Friday 21 March 2008

Holidays sorted for the next few years

Oh, I forgot that I spent much of the week researching tents on the web, as we really want to go camping and see it as the easy way to have affordable, fun holidays while Lara's at the age where we don't really want to be struggling through airports. In the end I contacted a camping shop in Kendal and have ordered one of these:
It's actually a 6-man tent, which sounds a lot, but we'll not be travelling light and Mishka needs somewhere too, so he actually gets his own bedroom!
I also got Lara her own sleeping bag, and we'll kit Olga out when we go on our first trip, up to Wasdale in the Lakes on 20th April.

That's not the only shopping I've been doing... Olga and I had discussed how it's a shame to have a nice river close by and not use it, so I've also bought this:
Yup, a 5-man inflatable! Far from being a kid's toy, this is Coast-guard certified and can have a motor fitted, although I'll not go that far till next Summer I think. This year we'll just try it out with the paddles.
Of course an air-compressor that runs off the car battery and a life jacket for Lara are next on the shopping list! You can also get neoprene "socks" for dogs, which I'm thinking about to prevent Mishka's claws making this a used-once jet boat. We had thought about getting a rigid boat, but that would need a roof rack or a trailer (more money) -at least this one will deflate and fit in a bag and go in the car. At this rate we'll need a bigger car!
So, that's our holidays sorted for the next few years, we'll stay UK-bound, or maybe venture as far as France. At least now we can go off for the weekend at short notice and take Mishka with us.

Gap Kids & the week so far

There are some new photos in Lara's "New pics" album (see the top link on the left) taken with her wearing some of her nap clothes from Gap Kids in the Eden centre.
It's not been a bad week, she's had her ups and downs, one night she slept from 9ish until 6am, but on other nights Olga's been up at 12, 4 or 5. For the first time too this week I took her for a drive in the evening so get her off to sleep, it worked fine while she was in the car, but she woke again as soon as we were home!!
We went to a colleague's daughter's first birthday party yesterday, it was a very Russian event, including some authentic home-made vodka, which made me glad I didn't have to operate any heavy machinery last night. I didn't go blind so it can't have been that bad. 65% ABV apparently...

Today we've had a lazyish day, we all had a lie-in then went shopping, then had a family walk with Mishka, exploring a nature reserve we didn't know was there, not far from home. It starts in the industrial estate behind the house! I'm off to bring Lucy over from Reading when I've finished posting here, then there should be some jobs to do but, hey, it's Friday night....

Lara on her throne


We've borrowed a Bumbo from some friends, and Lara can now sit more comfortably and watch TV - she's just got to master the remote controls and she'll be set up for the next few years!
Posted by Picasa

Monday 17 March 2008

Lara - snoozy & swimmy

Just a couple of photos we took today, Lara does look funny in our big bed - she has a lie-in here while I make breakfast and walk Mishka. Then this evening she had a swim in the bath with Olga, there weren't any tears until it came time to take her out!



Posted by Picasa

A quiet weekend

It was a quietish weekend this weekend, the weather put pay to any ideas I had of getting things done in the garden, and even poor Mishka missed out on playing with Daisy in our back garden yesterday because of the wind and the rain.
We did go down to the new Eden centre on Saturday afternoon, it's very nice, with lots of glass roofs to give the place an open feeling without being rained on. Olga's already planning long mornings wandering round the shops, so the sooner Gap have a sale on baby clothes, the better, although we did buy a few outfits on this visit - their stuff is just so nice.
Lara's had a bit of a skrikey weekend, she's not been wanting to go to bed, her routine has been a bit messed up for a few days, so we'll make an effort to get her back on track and she might return to going to sleep at 8 or 9 pm rather than 12.30am like last night.
I've been passing the time trying to plan a camping trip next month, Olga and I both have the urge to make the most of the English countryside, and camping's the cheapest way to do it! But it can be good fun too. More details as and when I've sorted things out.
Ah, a short week this week :-)