Keeping In Touch with the Hunts

Dani's Fetish

2009-04-22T12:56:00.000-07:00

Why did you put the ants inside your T-Shirt Dani?

They tickle me when they walk!

All is fair enough for a four year old I suppose.

Maria is Mad

2009-04-13T14:09:00.000-07:00

And just to prove it, today on the 13th of April she decided with her friend Monique to get into the pool. You can see the results below.

I Saw This Today

2009-03-27T14:48:00.000-07:00

The ads are truly cheesy

Anita's Trick

2009-03-15T15:00:00.000-07:00

Anita hasn't been sleeping well recently so in order to keep her asleep for a longer time one of us is sleeping with her, she stays asleep on waking up if you get what i mean.
Anyway this morning she wakes up and plays one of her games putting her finger out in front of her and saying,
"Daddy, eat it."
So I oblige and say "Yamph"
"I got it from my eye"
Nice

We went to the Gulliver Park Today

2009-03-01T12:35:00.000-08:00

And more to come about that place in a future blog but at the moment it is Dani's favourite place.

Wow it has been a long time again

2009-02-15T14:46:00.000-08:00

And it turns out that the last post was flase. The next day Maria found out that she needs to be 18 and so therefore will need to wait until next year to work in the States. Ah well. I promise some updates this week with photos and stuff for you to look at.

By the way, Ged Smith RIP. Hope you are coping well Anne.

Maria Has A Job

2009-01-09T07:37:00.001-08:00

In America for the summer. She is teaching at a camp and will be getting a couple of thousand dollars, flights, food, and accomodation paid. So that is her sorted for the summer. What will happen after that we don't know but that is a good start for her attempts to go to University.

EDIT

Oh no she hasn't. Unfortunately the rules of the States means that she cannot work there in the summer as a 17 year old unless her parents accompany her. Therefore all bets are off until next year. More's the pity.

Testing

2009-01-04T04:27:00.001-08:00

Just a little test of a new browser

New Photos

2008-12-26T03:55:00.001-08:00

Here are the latest photos and they of course include Xmas wrapping and dinner. You can also see the letter Dani wrote to Father Xmas all on his own.

Progress

2008-12-16T13:59:00.000-08:00

So my collarbone is still broken and everybody keeps telling me how they take ages to heal and then just break again at the slightest bump in the road. I am choosing not to believe that. So I looked on Google images and this is the closest to my break that I can see there although mine is the other side. Nice innit! So I want healing energy sent from around the globe to help it get better sooner rather than later.

Update on Maria

2008-11-25T01:41:00.000-08:00

Two months ago I put up a blog about my daughter needing to earn 65 Euros quickly. You can read it and the answers here

Anyway if you want the update...

She passed a course to be a referee and now gets paid around 20 Euros per game of 7 a side football for kids and spends Saturday mornings refereeing three games earning herself usually the 65 Euros per week when travel costs are added instead of earning it just once. (Notice to all life coaches out there, she has managed to monetise something she loves doing) This has allowed her to buy a return flight to Asturias for the New Year to visit friends which she has wanted to do for the last three years.

She did some stuff for Steve Hall after his wonderful suggestions and when we had an Ecademy meetup in Valencia last Thursday got paid for that too, thanks Steve.

The suggestions opened her eyes to what is possible so thanks to everyone who contributed, she is now working on some of the other suggestions and thinking of creative ways of accomplishing them. And anyone who has any more ideas feel free to post them in here.

So what's the crack?

2008-11-24T06:21:00.000-08:00

Well the crack is in my clavicle. Collarbone to the uninitiated. Broken playing football last Friday losing me a chance to play next week on my birthday against a team of Liverpool veterans led by Ian Rush. Thus is life.

So one finger typing for the next six weeks and lots of pain, difficult washing and Maria having to take on more chores for the foreseeable future. I wonder if she will get used to them and take them on permanently.

Maria is now a referee

2008-10-19T08:35:00.000-07:00

She has spent a month training for it and passed the exam with flying colours so now she had her first match and she did OK. Here is the photo i took of her in action. She didn't get to use the yellow card or even the red but that will come evidently as she is in Spain of course.

What I have been watching today

2008-09-27T15:34:00.000-07:00

Conspiracy theories of the World unite. This is an interesting one. Not as good as Loose Change but good all the same http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/

Tomorrow is Dani's party. All of his little friends have been invited and they are to bring their swimming costumes. Suffice to say that it has been wet and cool this week and the forecast calls for rain tomorrow so it might be an interesting one.

Dani's fourth Birthday

2008-09-21T04:09:00.000-07:00

Dani is now four. He ot a bike, a camera and jigsaws and things but his favourite present is in his hands on one of the photos here. Disney/Pixar has a lot to answer for! Dinoco McQueen Helicopter. You can also see the cake Lynne made for him.

