To view previous year's blogs, please click the relevant year: 20082009
We are currently in the process of adopting a child. To view our adoption log, click here
July 18th - Again, it has been a long time since I last blogged - what can I say... We have had a rough ride these last 2 or 3 weeks and a combination of a shit time at work, a sprinkle of sickness and a dash of general fatigue, we have all been a little distracted... Things are still not fantastic but we are survivors and we will live to fight another day. That is one thing we can pat ourselves on the back for - our fighting spirit. Not many people would have been able to do what we have done over the last 18 months and still keep going with the same fighting spirit. I really do believe our good karma is waiting around the corner and I will embrace it with open arms when it arrives and shout from the rooftops! It is a long time coming but it will come and we deserve it. In the meantime, I will give myself and my lovely wife a pat on the back and say well done for all we have achieved so far. There, I feel better now that I have relayed my positive mantra and can now go on to talk about my lovely family. The girls are so clever and growing up so quickly... In September they will both be in nursery and it won't be long after that we'll have to think about school... I can't wait for us to get our lives back on track so we can pick up where we left off with the adoption. Calm down Victor, it will happen... My lovely wife has been working so hard too and although it frustrates the living shit out of me that she spends so much of her home time working, I do understand it is all part of the teaching profession and that is what makes her so wonderful. Her dedication to her job is second to none. Our holidays loom and I can't wait to get back to our lovely home in the Algarve. It has been a long time and I'm really looking forward to relaxing for a bit and just enjoying our creature comforts we left behind. Holly is doing well too. A lump appeared a few weeks ago near her leg and we were worried for a while but after some tests, it was revealed that its only a benign cyst so we can relax and just wait for it to disappear again in its own time. Anyway, gonna go and have a shower - tomorrow is another work day and the beginning of another week. Lets hope all the good we are waiting for arrives this coming week... Take care all. "VIC"
June 26th - Its been a whole 20 days since I last blogged... oh dear, getting sloppy these days, aren't I? Well, these have been trying times since my last blog but the less said about that, the better. Lets just say that life is a challenge and we have to navigate our way through the obstacles in order to reach our goal. However, things seem to be looking up though nothing is confirmed yet so I'll wait until next week has been and gone to see if things turn out the way I hope they will. A bit cryptic I know but I can't really say much more at the moment... The girls are good and growing up really quickly. Tatiana is saying so much now and her words are so clear... Kristina is a good little girl and we get on in our own little way - she's daddy's little helper helping me with the varnishing and other odd DIY jobs I get involved in... Emma is upstairs at the moment decorating the spare room and chatting to her mum on the phone and the girls are playing in the conservatory. Well, that spare room was the only one that had gone untouched so far and if we want to adopt, we need to get our house in order first before starting the ball rolling so that the adoption agency can see that we have a nice home for our future son. I know, you must all think we're mad considering the challenging life we lead but hey, madness is our middle name and we love our children so one more will complete the package. Anyway, gonna go and tidy up the house cos the ground floor looks like a bomb has hit it. More to follow soon. Take care all. "VIC"
June 6th - Have had a lovely relaxing weekend with my girls. Actually, today has been so quiet, it has at times been a bit boring. I guess I'm just not used to having time on my hands with nothing to do. Because we are not at home today (staying at the in laws), I had no DIY to get on with so spent the afternoon lounging in front of the TV. Had a lie in and woke up at noon which hasn't happened for so long I can't remember... We went to a wedding yesterday and the girls looked lovely - like princesses. Though we were only there for a couple of hours as we arrived at half seven and left at half nine as it was past the girls bedtime. I also did some gardening yesterday morning as the tomato plants I had planted a few weeks ago had no support and needed some sticks. Also, I needed to sort out the mint as they were going wild and needed to put down some cat repellant as they keep coming in the garden and crapping everywhere. I tell you what, its only a small flowerbed on the side but it keeps me busy and I am quite proud of the results so far. Its very relaxing too. These last couple of weeks have been busy with work. I've opened one shop in Woking and been preparing for the next shop opening in Crawley. Also working from home one or two days a week which is very nice as I get so much work done without the interruptions of the day to day office requests. Emma has been on half term this last week and has spent that time with the girls and her family. Back to work tomorrow baby - no more relaxation for you... he he he. Anyway, gonna get going now. Take care all. "VIC"
