Isabella is back at school now after only 9 weeks of summer hols, should have been 8 but had to take her out of school for the last week of term to go back to the uk for my brother's wedding. What an awful week, I think I've gone agoraphobic or claustrophoic or something as I really couldn't deal with the volume of traffic, all night traffic, street lights in the bedroom at night, people everywhere etc etc. Had to queue to get in to the mall on Sunday and queue to get back on to the motorway again afterwards. Couldn't believe it, I'm sure most people sit in traffic just to get to work 5 days a week and then they do it all weekend as well!! I must be a right old country bumpkin or something!

I was really ill by the time we had to leave, dragged myself round tescos (again) with the kids to get last minute stuff then drove down to portsmouth to get the ferry and then drove another hour and half over here to get home. Actually, couldn't manage the last half hour and let my mum drive (I was very poorly!). I was on my own because Adrian had to fly back after only a couple of days with us as we had guests leaving and arriving. Still, it all reinforces how much we like it here!

Especially when I see stuff about hbos.... I've started making a list of all my mosted hated people I knew when I was at cmig and I'm going to send it off to lloyds tsb entitled 'highly recommended redundancies, (preferably without usual accompanying redundancy package)'. Most of which are 'managers'.

I stopped taking Georgia to nursery, it's a cruel thing to let other people torture your kids, even if it only costs pennies. Especially when I can do it at home for free (only joking). She's still not really talking, but very good at screaming and throwing tantrums (she's lovely really). She can start school next september if we want, but I don't think she'll be ready, so we'll hold off for a while. Once she's underway with her english we'll think again about some day care to get her french going, maybe a childminder once a week, there isn't really any other nursery type of care available round here. She gave up her daytime nap at the beginning of the summer. She's really tired mid afternoon and will sometimes sleep if we're in the car, but then she doesn't sleep at night, just like her sister!

Isabella has started dance classes, which is quite girly for me, but at least it's not 'ballet and tap', and she loves it which is of course the main thing and hopefully it will channel her seemingly endless energies a bit.

The last of our summer guests have now left, (although got some french folk in next weekend) and it's very quiet here now (bliss). Back to working on fixing the place up, we're putting in uk tv for next year and hopefully heating the pool as well.

I managed to lose a stone this year and adrian two, but we both want to lose that much again. failed miserably during the summer - who the hell invented ice cream and chilled alcoholic beverages? - so trying to get back on track again.... Although with winter on it's way it means that I'll have to start drinking mulled wine again soon (for warmth, our central heating is rubbish. In order to switch it on, we have to get up in the morning in a freezing cold house, go outside, (after getting dressed of course), go down to the cellar at the far end of the house (next to the house, not under it) press the ignition button whilst smaking the boiler repeatedly with a piece of wood in order to get it to light. And for the privelage we pay over £2000.00 in gas bills every year...

Still love it here though!!!