Anyway we are taking him out on the bike later today to try it out. It is one of those without peddles so he can learn balance and push along.

More fun at Portacoeli

2008-09-14T09:38:00.000-07:00

We went for another picnic today. Great weather and only the wasps making Lynne into a nervous kitten as Dani says to stop the whole thing being great fun all the time. Here are some photos and of course a video of kids making themselves really dizzy.

By the Pool Today

2008-08-24T11:17:00.000-07:00

A little video now that Dani has started to swim a bit.

Picnic in the Park and Bye Bye Neil and Mel

2008-08-23T03:19:00.000-07:00

We went up to the Portacoeli picnic area last week for a picninc of course and here are some photos. No Anita as she decided to fall asleep in the car on the way and stay in dreamland the whole time we were there. You can see Dani trying out for the Olympics on the rings and beam, conveniently forgetting that the beam is only open to women. And Maria trying out for how many piccies can one take of oneself in a day.

Just to say Goodbye to Neil, Mel and the rest of the family. After seven years here they have now set out on their trip to Malawi where they will be living for the next few years. It won't be the same without Neil mooching about on our balcony watching the Liverpool match through the window with a beer in one hand and a rollie in the other. Good luck over there. If Liverpool get to the Final of the Champion's League again you are coming here to watch it and we repeat the actions of Istanbul 2005.

The Latest Photos

2008-08-05T04:13:00.001-07:00

We are off to the Bioparc in Valencia this afternoon but meanwhile here are the latest photos. Of course there will be more tomorrow and they will probably include Gorillas.

Half Man Half Biscuit

2008-07-08T13:57:00.000-07:00

Great videos, fantastic songs and a good laugh too. I thought today and in the next few days I would put up a few different things instead of just photos. Anyway some classic Half Man Half Biscuit to start.

Birthdays

2008-07-03T15:30:00.000-07:00

We have had various birthdays since the last post so here are some photos.

Lynne's was on the 15th of June, Maria's on the 23rd although she is having a sleepover paryty with some mates this weekend and Anita's was today. Have a look at the photos.

Long Time Coming

2008-05-05T00:25:00.000-07:00

The last few months have been extremely stressful with lots of stuff happening that really shouldn't be. Therefore I thought it was time to show a couple of pictures to brighten the day up of those who see them. Hope you like them

More Photos

2008-01-29T08:58:00.001-08:00

New camera for Xmas and therefore a bit of a photo frenzy in this sunny and warm month of January.

Have a good look and no, Maria I haven't put the nose photo up but may do one day for amusements sake.

What a Week

2008-01-11T14:23:00.002-08:00

I am in the zone at the moment in everything I do. It is as if time is malleable as I am getting so much done and moving ahead so much. Family wise Maria had an A/S level Maths exam this week which went OK and Dani and Anita have been playing together in a lovely way each day after they get back from school. Lynne is tired after the week she has had and is now in bed whereas I have a couple of hours to do to get my head around everything that is happening. Most of it is great so send us a mail and I will get back to you or give me a call and we can yap.

Wish me luck for tomorrow too as I try to sell a bullring and house that has been for sale for at least four years.

Some photos from our Xmas Day and after

2007-12-28T13:20:00.000-08:00

Our Day at The beach

2007-12-11T00:14:00.000-08:00

Moraira was fantastic at the weekend. 23 degrees, sunny, quiet... We had a meal at the carvery restaurant with Vanesa, Roberto y Rocio and then went to the beach to take some photos. Here are a selection for you to peruse. December the ninth and Maria went in the sea! So did Dani but that wasn't exactly planned.

A Few More Photos

2007-12-08T15:29:00.000-08:00

Just a few photos from the other day when we took the kids to school on a coldish morning. It wasn't that cold but Dani likes wearing his hat. Tomorrow, Sunday, we are going to Moraira with some friends for a beach visit as the weather is great, to take some photos and to eat at Monroes Carvery as our friends have never been there.

Hope the rain doesn't come.

Cool Feature on MyHeritage.com

2007-11-21T06:45:00.000-08:00

Apparently their face recognition software tells you who you look like. (Who on Earth is Eliza Dushku? (She is probably thinking the same about me.) And Bloody Patrick Swayze!!

Anne Hathaway?

Jessica Biel I can handle. Surprised to see Shirley McLaine not on there.

As for Dani and Anita. I did one for Dani and it is really strange

I don't want to do one for Anita because not many celebs or anyone else still look like babies usually.

Remiss of Me I know

2007-10-27T15:42:00.001-07:00

OK it is over a month since my last confession on here. Suffice to say I have been very busy. We have had a month of changeable weather, loads of work and loads of contacts being made. Workwise things are going well with good perspectives for the future. I am starting to get into commercial real estate and businesses as well as doing a lot of great networking. This will all come together well soon. At home various things have been happening
Maria has just done the first paper of an O level, yes they stil exist. Maths stats in this case. Maria was a very happy delight today taking her lead from her little sister Anita. Dani meanwhile has been described by his teacher this week as the most obstinate little boy she has ever taught in 25 years. All I can say is that he definitely knows what he wants! Lynne is now into the groove of working and seems to be enjoying the responsibility of teaching those 28 four year olds!