May 22nd - This last fortnight has been a busy one (whats new?)... Last weekend was all about getting jobs done. We knuckled down and did quite a few of the odd jobs that needed doing amongst those were a bit of gardening and painting our front door. The weather was nice so the girls got to play out in the garden both days and generally we were just pottering around the house. This week at work was a busy one too. I have been given a new role in the company as their Facilities and Projects Manager. We have a lot of projects on the go at the moment and I have been asked to head them up. So, I spent one day on site looking at some shops we are leasing and then spent the whole of yesterday at home ordering all the essential items for these three shops and organising all of the figures and documents. Exciting but very hectic... Today it is nice and sunny again so, once the aerial man has been (we want to get a digital aerial fitted so we can get all the freeview channels) and once the girls have had their nap, we may go out somewhere - we'll see what sort of mood they wake up in... I have to go to the property we were renting as they did the check out and decided that there were a few areas that needed to be cleaned again before we can get our deposit back. It should only take about half hour but needs to be done... picky so and so's... It looks mint now compared to when we got it but aparently that doesn't count for much now... Got the official graduation pictures in the post on Thursday and they look really nice. I look quite smug but hey, like Emma says, when can you look smug if not when you have achieved something? The family photo looks quite sweet and considering the girls were tired by then, not too bad at all... Emma is soldiering on at school though there is quite a lot going on there at the moment so she has been working very hard. Half term soon baby then you can do all those odd jobs around the house you've been wanting to do for so long. The girls are a bit sick at the moment with runny noses but otherwise they are ok. Anyway, gonna go now. Take care all. "VIC"
May 9th - Kristina was 3 years old today and to celebrate, we took her to her mecca - "Thomas Land at Drayton Manor". To say she had a fun day would be an understatement. She loved every second of it. We started off the day with presents and the blowing out of the candle on, yes, you guessed it, the Thomas cake. Then we went to Thomas land where Kristina and Tatiana enjoyed a bunch of rides. Kristina had been looking forward to riding with me on the troublesome trucks as mummy had been promising her that we would. What mummy neglected to tell daddy was that the troublesome trucks were a rollercoaster ride. I thought I was going to have a nice easy ride on a train - how wrong could I have been... It was a bit of a surprise and I did think it was a bit quick but she loved it. So much so, she got mummy, auntie Jo Jo and nanny to have a go with her (each at a time) so she got 4 go's on that one ride. It was a fun packed day and by the end of it, the girls were both knackered. They fell asleep in the car on the way home. It was lovely to see them both having such a good time and the day was a success. Actually, all of us had a good day and the sun was shining for the majority of the time so that was an added bonus. Anyway, below are some pictures of the day and also I have posted some on the girl's pages www.torcato.co.uk/tatiana.html & www.torcato.co.uk/kristina.htm . Happy birthday baby girl - mummy and daddy love you very much and are really happy you had a lovely time at Thomas Land. "VIC"
May 8th - Just a little something I put together for my lovely wife who works so hard. We all appreciate you and everything you do baby. xxx "VIC"
May 1st - Yesterday was my graduation day and it was better than I expected. I thought I'd hate the whole thing but I actually enjoyed it. I must admit, I was bored during a large part of the ceremony but there were some really good speeches there which made it a bit more enjoyable. The girls were really well behaved too which was a bonus. The funnies: well, Tatiana wee'd all over Emma's legs just as they were sitting down to watch the ceremony and then later on, Kristina was so tired she made herself a bed near everyone's feet with jackets and laid down for a rest. We took photos with the photographer though they won't be available for another month or so. However, we did take pictures which I have posted on www.torcato.co.uk/graduation.html. We then went on to have lunch in a pub near the Barbican Centre called The Shakespere which is owned by someone I used to work with. It was lovely seeing him again and the food was absolutely fantastic. Kristina's highlight was travelling there and back on the trains and buses. All of these were characters from Thomas the Tank Engine. The buses were all Bertie and the trains were either Thomas, Gordon, Spencer or James. Anyway, gonna go over to the other house we were renting to give it a tidy up and bring the rest of the odds and sods that are there to our new place. Emma is working hard on the laptop, Kristina is playing and Tatiana is sleeping so the perfect time to make a dash for it. Take care all. "VIC"
April 24th - Well, we are now living in our new home (we moved in officially last Saturday). It is slowly coming together though the furniture is scarce at the moment. We popped to the local charity shop today and bought three items of furniture which are in very good condition and will do for now. They cost a fraction of the price and when you're on a budget, every penny counts. We finally put some curtains up in the lounge and its amazing how much of a transformation it has made. The place feels a lot homier already... It has been a hell of a month and we worked like dogs for a week solid to get ourselves in here. I had an opportunity for a lie in today but the sun was coming through the window straight on my face and I gave in at 8.30 cos I just couldn't sleep. So, the next curtain purchase will definitely be for the bedroom. Kristina is a bit confused cos she she keeps asking when can we go home... Holly is also finding it strange and Tatiana really doesn't care and is just her usual self... Gonna go relax now. More updates soon. "VIC"
April 11th - What a week! We have exchanged on the house and are completing on Friday. The agent has let us have the keys early so that we can get some decorating in. However, as we are not at all ambitious, we have set ourselves the target of moving in by next weekend (all decorated). We are well on target. The lounge is all done and the kitchen will be decorated tomorrow. Then we only have the upstairs to do. Emma is painstakingly stripping the stairs back to bare wood so that they can be sanded and varnished. My back has not been too good these past couple of days but I'm determined to get it all done. Anyway, gonna have a soak in the bath to relax the old bones. Take care all. "VIC"
April 5th - Easter weekend is over. The girls got some lovely pressies from nanny and grandad including some lovely Thomas the Tank Engine T-Shirts which they loved. Anyway, I just wanted to put the picture of the easter eggs the girls decorated (as mentioned in my last post). Bye for now. "VIC"
