Nov 8th - A week has passed since my last blog and quite a week it has been. We did put in an offer on that house in the end and it got accepted. I then got the mortgage approved and this coming week we sign all the mortgage paperwork. So, it looks like we are buying ourselves a house! Sooner than we thought mind but hey, just goes to show that you can't plan everything. We were just being curious but in the end, our curiosity got us our home. What with Christmas and new year, we should hopefully have everything wrapped up in February which suits us perfectly. We also booked our summer flights to Portugal on Friday so that sort of confirms we are going to have a summer holiday which is nice. Other than that, we are all fine. Tatiana is still teething and her molars are now coming through so she is in a bit of pain. Still, nearly all her teeth are through now so the worst is nearly over with the teething process... Gotta go now. More updates soon. Take care all. "VIC"
Nov 1st - I can't believe its November already... This year has flown by and I didn't even notice it happening. Well, nothing much to report since my last blog on Wednesday. Only two things really... Yesterday we went to see a house in Bletchley mainly out of curiosity to see what is out there for sale. Suffice to say that we both liked it so much we are considering putting in an offer... We'll see how that pans out if we decide to go ahead. The other thing that happened today is that Tatiana said her first proper word. I walked into the kitchen and she looked straight at me and said "daddy" so clearly and then smiled at me. It was so sweet and I am so glad I was there for her first word. My little girl is soon to become a chatterbox... he he he. Anyway, gonna go now. More blogging soon. "VIC"
Oct 28th - Well, we have just come back from our "staycation" which was booked as a birthday surprise for Emma and also to make up for the fact that we didn't get a summer holiday this year. We went back to the same place where I proposed to Emma on 22nd October 2005 - Sherwood Forest. We stayed in a lovely hotel in the same town as we did back in 2005. I would have booked us in to the same hotel as last time but they don't accept dogs and I wanted to take Holly with us. Anyway, this hotel looks very posh and for a 3 star hotel, it is very comfortable indeed and fit the bill nicely. Have a look by clicking on the link: http://www.westretfordhotel.co.uk/gallery.html. So, on Sunday we set off and arrived at 2pm. We checked in and then got back in the car and went to Sherwood Forest. We all had a nice long walk (including Holly). It was great to re-visit after 4 years and brought all the memories back. We bought Kristina a Robin Hood outfit and the hat was an instant hit. On Monday we went to Alton Towers and although we didn't get to go on any of the rides, it was lovely to spend the day there. Well, I lie actually, Emma did go on one ride - The Oblivion. She felt she needed a challenge and faced it head on - quite literally... he he he. Kristina loved watching all the people coming down on the ride into the black hole and kept shouting "CAREFUL!!!" and would then cover her eyes and scream. She did that for a good 15 mins... We were there for 5 hours and in the end the girls were tired and went to sleep and us grown ups sat in the cafe having a coffee. Tuesday we went to a place called Amerton Farm where we met up with our friend Jane and her daughter Natasha. Jane picked the spot as it was exactly half way between Retford and Liverpool where she lives. Its a nice little farm with a cafe and shops and we spend the latter part of the morning there and left at 3pm. We then finished off with dinner in a nice restaurant near Retford. Today, we returned home, unpacked and promptly went to the gym to work off some of that extra food we have been consuming. Tomorrow, back to work and to normality. It was nice to get away for a bit and do some family stuff - more family time at xmas which is just round the corner... Have a look at the new pictures on our girls pages on the usual links www.torcato.co.uk/tatiana2009.html & www.torcato.co.uk/kristina2009.html . Anyway, gonna walk Holly and then sit on the couch with my lovely wife, a cup of tea and another instalment of Dallas Season 6. Bye for now. "VIC"
Oct 17th - What have we been up to this last week? Well, the week days more or less blend in to each other - work, work and more work. We are really looking forward to our break next weekend. It will be nice to get away for those few days and just spend loads of time together doing loads of fun things as a family. I have planned quite a lot of things to do and am really looking forward to it. Emma is curious and dying to know where we are going but I am only spilling the beans on the day... It's nice to have a bit mof mystery now and again ;-) This morning we all sat around the kitchen table and stuck the leaves and twigs we collected last weekend on the crayon bark rubbings we did. This was something I had mentioned was going to be done with auntie Jo Jo but Kristina