Hope you like the piccie of Anita and there will be some more to come in the next week or so I promise.

A Great Skype tool and Dani's birthday

2007-09-19T00:57:00.000-07:00

Do you use Skype? You should do as it is great for keeping in touch as it is so cheap. Now it just got even better. You can download a call recorder called Pamela. The basic version will record a 15 minute call but the pro version which costs 19.95 Euros will record unlimited conversation and allow you to blog and podcast too if you are so inclined. This is a great tool for rcording online information calls when it is inconvenient to be there for the whole hour or two. I was looking for something like this for recording my weekly calls with a load of friends in the States as they come up with so many good ideas. Get it by clicking on the link above or here. Try it first and then when you like it you can download the professional version.

Our Skype id when on is grahamvp or vp-office. You can then use this tool to have a chat and store all of the info and news that you get from us.

Meanwhile here in Valencia it is a cloudy and somewhat rainy day. Unusual but the pools are getting cooler now so be careful when taking the plunge. Tomorrow Dani will be 3 and ready to go into the big wide world, well not quite. I will take some piccies of him opening presents and then post them on here.

2007-09-10T23:32:00.000-07:00

It is time to go back to school and although this is just a little bit of a cheat, it is Tuesday after all and they went back yesterday, here are the pictures of the clan ready for school. All look quite happy really, considering. Lynne is already considering taking Anita out of school as she is not happy with the comments that the staff have been making about here "strong character". Anita's that is not Lynne's. And they have already complained that she makes a mess when she eats. Oh dear how sad, a one year old making a mess!

Fair Time and Arizona

2007-07-28T11:39:00.001-07:00

Recently back from the USA i have decided to upload some photos from there and a couple of videos taken at the fair in Betera last night. The kids enjoyed it a lot.

For those of you I met in Arizona, welcome to the Hunt family blog and hopefully we will meet again very soon. It was an excellent experience. Photos from my hotel room balcony, a great mural I found on a wall and a few people piccies.

Holidays

2007-07-12T01:38:00.000-07:00

We are away from tomorrow until the 26th of this month for holidays. If you urgently need to get in touch, then mail me on grahunt@gmail.com. I will be in the States so there may be a delay in replying but anything urgent will be answered asap. Leave email address and phone number to contact.

Lovely Photos

2007-06-29T13:03:00.000-07:00

Hi to Everyone and I thought it time to put up a few nice photos from the last couple of weeks. Anita will be one next week and Dani will be three in September but Maria was 15 last week, which I find very difficult to believe.

We have now sold both cars, the Rio and the Zafira and we have a brand spanking old Mercedes that just loves to drink its diesel. We are on the point of selling the house in Gilet but not much is happening in Olocau with the other house I spent this afternoon weeding and cleaning the pool which was extremely relaxing. The place is great.

It has been almost a Month

2007-06-17T10:48:00.000-07:00

OK I have had a few mails worried about us, what is happening, why no posting, where are the photos etc... therefore it is time to put some stuff up and in the next few days I will tell you why.
Have a look at the cute video of Danny singing Happy Birthday to Lynne and then a whole family thing.

Also a couple of pics of Dani pulling faces. He is a little charmer these days and acts on demand aswell as acting up when he feels like it!

New Car

2007-05-24T15:51:00.000-07:00

The one with Maria on the pic is not our new car!

We have sold the Zafira and bought a big Mercedes van. The car is a lot older but much more comfortable when we are all in it. Dani calls it a carbus and loves it. Lynne thinks the hand/foot brake is weird. We will upload a photo very soon. We also have another car for sale, the older Kia Rio which we want to get rid of asap. So if you know anyone who wants one then feel free to put them in touch with us.

Anita as started standing by the table in the living room and moving around it. Her record currently stands at a lap! Maria did her GCSE Maths last week and thinks she did it very well. We are so proud of her doing this exam while she is still 14. Well done pie.

Opel Zafira For Sale / En Venta

2007-05-20T02:27:00.000-07:00

Vendemos nuestro coche porque tenemos una oferta de otro más grande para los niños. Es un Opel Zafira y los datos son los siguientes.
Julio 2004, 83000 km, 2.0 Litros Diesel, 100cv, Color Plata Metalizada, Climatizador, 7 Plazas, Bien Cuidado. 11,000 Euros.

