The Time Bubble

I was awoken at 7am this morning by the sound of crying coming from the children's bedroom. It was Ollie, he was crying and saying he didn't want to go home. The thing is, I almost felt like crying myself. He wanted to know why we had to go, and I did my best to explain that we have to go back for work and school and that this has just been a holiday, and we have been very lucky to have had it - but it is very hard to console a little boy who has just spent two weeks in paradise. I lay down beside him and gave him a comforting hug, the kind to make you better that only a parent can give. Growing up he may be but I am acutely aware just how much he needs his Daddy to be there for him. I know him so well, all his fears, all his worries, what makes him happy and what makes him sad. I hope we never grow out of the hugs. I know I will always be there for both of them whether they are 5 or 15, or even 50 if I last that long! I think in past generations it was very much a case of...

Well, time is nearly up here, after a fantastic two weeks we shall be heading back to old blighty and the wind and the rain and the cold. But what an amazing boost the two weeks here in the sun have given us after such a dismal year of weather back home. Had another great sporting day, starting off by winning the French Boules tournament. I later got man of the match for football tennis, which I mastered quite well after a somewhat over enthusiastic start when I booted the ball so hard, it not only went out of the court but almost over the nearest apartment block! I just don't know my own strength! Water polo did not go so well, on the wrong team as usual but good fun had by all. And more good fun with Ollie in the pool - I hope his new found confidence will carry over into the next holiday. This will be my last blog entry for some time - again if you've missed them, I've posted 14 blog entries in the last two days, so if you feel inclined to read them all in order...

...have been greatly exaggerated! As you know I shut my facebook account down nearly two weeks ago - something that people do from time to time for various reasons. Mine for none other than being away on holiday. However, judging by the emails and texts I have been receiving, it seems shutting down ones account can create worry back home. So just to re-assure everyone, I'm not depressed, dead, ill, or having a midlife crisis. I haven't run away to join the circus, and I'm not embroiled in some huge financial, sexual or any other sort of scandal. Hopefully not anyway! Anyway, it's none of that - I've just been on holiday! Anyway just to reassure readers I shall re-activate my account and post a link to this blog entry - however, I suggest that you stop reading at this point and go over to the menu on the left hand side, and go back 11 blog entries to the one entitled "Travelling with children" and then work your way upwards until you get ba...

Quite a few of the people we knew went home today. The change over days here are Wednesday and Saturday which makes us the longest running residents in the hotel, more or less. It got me to thinking - how the life cycle of a 2 week holiday is like a mini-version of ones whole life.   When you first arrive at a place, you emerge into it,blinking and wide-eyed like a new born in a new world. So much to learn - so much to see. The place is full of people already - who've been here much longer than you and give off that aura of confidence and experience that the worldly wise have. At the first day or night's entertainment, the entertainers seem to be great pals with some of the other guests - as if they have been old friends for years, but they welcome you warmly as you take your first tentative steps into their world.   A few days pass, you get some experience, it is half way through the week and new guests arrive. Now you know your way around, you're nicely settled i...

A sporting day for the Ayres family. Although it was a sunny day it was a little fresher and breezier so nice to be outside but not just lying in the sun. I am also at that stage I always reach in the second week of a foreign holiday where I suddenly undergo a change and all the sun and good living kicks in - and a new lean, tanned and energetic Jason replaces the white mound of blubber lying around on the sofa. So just like at the Sirenis two years suddenly water polo became my latest thing.   A slightly less energetic start though with a good old game of French Boules on the Beach Volleyball court. There was an adult and a kids competition, sadly both Ollie and Jamie got knocked out in the first round, Ollie because he couldn't throw the ball far enough, and Jamie because he kept running off with the balls. I got to the semi finals including knocking out Craig the entertainer along the way which I was quite pleased with since he has been doing it every week for the past year...

