I'm still here!!!!

We've had a manically busy Christmas with visitors from the US and Germany on top of the normal friends and family visitors. Mr Messy has done a number of photo shoots one full day one with the girls where he booked a hair and make up lady in to help out. Another with my sister, hubby and four kids, one of whom did NOT want her photo taken (although he thinks he's captured her in a few lol)! The photographs from the wedding he shot just before Christmas have needed to be edited and sorted out. And he also had to make a couple of trips to his office over the holidays (despite the fact he was supposed to be working from home). The girls and Fraulein have had a full diary of social engagements that sometimes needed us to ferry them around, and we tried to show LMS's American friend some touristy places too, which included a full day trip for Mr Messy, LMS and Friend to her University Town and to a nearby castle. What is it about American's and castles lol?!?!

Little Prince has found the constant to-ing and fro-ing and chaotic lack of routines very very hard to cope with and has been getting increasingly wound up over the holidays. I love having all the children home for the holidays, but I think Little Prince is more than ready to get back to school and some normal routines. He has had quite a number of tantrums where he has got completely out of control, he hasn't realised it until afterwards (and has been so very very sorry, poor lad) that he was causing actual injuries to me. The usual calming techniques I use haven't been as useful as normal, and it has taken a lot of hard work and patience to calm him down again. Hopefully being back at school and in normal, everyday routines will help and his behaviour won't continue to escalate.

I've also been very (EXTREMELY) distracted by the fact that our Ethiopian dossier arrived back at the DCSF the day after they closed for their Christmas break. It meant two whole, very long weeks not knowing if our papers had arrived safely and it despite my best efforts to concentrate on other things, it has been gnawing away at the back of my mind the whole time.

So it hasn't been the most relaxing of Christmases. But we have all had a great time nonetheless. Little Prince was thrilled with all of his presents and our house looked like a Toys R Us bomb had exploded on Christmas Day!! LMS had enjoyed having her friend visit, although she may have been hoping he was a complete loser or too geeky, as she now has an even bigger 'thing' for him. He was a lovely, charming young man and tall, dark and handsome to boot! Poor LMS :-( All is not lost as she is visiting him in the States after her stint at Disney World finishes this Summer, and she is already counting down to then!!