We are selling our Opel Zafira because we have been offered a bigger car for the family. Here are the details.
July 2004, Climate Control, 83000 km, 2 Litre Diesel, 100 Horsepower, Metallic Paint Silver, 7 Seats, Well Looked After, 11,000 Euros

2007-04-16T14:35:00.000-07:00

If you want to get paid for surfing the internet then become a member of Agloco. Sign up here. They pay you and your friends and referrals for surfing the net and if you or someone you have recommended buys something from one of the ads they promote then you get paid a referral fee. As you surf the net anyway and spend time doing it you may as well get paid for doing it even though the amount is small. If you refer enough people and they buy a lot on the net then it may grow.

It takes a minute to sign up and if you don't earn anything then what have you lost? You could be onto the next YouTube or Google though.

Onto other things, have a look at the latest photos here of the family. We are all undergoing a radical change at the moment as we focus on the future and turn everything around. Opportunities are opening up everywhere so keep reading and see how we progress over the next few months.

Motivation

2007-03-09T15:00:00.000-08:00

Well it's back. After a year or so of wondering exactly what to do and letting things slide in business and life, I have finally got my mojo back and a plan of action which will be carried out whatever over the next year or ten. Obviously you need to check in here regularly to see how things are going but expect major movements in what I am doing over the next few months.
Anyway, Maria has gone to London and we go on Sunday until Wednesday. She is singing in the Albert Hall and the concert itself is on Tuesday afternoon. Hopefully it will be a good one.

Getting Over It

2007-03-03T15:24:00.000-08:00

I cannot get rid of the flu that I have had. However my mind is now back in focus and I have determined that I will be the protagonist of my actions from now on. My focus has now totally changed and I am much more in tune with life. I am making changes and expect to see the benefits very soon as work through a programme.

Maria is in our good books at the moment as she pays much more attention to Dani and is trying really hard at school. Dani is starting to get into trouble at nursery because he is a stubborn thing and demands toys rather than sharing and Anita is an absolute delight. If only the two small ones slept like their big sister then life at home would be without fault.

Mid Feb.

2007-02-18T13:12:00.000-08:00

Just to tell anyone who is continually looking in here that things are the same. Maria is back from France and now looking forward to going to England. Dani is still not himself and Anita is still smiley but not yet eating at all well.
Lynne is over her colds and flu and passed on the flu to me. I have been rather unwell all week and am only now starting to feel myself, fnaar fnaar!, again.

Is The Tunnel Coming to an End

2007-02-06T14:14:00.000-08:00

For some rason today i feel a lot more optimistic. I am writing an e-book for distibution through EBay, we have suddenly got a lot more interest in the business, I am off to Javea tomorrow for a meeting, I am putting together plans for the next couple of years in order to get things moving in so many ways. There is nothing like a crisis of confidence and panic attack to concentrate the mind and move onto new and more exciting projects. Suddenly I can see things moving in a few ways but there is still a long way to go to get back to the optimism that is my normal state of mind.

Anita is now starting to eat food rather than suffering it and keeping her mouth closed. She is still extremely smiley and just loves her family. Dani is a bit out of sorts this week according to his teacher at school, but then again he was ill over the weekend and his nose resembles a mucus tap at the moment. Maria is in France on her school trip and is having a whale of a time apparently. She went to Paris yesterday and saw Versailles and today she was in Chartres. Life is Ok for some. Lynne was shockingly ill over the weekend and of course refuses to take anything for it as she is still breastfeeding. I now spend so much time on the computer with work that my chair is getting an imprint of me on it.

A couple of piccies to finsh off will be added tomorrow because Blogger doesn't fancy it at the moment.

Nightmare

2007-01-27T14:12:00.000-08:00

For all of our friends who read this blog, some mails and calls of support would be nice. I have had the most nightmarish week ever this week and to top it all off we went up to the Olocau house today to discover more damage caused by the howling wind, rain and freezing temperatures of yesterday.
For more info give me a ring or Skype me, you mostly have my numbers. Suffice to say that I am really depressed at the moment, everything seems to be going wrong and it seems to be a long tunnel with no escape route.
Normally I can see the bright side but at the moment I am really struggling.
Sory for the depressing message guys and gals.

2 Weeks

2007-01-21T13:53:00.000-08:00

Wow I cannot believe that two weeks have passed since I last made an entry in the blog.
I have attached a video of Dani bouncing like Tigger in the garden. It has been unusually warm the last week with temps up to 25 degrees and I have been extremely busy with work, problems, clients and the house at Olocau as i spent a day landscaping last week. 8For landscaping read breaking my back with rocks but the results were worth it.

Anita is now eating a couple of times a day. She is still not impressed by food but some days she doesn't spend the whole time trying to spit it out. Maria is working hard especially on her IT homework as this means she has a great excuse to surf the internet looking for "information about the iPhone"

I have developed a goatee beard which Lynne hates so it might come off after another week but only when everybody has had a chance to take the mick out of it.