April 3rd - Well, its the middle of the easter weekend and we have had our ups and downs over the past couple of days. It looks like Kristina may be getting ill cos she is behaving very strangely... not listening, whingeing, etc... However, yesterday we decided to brave it out and go out to dinner. It was interesting to say the least. The food was nice (well, mine was anyway - Emma regretted her tuna and soy sauce choice... ooops) but the girls were not in the right place and they took a bit too long to bring the food over so lets just say the meal was eventful... Today has been good. We took Holly to the vet for her jabs in the morning and then in the afternoon Emma and I helped the girls make some easter presents for nanny, grandad and Auntie Jo Jo. I won't post the photos we took just yet as that will spoil the surprise on Monday when the girls give them the presents. I have also posted some new pictures on the girl's pages www.torcato.co.uk/tatiana.html & www.torcato.co.uk/kristina.htm and a couple more below. There is a beautiful one on Tatiana's page that shows a really angelic side to her that hides beneath the tough exterior... he he he. Anyway, gonna go eat some dinner now. Bye for now. "VIC"
March 28th - Another week has gone and its nearly April... This year is just flying by... and what have we been up to this last week? Not much really... Emma spent last weekend filling in an application form for a job in a local primary school and has subsequently been invited in for an interview next week. I am so proud of her and am really confident she will get this job - they would be mad not to give it to her as she is clearly perfect for it (and I am not being biased here). So, lets all keep our fingers crossed they see how perfect she is too and offer the job to her. After we pulled out of the last house purchase, we found another house that we like (vacant posession) and things are progressing quickly with it. I am hoping we will be able to exchange on this one within the next couple of weeks so fingers crossed there too. I have been seeing a physio because of my ongoing back problems that keep coming and going. I am hoping by the end of it that we will have pinpointed the exact problem and are able to treat it. She has so far had me do some blood tests and has booked me in for x-rays next week. Once we get those back, we will be able to see what is going on and she can then treat it. Fingers crossed there too that we get to the bottom of the problems. A lot of finger crossing going on so lets hope we don't run out of fingers... he he he. I have a good feeling about April - I think its going to be our month - the month where everything just falls into place. Kristina and Tatiana are well too and for once, neither of them have a cold. How long that will last? who knows... but we cherish the small victories these days. We have a long bank holiday weekend coming up too which will be really nice - 4 days off with the family... lets hope the sun shines down on Milton Keynes. Holly had a haircut yesterday and although I find her new "batlike" look really sweet, Emma says she looks like a boy rat! She had this same haircut last February and managed to go over a year without needing another haircut and what with summer approaching, I think she'll appreciate it - won't you Holly? Even if she does look a little strange, it will grow back in time. Oh, nearly forgot, Emma bought Tatiana a pair of Thomas slippers (the same as Kristina's cos she admired them so much) and the look of glee on her little face that she had her own ones was a picture... The other day, Kristina squeezed her feet into Tatiana's new slippers (even though they are two sizes too small) and then gave her old manky ones to Tatiana and said "here you are Tatiana, here are your Thomas slippers" - I tell you, that girl is too clever for her own good sometimes... Funny though... he he he. Today we went to the park and picked up some flowers which we then stuck on a sheet of paper and put on our pinboard in the kitchen next to the autumn leaves one we did in October. Kristina is very proud of it and was very pleased when i put it on the board. Ahhhh... I've also scanned it and put it below for everyone to see our little work of art. Anyway, i'll leave you all to it now. Take care. "VIC"
March 21st - Hi guys, it's me Emma! (Yep still alive and kicking) Vic is upstairs - probably asleep with K and Tatiana and I are downstairs enjoying the newly rediscovered sunshine ;0) How are you all? So what's happened this week? . . . Well apart from the 3rd time someone has bashed the back of the car while I've been stationary - then preceeded to drive off -nothing much! Thankfully, It's only a small dent, but it still 'hurts' that my car is nolonger perfect, after I've taken such good care of it! On the plus front, I'm stll getting on really well at school - wish I could pick it up and move it here to MK. It's going to be a hard task trying to find a school where I fit in so perfectly. Although, I did see a fabulous school in MK that I'm going to apply for - fingers crossed I get an interview, I'm certain they are going to be inundated with applicants. Poor Vic has had to endure re-reading my application over and over again as I find it really difficult to talk about myself (yeah...stop laughing! ;0) and I really want it to be perfect!I can but try eh? Easter hols soon - wahoo! - looking forward to some quality time with the family and hopefully a few lie ins! ;0) Well, that's about it from me, I hope you are all well. Take care and chat soon "EMMA"
March 14th - Happy Mother's Day to my lovely wife. This weekend has been nice so far and we have spent quite a bit of time together as a family which is always a welcome treat. Kristina has been especially affectionate with me this weekend and we have played a lot too. Tatiana has been suffering a bit with her last couple of teeth so sha has not always been as cheery as she could be. Emma seems to have have done herself an injury on her foot when not wearing her MBTs for a couple of days... I guess her feet are just not used to walking in anything other than MBTs so she's gonna have to re-explore her shoe wardrobe in search of alternative MBTs to her usual ones. Anyway, gonna go now but have a look at the girls' pages as there are some new photos on there. Below is today's Mothers Day picture taken this morning. Bye for now. "VIC"
