Bit of a catch up!

We've had a rather hectic couple of weeks. So, Saturday 12th Alicia baby sat and we went out for a rather mediocre meal (we left it way too late to arrange and consequently struggled to get in where we wanted to) and then went to see I am Legend. It was ok, nothing more than that. Personally I prefer 28 Days Later which I suppose would be the UK equivalent... Still, it was nice to have an evening out so whilst the entertainment could have been better it was still a nice evening.

Then, the next day on Sunday morning Tully and I dropped Mark off at the airport at 8 in the morning for him to catch his flight to Seattle, where he was going to attend a week long conference. That afternoon Tully and I went to see The Snowman which was really lovely, and Tully sat remarkably well given it was quite long - well extended over the tv adaptation. It was so lovely to see the look of wonder on her face even before anything happened as it was her first theatre trip and she was (mostly) enthralled throughout. Of course it helped that Holly was sat next to her, and she got ice cream at the interval too!

Now then, Mark's flight home was due in at 8ish on the following Saturday morning and I had to go to New Orleans that same day for a sales meeting, with the flight scheduled at 11:25... As it was rather close, and even on the assumption that Mark would be back on time he'd be so jetlagged he'd not want to look after Tully for an entire weekend, we enlisted the help of Mum and Dad. So they came over on Friday, and then dropped me off at the airport on Saturday before setting off with Tully back to their house for a few days. Tully was a little nervous about it as it was the first time she'd gone away on her own, but she was a complete and utter angel (so I'm told, although I'm not sure Mum would tell me even if she was upset / badly behaved!) and I'm so proud of how she copes with some of the situations we throw her into.

So, onto New Orleans. I was staying in the New Orleans Marriott rirght in the centre on Canal Street and just a block down from Bourbon Street. I somehow got lucky and had a room fairly high up in the corner of the right hand tower, which meant it was a) quite big and b) had windows the full lenghth of 2 sides giving a rather good view!

For some reason I really struggled with jet lag (although maybe I was also recovering after being a single parent the week before!) so the first few evenings I went to the various mandatory evening events and then bailed out to bed pretty early. On the last night though I decided it was too good an opportunity to miss so headed along Bourbon Street for a couple of hours. Its really rather odd - I'm sure I'll get slammed for this but the best way to describe it is Blackpool with jazz! Although: Dad, I did go into a bar that I know you would love, and think possibly even Mum could tolerate! :)

Anyway, I'm glad I've been but not sure it's somewhere I would now choose to revisit... Unfortunately I'm back there again in 5 weeks for Pittcon... :(

Magic Sheep!

Jon and Mand brought us this magic sheep back from their holiday in Scotland. Now I know that was a very long time ago, but because it said not suitable for children under 10 we thought it must include some really nasty chemical. The chances of Tully listening to us and not touching were it slim, so we took it into work where it consequently got hidden under all the random piles of stuff on my incredibly untidy desk...

Anyway, yesterday we found it and thought we'd have a go. Here he is at lunchtime when first assembled...


Here is his progress about 2 hours later...


And here he is the next morning! All wooly...


Lots of fun, and it's kept the majority of the office entertained too! Thank you!

Birthday Break

I had grand plans for my birthday this year: I was finally going to go to Rome! I've been wanting to go for years and year and just somehow never quite got round to it. I'd even chosen which hotel we were going to stay in and was just finalising which dates we were both free to go, as well as which days my parents were free to look after Tully...

The more perceptive of you may have spotted the use of the past tense above! Well, Mark now has to go to Seattle the week before my trip to New Orleans. His flight lands just 3 hours before mine leaves. If all was well and good this ought to just about give us enough time to meet at the airport and hand over parental responsibility.

But it is a little close for comfort, and even assuming that there were no flight delays poor jetlagged Mark would be sole parent from 9am Saturday morning and have to survive the entire weekend looking after the monster haivng come stright off a 17 hour journey and an 8 hour time difference. After much cogitating, Mum and Dad have been enlisted to help. Now, I know they'd be more than happy to look after Tully again just a couple of weeks later, but even I think it would be a bit mean of us to go and leave her again so soon afterwards...

So now, do we take Tully to Rome or plan something else? I've had mixed reviews of Rome with small children - a couple of people say it's really not good for someone her age whilst others have taken their little ones and said it was good. Either way, when it came down to it, neither Mark or I have ever fancied the idea of sharing a hotel room with her and have actively avoided it... Where's the fun in having to go back to the room around her bedtime, and sitting in the dark with the tv on quietly waiting for the morning to come when we can have fun again. Very little if you ask me.

So, a bit of a leap here, but we've booked to go to Centerparcs at Whinfell Forest. Still, despite the change in direction of the choice of weekend break I'm quite looking forward to it...

Thank goodness that's over!

That being 2007!

Not one of my better years by a long shot. Still, onwards and upwards into 2008. And I'm optimistic - mainly as it can't be as bad as last year, and whilst I am not one for making New Year Resolutions I am determined that with a New Year I can do my best to put my depressed state of mind from 2007 behind me!