Back to Life, Back to Reality

2007-01-07T14:14:00.000-08:00

It is now 2007. Jeez time flies. As you know from the previous post Anita has taken her first tentative mouthfuls, Dani and Maria return to school tomorrow and as long as Anita decides to have a rest during the day this means Lynne can finally have a rest and kip a bit tomorrow to catch upy. Since we moved Anita into the cot she has not slept at all well despite the fact that she is still next to Lynne, and as such our bedroom is now a lot smaller, the cot is bigger than the moses basket thing she was previously sleeping in.
Maria is looking forward to going back to school, I think she gets out of washing up so much like this, and Dani will no doubt enjoy seeing his little friends in nursery. He has adopted the new dining table and corner unit in the kitchen as his for eating at. As for me a lot of work to come in the next few weeks as we relaunch certain areas of the company and start up new ventures.
No photos or video to accompany this entry but maybe some more to come this week.

Anita's First Mouthfuls of Food

2007-01-03T09:55:00.000-08:00

As it says on the title this is what it is. She is obviously going to take a bit of time to come to terms with food!
Enjoy unlike Anita!!!

Video

2007-01-01T14:00:00.000-08:00

A nice little video to test whether this works

Hopefully this will work soon. First test of the system. more to come if successful.
Anita is growing up quickly. The last couple of days have seen deliberately throwing things on the floor as a game, smiling for the camera and this week she will start tyo be weaned.

We had a quiet new year, staying in and inviting Judith, Tenama and Koada over for scouse and trifle along with the champagne (Well Cider from Asturias) and grapes at 12pm. A mixture of our UK traditions and Spanish ones. Maria took the boys from Cameroon outside to set off bangers in the traditional Valencian way after midnight but nobody complained as most other people in the village were doing it too.

Lots Happening Here

2006-12-18T14:25:00.000-08:00

Let's start with the kids from the youngest onwards.
Anita has now started grabbing faces until she can draw blood whilst smiling.
Dani met Father Xmas the other day and got a couple of pressies while being very shy. Very unusual for him.
Maria has managed to break her foot, the famous metatarsal injury, by kicking the bath! No sympathy from me of course because she was in a pathetic childish rage with me for not letting her go to the cinema with her mates. She won't let me take a photo of it though so you will have to make do with Dani and Father Xmas.
Lynee is knackered through lack of sleep and I am working like a slave so am also absolutely tired out.
More to come very soon.

My fifth decade on this planet

2006-12-10T06:47:00.000-08:00

My 40th birthday has been and gone. No pictures from the party but thanks to all of you who came and I hope a good night was had by all. I suddenly feel a lot different after the birthday which shouldn't be the case I know but it is. I have decided to sort a few things out in our lives so that we can concentrate on bringing up the kids and enjoying ourselves a lot more than has been possible in the last five years of hard work.

I have taken the bull by the horns and done some accounts for the family and they are not as rosy as they were a year ago but assets are Ok and can be sold off if necessary.

So fifth decade resolutions?
1) Make a success of the businesses.
2) Make a success of the family which is currently working out well.
3) Retire before 50!
4) Do something big to help the planet before it is too late.

We may move on at some stage too but not until Maria has finished her "A" levels in four years time. Until then we will stay in our very cosy home here in La Pobla and watch Danny and Anita grow up. They love each other so much at the moment that we hope it stays that way although Dani is sometimes overenthusiastic in showing it and squashes her in trying to hug her.

That OK Moment

2006-11-20T13:39:00.000-08:00

We had some photos taken to make calendars and things for Christmas and here are some of the results of the photos. It shows how Anita is growing and the family are getting on. As you can see that means in my particular case a lot more wrinkles...

Cute Photos

2006-11-07T03:25:00.000-08:00

Dani has his asthma back as he couldn't get rid of the cold so back onto the mask. He is still very cute even with the candles hanging from his nose on a regular basis. I had forgotten how being a parent of small children means that Lynne spends more time at the doctor's rather than at home.
Anita continues to grow and is very very very smiley. She greets everyone with a smile these days. As for Maria we very rarely see her as she spends most of her time at home revising on the BBC bitesize website.

Some recent photos

2006-10-24T08:07:00.000-07:00

It looks like Autumn is finally arriving here. Every now and again we have a cloudy overcast day and there has actually been some rain. The store of water in the dams is down to an all time low but even so another 2 billion golf courses are planned until the moratorium comes in place.
Anyway here are some more photos taken recently.

Sleeping Problems

2006-10-11T09:04:00.000-07:00

It looks like Anita is beginning to show the same symptoms as Dani as regards her lack of sleep. I am reliably informed by my better half that Dani slept fine until 3-4 months old and then we went through 12 months of hell until he went onto a non lactose based milk formula rather than the "natural packet". Anita has not now slept well for five nights, waking up every hour or so and not settling down until after midnight. It's a good job she is generally so smiley!
Anyway, Maria suffered yet another injury in Judo, this time gettng whipped across the hand with a belt and claims she now has a claw not a hand.