March 7th - This week has not been much better than last week unfortunately. Work feels strange since last week's events. Then I had Friday off to do some personal stuff. My activities throughout the day were a real eye opener as well as very productive and enjoyable. However, although the majority of the day went really well, it was dampened at the end of the afternoon by some bad news. Emma had gone to visit a school with a view to applying for a job there. When she got there, she mentioned that we were buying a property around the corner from them and they then spent the next 15 minutes telling Emma all about the anti social behaviour, the gangs and the regular visits by the boys in blue. Although it is a lucky escape for us, it is still disappointing as we have to start looking for another property. However, the falling through of the first property and this second one having the delays it did were obviously meant to be and worked in our favour. We will now be considering looking in different areas that are more expensive but better suited to us as a family. Tomorrow I will officially pull out of the purchase. So, still feeling a bit low and just waiting for our good karma to put in an appearance. At least we are all healthy (ish... apart from Tatiana's snotty nose and Emma feeling a bit under the weather...) The girls have kept us distracted with their usual antics throughout the weekend. Emma came up with a game last week that Kristina loves to play. It involves one of us saying: "show me a happy face" and then we all do a happy face. Then we go through various others in the same way. last night, Emma pulled out the camera whilst me and the girls were playing this game and some of the snaps are below... he he he. Anyway, gonna go now, take care all. "VIC"
Feb 28th - Well, this week has been the pits! My boss was made redundant on Thursday (exactly a year since we had to return to the UK). Even though I sort of expected it to happen as there have been a lot of changes going on with the company, it was still a shock to the system. Suffice to say that she has found it hard to deal with - understandably... I feel so bad for her cos the company was her life for a long number of years and now that has gone, she will find it hard to find a substitute... The thing that makes it harder for me is that I didn't only consider her my boss but also a friend. She helped me out of a difficult situation by taking me back into MBT when I had to return to the UK. I will always remember that... Anyway, up till then, my week had been pretty normal but that spoilt the rest of it. To top it all off, Friday night our radiator started to leak and i spent 2 hours trying to locate the problem and trying to temporarily repair it. When I was unable to do so, we had to put a bowl under the leak and go to bed. By this time it was 2am and I was feeling really crappy. Thankfully, my wonderful wifey got up every two hours to empty the bowl and in the morning I called the agent. They promptly sent round a plumber who took one look at it and said he thought the radiator was split. It took me showing him where the leak was to prove the radiator was not split and he then just replaced the washer and went on his merry way. Honestly, you really have to have your wits about you with these tradespeople otherwise they will rip you off... Then I spent Saturday feeling very low and wondering if there was any way of us going back to Portugal and trying again. Today, when I woke up to Tatiana's chit chat, I got her and took her back to bed. As we lay there, the three of us, I lay awake thinking about it and realised it was merely a pipeline dream that was only ever going to realise itself many years further down the line. It can't hurt to dream though... So, when Kristina woke up, I got up with Tatiana, got dressed, dressed them both and the three of us went for a drive to Asda. We needed a new toaster and some other bits so I did a spot of shopping, came home, made Emma breakfast in bed and generally snapped myself out of it. The rest of today was quite run of the mill. Back to work tomorrow and a new week begins. lets hope its a better one... "VIC"
Feb 21st - The latter part of the week and weekend weren't too bad as it turns out. The week started off on a bit of a pooper but then Thursday we finally got our car back and Friday was good. Even though it was my mum's birthday which normally would have put me in a melancholic mood, someone made a gesture on Friday afternoon that put me in a good mood and finished off the week nicely. Lets just say that its nice to be appreciated and a gift came my way as a thank you. I think it was a combination of the gesture as well as the gift that lifted my spirits. Yesterday we went to MK shopping centre and today we just stayed in. I took care of the girls in the morning so that Emma could have a lie in and then when they had their afternoon naps, I took the opportunity and had one myself whilst Emma did some work on the computer. When I got up, I did some tidying up and cooking and Emma went to the gym. Quite a bog standard weekend really which suited me down to the ground. Back to the grindstone tomorrow and lets hope this week is a good one. Take care all. "VIC"
Feb 19th - Happy birthday mum. I love you. "VIC"
Feb 17th - These last few days have been a bit of a downer... :-( I've had a cold as have the girls and today I got told that we are not likely to exchange contracts on the house until six to eight weeks time. The vendors have only just found somewhere to live and have only just instructed their solicitor to proceed. The up side is that they are buying a new build which means the chain ends there. Still, I have now had to ask the solicitor to return our deposit to us and will have to either delay the delivery of our sofa which we bought on the weekend or have it delivered to our current little pigeon hole and squeeze it in somewhere... I'll have to think about that one. Our car is still in the garage as the repair was delayed due to parts being on order. I am hoping it will be ready for collection tomorrow which will be one less thing to have to worry about. So, all in all, not a fabulous start to the week. Here's hoping for a better ending and a nice weekend after that. Tired now so gonna relax for a bit and then off to bed. Take care all. "VIC"
