Holibobs, week one!

As I mentioned in my last entry we are currently staying with my Dad and Stepmum (AKA Papou and Yia Yia (prounounced Yah yah) to the girls) in Greece. This is a total hardship as we are having to put up with such things as 30 degree heat, a (borrowed) private pool, glorious beaches and nightly sunsets like this:

I am sure you all appreciate and, indeed, share my pain.

I jest of course. We are having a wonderful time! As Paul could only really take a week off the girls and I came out without him for a week which was a challenge for me. This meant getting a taxi, train, negotiating through the airport and then, of course, a 3hr flight on my own with them. They were, for the most part, fabulous in the airport. Not least because we discovered that the South Terminal of Gatwick has set up an area for children which shows Cbeebies at one end and CBBC at the other! I have never been so grateful for Captain Barnacles and his crew in my life! The plane was long but thanks to firm rules and a new battery in my laptop they stayed pretty well entertained and well behaved for the ride. In fact the only disaster of the journey was the fact that Phoebe's beloved Moose managed to go missing somewhere between the departure lounge and the plane. We didn't discover this until take off so we had to wait until we were on the island before I could alert anyone (except the airline hostesses of course)! Anyway, Dad was waiting for us when we got off the plane and due to the airport set up I was able to send the girls through to him whilst I waited for the bags. There was a momentary moment of panic when I thought my second bag, containing all Clara's birthday presents and a large box of smelly cheese from my youngest sister to my Dad, wasn't going to come through but it did eventually! Phew! We just had time for a quick ice cream at the port and then we were on the Flying Dolphin to get to the island.

YiaYia was waiting for us at the port on Alonissos and whisked us up to the house where the girls proceeded to get reacquainted with the menagerie here (2 dogs, 15 cats, loads of chickens, a goose, a duck and a turtle)! We put luggage away and then decided it was time for a quick dip so headed up to the pool they have use of in exchange for feeding the owners cats! Oh it was bliss to cool off in the pool... much needed!

Anyway since we have been here there has been a lot of swimming, both Phoebe and Clara have been keen to show of their watery skills:

We also had a birthday party on the beach for Clara who turned 4 on the 20th! She was SO excited to have a birthday in Greece and picked herself out a big strawberry heart cake. Yia Yia also made fairy cakes and we had a lovely day.

Because they aren't very into wrapping things on the island we sent Clara on a treasure hunt with Papou whilst we set everything out on the table. When she got back she was in ecstasies over her presents. Which included Playmobil swimming pool and a princess set, a swimming dolly and a swimming ariel as well as a multitude of other pink and glittery things that set a young princesses heart alight!

Paul arrives today in a couple of hours ready for our second week which, I am sure, will be as wonderful as our first! The girls are downstairs with their Yiayia painting rocks they found on the beach and can't wait to see him!