A real white Christmas

October to December always seems to pass in a state of chaos and panic trying to keep up with all the birthdays, christmas events and school concerts / plays etc etc aswell as trying to get organised for christmas.  Since being here, this has been compounded by the fact that we always seem to be rushing to get away as soon as kids are out of school......this year no exception!

We had some great weather through the autumn and made the most of getting out and about with the scooters..........................Ruby now well in on the act and wants her own vehicle to manouvre........very slow progress made nowadays!!!!!   Anyway - here are some pics of a walk in the forest close to where we live.

Ruby in the shopping bag........    

Luxembourg Christmas Market is a big hit with the McCabes..........plenty of mulled wine and sausages............and the kids happy with the entertainment provided!   Ruby refused to get off........!!

We had a fleeting visit to the UK for a few days and got some shopping and outings in..........we managed a good night out in Harpenden involving too much wine and plenty of laughter...................



A visit to the Rainforest Cafe............................





After arriving back in Lux after a 4-day whirlwind trip we had a day to re-pack and then it was off to Les Gets in France for Christmas and skiing :-)    





Millie on Christmas Day morning opening her stocking and scoffing her chocs and sweets from the off!   Somehow it felt ok with the thought of skiing in a few hours!   Extra energy!!



The chalet we rented was fantastic..........with in-house chef to boot!  Amazing breakfast everyday with choice of breakfast cooked to order!!!   We were soon all out on the slopes............

and had AMAZING christmas weather............and Shaun was a bit hesitant beforehand about spending Christmas away skiing????!!?!!?!?!?  

Even Ruby loved her playing at the creche and in the snow :-)

Christmas Day afternoon we followed the lighted path to visit Santa's grotto in the forest........

One of Santa's little helpers.........

and it was then time to enter the grotto and get a peep at Santa................ssshhhhhhh......he's resting after his busy night :-)

 



bits and bobs

After our weekend in Paris, the birthday celebrations continue with a 40th lunch here in Luxembourg for a UK friend.......from which I have to leave 30 minutes early to collect Ruby, race to the airport and catch a flight to London to get up to Harpenden to celebrate Issadora's 40th at the Luton Hoo :-)

It was fun to celebrate and see everyone again!   We stayed at the Luton Hoo which was lovely and a shame we had to leave Saturday but we had to get back for Conor and Millie!!!! 

The rest of the weeks followed the usual routine of activities, french, gym etc etc etc. Of course I'm still having to spend a morning trudging off the the supermarket as internet and delivery of groceries still hasn't made it here :-((

We had the annual trip to Steinsel for "apple picking" which always involves cremant (local version of champagne) and sausages.......and pony rides for the kids!!!   We had great weather and it was a fun afternoon!

I organised an Amazon wives cultural outing to the Mudam museum which you can almost see from our house!   amazing building and structures inside........and obviously followed by lovely lunch in the museum after!!!!  Kind of thought I should do some of this cultural stuff before I leave and there's plenty to see!!!!!!

We spend a Saturday at  the local ice-rink which was hilarious given Shaun and Conor have never done it before!!!!   Millie and I kept our distance from them!!!!!!  daren't take the camera though so no pics :-(

Conor gets a fairly large part in the Grade4/5 school performance.  For all the faults with the school, their musical performances are second to none.......I'll bore you all with the DVD when I'm home......for now a few pics will suffice!!!!!



A few days in Germany.............

Half term arrived and I did not have enough energy to face a journey that involved anything but getting in the car and driving somewhere not too far away!   All you mum's with little ones on the move understand where I'm comnig from (or can remember vividly from last time around!!)

So I plan a trip to Germany to visit a couple of pretty towns - Heidelberg and Baded-Baden......much to Shaun's horror!   not quite the Barcelona or Milan he was hoping for!!!!! 

Anyway - we had a nice relaxing few days away (if that's possible with a 20-month old!!) and enjoyed some sunny strolls and general pottering! 

Stayed in a very central hotel which the kids loved as each room was a city name and it gave you the distance from Heidelnerg to these cities......always some learning to do along the way!!!!!  We were in Paris room :-)

A few autumnal pics..........................

At Heidelberg's historical castle..............

view of the rive from the castle

a tired mum.................

Guess where we went at the weekend?!

Mickey and Minnie....oops I mean Millie :-)

our new house (Millie's princess castle!)

Ruby loved the chipmunks...............she chased them around and ground them down until they posed for the photo!!!!

they just kept coming...........

we hardly had time to eat amidst all the frivolity!!!!

ahhhhhh.......even Conor having fun  :-)

donald as much of a poser as Millie!

Have you worked it out??!!!!
no shaun didn't spend the weekend dressing up in silly outfits!!!!!!

Yes we braved the crowds and eventually succumbed to taking the kids to disneyland paris for the weekend!  A great time had by all :-))   Taking friday off school was a great call as so much quieter - we arrived at 9.30am and did soooo much on the Friday whilst it was quiet!  However.......became a bit complacent on sat and leisurely strolled out expecting more of the same........wow......crowds and queues everywhere!!!! 