was not in the right mood for it during the week so we did it today. Tatiana and Kristina picked the leaves, mummy and daddy helped stick them down and then Kristina had a go at sticking them down as well. We did two collages and they were very good indeed (see below). Later in the afternoon we went shopping to buy Kristina a new pair of boots and she was a very good girl. She tried on 5 pairs and ran around the shop testing them out and we eventually bought a pair that we liked and it was at a reduced price which was a bonus. The girl's coughs are getting better and shuld hopefully be gone completely in the next few days along with the runny noses. Anyway, the girls are in bed, Emma is finishing washing up and then we will snuggle on the sofa for a bit before going to bed. Tomorrow is swimming day for the girls and mummy and then gym for mummy and daddy. We do try to make the most of the weekends together so we may even try a late afternoon walk to the park if we feel up to it - we'll see... "VIC"
Oct 11th - Last weekend we went to the park and Kristina took her pink watering can that auntie Lisa bought for her birthday and we filled it with conkers. Today we went to the park and collected leaves and twigs for a collage. We also put paper against tree barks and rubbed with crayons to get the imprint. Tomorrow, mummy, autie Jo Jo, Tatiana and Kristina will all sit down and stick the leaves and twigs on the bark imprints and add their own special effects to create the Torcato girl's first autumn masterpiece. Once it is finished, we will scan it in and post it on this blog for all to admire... It made a nice change to the last week where both our girls were sick with a terrible cold and then mummy joined in on the action on Thursday. So, I took Friday off to nurse them all back to healty ready for the week ahead. They are all on the mend now so all is good again - lets hope we are all fit and healthy for our little 3 day break at the end of the month. Emma also made fairy cakes with Kristina today and they turned out really well and yummy. They stuck Mr Men sugar paper on top of each one and although a bit too sweet for me with the icing sugar and all, the cakes were very nice indeed. Kristina had two, Tatiana had one and I had one. The rest are in a tupperware to be consumed throughout the coming days. I also went to the gym today and although I dodn't feel up to it, I made myself go and was glad I did. I paid up our membership until the end of the year and then the new leisure centre opens in January and we will have to see how much they are going to charge for membership there. I hope they keep it at a similar price cos otherwise, we may not be able to afford it (or I might think it is a rip off and look for a cheaper alternative...) - The current one is really good value so I hope we have the same luck as it is nice to be able to keep fit and not have to pay through the nose... Though, I am disappointed that the new place will not have a jaccuzi but I will have to learn to live with it and make the most of the one I have access to until the end of the year. Tatiana is teething again - she has two teeth coming through just after her canines (don't know what those are called - I think they are molars...). Emma is busy with her school stuff but really in the thick of things now and seems to be very settled which is good. Holly is just as crazy as ever but deep down she is a good doggie. She loves her night-time walks and now knows the route so well she ends up walking me for most of the way... he he he. Anyway, gonna go now. Chat soon. "VIC"
Oct 4th - Let's see, where do I begin? Well, this week we bought Tatiana her first pair of shoes and I must say, they helped her a great deal as she is now not only walking, she is running around like a pro! She has not been well though bless her. She caught a nasty cough and has not been able to shift it since. It has been 2 weeks now and nearly every night she wakes up in fits of coughing and it takes a couple of spoonfulls of medicine and gentle rocking to get her to calm her breething down and gently get back to sleep. Took her to the GP but he said she is fighting it off better than any antibiotics could and after listening to her chest and examining her throat, he sent her on her merry way to simply let her immune system fight it off. She is fine during the day but at night it does creep back... still, we'll keep an eye on it and if it doesn't get any better, back to the GP she goes. I've been suffering a bit these last 2 weeks with a dodgy back and also went to see the GP (same day as T). He said I should take iboprofen and come back in 2 weeks if it's not any better. All in all, doesn't sound too complicated being a doctor - you just tell patients to keep a stiff upper lip, take some pain killers and send them home with a pat on the back ;-) Also had an epic last assignment for Uni but after an 8 hour study session on Friday and 3 hours yesterday, I finally finished it. I handed it in to the University today and now it's up to them to give me a mark above 40% in