Home

Well hello from Waiheke Island! I'm home and settling back into things here, thanks to all the nice people who were so great to Mum & Dad & me, but it's nice to be home. Today I sat on the lawn while Mum hung out the washing - I would have a photo but the camera is still broken. It was easier than hanging the washing out at Olivia's in Valencia - 6 floors up hanging out the window - gave me the willy's! I'm glad my Dad's not Michael Jackson (for any number of reasons!). Did you know that Mum dropped her togs off the line and they got snagged on the second floor line. Thanks Olivia for letting Dad tie 2 of your skipping ropes to the coat hanger (thanks Charlotte) to hang out the window to fish them back up. My Dad is so clever and brave!

He was supposed to go to Wellington today but Mum is sick so he stayed home, Mum says it was nice of him. I've been to Wellington before but don't remember it! I think it's OK. Mum went to the Doctors yesterday but has to wait for some tests to see what's wrong, maybe it's that bug from Durango!

Thanks Aunty Bren for picking us up at the airport on Saturday. It was really early and you did have to wait around for Dad to make sure the bags weren't there! Who knows where they went but they arrived on Sunday so that's not so bad. And really thanks to Tony & Grandma for being home to meet us and make us lunch and dinner, and make sure the house was nice for us.

It will be nice when we are all well and my friends can come and play.

Oh, when Mum and Dad finish unpacking and they find some photo's we took of Spain I'll tell you more about some of the really neat things we did there. I'm still struggling to get properly back in my sleep patterns (although I am trying very hard!!) so I might go to bed now, cause I might need to wake up a couple of times before it gets light again. Did I tell you that I might have learnt to sit myself up from nearly lying right down today, it might have been an accident but I think it was good fun, sometimes I can roll myself right over!

Night!

Mesa Verde

Hey, I've just been back and checked some comments and see that Lo, Tony & Grandma, and Pop & Nana Maureen have all left lovely messages, thanks. And Nana has sent an email! Lo I tend to do the blog when it's too late to go out (see how old we are all getting), Tony I didn't think Durango Mercy Hospital was that nice a place to be, I'm sure Taranaki Base will be lovely (I think Mum might be planning a trip down soonish!) - we are looking forward to seeing you!!. Nana Maureen, please say hi to Matai and Aunty Jude for me, he's my first little kinda cousin!!!

Germs seem friendly things. Mum's feeling better but Dad was sick yesterday - he's OK now, but poor Eric is sick tonight!!

We went to Mesa Verde today with Sam. It was great. Off to Santa Fe tomorrow, then home!!

Here's those last photos of Shanghai I promised



Going to bed now so I don't keep Eric awake with this click clicking!!

Looking forward to seeing you all soon, lots of love to everyone who has taken such great care of me and Mum and Dad and been such fun - Frank, Debra & Jess, & Dom Kate & Bruno (& Peter who babysat & all Mum's other friends in London), & Philbob, Hayley & Flynn, & Charlotte Olivia & Rog, and Sam Eric & Fergus.

Cheers

Shanghai Buildings

Here's the Metropolis where we went high in the clouds for drink

and Nan Jing St where everybody shopped except us, and we had our only mediocre meal

and a shots of the Pearl Tower in the morning

a night club that changes colour

and some buildings I liked ... coming tomorrow

Good night

Photos from Shanghai

I thought I'd show you some more photo's from Shanghai while the camera is broken.

Here's some from our hotel room, aren't the neighbours friendly?

And here's some in the Hunan Gardens (I hope that's right, it was a long way ago now!), Mum loved it there

That was the only day we used the backpack! I loved it and fell asleep!

Tummy trouble update

Ok so we know it isn't Giardia, or some other thing, but today I'm feeling better - but not Mum! Oh oh!

Dad's mostly had me out today, and then stayed out a bit long, we went on a great big drive to Silverton, it's 50 Miles from Durango, and we went over a pass 10,900 feet high to get there. I don't know how high that is but it is a long way down! Things are big in America. Uncle Terry and Oscar you would love Durango, there are about a million Harley Davidsons here, it's for a convention but it got cancelled but I guess no-one told the bikers! There's also lots and lots of trucks and pickups. Bruno, there's not many buses, but you would like the Tram and the Steam Train! How is your Italy holiday? Be careful what you eat!

Thanks for your message Charlotte, yep security was a hassle at JFK, mum had to throw out the Nature Baby Nappy Balm, and I could do with it at the moment given what's going on in that Department!

Now lets try that photo of Charlottes house

No, that's not it! They are of the Ceramics Museum in Valencia, it was fantastic, although I got tired of the plates and stuff quickly enough, but the Apartments, wow, it was like Windsor Castle without the queues.

Here's the outside of it!

It's on the just another one of those squares that are every where in Spain. Now this is the view from the balcony at Olivia, Charlotte & Rogs.

Hey Mele, great to hear from you, wow how is your Dad going to teach people all that stuff, he'll have to talk really fast. I haven't seen a ToysRus in Durango, and there sure wasn't one in Silverton! I have seen a shop where cowboy hats cost $770US! I can't wait to see you and your Mum when you come back and I'm sure we'll be at your birthday party. Are you really 1? That's old. My teeth are growing!

Sam and Eric and Fergus live in a house with a yard and all that. It's the first time in ages I've seen one. Fergus has lots of toys and he lets me play with some.

I'll just post this, and then put up some more photos of Valencia

Cheers

Sleep ...

... is frankly something none of us is getting enough of at the moment, mostly at the moment it's on account of a tummy thing that I've picked up some how, but it is a very long way to Durango from Valencia as well. Especially when BA or Iberia lost my car seat! Anyway that turned up OK today so that's a relief!

But the tummy thing is not so good, although I am getting better, I'll spare you most of the details but after traveling all day to Durango from New York on Wednesday and meeting Mum's good friend Sam and Eric and Fergus (they are being so nice and looking after us), we were all looking forward to a nice relaxing day yesterday when I was having my lunch and whoa! up it all came back!! Not like the reflux, and boy was it stinky and how did all that get in there!!? And as well talk about lucky I wear nappies - I know why it's called Pooos!! I was sore and cried and screamed and after a little sleep I woke up but was grey as grey and just flopped! And I just kept on being sick all ways at once.

A friend of Sams is called Dr Jack, so we went to see him cause he said to and I met him and his family, they were really nice. He didn't want to see the stinky nappy that Dad took along with us (!!) but said that I was a bit crook and we should go to the ED at the flash new hospital here in Durango. After a long time and lots of questions and tests nice Dr Don said I could got home but I was still pretty sore. I have special water to drink and have been keeping people up alot because I'm not very happy. Anyway I feel a bit better today and I don't look so much like a ghost, and have had a couple of nice sleeps so things are getting better. I'm not being sick out my mouth any more.

So that's why I haven't told you much about Durango and why I haven't finished telling you about Valencia either. And the reason that there won't be so many photo's on the blog for a while is that the other thing that happened yesterday is that while we were in Durango looking at the shops - it's a very pretty town - Mum by accident dropped our camera out of my buggy! Dad says lucky about insurance - whatever that is?

Anyway did I say that Valencia is a really beautiful city and that Olivia and Charlotte and Rog (Olivia hates always going last) live in a lovely apartment

- Dang I'm having trouble uploading photo's on Samantha and Eric's dial up connection, and my tummy is hurting so I'm going to go now, but thank you as they say here, and thanks Kelly for your comment.

Cheers