Skye's first Halloween!

Oh what a busy couple of days we've had! Today is Halloween and we are very excited!
We dress Skye as a Ladybug so for once she cannot be taken for a boy! She looks so cute in her outfit and gets admiring glances wherever she goes. She is a bit risky though and shows quite a lot of 'cleavage' at time ;-)

This photo was taken at a friends house in Half Moon Bay. Skye was a little rascal and managed and got into trouble for playing with the toes of a little boys cookie-monstor outfit. I couldn't see what the problem was until I later uncurled Skyes wee hand only to find one of the cookie-monster pompom toes! Oops! She also had an obsession with a little boys Scruffy the dog costume. This time she felt the need to pull his ears whenever she had the chance! Here's a group photo with Skye going after the ears.....

I also took Skye into work where she woos everyone with her big blue eyes!

Later at home, Skye, Tommy and I greet the trick or treaters with lots of candy. Skye also tries her hand at being a fish. It doesn't really work out though.....


One more photo 'cos she's so cute!

Skye is a wonderful companion today! We go to our mommies in Motion exercise class, then head to Babies R us to pick out a present for Sohum who is only 6 weeks old. We are going all the way to Fremont to visit him. Skye sleeps most of the way there and is in a great mood when we get there!

Here she is checking out wee Sohum:















Ling (who I pick up on the way) has knitted a little hat for Sohum, but it's too big so Skye 'steals' it. She looks so cute in it that Ling insists that she keeps it!




















Not much else to report today..... but tomorrow is our first Halloween party.... yippeee!!!

A day on the town

For once it is just John, myself and Skye on our own for the day. We decide to see some of the Edinburgh sights and decide to start at the Whisky Heritage centre in the High Street (just below Edinburgh castle). John has already been to Edinburgh castle on his last visit so we give it a miss this time.

We drive into the centre of Edinburgh and park the car. Our first stop is in the grassmarket where we stop at a little book/gift store which I used to frequent when I lived there. I am looking for some maisey the cat books which are books about an Edinburgh cat and her antics there. They are a great set of books and are really hard to find these days, so I am excited to find that they are sold in the shop!! I buy a couple for Skye and a set of nice bright stencils for her bedroom window at home.

Next we head up to the high street to the Whiskey Heritage center. We browse in a few 'Scottish' shops on the way.







John and Skye in Edinburgh's High Street.












At the Whisky Heritage center we have a wait of about 40 minutes before the next tour starts so (of course) we head to the cafe downstairs where we enjoy a nice coffee and a caramel shortbread. Soon enough it's time for our tour so we go back upstairs and into the waiting room. We are given an introductory glass of whisky before we start, which Skye immediately tries to drink, much to the amusements of the others in the room! We then head into an adjacent room to listen to a short video. This is when Skye starts playing up. I have to take her back outside and give her a bottle to keep her happy! I return back in with bottle in hand. We then move onto another room where the man tells us more about the whisky making process. Again, Skye plays up and won't sit still...then my mums mobile phone goes off! We've been told to switch off all phones, but I don't know how to switch mums phone off so leave it on! I am sure all the other people there are glaring at us and our noisy baby and cellphone. I am ready to just leave, but decide to stay at the back of the room and try to get my money's worth! The rest of the tour is better and Skye really enjoys the ride around the attractions in an old whiskey barrel! In the end it all worked out fine and we enjoyed ourselves. Phew!

After this we just wander around and down to Princes street and find (yet another) cafe, to have some lunch. The day is over really quickly yet again, and soon it's time to head back to the car :-( We walk back via Princes Street Gardens where we take one of the most photographed tourist spots:








Alison and Skye with Edinburgh Castle in the background.











We have made plans to go for dinner (or tea in Scotland) to my friend Katy's house. Her husband Keith is cooking for us and we are excited to see her kids George (8) and the twins Robert and Lindsay (both 2.5yrs).

As it turns out, they are really excited to see us too! The twins are so cute and so different from the last time I saw them (at 1.5yrs)








Alison, Skye, Katy, Lindsay and Robert...








When Robert and Lindsay go for their bath, we decide to pop Skye in there with them! Now is she in for a shock! Bathing with the big kids is quite a different matter than having the bath to herself! She copes quite well, even though the water is just about up to her neck! Soon we have her dressed all cosy in Lindsays old pyjamas and it's time for us to go home. We had such a lovely time at Katy and Keith's...I wish we could have stayed longer....