Dinner on evening 2 was at cinderellas place!!  here are her little helpers x

 ruby loved it! 

 here is the princess herself!

 oh here we are - this is the one with the real princess!!!!!!!!

 oops sorry Millie - i meant this one!

 conor preferred what was on his plate!!!!!!

A great weekend at Disney - voted best ride by the McCabes (ruby excluded!)
BIG THUNDER MOUNTAIN.........yeahhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

The naughtiest girl in the school............

OMG - my youngest daughter seems to have turned into some kind of rebel!!!!!    She'll be asking to wear hoodies soon!!   So the kids have been back at school for 1 week......I'm already feeling like it should be the end of term..............everyone seemed to be ready for being back at school.........can you believe I was talking to some friends on the first morning back and after asking how the hols were.....her comment was "great - but not long enough!!!!!" I mean come on........how can 10 weeks off possibly not be long enough??!?!?   Does she send her kids off  to camps or something?!    Maybe I'm obviously just too old!!!!!

Anyway - kids happy to see all their friends.......Shaun happy we are back in Lux and he's not home alone...............I'm happy to get some peace and quiet in the day..............and even Ruby seemed to be all laughs and smiles on Monday as if to say "I've got mummy all to myself again"!!!!!   Well if so - she's got a bloody funny way of showing it................so monday all goes swimmingly (until i find out conor already has football starting THAT day and another 2 times that week and for the next however many in the football season................oh great!!!!!)   and then i'm thinking how quiet it is upstairs as Ruby plays in her room and I am preparing dinner (in anticipation of our 6.30pm return after football :-( ).............so i go and investigate.........Nooooooo......so she has a bottle of pink hair conditioner in her hands and is holding it upside down pouring it all over our persian rug................aghhhhhhhh........

what an angel?!!?!?!?!

"I am not moving from here!!!!"

.......and so the week continues in much the same vain,..........washing-up liquid squeezed over her toys, clothes and another rug...............toothpaste squirted out all over the floor, the step and her clothes................sudacrem covered face, hands and clothes.....................and more and more as the days go by.........and her latest trick is to pull all the toilet paper off and soak it in the water of the toilet bowl and then bring out and wipe the floor (or whatever takes her fancy!!!!).................anyone who ever leaves the toilet door open........at their peril!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so an eventful week.........and shaun missed all the joys as he was away in Seattle all week..............did someone tell me once that it would be great moving to lux for more family time and stress-free lifestyle.................they were lying!

BUT.........all that considering......I did have a nice week catching up with friends for coffees and lunch and I did enjoy my day with Ruby at creche :-))))) 

So week 2 begins.......and without hubby again!!!!!  so he managed less than 48 hours at home before flying over to london (and then paris) arriving home friday morning!!!  He promises that's it for a while! 

I manage a girls night out (no great shakes as everyone has to drive!!!).....although it did make me laugh when the drink chosen for the evening was champagne......no problem with that................can you believe though......no half measures here.....straight for the real mccoy..............Veuve Clicquot nothing less!!!!!!   Only in Luxembourg!!!!   wasn't even a special occasion!!!   I had to chuckle to myself :-)

Having moaned endlessly about the customer service here (or lack of!!!!) I was pleasantly surprised last week with some positive service..........wonders never cease!    So it started off as frustrating as ever.......as I was driving home with Ruby (giving it zzzzzzzz's in the back of the car!).........I noticed a space right outside the shoe repair (this NEVER happens and most places are not accessible by car unless you frequent one of the huge shopping centres with parking garages and leave 2 hours later...any shorter is impossible to achieve!!!!)) so I quickly pulled in feeling all smug with shoes ready in the car to drop at repairers!   So it's about 11.30am.........plenty of time to allow these late starters to be open......too early for their 2 hour 12-2 lunch break and definitely not a sunday when everything is shut (or a monday for that matter when shops seems to take it into their own hands as to whether they open or not!!!!).........anyway.................at 11.30 I run across the road to the shop.........and am greeted by a scrawled note on the door saying "back in 10 minutes".....aghhhhhhhhhhhh

anyway..........finally dropping them off later in the day (this time took a chance in disabled parking.....no chance of me getting a space twice on the same day (or same week for that matter!) and when i collected them later in the week (on foot this time!)........he had done a marvellous job and even better had cleaned and polished them for me!   So made up for all previous frustrations and saved me a job..........boots now ready for cold weather to begin!

On the same trip to town I had to search out a jewellers that could take some links out of my watch which is too big.........struck lucky this time..........i had an idea of where i was heading but wasn't sure what i was in for......lady stood chatting in doorway looked a bit rough and almost walked straight past.......how wrong i was.......the lady spoke english, was lovely and helpful and took links out for me there and then and for FREE..........FREE????   i felt like hugging her for the friendly, positive experience!   small things......................:-)