Nursery of my Dreams

Did put my hands in my lap while we were waiting for our long Christmas holidays to kick in? Oh no! I checked out nurseries and fell in love-at-first-sight with the one with the least available spaces. It exceeded my wildest hopes (by being perfect AND having carers that sign with the babies), so I took the two half days I was offered.
Today was Tara's first induction day, and she too fell in love with the place. How could she not - it has a baby indoors slide, they serve pears, have a sand play table and baa-baas over the changing table! It is perfect childcare heaven. Proof?
Tara CRIED when she had to leave after only two hours. And we have to wait a full day for more...
Obviously I can't wait to catch up with some sleep either. Did I say sleep? Of course not, Jose, I will cook and clean and only do very little video exercise. No sleeping while Tara learns and plays!

Talking about Tara learning: A lesson in gravity! Tilt the plate, and the raisins go raining down!

Of course they remain very edible. We do hover occasionally, though hovering frequency will have to increase a little when Tara isn't round any more to attack the hover and try to ride it.

And then, the best part of every day: Daddy comes home and reads to Tara and whoever of her friends she brings along.

Reyes

... and while the family was out and about on Saturday, the reyes*, o joy, did not forget Tara even though she's far far from Spain, and dropped a present off for her too! Granted, they had to leave it in a shop in the city centre, but that's fair seeings we didn't open the door and they don't do chimneys. Either way, we don't have a chimney.
Lucky girl Tara.

So let's recap today, 06.01.08:

Tara: hunts dogs with daddy and gets a cow.
Daddy: hunts dogs with Tara, and shlepps a cow home from the city centre.
Mummy: gets to dye her hair (finally!) and does half the ironing without anyone tugging at her legs.

And back in Spain, uncle Juande and girlfriend-of-10-years Tita Isa have a word with the priest, and are offered a date in June for their wedding. A bit sooner than they thought, but really, after ten years it's about time to!
(10 years? That gives Jose and me roughly another four or five. Good.)

So back in England, Alex and Jose say: Felicidades!

Tara says: AISHA AISHA!** and points excitedly at the picture, whacking the keyboard as mummy tries to edit red hearts into the picture.
Tara is quite in love with tita Isa. All agree: Uncle Juande is a lucky man!

* Heiligen Drei Könige. Three Kings - what are they called in England? They got Baby Jesus presents a while ago, and have more recently got busy treating Spanish Kids on Jan, 6th. Spain tradionionally is not visited by Santa Claus on Christmas.
** Meaning, Tita (aunty) Isa - although the same sound sequence (aka 'word') could also mean squirrel in German, but the context points quite unambiguously to this meaning of aisha.

The White Cliffs of Ramsgate

(and Broadstairs)

So, have you been wondering at all just what daddy got up to while his girls were away?

Here you go:
He watched lots of war documentaries (Good stuff daddy, this is BEST done when we're away!).
He did quite a bit of floor scrubbing and general cleaning (Great stuff, daddy!)
He treated himself to a Jack-the-Ripper-tour of London and a lengthy visit of the British War Museum (Without us? How dare you?!... Naa, kidding. The last time we went he took roughly 597 pictures in just under six hours, so I think I've seen enough of the place. Daddy's a bit of a FAN...)
AND he took a six hour walk down the shore.
Obviously great fun stuff, all of it. The girls, once returned, were persuaded to repeat at least the last trip with him, and enjoyed themselves tremendously. Largely...

*** before I write on I just need to get this in: I MISS LEICESTER I MISS LEICESTER I MISS LEICESTER! Now, that said, on we blog ***

...because it is a tremendously beautiful walk (if somewhat long)! Down to Ramsgate harbour, to the very end of the East Cliff, across a bit of uncultivated beach, and onto the beaches of Broadstairs. Back via promenade, road, and through a little forest, past one or two stunning houses, and back into Ramsgate at twilight, slightly jealous of Broadstairians, but never mind.
And here we go. A few scenic pics for all prospective visitors, who can be assured they too will be persuaded by hook or by crook that these 4 hours are a great way to spend an afternoon. We haven't got the largest shops any more, but we got SHELLS!

Broadstairs (coming up from the Ramsgate beaches)

Broadstairs - a town that collects benches

White cliffs - white stairs (broad stairs)

A bad coffee later we're on our way back 'home'

One day we'll write Tara's name out!

Some wanna-own houses coming up - location, location!

Marching back into Ramsgate (hours later...)

Ramsgate harbour at twilight

Ramsgate City Centre

Tara seems ok with being at home here as longs as she's got grapes...