Some Pics From Dani's Party

2006-09-25T01:15:00.000-07:00

Dani had a little party on Sunday to celebrate his second birthday. Here are some of the pictures and as you can see Anita was well impressed by the fuss.

Dani is 2

2006-09-21T13:40:00.000-07:00

Life, The Universe and Everything

2006-09-17T09:50:00.000-07:00

I have been shocked this week to find myself bored with a Liverpool game and then not at all surprised at another. The Chelsea game had Mike Reilly will ruin this one written all over it. If you keep the champions to one decent shot in the whole game (but what a shot) you should hope to come out of it with something to show but until we start to put away a couple of the multitude of chances that came our way this week then we will get nothing.
On the family front we went out to Chris' birthday party last night and got back late so Dani decided to wake up at his normal time and we are really tired now. He did however have a three and a half hour siesta. Both little ones have got bad colds with copious quantities of mucus being wiped all over the place but Maria is fine.

But not as annoying as Sunday

2006-09-12T07:06:00.000-07:00

Lynne with gastro enteritis and both small kids with diahorrea and lots of nappies used up. Sunday was a busy day for me. I think we considerably reduced the available landfill space from Anita's nappies on Sunday and when Dani got it too...
Anyway with Maria and Dani back at school now life at home would be a lot more relaxed if I wasn't so snowed under with work. I am off to Mdrid on Thursday for a meeting and we have Notary work to do on Friday and Monday with loads of clients in VP this wek to deal with. It will be a relief to have Tim and Diana back from the UK to get things moving.
Dani was right about summer ending too as a couple of cloudy days and a considerable drop in temperature has nowmade the pool only for the brave.

Annoying Day

2006-09-09T14:04:00.000-07:00

Because of the derby match. If you are going to lose at least play it in the evening so you don't have to spend the rest of the day mooching about complaining about Graham Poll.
So anyway it is now officially not summer here as Dani decided that he didn't really want to go in the pool today as it was a little nippy. If he won't go in I have now said goodbye to the pool until next year I think. He then fell asleep on the couch while Maria sang to him which is the first time that has ever happened, him falling to sleep and being taken upstairs flaked out rather than the singing bit.
Roll on Sunday and get well soon Riise lad!

Asturias Holiday

2006-08-24T14:17:00.000-07:00

Well we are back from our holiday in Asturias which absolutely flew by of course and we are now surely more relaxed as the end of the very long summer holidays comes up. I have posted some photos of the trip and how Dani and Anita are growing as well as the rest of us. Highlight of the trip must have been Vodafone not having any coverage in the area of Llanes for two days while they worked on the transmitter and thus having total peace and quiet for a time! Images here included are the infamous train derailment of the FEVE on the way to Ribadesella, luckily it was going slow at the time but then again FEVE's never go fast, views of the beach at Poo (Crap name great beach), the rather scary cliff walk at Llanes and Anita in the pushchair of course.

Poor Little Chelsea

2006-08-14T07:39:00.000-07:00

Good to see the reds beat Chelsea again yesterday and for a change Jose accepted it with what for him was almost good grace despite his protestations that we are more advanced in our preparations. Let's hope we can take the title off him this year so that Roman tells him where to go. A trophyless season would be nice for Chelsea and Abramovich to get bored and go into Formula One or something leaving Kenyon to sort out the financial mess. It won't happen but you can always hope.

Holidays and More Photos

2006-08-05T07:48:00.000-07:00

We have decided to go away for a holiday in Asturias for seven days at some stage this month. After about 200 calls we finally managed to find a place free and will be in Llanes. The rest is going to be needed. Meanwhile here are a couple of photos taken in the last few days that may amuse or make you say aw cute, in equal measure.

The house in Olocau is now finished and looking good and we should sign for it some time later this month. Then we have the problem of furnishing it and getting lights etc put in!

Horror Day

2006-07-17T14:51:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F56ZZzz4meU&search=Monty%20Python
Needed a laugh today after a horror day. Look at the second part of the Spanish Inquisition sketch from Monty Python to give yourself a laugh.

Photos of the new arrival and the family

2006-07-07T11:09:00.000-07:00

This Week

2006-07-02T07:42:00.000-07:00

After watching the demise of a rudderless England due to a useless coach and an invisible now ex-captain it is time to face up to life again.
Lynne will be giving birth on Tuesday unless Anita shows some sign of wanting to come out today or tomorrow. She will be induced on Tuesday and therefore we will become what is known in Spain as a "Familia Numerosa" (Three kids or more) It will be strange to see how Danny reacts and more than that Maria who needs something more to do in the holidays of course and bonding with Anita and Danny should help her out.
We currently have Lynne's mum and dad here which is a godsend as it allows us to count on some help for the first couple of weeks while we get used to so many children being around.
It is still hot and sultry here in Valencia of course and I have still not used the pool this year even though we are into July now. I also haven't sat under the tree on a Sunday reading the paper as there never seems to be time to sit around doing nothing these days!
Check out the cute pic of Danny with his new bag and hat.

