Happy Sunday Everyone!

A super quick one, just to say 'Hi!' and let you all know we're back safely from our jaunt up north. The weather was fine, the plane rides there and back were good (I think of this as a roaring success with 2 small children on my own, a huge suitcase and one flight at bedtime!!) the lack of 3G/wi-fi was dire but the views were breathtaking. Here's a few nuggets...

Mama treated herself to cashmere socks in Campbell's in Beauly. Happy Mama!

Toddler (who, from now on, will be referred to as 'Boy', see earlier post about age confusion) was delighted to discover that they served sausages in Scotland, bless.

Baby caught a stinking head cold and made good use of that emergency bottle of Calpol I had packed, fully expecting to bring it home full. Pah!

Nana commented at least twice a day how full on little boys are. Ha ha! Think she'll spend her second week sleeping to recover.

It would appear that Boy has forgotten how to swim and ride a bike after a few lazy weeks. Cue much shrieking and much cursing under breath (Mama, not Boy!), we both had headaches and a new found determination to get cycling each weekend again. Can't wait for him to start swim lessons next week, the sooner that child gets back in the water (with someone who is NOT his mother) the better!

A sweet old American lady ruffled Boy's golden locks at Urquhart Castle with such sweet tenderness I almost cried. She then spent a happy 5 minutes telling me about how she had a daughter once with hair just like it and how lucky I am to have such a beautiful...daughter?! I didn't have heart to correct her!!

Mama must have sung 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' in that blasted rental car at least 59 times. Each day.

Baby lost baby cow in a shop in Beauly and we had to retrace our steps to find him, my God that was a fraught 7 minutes. Luckily, we found him lying sadly on a low shelf where he'd been abandoned in favour of a pink brolly for a few minutes...as you do. Baby and baby cow were thrilled to be reunited.

Boy saw Nessie more times in 5 days than she's been spotted in the last 100 years. Go figure!

We visited a lot of local playparks (holidays with kids) and for some bizarre reason, even the smallest villages in remote Scotland have nicer parks than big towns down here? Strange but true.

And lastly, Husband has apparently survived on a diet of cheese sandwiches and Dominoes pizza, all the while living in a house where not one item has been returned to its rightful home in 6 days. Screwdriver on the coffee table, anyone? Dirty socks near the coffee machine? This makes for quite a considerable mess to contend with when you get home after travelling on your own with two small children for 6 hours. Thanks for that! Grr!

Last day of the season at Weston Park so we are off as a family to clock up some mileage on foot, blow away some cobwebs and distract myself from Thursday's arrival...

Back soon with some September goals, some wardrobe updates, some thoughts on schooling, some photos from our trip and some interior inspirations I collated while away. Glad to be back!

PS, I feel like this about my wi-fi connection, may hug the router!