30th and home

Up early having packed the previous day getting all sorted did not take long. I litterally handed over keys with no other checks etc being needed. Up to Mums and met up with Bexs family, now back from their Christmas in Dorset. Zach and Rupe stared at each other a lot.
Tom, Guy and Bea arrived and a merry full house Mum had for a while.
10.30 hit the road for Edinburgh having said our fond fair wells.
A straightforward journey North with a straightforward handing over of the hire car, check in and through departures. We bought some paninis and crisps and this simple act took us to boarding. The flight was fine, I was sat next to Matt - as there had been some issues with his siblings in the car.
Home! Oscar had done well and the house was well accounted for. Yippee.
Back to the best bed in the world.

29th Dec 2011

Another day of relative bagging.
Today we went down to Yorkshire and had a delightful visit with Simon, Sharon, Thomas and Grace. Much chat about our very different French holidays - they had a camping holiday in a wine region and we did Disney. We now want a slice of their action....
Presents were opened and kids were in heaven as they hared around the place play fighting etc. Really lovely to see automatic getting on wellness.
Lunch time saw us move to Ripon and visit Johns mum. Tony was working (hence having had arrangements to see them on the 27th when he wasn't). Another good visit, though a different tempo. More presents. Very pleased kids!
Again we headed to Mums for dinner - pork and almonds followed by lemon soufflé. Good to visit so many folk and have such fun!
Thank you one and all.

28th Dec 2011

Rod & Tori were heading South today and so we went to Mums to say our goodbyes. After that we headed to Scarborough to see my sister Katherine and brother Tony.
We took the A68 to go South and this wore on our nerves quite a bit. I read to prevent myself being too miffed. This worked well until the road form Whitby to Scarborough as the road is very bumpy and twisty.
Found Katherines home without difficulty thanks to Johns phone.
Katherine has a fine house in which there were lego toys that had the kids very happily entertained! I met Oliver for the first time - a scandal that as he is 17!
Katherine made very fine pizzas which were duly scoffed down super fast by us! Good chat and good food. Warm fuzzy feelings all round.
We went for an afternoon stroll through the oriental(?) park - which hasn't changed much in the last 20+ years since I last saw it. The wind was bitter and befor heading off there was some argy bargy with Tim & Oliver about wearing coats. At the park a good stroll was being had when we realised that there was no Ben in our party. Tony walked one side of the lake (super fast) and John the other. They found Ben just on the edge of panic - he had wanted to climb a tree at the start of the walk and had gone to do just that! Phew a simple find!
We headed to the warmth of Katherines house and headed home when the light started to turn. We went back on the A167 past Consett - which was a much better road. Mum very kindly fed us - baked potatoes with cheese. Can't fault a classic and we didn't!
Bed time and back to the cottage. good night.

Ruths B'day 2011

Today was an odd one, but good. We were meant to be spending the afternoon with Johns parents at our cottage but they cried off, which was sad.
So what did we do?
In the morning we had some to and fro with phone calls from my folks hoping we would not over whelm them all day or even all morning. So we went scrumping for apples that we saw just lying on the ground and in the tree in the hotel grounds. This was fun and everyone joined in.
Job done we set off to Ruths for her birthday celebrations. First of all Ruths family and ours went to the local play park at Humsaugh. Much fun had with the park being pretty good and some circuits being invented to really defuse energy! Ruth competed fully with her 4 year old son, which was odd. Zach filled his pants so we headed back to Ruths to sort this and do the present thing! She got a fair haul of presents, and she looked fab in the dress I had bought her.
We had a vegetarian North African stew which was lovely and which I have the recipe for (Ruth gave me the Hugh Fernly Wittingstall veg book for X mas) followed by sticky toffee pudding. Everone stating one slice was quite enough and they were stuffed meant that I had one helping only, to save my blushes!
After lunch we did what we had told everyone we would do and left.
I had lost my mobile phone and the mornings work had included locating it at the theatre Royal in Newcastle, so that is where we headed from Ruths. Phone retrieved we stopped at a Morrisons and bought a family DVD which on arriving at our cottage we watched. It was a good film (Up) and fun to watch with the kids as they had seen it before and were happy telling me what the heck was going on! After that we had a swim - really warm and all to ourselves. Fun time had by all.
Back to the cottage and tuna and pasta for dinner. more alcohol and chocs with evening TV.
An excellent day!

Boxing day 2011

The pic is taken by Rod Bentley in the Theatre Royal in Newcastle. We had all joined up at Ruths for 11am to then go onto the Newcastle in car convoy. We had been up and had another swim so we were all in good spirits and energy had been used!
The pantomime was Sleeping Beauty and a classic in every sense panto wise. Much fun had and the kids really made the experience come alive for us and for the great many people with us in the upper circle.
On conclusion of the panto we went back to Ruths and ate some more of the Christmas food!! Yum yum and no catering needed by us.
Home to the cottage and a drink or 2 with our evening TV and reading : Blood Sweat & Tea.

