A matter of choice

Last week was Decorating Day, I thought it was a little early when Aaron suggested it -  yes you did read that correctly! He was sorting out the storage boxes and (wrongly) assumed I would be wanting to put the tree up on the 1st December,  of course he still thinks they should go up much later but he's realised he will never win on that one. 

I consulted the calendar and realised it was the best time to put them up as we were busy the following weekend. It has to be a weekend - not really sure why but I feel it is a weekend activity, traditionally with the first mince pies or something similar and a baileys or three - ahh that explains the weekend thing!

It turns out that we put them up the same time for the last two years running at least, thanks to facebook memories, so he guessed correctly.

As soon as it was mentioned Louka pointed out that it was his turn to put the star on the top this year.  I had no idea if he was right, and assumed that they were both about to start arg…

I'm not a 'cat person'. I can appreciate that they can be cute but generally I don't make a point of fussing them unless they are really friendly,   maybe they can tell I am unimpressed as I always say that cats don't seem to like me,  it's all about the claws!

Aaron isn't a cat fan either but we've always made a point of getting the boys to fuss them if they are friendly as they were always so scared of dogs and were wary of cats too.

Yesterday the boys and I were out exploring and as we got out the car there were about 15 cats suddenly around us and more were appearing assuming we had food - now I wouldn't say I'm scared of cats but I can't say I like that many approaching all at once from different directions!.  We ignored them and they got the message, all except one



He (could have been a she!)   took a liking to Leo and came right up to him as he sat on a wall.   Leo moved away and 'Catty' (as it was imaginatively named) follow…

This year we celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary. 
We celebrated on the day (back in August!)  with a child free night out in Protaras.  It didn't go quite to plan, for Aaron anyway but it was a good night out nonetheless. 
The plan was dinner and drinks,  I had not long started Slimming World again but decided to try and stick as much as possible to plan with food, avoid beer and cocktails but not worry about how many vodka and diet cokes I was having! 
We wandered up and down the strip for a bit, stopped for a couple of pre-dinner drinks and eventually decided on a restaurant (that I now cannot remember the name of), the meals came (two steaks both medium rare)  but Aaron's was not cooked properly and got sent back, twice,  so by the time he actually received an edible meal I had finished mine.  He then had gone off the idea of eating and so we headed back to the pub!
After listening to a bit of the duo entertaining which was ok at best,  we decided to move on once the …

Back in July I rejoined Slimming World, again.

For those of you who have been reading my blog for years you may well roll your eyes at this point and say yep, been there done that, and you would be right but I got to target (3 times!)  and stopped going, again.

Each time I was sure I would be fine, and of course the weight slowly crept back on, again!

You'd think by now that I would realise where I go wrong wouldn't you?

Well, maybe I have.

So, back in July I joined, again.  There were a few familiar faces from a few years back and I had been  before for a little while with the consultant but it was a new venue for me and I made a point of treating like a whole new start, I even read the book from cover to cover!

Like my original SW journey (Argh I hate that expression but can't think of a better description!)  this time my Dad has joined me, and like before he has powered through losing weight much faster than me, but that's fine, I'm very proud of how well he is…

As I published photos from our 2018 Halloween celebrations I happened to notice a blog post saved in my draft folder,  it turns out it was a  Haloween post from 2016 so I thought it was about time I actually published it!



Halloween wasn't widely celebrated in the UK when I was a child,   I don't remember anyone 'trick or treating' or the shops being full of costumes.   It was starting to become a thing in my late teenage years,  I suppose once our generation was getting old enough to be able to choose to celebrate without having permission!

I went to Halloween themed pub nights but my first proper party was a children's party here in Cyprus, thrown by my Halloween mad friend Sam.  It was really for our benefit I suppose, as our kids were only 1 and had no idea what was going on,  we made it spooky rather than scary with cartoon ghosts and Disney themed decorations. 
We've been to Halloween events,  Cyherbia Halloween events are always worth going to, they beat…

This week's Sunday post is a Halloween special! 


I must apologise, Sam, if you are reading this, for cropping you out of the photo but it just lent itself to this!

We had our now traditional Halloween get together for the kids - well I say for the kids but the get-togethers go on a bit later these days and include a little more alcohol as we are joined by the men and the kids get less demanding.

The 'pack'   (as Leo now calls the 5 children we have between us all)  are less interested in the games we used to play,  happy now to disappear off to their bedroom and do whatever it is they do for hours on end, but they still enjoy a few once we 'drag' them out to be sociable.

Hanging doughnuts had been requested once again so that went down well



No themed gathering would be complete without a Tiny Acorns craft!


And of course, you can't have Halloween without a bit of trick or treating.

As trick or treating' isn't done generally in Cyprus we visit 2 or 3 of o…

For the last few years, we have been working with the photo booth over Halloween weekend at Cyherbia, providing spooky photos for the hundreds of visitors they get each year. This year due to wedding bookings we were unable to work it but I did get the chance to experience it as a visitor once again when I took the boys up for a few hours on Saturday.

I've lost count now how many times we've been to Cyherbia,  it's been a long time since our first visit in 2013 - where I pushed baby Louka round the maze in his pushchair,  followed by visits with him on reins (also pushing the buggy for when he got tired - which of course he didn't, but undoubtedly would have done had I not taken it!)

I loved every visit but it was hard work compared to now - it was always fun, but I would be exhausted once I got home - either from the effort of trying to keep up with them in the maze, trying to get the boys to go in the same direction, or chasing them around the gardens trying not to …