Feb 13th - Well we may not have a house yet - but we have a sofa! ;0) I suggested we popped into a store that is closing down, as I love all that kinda stuff. Seeing different bits of furniture, shades of paint, wallpaper prints etc etc and how they have been combined - that's just me. So I suggested that it was worth taking a look, little did I expect, that whilst I made the 2nd mad dash to take K to do a wee for the day, he'd go and choose a bloody sofa! It was a real bargin and I can make it work, so I was quite happy too. All my creative juices are in full swing and I can't wait to get my hands on our new home - just hope it's not too long now as my tapemeasure and paintbrush are at the ready! Anyhoo - K and her potty training, she's doing really well again, no accidents at home and is very happy and chirpy to take herself 'to do wee wee in the potty' whenever she feesl the urge, but up until now, when we are out and about she's been quite happy to use her nappy - not today! We were out in Bletchley, when she looked at me and said those bittersweet words - 'I want to do wee wee!' Now, what do you say/do there? - It's great that she is not relying on her nappy and you don't want to set her back in her independence as she opts to take this next step -but what can you do in the middle of a shop?? Vic's solution, grab her and run for the nearest loo. Any normal child, that may have worked - not our Kristina - she took one look at the toilet and started scrambling up her dads chest and over his shoulder, screaming like a banshee (apparentely, Vic felt the need to keep reassuring other facility users that nothing untoward was going on in that cubicle, so he articulated his every move at the top of his voice, 'It's ok, don't cry, Daddy's sorry, he's only trying to help you go to the toilet, If you don't want to do it now, you'll just have to do it in your nappy, I can't do anything else!;0) ...So plan B - I made a dash to the pound shop and a few others to see if I could pick up a potty - no luck, but there was an amazing array of multi-coloured, multisized bowls I must confess I did consider for more than a second, but as K had stopped asking and it had been quite a while, we thought it was no longer needed. So I rejoined them and off we went, chasing daddy up the road playing 'I'm coming to get you!' We Walked into Wilkos - she asked again! We knew she must be absolutely desperate by now (must have been 20mins) Thankfully, Wilkos had a potty. Once again Vic scooped up K making a mad dash for the tills; politely queue jumping after explaning the urgency of the situation at hand. The people just all smiled, stepped aside and then laughed as he handed over the £1 and stormed towards the door. ;0) It was all a bit Benny Hill like, but highly amusing, even at the time. I'm so proud of my little lady, she is so savvy, even at her age. For those who don't frequent facebook - K got her first Valentine's card on Thursday - talk about starting young ;0) I'm going to have to keep a very close eye on her I can see. ;0) My Tatiana is a real beaut, she is blossoming tremendously, adding the word 'PUSH'(I let her close the fridge for me) to that developing vocabulary of hers.She's also starting to listen a bit more and I've spent a lot of time this weekend trying to tail in that temper of hers on the odd occasion when she doesn't get her own way. I know kids throw stuff, but I find it really quite funny that if T is trying to show her frustration, she actively seeks out something, waddles over, picks it up and then throws it - now that's conviction to the cause.lol! Regardless, T is going to be a real heartbreaker, she really is a people person and has this quality about her, that draws people to her - she is gorgeous (and yes, I am saying that even suffering from interupted nights). Vic is great as usual, a real worry with his back, but fingers-crossed that's eased off for a fair while now - I'm hoping the physio does him dome good. He's super busy at work in his role as 500 ;0), but I'm certain he thrives off all the adrenalin, so I don't worry too much. Other than that, not much on other than a planned bit of decorating at mum's this half term. I went to the gym yesterday, we are all going swimming tomorrow and I have the delightful life insurance medical on MOnday to look forward too - the joy! I'm aware this is a bit waffley, but I have a gorgeous hubby sitting on the sofa, so I can't be arsed to spend anymore time on the comp - I want to go snuggle up and make the most of our quiet time. - Just be glad I posted! he he! Hope you are all well. Take care and chat soon XX "Emma"
Feb 7th - Since my last blog, I am pleased to say that my back pain has almost gone. I still feel a niggle now and again but generally, I feel a lot better. I'm still gonna go to my physio appointment in March as the problem still needs seeing to and I might as well let the NHS do their job for a change and that way I get some worth out of my NI contributions... This weekend has been quite nice though we have spent most of it indoors. We went out yesterday to Ikea for a browse and today we went to the park. The next two weeks are going to be quite busy workwise as I am covering someone who is on holiday so time will fly by even quicker than usual. The car is going in for its repair tomorrow and we will get a courtesy car whilst it is being fixed so it will be interesting to see what we get. Kristina is growing up so quickly - there's nothing she can't say now so its interesting the stuff she comes out with. She seems to be coming out the other side of the terrible 2's so it will be interesting to see how she develops from there. Tatiana is turning into such a cutie and her vocab is getting broader. She says oh dear, tickle tickle, boo, the occasional mummy or daddy and tea (yes, that's right, she loves a good old sip of our cup of tea and would drink the lot given half a chance). Emma has been quite busy with work recently and worked an extra day this week at the school's request. She's feeling a bit tired and in need of a break so the half term which comes up in a week will do her the world of good. Anyway, gonna cook us dinner and then having a bath with the two little monsters before they go to bed. Take care all and if you have a spare minute, I have posted a couple more photos on the girl's pages. "VIC"