order for me to pass the assignment and the course which will in turn mean I graduate. Fingers crossed. I now have to wait until december to find out... On the work front, everything is going well there too and ticking along as usual. I am very busy as usual but that's the way I like it as time passes quickly and I do enjoy the challenges of a busy schedule. Emma is enjoying her new teaching roll too and seems to really be sinking her teeth into it. Kristina has been doing really well in pre-school and has so far received 2 stars of the day - one for settling in well on her first day and another for being well behaved. She really loves it and her vocabulary has improved so much (not that it wasn't good before but now she says so much more - there's no shutting her up when she gets going...). So, all in all, everyone is doing well. Anyway, gotta go now. Just in case any of you are interested, I have placed a new video of Tatiana taking her first steps and also some new photos on the girl's photo pages. Check them all out following the links off our main page www.torcato.co.uk . Take care all and chat soon. "VIC"
Sep 26th - Ahhh, my wife rocks too - all the time... Yes, its me, Victor. I am back in blog land after a short absence. I have been quite busy recently and what with one thing or another just not got round to blogging. Anyway, work is ticking along as usual and as for me, I was sick with a mild cold at the beginning of the week but soldiered on and before I knew it, the cold had given up and moved on... It wasn't pleasant on Wednesday though - my nose was running and I felt like crap. It hit me especially at night and then I had no energy whatsoever. It wasn't pleasant on the commute either cos I had no tissues and needed desperately to blow my nose. So, in a moment of desperation, I had no option but to use my resources and so I tore the sports page off my metro and used that as tissue. Ahhh, what a relief it was though I did get a funny look from the woman sitting next to me and a black nose tip but it was totally worth it just for the relief I had after. The cold started with tatiana and then Kristina and then me and finally Emma. Kristina and I have shaken it off and Tatiana and Emma are still suffering with it. Tatiana worst of all and it is keeping her up at night with a dodgy chest so not good. Still, that is life and hopefully they will be better soon. Emma has taken herself off to the gym regardless of how crappy she feels (thats determination for you) and then later we will go shopping. I will do my gym workout tomorrow. No swimming for the girls this week as Tatiana is not well enough - we'll save it for next week instead. I am so proud of my little T though cos she is such a determined little girl. She is now walking confidently around the house and not holding on to anything. Emma is doing well in her job too which is great - she needed something more to occupy her time and take her out of the house so this 3 day a week job is great for her. She seems to be really sinking her teeth into it and I am sure she has already made her mark there. Kristina is also really enjoying her pre-school and seems to have learnt how to play better and has also picked up some new songs that she proudly sings to herself regularly "ooh, ahh, boogie woogie woogie, thats the way he washes his clothes..." Sooo cute! Anyway, gonna get on now cos have a few emails to send so, take care all and chat soon. "VIC"
Sep 19th - My husband ROCKS!!!! Had a lovely '2nd birthday' tonight. He took the girls and me out for a meal at our local Harvester (It's really nice in there and it's very quaint still with it's thatched roof and gardens, you could almost believe you were in the middle of the country somewhere ;0) A bit of quality time was exactly what I needed and am feeling much better for it. Also lost another 2lb, so that helps too. Once again - MY HUBBY ROCKS!! "EMMA"
Sep 18th - What a week!!! So glad it's over - Isn't that really sad to say about your birthday? But to be honest 'what birthday?' was more like it! Yes!! I am a child!. . . I still like a bit of fuss, nothing too OTT, but I really do look forward to everyone taking a bit of time out from their busy individual lives to sit down together and jovially muse over Jo's whitty comments in your birthday card, 'Ahhh' at how thoughtful Vic's been and laugh at the odd present from mum that is a bit quirky. I'm not particularly materialistic or desperate to be the centre of attention, in fact I get just as excited if it's someone elses day - - I just really like the opportunity to have some quality time with the people I love, it reminds me of my grandparents being here - Is that too much to ask for? Well after the events of Monday night (we were going out for my birthday meal, as going out when I'm working is very hard) it was impossible to be able to celebrate anything. I don't want to go into detail as it still ties knots in my stomach, makes my blood boil then quickly makes me feel that life really shouldn't have to be so hard and why does no one help us?, or