A day of new experiences. We've had 10 consecutive days of sunny weather and today was the day that the weather broke - temporarily. It had said rain on the five day forecast all weekend for today so we were expecting it and with a return to hot sunshine tomorrow, I have to say, one bad day isn't a problem - in fact a break from the sun was quite welcome.   Even so, it wasn't even that bad. Even on a day with grey cloud overhead, the latitude of this place means it's still very bright - and the rain itself didn't amount to much - the odd short shower, however, as I sit late in the evening on the patio typing this, it is dry but lightning flashes can be seen in the distance.   With the weather unbecoming to pool and beach activities, we decided it was time to do some souvenir and various other shopping so we took a nice stroll down the main street of Corralejo which is a good mix of touristy shops and a few designer boutiques. Just the right mix. I wanted to tak...

I should point out for the benefit of new readers that I really don't spend my holidays ogling women's breasts (honest) and that much of what you may read in my blog entries comes with a certain poetic licence in the interests of humour. We went to the beach today as it was yet another gloriously hot sunny day. After a few early setbacks the children did enjoy themselves though it did entail a lot of chucking sand about much of which went over me.   We went to the town beach rather than the huge expanse that is the famous sand dunes. Now the town beach is perfectly adequate but not a patch on the dunes - however as is always the case, one must take into the practicalities of having young children in tow.   It did get me thinking about the age old debate of beach vs pool - which is best. Hard to say, isn't it, so I thought I would use my famous Ayres analytical skills to look at it mathematically and come up with the definitive answer, based on marks out of 10 for a...

My birthday. How time flies. But lovely spending it here. It's almost midnight and I am sat outside the apartment tonight on the patio but it is so hot tonight, outside is the way. Now when you have a birthday in summer like bestie Lynda you don't have to worry much about the weather but nobody wants to party in mid February.   All good here though. The hottest day yet by the pool, and Claire surprised me when we got back with a cake, which she got from the Hiper Dino but then garnished in icing, maltesers, and various other lovelies. All ate well. I was going to offer some to our lovely Irish neighbours but unfortunately Ollie decided to lick the icing off the top of the remaining cake rendering it unsuitable for any further consumption by anyone else!   We went out for the evening, really wanting to enjoy a lengthy stay in a nice restaurant - tricky plan with fractious little ones, especially Jamie, but by a stroke of luck he fell asleep along the strip and by the tim...

So, Jamie is a little better which means we are no longer chained to the apartment all day. Got him out to breakfast, where after a bit of toast he effectively once again emptied the entire vat of Strawberry yogurt. Today was an absolutely glorious sunny day and we certainly made the most of it as the temperature soared into the mid 20s.   One of the things I love about this place, is that everyone is so friendly. It's not like at home where you walk past people with their heads bowed to the ground. Here everyone you walk past, every apartment, it's "good morning" and friendly smiles. Well I suppose we are on holiday. But really it is everyone, even the Germans! Am I still allowed to say that? Well, just did.   I think I may have found the solution to the world's oil shortage. Simply rinse out the bacon in the "canteen" here in the morning. Quite amazing.   Had a fab time at the pool today, had to keep Ollie under control a little as he has ...

Well a strange state of affairs. Here I am sitting outside a lovely restaurant just by the hotel, it is 10pm on a lovely warm evening, waiting for the waiter to take my order. Perfect Valentines scene - except I am on my own. How did this happen? Well we haven't had a row. Just a combination of events, mainly relating to the children.   My plan for Valentines was to take Claire out to a really nice restaurant and treat her. Obviously with the boys in tow, which kind of takes the edge of the romance a bit - but even so. Unfortunately today has been difficult because Jamie has been very poorly. Just like he was in Ibiza, just like he was just after New Year. Unfortunately when he gets like this there is little that can be done. He gets  a temperature, is miserable, wants to sleep, doesn't want to eat, doesn't want to drink. We brought Calpol and all that with us, all we can do it ride it out. Ollie is fine so he wanted to play all day - I took him to the kids club and th...

