July-August, 2014
I was in England just before setting off to India and after my legal fiasco over there I returned to England three and a half years later and my two cousins had certainly been busy. Gemma gave birth to two girls, Pippa and Annabel, and Sid’s wife Sonia had Amelie in between. Additionally, Sid and Sonia who had been together for 12+ years but all of a sudden after I left England they got married, bought a house, reno-ed it and flipped it, bought another house in a new city. So a big draw to return to England before my beloved Canada was to catch up with all these new little ones in my family.
Fortunately while I was there Amelie had her second birthday. I was also able to join my aunt on “Granny Thursdays”. Every week she drives half an hour over to Gemma and Charles’ place and takes care of almost three year old Pips and under two Annabel. The girls felt like a handful for the two of us, I don’t know how Shirley had done it by herself in the past and continues to do it now. Of course it’s good Granny bonding time and I enjoyed my time as Uncle Dave (even though I’m technically “Second Cousin Dave” but that just doesn’t have the same ring to it).
Yummy cake:
The party raging on:
Following after her father:
Duplo!
And a nice cuddly dog:
Snack time:
Annabel tasting a lemon:
An ice cream on a windy day:
Annabel the Builder:
Pips reads Toddle Waddle:
Tubber Time!
But I don't want to get out Dad!
The ugly paper is gone:
Ta-da!
Sid preparing the plaster:
The tools are ready...it's my first time plastering...how had can it be? Hard.
Sid's great work:
And now the new paint:
Have to keep the workers happy:
Pretty much finished:
Amelie's forest bedroom:
Nice painting Sid!
I was in England just before setting off to India and after my legal fiasco over there I returned to England three and a half years later and my two cousins had certainly been busy. Gemma gave birth to two girls, Pippa and Annabel, and Sid’s wife Sonia had Amelie in between. Additionally, Sid and Sonia who had been together for 12+ years but all of a sudden after I left England they got married, bought a house, reno-ed it and flipped it, bought another house in a new city. So a big draw to return to England before my beloved Canada was to catch up with all these new little ones in my family.
Fortunately while I was there Amelie had her second birthday. I was also able to join my aunt on “Granny Thursdays”. Every week she drives half an hour over to Gemma and Charles’ place and takes care of almost three year old Pips and under two Annabel. The girls felt like a handful for the two of us, I don’t know how Shirley had done it by herself in the past and continues to do it now. Of course it’s good Granny bonding time and I enjoyed my time as Uncle Dave (even though I’m technically “Second Cousin Dave” but that just doesn’t have the same ring to it).
Amelie's Birthday cake:
Yummy cake:
The party raging on:
Following after her father:
Duplo!
And a nice cuddly dog:
The party's officially over but the girls rage on:
Amelie got a Bouncy Castle!
Into the forest on a Granny Thursday:
Snack time:
Annabel tasting a lemon:
An ice cream on a windy day:
Annabel the Builder:
Pips reads Toddle Waddle:
Tubber Time!
But I don't want to get out Dad!
Sid and Sonia’s recently purchased house in Weymouth was in need of some serious renos. It had been over a year since they had bought it but while I was there they weren’t living in it as it was too hazardous for a toddler so they were staying at Shirley’s. With Sonia looking after Amelie and Sid not getting home until 7pm most days due to a long commute for work, not surprisingly the momentum on the renovations had all but stopped. I wanted to help out but I’m not much of a handyman but I can be a George (the proverbial helper). Shirley also wanted to lend a hand so during the month of August we finally got the ball rolling again with their house. Our goal was to get the sitting room and Amelie’s room finished so they could move back in. The sitting room needed wallpaper removed and then it had to be plastered and painted and Amelie’s room needed painting, a sink replaced (classic British...a sink in the bedroom!) and a new floor put in. This was after the electrics had been rewired by a professional.
So we got to work and between all of the adults we got some good days in fixing up the house and I was pleased to hear that just a few weeks after I left England, Sid, Sonia and Amelie moved back into their house. They still have a ways to go but hopefully now they are starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel.
The wallpaper stripping is about half way:
The ugly paper is gone:
Ta-da!
Sid preparing the plaster:
The tools are ready...it's my first time plastering...how had can it be? Hard.
Sid's great work:
And now the new paint:
Have to keep the workers happy:
Pretty much finished:
Amelie's forest bedroom:
Nice painting Sid!
Amelies's room is now ready, now they just have to convince her to sleep in it!
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