even acknowldege what we have to go through on a daily basis?. . . Anyway, then factor in a very long week at work with only a few hours sleep (19hr day on Wednesday) I just couldn't wait for each hour to pass and the week to end. That's not to say that I don't appreciate the cards and gifts that I received, it's just when you are so low and running on empty the shine does seem to come off everything a little. My lovely hubby has organised a fabulous trip away for us, the girls and even Holly during October half term and now more than ever I am really looking forward to getting away for a while. It's hard when you want to get away, but at the same time you feel guilty and/or scared to do just that?? Mental illness - you wouldn't even wish it on your worst enemy - well you might, but you know what,they wouldn't bloody notice and you'd only end up hurting the people around them. Sorry if this post is a bit depressing, but it's not always easy to remain perky, I do my best, but sometimes as all the little things keep on mounting up on top of each other, it's no longer possible to force that smile out. This week sucked!! Hopefully next week will be better. Being at home with my wonderful hubby and beautiful girls is the best way to start it all, lick your wounds, slow down, recharge your batteries and then you can come out fighting again the other end. "EMMA"
Sep 18th - Kristina started pres-school on Tuesday and she loved it! Nanny was most upset that she didn't give her a second glance as she marched on in, saying 'bye Nanny . . .Can we play with toys?'he!he! "EMMA"
Sep 12th - Today was an interesting day just as have been the last few days. Tatiana was sick for a few days (I mean physically sick) and then, just as she got better, Kristina started though hers seems to be worse. She was sick all over her bed a couple of nights ago and then again after I put her down and then twice after that. Last night she was fine but today she was sick twice again. Must be some stomach bug they both caught or something they both ate... Also had problems with our broadband yesterday but after a few calls with Talk Talk and their tech team, it all got sorted. I must say, Talk Talk have been absolutely fantastic up till now and they are excellent value for money. In the last 5 years of broadband service, this is by far the best company I have dealt with. Long may it stay this way. Today I took the girls to the pool whilst Emma went to the gym. They had fun and so did I and they were very well behaved both when getting ready in the changing rooms and after when getting washed and dressed. They then went shopping with Emma whilst I went to the gym. So, all in all, we had a nice afternoon and it was just a pity Kristina was sick just before she went to bed though she happily played for about half hour afterwards. I hope she sleeps through the night... Anyway, gonna go now. Before I do, I would just like to say: "I miss you mum - I can't believe it has been 22 years - I think about you every day... Love you xxx". On that note, goodnight all and I'm sure my next blog will be more cheery. "VIC"
Sep 7th - Since my last blog we have been quite busy. We've had a birthday party for Tatiana for her 1st birthday. On her birthday, I spent the day with her and Kristina - we went to the chase and fed the ducks and had a really nice time. I took the day off especially and it was totally worth it. We then had the party on Saturday which was really nice too. There was a bouncy castle which Kristina and Tatiana loved. Kristina jumped on it all night and when she went to bed, she was completely bushed. On Sunday I went to MK to sit in the quiet of our house to do my penultimate assignment for Uni. I found it surprisingly easy this time round and managed to get it finished within 4 hrs which was great. Then I drove back to Essex and spent the rest of the evening with my girls which was nice. Today was back to work day and it was a busy one as usual. I have a busy couple of weeks ahead of me at work as there are a lot of changes going on and a few mini projects I am involved in which will take up quite a lot of my time. Next week I have the added job of covering customer services as Zoe is on holiday in Greece so no rest for the wicked. Still, like I always say, I'd rather be busy than bored and they certainly keep me busy at MBT which is great. Emma has her first day at her new school with pupils to teach. Last week was inset so it was all about preparation but this week the fun begins. She'll be fine - she's a great teacher and will just settle back in to the swing of things. Kristina went to pre-school today for a tester day and seemed to have a lot of fun. She spent the whole evening saying she had made lots of new friends. I think it will be good for her to interact with other kids of her own age so she will start properly next week. Anyway, gotta go now - it's getting late and I want to watch another episode of Dallas before we go to bed. We're on season 5 already - it's quite addictive and really nice to watch something that can take me back to my childhood years... Anyway, going now. Take care all. "VIC"