As you can see, no picture editing or selection on this one - I just post the lot cause they're pretty. Of course I don't want you to get the wrong impression - Tara still is the star of this entry. Not the sea, not the shells, not the beach. Tara always is the star. Except perhaps when she's not wanting to go to sleep at night, but that's another story entirely!
So today, Tara took her first proper (self-propelled) walk on an English shore. She wibble wobbled a bit, stared at her feet in slight confusion over the new sandy medium, and then set off, straight to the water where a dog was running in and out of the waves at roughly 0 degree celsius. Mummy straight after. Icy water might be ok for a dog, but while dogs are ok for Tara, the water isn't just yet. So. Rescue by mummy, great lamentations over the loss of the dog (which splished off into the impending sunset), and very quickly back to the pushchair where grapes, cheese and raising were beckoning.
Grapes, yum! Cheese, yum! Raisins, yum! Dogs aplenty, bliss! Excellent day all around.

Family

There. The various people Tara has the privilege to miss now, having been thrown into their midst and pulled back out of their company at fate's (aka Mummy's) will over the last three weeks.

Her German Lot

The grandparents are self explanatory, and the lady Tara does not look at with that 'You! When did YOU fall from the sky' look is mum's sister in law (to be) - please note 'in-belly' Maya, as yet invisible and therefore currently of zilch interest to Tara.

... and then we shuttle the poor soul across time and space to meet her Spanish fate. I mean, family.

Her Spanish Lot

Again, the grandparents are self evident, and if you don't quite know whether Jose has a brother, a sister, or a brother AND a sister, do the nose check (for the solution turn to the bottom of the entry). Poor Tara applies her 'You! When did YOU...' look to the shadow of the random stranger turned photographer. You will agree, so many people (and many more!) in so short a time are very very confusing indeed.

Talking about family: Ho, Onkel Andi! Akka! Happy birthday!

(Jose has a brother with a finance.)

... And A Happy New Year!

2008! Tööööö!

A happy, healthy and successful 2008 from Tara, Alex and Jose, and an extra dose of best wishes for all 2008's prospective new parents in January (x2), April (x2) and June (x1)! Hey Tara, you're NOT among 2008's prospective big sisters... YET! Who knows what the year will bring, and who knows what we're going out to get other than lots of new lovely books?

PS: Not hinting... yet.
PPS: We alse wished everyone a merry Christmas, only didn't get the chance to say so in time.
PPPS: Tara babe, we've got a whole year to work on your blowing and whistling technique!

Dear Santa

Dear Santa,
I've been a very very good girl all year. Mummy and Daddy are witness to that. Please come fast. I need new toys because my Lala and other toys, mostly and preferably books, have died the horrible death of drowning in the bath tub which has absolutely only very little to do with my throwing them all in with a passion.


Dear Santa, I also quite liked this rather big wauwau. But don't worry if you can only afford a smaller one, maybe like this little one.

Yours with love,
Tara Olivia

PS.: Dear Santa, only kidding. Tara doesn't know about you yet. But boy, does she know what to do with a present when she spots one. And boy, is she good at spotting! So when out and about, please bear that little brown eyed dolly in mind that we talked about.

Yours sincerely,
Mummy

And Who Are You?!

It's all very confusing. If only travelling was all about putting all your friends, favourite people and toys in a basket and moving about!

Great, says Tara. I'll fit Baby in, and this little book, too!

But ah, unfortunately things are a bit more complex. Lots of people everywhere that need to be understood and named. Take grandma. Tara called her Mama for a few days, and then learned to call her Amma (Oma). Grandpa (Opa) is so much more confusing - of course he isn't Papa, but he's the only man around, so is he Appa, or Papa now?
Tante Claudia, Mama's sister. Amma? Caudilja (!)? Or Amma Aia?
Babay Lia? BeBe! But is that the same as BeBe for baby, or is it more like BeBe for Püppi (dolly)? Now Nirit, Lia's mum. Mama or Amma or what?
Tara is clearly pleased to find that so many people are her friends&family. She cries for them all when they leave her company. Wrinkles her forhead, and calls for amma, regardless of which amma-or-other has just left her, in woeful tones before she adds a pitiful bye-ya!

I stand by and marvel at the great social intelligence of my baby girl, and wonder what goes on in her little head when she sorts, shifts, classes and names people.
Three days to go, and the whole exercise gains another dimension when there's a new set of ammas and other folk that are called abuela/o and tia/o!