The hills are alive.....

Today we plan to meet my old friend Diane and go for a hike in the hills followed by a pub lunch. We're going to my old haunt, Flotterstone, which is about 10 miles outside of Edinburgh. First Skye poses for some photos on the car!








We meet in the car park and Diane is already there. She is amazed at the size of Skye who was only 6 weeks old when she last saw her!










It's pretty cold and windy on our walk, but we have a great time and are ready for lunch by the time we're done.








In the pub, Skye tries her first taste of Scottish beer (or any beer for that matter!)




After out pub lunch, we head to Susan's house (Diane's sister) for a visit. Susan has two kids, Kiera and Hannah who are excited to see baby Skye. Skye is emersed into the Gillies house and is a little taken aback with all the noise and activity!! Never a dull moment at their house!





Of course they all want to hold her... Kiera goes first








Then it's Hannah's turn...









And there are lots of new toys to play with!





So all in all another busy day for all of us. This holiday is flying by so quickly!!!

Scottish Cultchur!

Ah - it's Sunday and Skye is in a dreamy mood....

Today we go on another family outing (sans camera again!). This time is just us, Mum, Paul, Pauline Connor and Michael. We head to that lovely town, Cumbernauld, to the Time Capsule which is a mega-swimming pool with flumes and waves etc.. and Glaswedian culture! John does not know what he's in for!

We drive for about one hour west and leave the motorway just before we reach Glasgow (phew that was close!). We drive through the lovely, scenic town of Cumbernauld (ha ha) and reach the door of the time capsule. Mum is left in the cafe, of course with a view of the pools and we head for the changing rooms. They are communal so John can help me out with Skye, thank goodness! Paul & co. head off for the flumes before we can say "wheredoyouthinkyour'egoingyawee-eejits!"

The pools are busy, but nice and warm. Skye is quite happy in the water and we bob about with her as she giggles and laughs. There are many little fountains and waterfalls to amuse her with. We stay in the pools for about 1.5 hours! John, myself and Connor even try out one of the flumes, then head to the rushing rapids which are great fun!

Soon it is time to leave the pool and head back to the showers. Whilst in the shower with Skye, I see a lovely Glaswedian family who make me proud to be Scottish! They consist of a rather scary looking mother and her son, hand in hand, and the big, blundering father/partner plodding behind them. The woman turns round to her husband (?) and shouts in a screaching voice 'Where are the bloody airmbands.. I told ye to bring them ya big oaf' (or words to that effect) . He replies by moving his big, hairy face within one inch of her (big, hairy face) and saying 'Shut the f**k up'. Now this isn't really done in a violent way, it's seems like he does it almost jokingly as if this is normal language for both of them. The little boy doesn't even blink or seem to notice - neither does the woman for that matter. Two minutes later, the man reappears with the armbands and waving them in her face, he puts on the face of a neanderthal apeman and makes noises fitting to his appearance. Naaaggghghhh. He says..and off they all plod to the pool!

Here's John doing his apeman impression!























After this, we all head to a Scottish Heritage Mining site where we go directly to the cafe! After being sufficiently fed, we walk to the mine where we're made to wear helmets and get a little tour down a mine. Mum and Skye wait outside! The mine is really interesting and you get an idea of how horrible life as a miner must have been. There are also some exhibits of houses from different era's. I think I recognise some of the furniture and carpet design in the 70's house!

All in all we have a great day out with the family and return home in time to feed and bath Skye before retiring to bed.

Fun at the farm

disclaimer: all these photos were taken with a camera phone as we forgot our digital camera. Hence the bad quality!

So this is to be our first full day of our holiday and since it's the weekend we get to spend it with the family! We arrange to meet up with my brother Paul, his wife Pauline and their two kids Connor(9) and Michael (4) and my sister Linda and her two kids Luke (6) and Hannah (4). We are going to spend the day at Links farm about 45 mins away. We all convoy over there and somehow manage to lose Linda, Luke and Hannah on the way! They find their way there anyway.

The farm is a great place! It has animals to feed and go-carting, slides, trampolines, playrooms etc. We have a go on everything!









Alison, Skye and Hannah and their slave, John!


















After racing around the track with Skye, Alison stops to look at the donkeys.












Skye on her first John Deere tracktor (just to make 'Uncle' Steve happy!)