Aug 30th - Half way through bank holiday weekend... Time goes so quicly these days... It seems like only yesterday that we arrived back in the UK but we have been here for over six months, spring has come and gone and summer is nearly over too. I already hear talk of Christmas... Still, back to this week and weekend... The week was the usual hum drum of work and sleep. We went out on Wednesday for dinner my the in laws as it was their anniversary on Friday but we were not around for that. Dinner was nice and was only slightly dampened for me by the little bit of extra stress I was feeling from work as we are going through a lot of changes and they are not always as smooth as we would like. Yesterday Emma had her gym induction whilst I went to Asda with the girls. They were really good and we had a good time. I then returned to the leisure centre and the girls went with Emma to the pool whilst I went to the gym. I helped get them ready first and just as we were nearly ready to get going to the pool, Tatiana did a no.2 in her swimming costume so I stayed behind to clean her up whilst Emma went on ahead with Kristina. I tell you, that girl sure picks her moments... Anyway, when I got to the pool, K was in there with mummy and I left T to join in. K was a bit braver this week and even ventured in on her own without mummy's help. We are going again today (all of us) as soon as they wake up from their nap. Hopefully the weather will be nice tomorrow and we will then be able to go for a walk down by the lake and play a bit of football. If not, we can always go down to MK Shopping Centre for a wander... We'll see. I have a busy week ahead of me next week and will be glad it is only a 3 day week (I am off on 3rd to spend the day with T on her 1st birthday). We also have her party on saturday so lots of chaos in store over the coming week - never a dull moment for us but at least we have fun in between it all... Emma will be back at school next week for 2 inset days and she is really looking forward to going back to teaching properly. She deserves it after 2.5 years at home with the kids... That in itself is a job... Anyway, nothing more to report. I will get on and have a peek at what my next uni assignment has in store for me so that it is not a big surprise when I do get on and do it Monday week. Take care all. "VIC"
Aug 24th - This last week has been a busy one and more so the weekend just gone. We have joined our local leisure centre and I must say that I was totally impressed with the facilities and the membership prices. They have a well equipped gym, saunas, jaccuzi, pool, various classes, etc. All this for the cost of £30 a month for unlimited use of all facilities. Emma seemed to like it too and has already booked herself in for a class and an induction for the gym. We are going to be one super fit family... It's nice to have something different to do as a family which can be done indoors - will be good for the winter especially. I thought that was a bit of a bargain really but then I found out that they are re-buiding the leisure centre and by the end of September, we will be going to the new one which will have a proper pool and even newer and better facilities. Maybe I'm easily impressed, I don't know but I do love it here in this part of the UK - everything is so much more affordable. The surroundings are peaceful and pretty too. All in all, I think we have picked the perfect place to live in the UK and within easy commute to London too... Tatiana loved the pool though you wouldn't know it cos she didn't smile the whole time. The fact that she didn't cry was the main indicator that she was enjoying it - I think she was just taking it all in bless. Kristina on the other hand cried the whole time - she didn't like the slippery floor and didn't want to go in the water - I think when she was in her swimming costume, she was expecting the beach and the pool was a bit alien to her. She'll get used to it in time and grow to love it. She does however claim to have had "lots of fun in the pool"... funny girl. Other than that, nothing much to report. Tatiana is still trying desperately to walk and making slow progress though I don't think it will be much longer before she can do it properly - she is very determined. Oh, Kristina has learnt a new trick recently - how to be a little houdini! She has learnt how to climb out of her cot in her bedroom at Nanny's house. She swiftly jumps in and out of it like a high jumper! The other day, she got out of it and sat there in the dark flicking through her books. Then, at night when I put her to bed, I took all her books away to remove temptation. She then decided the following day to get out of bed, switch on the light and rummage through her drawers... I tell you, she's a clever one... As for Holly, she is doing well too and seems to be settled in to her new surroundings. So, to recap, the Torcato family are quite content at the moment and I count my blessings every day for the wonderful little family I have. Anyway, gonna go now - chat soon and take care all. "VIC"