Feb 2nd - Well, it's been an interesting week or so. After our visit to the pool and then my visit to the gym (which I blogged about last time), I started to get back ache the following day. It has become progressively worse as the days have gone by and on Sunday, I hit a peak in the pain stakes that forced me to go and seek help at the NHS walk-in centre. They gave me some strong pain killers which have kept the pain at bay but it has still not gone... Went to see the GP today and requested a referral which he has arranged and I am now booked in to see the physio on 16th March. It was a bit of a rigmarole though... I couldn't get the referral over the phone so I had to leave work early and travel from London to Milton Keynes to attend the appointment and then I had to travel all the way back to Essex to my mother in law's house as we were spending the night there. The whole round trip including the appointment took up 5 hrs of my afternoon and I only actually spent 15 mins in the clinic. The irony of it all was that he didn't even examne me so there was really no need for me to have gone to see him apart from the formality of the process... I tell you, no wonder the NHS is so stretched - they waste too many resources... Anyway, I should have done this years ago so I suppose I have ony myself to blame... As for the kids, they are both fine. Emma is good too and keeping herself busy with work. Other than that, everything is ticking along in its usual way. The car is booked in for repair next week after the collision of a couple of weeks ago and the house purchase is moving along at a very slow pace (but none-the-less still moving which is better than being at a standstill). Anyway, gotta have a lie down cos my back is starting to feel very sore again. Take care all and hopefully my next post will be more cheerful and I will be fit as a fiddle... "VIC"
Jan 24th - Another week has gone by and January is nearly over. Its been a busy month for us - but then again, which month isn't? This weekend was nice though and we kicked off to a good start by going out for dinner on Friday. The girls were realy well behaved and we had a really nice meal. Yesterday we went to the leisure centre and spent half an hour or so in the pool. Emma then went with the girls to grab a shower and get changed and I went off to the gym upstairs. When I finished, I had my shower and got changed and then met them in the car. The girls were knackered and within 5 mins, they were both asleep so when we got home, we put them in their room for their afternoon nap. The rest of the afternoon and evening flew by. Today was the lazing around day for me. I spent the whole day indoors on the computer doing backups, catching up on corrie and eastenders, watching a couple more programmes on iplayer and playing with the girls (on and off). Emma got a well deserved lie in (I got mine yesterday), and then she went to the gym. She spent the afternoon browsing the net and catching up on schoolwork. Kristina has been doing really well with her potty training all week and when at nursery, she searched out an adult and asked to go. She then managed to hold it in until she got to the potty which was down a very long corridor but bless, when she got there, she had done some drops in her underwear. Still, it was a major achievement. This weekend however, she has had a few mishaps where she has got so distracted that she has again done a few drops in her underwear. Nothing major that couldn't be remedied by her paying more attention. Its a long and winding road but she is doing so well. Keep it up little K ;-) Tatiana is still teething bless her... I just wish those bloody teeth would come through once and for all so that she could get a decent night's rest and so could we. Hopefully, it shouldn't be much longer as these are the last lot - the canines. The molars are normally the last but not with our little girl - she likes to keep us on our toes - quite literally... All in all, quite a pleasant weekend. Back to work tomorrow as a new week begins... Take care all. "VIC"
Jan 19th - So, the snow has gone (with promise of more on the way...) and another week or so have gone by. We haven't been up to much since my last blog. Work is good though I am really busy as is Emma so we are quite tired these days. Our girls are both a bit under the weather as is Emma so all in all, we are just plodding along hoping for a bit of respite. Maybe this weekend everyone will hopefully be better and we all have the possibility of a rest. I can only hope. Yesterday, some prat drove into the back of our car whilst Emma was stationary at a roundabout. So, as a result, I spent over an hour this afternoon on the phone to the insurance company getting it all sorted out. Also spent about an hour on the phone to the tax office yesterday sorting out some tax I owe so all in all, not a fun couple of days. Still, I always remember that there are people worse off than us and so I musn't grumble too much and should just get on with it. On that note, I think I'll stop rambling and bid you all good night and chat soon. Oh, before I go, just thought I'd praise Kristina for doing so well over these last few days with her potty training. She is now taking herself off to the potty when she needs it and has not had any accidents recently. Fingers crossed she keeps it up. I'm so proud of her. "VIC"
Jan 10th - Happy New Year everyone! I hope you are all enjoying the snow... I finally had enough of the weather dictating to us where we went and when we were allowed to go there so I bought a set of snow chains for the car. They cost £67 but they are fantastic. I wish I had got them sooner... Now we don't have to worry about it snowing cos with these babies, we just drive through snow and ice and have no problems at all. As soon as we get past the worst and hit tarmac, we take them off and away we go. Thanks to the chains, we were able to come home to Milton Keynes for the weekend as normal (though a day later than usual but better than nothing). It meant that Kristina and Tatiana were able to have their swine flu jabs and that I was able to get clean clothes for the coming week and sort through a load of paperwork that had arrived by post throughout the week. The girls dealt with the swine flu jab like pro's. Neither of them cried and its like nothing happened. They are both a bit irritable as Tatiana is teething and Kristina has a mild cold. Emma is not feeling too great today but she has been to the gym and shops which seems to have perked her up a bit. I was going to go to the gym too but it started snowing and rather than go through the hassle of driving in the snow unecessarily, I decided to put the snow chains on in readiness for tomorrow and will stay in and have a soak in the bath later. Anyway, gonna go sit on the couch and watch Friday's corrie on the laptop. Take care. "VIC"