Maria's Birthday

2006-06-25T06:07:00.000-07:00

Maria is 14! 14! That is now much too old. Her birthday was on Friday and she was very happy because she got a load of music and some strange tasting chocolates from Sampaka (Vinegar Flavour, Anchovy Flavour etc...)
Lynne made her a cake and Danny decided that he didn't want any which Maria was quite happy about.
It is now Sunday here and England will today struggle in the heat of Germany. Global warming remember! Lazy Sunday it will not be. Come on England and try to put on a decent performance for once. I've covered my disappointment with a little wager on Ladborkes of England at half time and draw at full time just in case!

Soon

2006-06-21T14:49:00.000-07:00

Lynne went to the doctor today and was told that it could be any time now as the baby is very low and ready to come out. If Anita has any consideration she will wait until Wednesday when there are no World Cup games of course!
Maria has just got back from her two day visit to Madrid where she quite enjoyed Mamma Mia and really enjoyed the Warner Bros Park where she went o all of the big rides. She was a bit hyper on getting back due to the adrenaline rush so will probably not sleep tonight much and complain on the penultimate day of school of tiredness, sports day too!
Danny has got really picky with food in the last two weeks and has learnt a new word... Yeuchh! Hopefully it will just be a phase!

Happy Birthday Lynne

2006-06-15T14:45:00.000-07:00

Lynne's birthday today so we went out for lunch and Danny decided to be a good boy this evening and go to sleep when he should have. Maria had a judo class and came back remarkably uninjured as a pressie.
Found a great chocolate shop in Valencia yesterday called Cacao Sampaka where boxes of extremely potent cocoa filled choccies are on sale as if it were a boutique. Lynne seems to like them anyway.
Another week to Maria's birthday and still no sign of the birth of the third little one. England again managed to leave Lynne's blood pressure low despite all of my swearing at the screen at that lump Lampard as he squandered chance after chance (God he is sooooo overrated) And England managed to beat the might of Trinidad and Tobago (Combined Population the same as Valencia) 2-0.

The Blood Pressure Issue and Ouch

2006-06-11T04:03:00.000-07:00

Blood pressure will probably dictate when the new arrival gets here and at the moment it is OK. However England helped enormously by making their game yesterday extremely tedious. The only person to try and raise the blood pressure was the flamin' preening Mexican ref with his horrible display. Nevertheless one more win and we face the second in Germany/Poland/Ecuador/Costa Rica probably. As all four of those teams looked equally dreadful in their first games there should be nothing to worry about there. (Famous last words)
As for the ouch, let's just hope that Djibril Cisse can show the same astounding powers of recovery that Maria managed just last week, although his injury does seem to be a little more serious.

The Rules and The World Cup

2006-06-02T15:51:00.000-07:00

I have found the perfect thing for the World Cup and it must be printed out and stuck on the fridge. Thanks to Ian Ferguson in Barcelona and his blog at the site below. (Bear in mind that Lynne will be giving birth at some stage this month and we have already booked her to have her legs crossed on the 9th, 15th and 20th just in case and then we will work with the last 16 dates etc... depending on England's progress.)

http://englandfaninbarca.blogspot.com
The rules are published below and well worth a look.

LIST OF RULES

1. From 9 June to 9 July 2006, you should read the sports section of the newspaper so that you are aware of what is going on regarding the World Cup, and that way you will be able to join in the conversations. If you fail to do this, then you will be looked at in a bad way, or you will be totally ignored. DO NOT complain about not receiving any attention.

2. During the World Cup, the television is mine, at all times, without any exceptions. If you even take a glimpse of the remote control, you will lose it (your eye).

3. If you have to pass by in front of the TV during a game, I don't mind, as long as you do it crawling on the floor and without distracting me. If you decide to stand nude in front of the TV, make sure you put clothes on right after because if you catch a cold, I wont have time to take you to the doctor or look after you during the World Cup month.

4. During the games I will be blind, deaf and mute, unless I require a refill of my drink or something to eat. You are out of your mind if you expect me to listen to you, open the door, answer the telephone, or pick up the baby that just fell from the second floor....it wont happen.

CLICK HERE FOR A GREAT BEER OFFER5. It would be a good idea for you to keep at least 2 six packs in the fridge at all times, as well as plenty of things to nibble on, and please do not make any funny faces to my friends when they come over to watch the games. In return, you will be allowed to use the TV between 12am and 6am, unless they replay a good game that I missed during the day.

6. Please, please, please!! if you see me upset because one of my teams is losing, DO NOT say "get over it, its only a game", or "don't worry, they'll win next time". If you say these things, you will only make me angrier and I will love you less. Remember, you will never ever know more about football than me and your so called "words of encouragement" will only lead to a break up or divorce.