Aug 16th - Well, it's been a while since I have blogged so lets see if I don't forget to say anything... Firstly, lets talk about the kids... Tatiana has been coming on leaps and bounds. She is more or less close to walking now. Amazing strong willed little girl. She is not even one yet and already she has managed to take 13 steps unaided. It won't be long before she is hot on all our heels and then we'll really find out how much trouble she can get herself in to... Kristina is also growing up so quickly. She is now speaking in full sentences and there is nothing she can't say now when she sets her mind on it. Yesterday, Emma took the girls out to Asda so that I could have a lie in. Whilst there, she bought Kristina some Thomas the Tank Engine books. In one of the stories, Percy gets stuck in the snow. So, in a very concerned angelic voice, Kristina came over to me with a very worried look on her face and said: "Daddy, oh no, Percy got stuck in the snow - oh dear - never mind..." and for the rest of the weekend, that's all we've heard - she just won't let it go... Emma is doing well too. At the moment, she is looking up accommodation for us in Sardinia cos we have some flights booked for the end of the month which we had actually given up on but as a last ditch attempt to have some sort of holiday, she is trawling the internet looking for a last minute deal - it's worth a shot - you never know, the perfect deal could be just waiting for us. Bless, she has the patience of a saint - she spent hours today searching... Other than that, nothing much to report. Work is going well - busy as ever but that is a good thing... Today we went to the lake to feed the ducks which was nice though K and T were both tired so we had to cut it short and get them both home where they could veg out and play with their toys. Anyway, gonna get on now cos I'm tired and back is hurting a little bit so sitting at the comp is not the best therapy for it. Will leave you with the photos below which I put together last night. How similar do our daughters look to us... They do have the perfect combination of both our features, don't they... See if you can pick the parents in the midst of the kids... Chat soon - take care. "VIC"
Aug 4th - How miserable is this bloody weather? ;0( Really starting to get to me, Can't go out or anything with the girls and taking Holly for a walk is like co-ordinating a SAS mission. Wahoo Summer! not! That's enough, moan over, now for the good stuff, Tatiana has recently become more daring on her feet, (hovering for about 10 secs with no problems) and yesterday she took her first step unadded - typical Tatiana style not towards me or Vic, where she's well protected, nope - not our baby - she likes to do it her own way and decided to give it a go in the corner of the kitchen, narrowly missing the back door, Holly and the cupboard as her little legs jellified under her after the unfamiliar motion of propelling herself forward whilst upright. Crazy madam! ;0) She does make me laugh - she's an absolute fruitloop sometimes, I turned around the other day to see what she was giggling about, only to find Kristina tapping her on the head with a tape measure!! and her favourite activity at the mo, guaranteed to get her to laugh and show her little emerging teeth?? - hitting auntie Jo-Jo with the toilet seat . . . Poor Jo never does get a minutes peace. Kristina is just as loopy - she is so happy to have Holly back, I'm having to tell her off for feeding her her own food (~saying that she's always been a good sharer ;0)) She is always playing with Holly and they can spend up to 2hrs rolling around together. Very sweet to watch and she enjoys playing rope with Holly, being bumped all over the place, the best. Giggling her head off she'll stop to say 'Mummy, this is fun!' Ahhh How quickly do they grow up?! I have two beautiful little girls that are quirky and so strong willed - looking at them, I feel so lucky, they really do make every day something special. Talking of something special (not that your a 'thing' baby)but just want to say how proud I am of my wonderful hubby, he works so hard to make sure we are all ok. He even kept his temper and slogged out an epic assignment yesterday, which quite frankly had a ridculous word requirement. Love you, oodles and ooddles and oodles - I don't know what I'd do without you. xxxxxx Enough mushy stuff, now - this bloody British weather . . . ;0P "EMMA"