Dec 31st - Hey! It is me, Vic may have left his last post for 2009, but I just wanted to pop up and wish everyone a wonderful 2010 too. Yeah, 2009 hasn't been the best of years, but neither has it been the worst - we are all still here, together in our stride picking ourselves back up again after dealing with a few of life's swerve balls and being blessed with witnessing the girls growing up so quickly - each day is full of new adventures and surprises, so I'm always thankful for that. It's a new year, new start, hopefully shortly followed by our house purchase going through and life beginning to simplify and settle down for us all. Top moments from 2009? Tatiana stopping screaming at me, starting to sleep and blossoming into a a beautiful, charasmatic toddler as soon as she taught herself to walk. Kristina starting pre-school, telling daddy to 'be bloody patient!' taking to the idea of potty training and generally being an adorable 'little old woman', taking the girls swimming. And for us adults?! -Vic graduating! This should be given the recognition it deserves- (he always undersells himself ;0) I could never have done what he did! He works so hard, but still found the time to bash out an assignment (sometimes every other weekend) and finally realise his goal. His determinination and sheer resilience are to be revered, as with two kids 2 and under and a very sweet, but sometimes demanding wife to keep happy he certainly has his hands full. I'm so proud of my wonderful hubby and I'm so glad he gets the reward for all his hard efforts. Well done baby, I love you so much and am, so, so proud of you!;0) ...Enough gooey stuff! Me? I actually have started to feel like myself a bit more - going back to work is a huge part of that. Even though it's a hell of a commute and I'm not in a conventional role - I love my job! Been back at work since September and I've already accepted an invitation to demonstrate my best practice at a teaching seminar, showing how I have organised and run the interventions in our school, I get on great with the Head, who has informed me that she has graded me as 'outstanding', generally leaves me to it and had faith in my abilities to ask me and a fellow colleague to step into teach Year 1 (a class I'd never taught in, with no plans avaialable) for an Ofsted inspection a few weeks ago. Our school is out of special measures, was graded good with the potential to be outstanding very soon. So on the work front things are ticking along nicely. On a personal front, I've lost nearly 2 stone since August (although probably put some back on over Chrimbo, what with the gym being closed and not having to run around like a loon) nevertheless it makes me feel better and I've really missed my crosstrainer, so I'm straight back on it it this weekend with my introduction to the newly upgraded gym booked in for Sunday. So not all bad then for 2009. I'm not greedy - I'm not wishing for a lottery win (although that would be lovely ;0) for 2010, I just want my family and friends healthy and happy - that's ultimately what makes me tick, so be safe and enjoy yourselves and once again - HAPPY NEW YEAR GUYS! lots of love "EMMA"XX
Dec 30th - Well, it's nearly the end of the year... A lot has happened in this last year and it has flown by. Emma asked me last night what I would say the highlight of the year was in 2009 and ironically, even though a lot has happened, I was unable to pinpoint an event that I would call a highlight. Thats quite sad but it is very true. She then reminded me that I graduated and that could be considered a highlight but I considered it to be more of a relief than a highlight. Relief that the studies were over. So, I have resigned myself to the fact that 2009 will be one of those years that just fade away into the mix... It has been nearly a year since we decided to return to the UK and when I thought back on the events that led up to that decision, I realised just how different things could have been and more importantly, just how raw it all still is. I am hoping that 2010 will bring great things for al of us and help to put a positive spin on everything. I am still glad we did spend 2007 in Portugal as I have lots of lovely memories from our time there and those memories, along with my 3 lovely girls and our doggie are all together what get me through the day. That is one thing I will always have are the memories and with my family beside me, I will continue to have the strength to be a good person. Health and happiness will always be by our side and I just have to ensure that I can occasionally be able to embrace some of that happiness. I am truly grateful for everythng I have and am humble. There are many people worse off and all things considered, I am very fortunate in many aspects. I will in time learn to accept the not so good hands that life deals us and it will get easier to accept that I will have to wait for our little piece of paradise - it will come... Anyway, enough melancholy... We had a nice Christmas full of presents and the girls loved it. We weren't without our little dramas but then, it wouldn't be xmas without the odd barney now, would it? New year is upon us and before we know it, we aill all be back at work and the festivities will be over. Today is kristina's third day of potty training and she is doing really well. She has learnt how to use the potty and has done so on various occasions. She looks so happy and proud when she does use it and you can see she feels she has achieved something. Now we are working on her actually knowing to ask to use it when the urge comes and not after the event... It will come, in time. Its such hard work though... I hope Tatiana will simply copy her sister when its her turn cos it is not easy to teach them. I looked on the internet for some tips but I tell you what, there are not really any websites out there that offer useful advice. A lot of them just state the obvious but don't offer any good advice or reassurance. I did however find this one http://www.babiesonline.com/articles/pottytraining/7stagesofpottytraining.asp which was quite useful and just confirmed to us that we were doing things right and not to lose hope. Anyway, gonna get going now. I probably won't blog again until after the new year so, with that in mind, Happy New Year to you all and hope 2010 will bring you all everything you wish for and lots of health and happiness. Take care. "VIC"