Had a little bet with Ollie. Now normally he is not exposed to any alcohol drinking - any wine that comes out in our house is normally long after the kids bedtime. It's not just that I don't approve of drinking in front of the kids - it's just that I have no desire to pour alcohol down my neck halfway through the day - acceptable back in the college days, but not now. I just never fancy a drink until well into the evening. Even on holiday - though there are plenty that do, propping up the bar all day. Even at weddings and social events that take place during the day, you'll never see me touch a drop before the evening.   Anyway, on holiday, things are slightly different. The kids don't go to bed at 7pm, we don't have our tea at 5pm, dining is later, and can involve a drink - so a meal in a restaurant at 8pm may well involve sangria or red wine. So Ollie has picked up on this and noted that I've been drinking red wine, also that he considers it nasty - e...

Today looked like it would be the dodgiest day on the weather forecast and so it seemed first thing with a cloudy start. The breakfast was on a non bacon day plus Jamie seemed a little poorly - very red in the face which seemed odd, as we had smothered him in sun cream. So it was Calpol and rest for him while I took Ollie down to the kids club which he loves. There never seems to be about 3 or 4 children there and they have the absolute run of the place with limitless balloons, chalks, paper all the things that rate high in the currency values of little people.   With Ollie safely ensconsed I was able to head off to the Hiper Dino for more bargains galore - they have the most lovely bakery, fresh, gorgeous french bread and also Pain Au Chocolat which are giant - and full of chocolate for a very reasonable sum and infinitely superior to anything sold in Tesco. Whom I happened to notice while inadvertanetly glancing at the newspaper rack seem to be in more trouble back home of t...

You may be aware that in certain publications (crap ones mostly) there is a section called something along the lines of " Kids say the funniest things". If you are not familiar, these letters normally start off along the lines of "My 3 year old grandson comes out with the funniest things. The other day blah blah blah", usually ending with something that is utterly lame. To be honest I'm more familiar with the genre through the constant lampooning of it via the letters page in Viz.   Anyway, I guarantee that my son has come up with the ultimate one that can never be beaten. Allow me to elaborate.   Over the years I have, like most people, visited many toilets. In homes, shops, offices, hotels, pubs etc let's face it, we've all sat on hundreds of them. More if you are a woman, unless you are one of those lazy blokes that likes to go for a sitting down wee. But we won't go into that.   Anyway, every now and then I encounter something in a bathroom ...

First day dawned in Corralejo and what a fantastic morning. I've not always been lucky on holiday but it was clear blue skies and bright sunshine. This island has an amazing climate - because it's in the Atlantic and at almost tropical latitude, the sea keeps the island at a fairly steady temperature all year round - it's hardly ever too cold in the winter or too hot in the summer. The daily high ranges from low 20s in the winter to high 20s in the summer and it never drops below about 15c at night. In fact I believe the lowest temperature ever recorded here was 10c and the highest only in the 30s. Perfect. The only problem really this place has is it can be quite windy. But not on day one.   Breakfast at the restaurant was pretty woeful, but we were able to fill up enough on what we needed - and there was a nice and free coffee machine. Bit of fruit and yogurt for the kids, toast, boiled eggs, sausages etc. But criminally - NO BACON, but apparently there is some days....

Today was a day long looked forward to in the Ayres household as it as the day that our long awaited holiday finally came around! Now you may wonder why you had not heard much about this up until now, well that was quite deliberate really. It never ceases to amaze me how many people go bragging about their trips all over the internet. 4 more sleeps, 3 more sleeps, then it's pictures showing off on the beach or pissed up with some cocktails.   You might as well plaster all over facebook, "Hi burglars, come and ransack my house". I would imagine insurance companies might even refuse to pay out in the future if they haven't done so already. So apart from a few close and trusted friends, no-one knew I was going away and in fact my internet footprint has vanished altogether as I have closed my facebook account for the duration. You see even in my absence someone could let it slip. It's my birthday on Saturday so all it takes is someone to write something on my wall th...