Christmas day 2011

Here it is the big day. Up quite late really 7am! Ben had tried at 5 but had actually gone to bed when told it was too early. The little 3 are chuffed with their stuff but sadly Tim not chuffed with is selection and thinks Santa is ignoring him. We get a bit miffed at this.
Breakfast once we are all up - sausage, poached egg on toast, bacon & black pudding! Yummy!!
Then we open the presents that are under the tree. The kids are all much happier now. They find the games for the various consoles and there is a moment when presents stop being opened and beeping starts! John and I use this rare lull to open and enjoy our presents. Thank you one and all for our gifts!! So generous we are now wondering if we really do have space to take them all home. Pleasingly there is a huge Hotel Chocolat cracker that we can reduce to nothing and we start on that right away!
At 10am we are at Castleside church for their morning service. We are made very welcome in this lovely warm church but sadly it is spoken Eucharist only. So we enjoyed the intimate service, the other folk enjoyed our kids and we are were of church by 10.30. I call Mum and then Ruth... we are not welcome until 12.30 lunch time. The 7 of us just too much and their presents etc in progress ;-) We are a challenge!
So we swim!! How excellent is that?
Much festive fun in the pool and then off to Ruths. We make it bang on 12.30, and 10mins after Mums text asking us to hurry up.
Dinner is excellent - Tom has made us Roast rib of beef. The food is fantastic and I eat a lot. Time and care has been put into the seating and kids are looked after and adults are in good chatting positions. Well done one and all.
the last present of the day is the center table present and this has been a secret santa. I get a scarf and put it on. I like scarves. Thank you santa! Ruth has porvided my kids center table presents as we had forgotten it, and santa may have given them earlier in the day.... oops. Thank you Ruth!!
Lots of chat and food later.... we discover that Zach REALLY likes Christmas pudding!
All good things come to and end and at Bentley bedtime we make our exit.
Good night and thank you!

24th Dec 2011

Had a fitful nights sleep - typical really. Up at 5.30 - a relief really to actually have to be awake!
John and i get ourselves sorted out and get the kids up. Dog is confused but shoved out to have her morning business. Tea is made, breakfast - toast- is had. Kids counted, luggage counted and it all matches. into both of our cars and off we go 6.30 on the dot we are off to the airport.
Quick journey there and we check in. There will only be 12 of us on the Edinburgh flight. The time zips by and we are soon boarded and off.
The pilot is clearly keen for Christmas because we arrive in Edinburgh 30mins early!! We walk/run off to Hertz to collect the hire car and the kids get some needed exercise. We have a Ford Galaxy smax again (same as Disney trips car). It is fine and we fit very well. Amazing what the lack of a push chair and luggage rack will do!
The journey South goes pretty fast and quick and we arrive at my Mums.
MUCH noise and the joy of greetings! Mum is looking good. Rod & Tori are staying with her and will be the organisers of the stuff we have been stashing in preparation of this holiday. Ruths family are there as are her in laws - Rod & Trish.
I get to have mince pies! Yum, Yum. All the rest of the buffet stuff is excellent but the salads are where my heart goes. the kids don't eat much sadly.
At around 3 ish we head to our cottage at Derwent Manor with Rod & Tori following with the extra stuff.
The picking up of the keys is the easiest ever and we find a cute, if 1970's style cottage. Rod & Tori help us set up the tree that Ruth has kindly lent us. It is REALLY good to have this symbol of Christmas with us. The view is great and the kids seem very happy with their sleeping arrangements.
Rod & Tori head back to the merriment at Corbridge and we settle down - putting presents under the tree etc. We then all go for a swim in the leisure complex of the hotel. Really lovely swim had and again a use of all that energy!
We walk to the cottage and look to make tuna & pasta - but no tomato. So quick change of plan and it is sausages, mash and gravy instead. Takes longer (the winging kids really get to you when cooking as fast as possible but it is still not fast enough) than hoped for but worth it and everyone is relieved to eat!
Little ones are tired and off to bed they go. Zach in a cot and Matt & Ben in a double bed. Pillow cases are placed ready for Santa.
We watch some TV with Cesca and Tim before they too decide to head to bed early. Phew!
We make the essential Christmas rounds and are in bed for 10pm!
Good night one and all

23rd Dec 2011

Christmas is getting close now. Most of the house was tidied yesterday and arguments had. I am on call for the maternity department and that has settled today. We are expecting Oscar around for the evening and he will be house sitting for us over the Christmas holiday.
I go to the health center to finish my admin and hand over to George. It has been a horrid busy day for one and all and they are glad it is over. Friday before Christmas, and every body has come in wanting their often chronic conditions cured or sorted for Christmas, never mind the fact they could have come along to see us at any time the preceeding days/months etc.
Hand over complete and I head home. Time for a drink of something alcoholic!
The lasagne I made on Tuesday in anticipation of today is cooking and smelling great. Kids are excited, packed and ready.
The lasagne is as good as expected and pleasingly Oscar eats a lot!
We get the kids to bed early as possible and relax watching TV and chatting. Oscar has had my chat about how the house 'works'. I think he will be pleased when we are gone, and he is certainly pleased we are not expecting him to be up at 5.30 like us.
Good night!

Grannies Grandchildren

This is my Mums grand kids. Bex has one in the oven and is representing her. Cracking lot!