July 26th - Another week has passed and no sign of a proper summer :-( We had a few hot days and then... nothing... Oh well. Here I sit in the lounge with the view from the window showing a very grey sky and wondering if the sun is going to put in an appearance again this year... This week was a busy one as usual. Emma tackled some more DIY but this time at her mum's house in the form of plastering a ceiling. It looked very good though she was in pain at the end of it as she had her arms in the air all day. Next week she paints the ceiling and walls - she does like a challenge! The girls are good too. Kristina is such a chatterbox - doesn't stop yapping from the moment she wakes up until she goes to sleep. Tatiana is teething at the moment so a bit grumpy but the wonders of Calpol help. Holly is all grown up and being such a good doggie. She is so good with the girls too and Kristina loves having her around. Tatiana is indifferent as she is a bit young to appreciate the company of a dog and how to play with her. Oh, tatiana has stood for 4 seconds on her own a couple of days ago and again today for about 8 seconds. I don't think it will be long before she attempts to walk. Other than that, everything is fine. Work was busy as usual last week so nothing new there but I do enjoy being kept busy so I won't complain. Gonna go now and leave you with some pictures sent to me by email from Portugal of Holly saying goodbye to her doggie friends. "VIC"
July 19th - Well, what a weekend... We have our Holly back home with us - Yippee!!! She arrived on Friday and is as beutiful as ever. She is much calmer and very well behaved. This morning, when the girls woke up (at 07.30am), I took them and Holly out to the park. Holly really enjoyed it and the girls both had fun on the swings and slide. Mummy was having a lie in as I had one on Friday morning (had the day off for Hollyday!). When I got back, Emma got up and we decided to tackle the beading to finish the laminate floor off (Emma laminated the lounge last week in preparation for Holly arriving). Emma put all the beading down and I put the door dividers in and did some other odd jobs which needed doing. I must say that Emma has done a fantastic job on the lounge and it looks very nice indeed. Yesterday was gardening day - I mowed the lawn, fixed some chicken wire to the gate to stop Holly escaping through the bars (not that she'd want to...), cut back all the trees and bushes and had a general tidy up. Feeling quite tired and back aching slightly but we are just going to put Tatiana to sleep now, watch another episode of Dallas and then have a nice soak in the bath together before bedtime. This last week has been a busy one for me at work as I am now doing book-keeping (as part of a 9 month maternity cover) and was also covering Credit Control as the credit controller was on holiday. She is back on Tuesday and then I will be able to relax a little as I will only have the office management, book-keeping and overseeing customer service to deal with. Also spent some of last week sorting out the company cars and ordering some new ones to replace 3 which end their leases soon. So, all in all, was quite a busy week for me (nothing new there though...) On that note, gonna chill now :-) Take care all - chat soon. "VIC"
July 11th - Good news - My wifey has got a teaching job! Hooorrraaayyy!!! She has been craving going back to work for so long that it is nice to finally see her achieving that. It has not been easy cos she only wanted a 2 or 3 day a week job and there's not many of those going at the moment so it is a great breakthrough. The job starts in September so between now and then, Emma will be enjoying her leasure time by socialising and spending time with the family. On the work front for me, I have been super busy. Zoe was on holiday for a week recently and I covered Customer Services whilst she was away. That was challenging as I also had to continue to cover my own role and stay on top of everything. She has been back for a week but no rest for the wicked. The minute she got back, I caught up on a few pending issues and then on Wednesday, I started doing maternity cover for our book-keeper. So, I did 2 days solid book-keeping as we had to complete month end so I had to put all outstanding expenses and purchase invoices on and then do the credit card reconcilliation. From next week, I will be Office Manager / Book-keeper (the book-keeping duties will be about two to three hours a day until January). Next week is going to be even busier as the credit controller is on holiday for a week so I am also covering her role (partially). I do love a challenge... Kristina has been sick this past week but thankfully, she seems to be feeling better now. She developed a fever and it lasted for 3 days. We still don't actually know whay this happened as she had no other symptoms so it is a bit of a mystery. Poor thing felt absolutely awfull and she was soooo hot bless. Tatiana on the other hand has been her usual self - rampaging through the house demanding everyone's undivided attention and damn well getting it - what a character she is. You may or may not have noticed but I have given our blog page a bit of a face lift. I have decided that the sky background had run it's course and because we are now living in a nice green area, grass seemed more appropriate. My friend Lisa also pointed out that because the text on our blog was so bold and big, it made the blog posts quite daunting to look at as they looked longer than they are. So, I reduced the text size. I hope you all approve... Anyway, gotta go now - have a heap of emails to reply to... Take care all. "VIC"
