Manchester

Happy New Year everyone.  This year we celebrated it in style: for the first time in 4 years Matt wasn't ill so we actually stayed up to toast it in and then continued to stay up until 1.45 - that is almost a record for us - helped by Jooles Holland Hotenany and chatting to our friends Richard and Chananja in Holland via Facebook about Jooles Holland (they get BBC over their too - Adam and the Ants were on which is Richard's favourite band)

I then had the best sleep I've had in ages - woke up in the same position I fell asleep in which is always a good sign.  In fact I had such a good sleep that it took me a good while to get going. Plan for today was to go to Manchester to see Karen, Adam, Leia and Rosa.  (We haven't seen Karen and Adam together for roughly 2 years for one reason or another)  We were feeling very privileged as we are their first over night visitors to their new house.  They are living at the same address but have had a 2 story extension - it has made such a difference that it is pretty much unrecognisable and fabulous - I would have suffered from kitchen envy if it wasn't for the fact we are about to move to a house with a similar kitchen.

We decided that as we were visiting 'The Big City' we would take the opportunity to go shopping to buy things we can't get at home.  So, first stop was Wing Yip to do an Asian Shop.  We were quite successful including an electric table top stew pot so we can make Shabu Shabu - yahooooo.  There was also a toy shop which had a number of Totoros in it - so we bought one for Leia.

We then went for lunch at the on-site restaurant - 'The Glamorous'.  Dodgy sounding name, hey?  We walked - it was huge and full of Chinese - a good sign.  It was a busy place and we were a little lost for a while - there was a regular menu but also what looked like a bingo card on the table for which we couldn't work out its purpose.  Then ladies pushing trollies came up to us - they didn't speak very good English and carried menus with them which didn't really make much sense.  Someone came with some dim sum but we really didn't know what was going on so sent her on her way.  Then someone came with a trolley full of steamed buns.  We asked for some, the lady gave us a 'are you mad stare' but went to get them - we were mad as I think we ordered enough for a family of 10.  One portion was about 4 big buns, not one bun which is what we thought. Luckily the lady had a sense of humour and sorted us out.  We tucked into our buns and watched the activity around us and worked out what was going on.   The idea was to take a little of everything from each trolley - next time we will do so.  We did manage to get some gyoza though which was great.  A fantastic fooding experience - we will definitely be back.

Great fun on the Helter Skelter

We then headed towards Salford and the Komorowskis.  We stopped off at one retail park that had a huge Go Outdoors so we had an explore.  They had an indoor tent area which had about 100 tents pitched up.  Tom and I went to explore.  Tom went mad - running around, in and out of the tents.  He was so excited.  He always gets like that around tents.   We got a good idea of what we need, but decided not to do anything as we have to move house again yet and there really isn't any point in adding to the stuff we have to move.  We are planning to do some weekend camping this year - we are in such a beautiful area that it makes sense to explore it some more and we are keen for Tom to camp, it is a great gounding thing to do and also with him being an only child it gives him more opportunity to find and make friends whilst on holiday.

We finally got to Salford at around 2.15 and were greeted by Leia.  She and Tom were straight into friend mode and played together without needing us.  I felt like a loose end.  Tom took a particular liking to Leia's two vacuum cleaners and promptly vacuumed the whole house.  (Such a shame they don't actually such up the dirt).  One funny moment was when Leia got out an ironing board and iron and Tom asked her what it was.  Says a lot about me doesn't it!

Hugs

Around 4pm we headed out for a walk.  Adam and Karen took us to a city square with an ice rink and a helter skelter.  Leia really wanted to go on the helter skelter so Adam took her on it.  Tom didn't want to go on it, but after seeing Leia having fun he decided he did want a go, so off he went with Matt, and down he came with a huge grin.  He enjoyed it so much that when he went up for his second go, he tried to get on it by himself, Matt had to hold him back so that they went down together.  We then watched the skating and headed back to the house.  Karen made spag bol for dinner - Tom wolfed it down in seconds flat, asked for another portion - ate that and then had another portion.  What does Karen put in it?

Leia and Tom then had a bath together and went to bed, they were both spark out in minutes - it had been a busy and exciting day.

Sleep Over

We had a lazy morning, Leia, Tom and Rosa decided to have a sleep over in the lounge whilst we got ourselves ready.  Then we headed into Manchester.  Matt went off to do some electronics shopping whilst Rosa, Leia, Karen, Tom and I went to find Primark so I could get Tom some jumpers - he has suddenly grown out of all of his.  Get this size 3-4 was too small so I got him size 4-5 - that is the first time since he was 3 months that he has got ahead of himself in the clothing stakes.   We then walked in the Manchester drizzle to (Museum of Science and Industry) MOSI where we met Matt, had lunch (a fiasco - no food, staff not knowing what to do, ridiculous queues = let me at them!  I wonder if it is still BaxterStorey, if so their standards have got very low)

Tom and a train

We then had a play in the experiment area, before heading to the trains in the Powerhouse, where Matt and Tom did their stuff whilst Karen and I tried to make a bridge out of paper and straw for Leia (not great, but Leia was happy).  We then headed back to Karen's house and said our goodbyes and came home.  We were tired but happy - a good time was had by all.