7. You are welcome to sit with me to watch one game and you can talk to me during halftime but only when the commercials are on, and only if the halftime score is pleasing me. In addition, please note I am saying "one" game, hence do not use the World Cup as a nice cheesy excuse to "spend time together".

8. The replays of the goals are very important. I don't care if I have seen them or I haven't seen them, I want to see them again. Many times.

9. Tell your friends NOT to have any babies, or any other child related parties or gatherings that requires my attendance because:

a) I will not go,
b) I will not go, and
c) I will not go.

10. But, if a friend of mine invites us to his house on a Sunday to watch a game, we will be there in a flash.

11. The daily World Cup highlights show on TV every night is just as important as the games themselves. Do not even think about saying "but you have already seen this...why don't you change the channel to something we can all watch??", the reply will be: "Refer to Rule #2 of this list".

12. And finally, please save your expressions such as "Thank God the World Cup is only every 4 years". I am immune to these words, because after this comes the Champions League, Italian League, Spanish League, Premier League, etc etc.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Regards,

Men of the World

Maria's Astounding Powers of Recovery

2006-06-02T15:46:00.000-07:00

Well she was doing sport this week after almost breaking her toes on Sunday. She did Judo on Tuesday but not last night and then did gym at school. She is having a bit of a problem with her options for IGCSE at the moment. Does she do IT and Business studies or PE and IT. Ridiculous lack of choice but the more important option will come at the end of the next two years when she goes onto her A levels. She has got the results back of most of her exams now and they are extremely good. Give us a ring at home to talk to her as she is very proud of them this year.

A Sort of Dilemma

2006-06-02T15:37:00.000-07:00

I went up to the house we are having built in Olocau this evening and what a dilemma. Because of circumstances beyond my control we haven't got the cash to go through with the purchase this month unless we get another quite large mortgage so we are thinking of selling it, but it is just so good. Absolutely fabulous to tell the truth so we really don't want to let it go.
It's not really a moral dilemma because we could take it on and try to get more on the mortgage to pay the first years repayments. We could also put the office in and experiment with the Wimax project too. Any ideas on what to do?

Lazy Sunday indeed

2006-05-28T14:10:00.000-07:00

So there I was reading the Sunday Times quietly and waiting to go up to Gilet to carry on cleaning out the pool, when Maria goes and trips over the step between the terrace and living room. So again, for the second time this year, we went off to the local health centre where a doctor said, yes the fourth toe, (Rooney's metatarsal) is probably broken So we had top pick up a couple of books before getting down to the Arnau hospital for X-Rays only to find that after a couple of hours from the beginning, it wasn't broken and Maria's low pain threshold had struck again. (It did look really painful though) Another injury that will stop her doing Judo and Football for a while but at least it isn't broken!

Maria in The Newspaper

2006-05-22T09:01:00.000-07:00

Maria was in the Costa Blanca News last week after her article about the electricity provision for the school in Cameroon was printed. You can see the article and read more by going to www.malima-project.org/VP_Maria_Cameroon.pdf . For some reason Blogger wouldn't let me upload an attachment of the file for publication here.

Knees

2006-05-19T02:54:00.000-07:00

Maria finally felt good enough in her knee to go to Judo last night and came back uninjured for the first time in an age.
Danny now has his own bed and after 20 months may be starting to sleep better although he is like clockwork and wakes up every day at ten to seven. Does he not realise what a weekend is?

What is it about our finals?

2006-05-13T13:16:00.000-07:00

Another fantastic final and another trophy for the Red machine today as they managed to come back twice with a 90th minute screamer from Gerrard and win on penalties. So we have been involved in the best ever UEFA Cup Final vs Alaves, the best ever European Cup Final against Milan and now what must go down as one of the best FA Cup Finals. Well done West Ham, they rode their luck of an own goal, a goalie muckup and a cross going in to put up a fight right to the end, but well done Pepe, Stevie G and the rest on a great win.

Big Day in Valencia

2006-05-13T02:30:00.000-07:00

The big question is today will the signal on the BBC hold out for the FA Cup Final (Or will we have to break the speed limit into Valencia and look for an Irish bar that isn't heaving to watch it) and will Liverpool do it? YNWA
Yossou N'Dour is on in Burjassot tonight too so we might just get along there too although it's looking unlikely after Danny's last two nights of not sleeping.

Danny and Maria

2006-05-12T00:06:00.000-07:00

Danny learnt to smile last week for the camera. It looks a bit forced but extremely cute of course. Meanwhile Maria has had to stop doing Judo and Football for a time because of her knee problems.

Welcome

2006-05-11T14:32:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone

Welcome to our family blog to keep everyone in touch with what is going on here in Valencia. Graham, Lynne, Maria and to a lesser extent Danny and the soon to arrive Anita will keep you informed.