - I think it did my waistline good, but have no clue what prompted it!!! Perhaps all the yucky stuff I have been swallowing with my cold :-(
Feeling a good deal better today - looking forward to the weekend. I have my parents coming tonight for the weekend, and I am planning to hit the sales with them tomorrow! Yay! On Sunday, Mark's parents are joining all of us for lunch, and in the evening Jane and Jamie are coming over to see us. Can't wait to see them - has been a long time, and it might be the last time I see them without a tangible baby! The baby is due on the 2nd January, so I am hoping it doesn't put in an early appearance! I will get my marigolds out and some hot towels, just in case... ;-)
Plans for the new year at the moment are to spend it with Kevin and Heleen and their two young children in Hitchin. However, the way we are both feeling, a lay on the sofa might not be such a bad idea!
Hope you are all well - have a great weekend!
A really Happy New Year to you all - especially my far flung friends in Brisbane, Copenhagen, Madrid, Cambodia, Den Haag and Beirut...
Much love
Hayls
xxxxx
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