UK/Spain - 2014

In just a few weeks we'll be heading to the UK and Spain for a few weeks. Along with two colleagues, I'm taking 25 students to London for 11 days. It's going to be an interesting time! I was originally planning on just taking Charlie, but I decided that when he was a little infant who could be worn in the moby wrap...  I managed to forget that he'd be 18 months and on the move. And then we talked about me going on my own and Rich staying with the boys. Charlie, however, is just not ready for that. He nurses throughout the night still and given that he's never had even a night away from me, that I am there every time he wakes up, it began to seem like a very bad idea.

So we're all going. It's going to be busy and hectic (and incredibly expensive - oof). I'll be confined to London for most of the stay, and we still have the problem of Charlie being away from me as Rich was planning on hiring a car and taking off for a few days to visit some of his family. I just can't see how this will work. Honestly, it would be amazing to have a couple of nights kid free... oh the sleep I'm imagining. But the trip is already going to be tiring for the kids, with a lot of changes, new places, and new people. And Charlie is shy and reserved with people he doesn't know. So I have no idea what will happen. One of my sisters is visiting us in London for a few days (it's half term whilst we're there), so Rich and the boys can hang out with Rory and Freya.

We fly out to Spain to see mum on the day the students leave. Raf is going to love it. He's been there twice but can't remember either time, of course. My mum has a garden apartment with two pools and a playground outside her gate. The bay is just down the road with an absolutely beautiful beach.

We return on June 10th. I think we're seeing Rich's dad on the 11th. It's very bad timing for us as my in-laws will be in Spain (not where we're going) so we won't get to see much of them. This is such a shame as it would be lovely for the boys to get to know them more.

On the Thursday we're shooting down to Devon to see my two other sisters, Fiona and Rebecca, as well as old school friends. I can't wait to show the boys where I grew up and where I went to school. It's such a beautiful part of the world.

Last time we were all home (sans Charlie, of course) it was 2010.  I just happened upon a few pics from that trip. It's going to be slightly melancholy because dad won't be there, but lots of new memories to create.

Raf is very excited. He randomly told someone a couple of weeks ago that he's half English and half American. He said, 'I'm Americanish'!!