Dec 18th - We have snow!!! It snowed overnight and when I woke up this morning to go to work, the ground was covered. I checked the trains were running and they were but could I get a minicab to take me to the station? Could I hell. They didn't even have enough to cover the pre-bookings made last night. The first avaiable one would be around 10.30am which was useless to me. Because I am shit at driving in the snow, I didn't want to risk it. So, I ended up working from home. I took a break away from the computer earlier to take the girls out as it is the first time they have both seen snow. They absolutely loved it. I was glad to be here to see their faces light up... Bless. Anyway, I have posted some photos on their pages www.torcato.co.uk/tatiana2009.html & www.torcato.co.uk/kristina2009.html . Below is a picture we took of Holly getting in the festive spirit and one of me and Emma in the snow. Gotta get back to work now. Chat soon. "VIC"
Dec 15th - Wahooo, I've graduated!!! I have completed my Bachelor of Arts in English. After 5 years of study (with a 2 year break), it's nice to have finally achieved my goal. :-) "VIC"
Dec 8th - It's 1am and I am sitting here blogging away cos I've had such an amazing experience this evening that I just have to record it. I did a charity walk down the streets of London handing out teas and snacks to the homeless. I have detailed all of it on my charity page www.torcato.co.uk/homelessatxmas if you want to have a read. We went out in groups of 2 so naturally, as my lovely wife said she woud like to participate, we went out together. Suffice to say that our outings are nearly always eventful and this time was no different. Emma was wearing a new pair of MBTs which she had not yet worn and after a while, she complained of a pain in her heel. I soon realised it was going to blister and so we stopped off to put plasters on. They didn't do much good and eventually, we had to call it a night after 3 hours as she could not walk any further. This is where it gets comical... I then rushed in to a Superdrug on the Strand and bought her a pair of slippers. By this point, because she was in pain, she didn't care so after a meal at Pizza Express, she gladly put the slippers on. She then proceeded to walk into the underground, then on to the overground and basically wore them all the way home. We had to laugh about it in the end. When we recalled the humble reactions we got from the homeless on our travels and how thankful they were for what we were giving to them, her pain didn't seem to bother her as much which in turn made me feel better too. Below is a photo we took showing off one of the slippers... Anyway, gonna go to sleep now but before I do, I must add two little things about our little girls. Tatiana said Mummy for the first time yesterday and, Kristina copied one of daddy's favourite sayings when he is frustrated at his daughters not showing patience. I was putting her boots on and she was being impatient so, before I got a chance to say it, she said: "have some bloody patience!" That was quite funny and I couldn't help giggling... Kids eh... I guess I have to watch what I say around them from now on... See you guys, chat soon. "VIC"
Dec 4th - I can't believe it's December already... Wow, how the year has flown by... Well, we have found ourselves a lovely 4 bed townhouse in Bletchley which we put in an offer for and it was accepted. We have started the ball rolling and hopefull should be in there by March. It's a good sized house with garage and a decent sized garden so we are really pleased. We've finished all our xmas shopping and I am really looking forward to having 10 days off to chill, eat and sleep - I really don't intend on doing anything at all - he he he. We have had a lovely day today. We went shopping and both the girls were in a great mood so we made the most of it and really had fun just walking through the town centre, buying a few bits and bobs and mucking about along the way. Emma has gone to the gym, Kristina is asleep, Tatiana is watching a DVD & Holly is asleep in her basket. All is well and peaceful in the Torcato household. Later on we will put up our xmas tree to bring the festive spirit into the house. Monday night we are doing a charity event with the homeless in London. This is something I have always wanted to do so i hope it all goes well and according to plan. Have a look at the web page www.torcato.co.uk/charity for more information. Anyway, gotta go now. Take care all. "VIC"
Nov 21st - It has been a fortnight since I last blogged - been a bit busy so not had an opportunity. So, what have we been up to since the last blog? Well, the purchase of the house we had put an offer on has fallen through. We pulled out because of an issue with the roof so, after the new year, we will look properly which was the original plan anyway. I have done some research and have been keeping an eye on the property market and I am confident prices will go down slightly in February and March putting us in a better position to buy and get more for our money. It has been two years since we packed up and went off to Portugal to start a new life in the sun. Since then, we have been there, lived the life we had planned to (short lived as it was), returned to the UK, have been here for 9 months and are planning to buy a house in the new year. How life can turn around so quickly without you having any say in it... This is not what I had hoped for me or my family this time two years ago... Anyway, feeling a bit melancholic and the shitty weather doesn't help much either... The only thing that keeps me going every day is knowing that I have a gorgeous wife and two wonderful kids and between the three of them and our doggie, sunshine somehow finds its way into my life and gives me the strength to go on every day and set new goals. Anyway, enough melancholy for now. Work is going well as usual and I am still enjoying it which is a bonus. Emma's work is going well too and she has really been on a bit of a high as her work is really appreciated and she has been told her work is outstanding. That was a real boost for her but I never had any doubts - she is a fantastic teacher. The girls are doing well too. Tatiana is still teething but that should hopefully be over soon as all her teeth are nearly through. Kristina got her first school uniform this week and she looks so grown up... Its amazing how time flies... she'll be in primary school before we know it! Before I go, I would like to take this opportunity to say CONGRATULATIONS to our friends Lisa and Charles for their fantastic news. We can't wait to meet baby Abomeli in June 2010!!! Gonna go now. I have put some new pictures on our girl's pages in case you want to have a look. www.torcato.co.uk/tatiana2009.html & www.torcato.co.uk/kristina2009.html . Bye for now. "VIC"