July 7th - Well, these past few days I have had some mixed feelings and can safely say that I have learnt some valuable life lessons these past few months. Quite often in life, we don't appreciate what we have until we have lost it. I think back to this time last year, we were in Portugal, enjoying the sunshine and had just had our air con installed in our new apartment. I was preparing for a trip to the Lisbon area where we were going to spend a week in a villa with a pool. We did exactly that and had the most wonderful week where I would finish work at 4pm and then lounge in the pool and soak up the rays - why oh why did I spend my time whingeing then? I was not happy with the organisation at MBT Iberia but instead of appreciating all the perks and the good things, I moaned and ended up leaving a couple of months later. Had I made different choices, even though my father in law wasn't well, had the job situation been stable, we would probably be there now still enjoying these perks I didn't appreciate. My valuable lesson there was that I should appreciate the good things I have in life and find positives in all the negatives. The other day, I had a bad day at work and was really fed up. I then stepped back for just enough time to realise I was falling into an all too familiar pattern and that I should be grateful for having a job at all. I landed in the UK and within days, I was working and earning a decent salary. So, I quickly snapped out of it and realised that I was fortunate enough that somebody recognised my work and wanted me in their organisation... I think this has been an important development in my life as I now do see things differently - it doesn't mean that I don't miss Portugal and that I don't wish I could turn the clock back and change my bad decisions... however, everyone is entitled to good and bad days... As a result of all this, I am much more appreciative of the little things. I have always been very family orientated and my family has always come first but now, even more so. I am making more time available to my family and really enjoying every minute we spend together. The other day, we went bicycle riding as a family and that was so much fun - simple outings like that can really make my day. Or something as simple as an afternoon nap on Sunday with Kristina - we both woke up in such a good mood after that nap and I had this swelling feeling in my heart - I'm so proud of my little girls and so happy to be a dad. I also have a wonderful wife who really understands me - I feel very lucky despite all the downs we have had at the end of last year and the beginning of this year. Now we just need some good karma to come our way to give us the break we need to settle properly in the UK and stabalise our home life. It will come... in time... Sorry if I have bored you guys with this blog post but I just thought I'd share my recent life experiences and the lessons I have learnt with those of you who are feeling a bit hard done by maybe - a bit of eveluation and perspective can sometimes go a long way and help avoid making wrong decisions. Take care all. "VIC"
July 5th - Hello there! Just thought I'd jump on quickly (Vic and K are both curled up snoozing on our bed and T is reeking havoc in the kitchen with a large stick - so they are all happy as larry! ;0) Just wanted to say that we had a lovely day yesterday. We all went for a family ride round Lodge Lake. Although a bit wobbly at first (well it has been about 20yrs) I was confident enough to strap little T in her new bike seat and set off. As the more practiced cyclist, we decided that Vic should take Kristina, as she was more likely to fidget - both girls absolutely loved it, so much so, that T smiled the whole time and when Vic stopped K asked for 'more bicycle daddy!' ;0) It was a great little outing and certainly worked a few muscles too, with K making me laugh especially when she decided that she wanted to blow raspberries on daddy's back as we rode along he!he! Win! win! all round, as I shopped around and got the bike seats for a great price (half of what Halford's were charging), inherited 1 bike from when we moved in and rescued the other neglected 1 (used to be my sister's) from mum and dad's shed - so for as little as £35 we've got a new family hobby that we all enjoy. Other news, the school I've been working with recently, have asked again for me specifically (which is always good to hear), so even though most schools have begun Summer wind down I've managed to secure at least 1 more days pay before they all break up. Am still looking for that elusive 2-3day jobshare, which wouldnt be a problem here in MK if childcare wasn't so extortionate, but as I will need to work in Essex, it seems to be the wrong time of year and opportunities are a bit thin on the ground (mostly too far to travel, or based in KS1, where although I trained in and focussed all my studies to that key stage I am yet to have any long-term post qualification experience - so combining that with committing (which I now know to be) the cardinal sin of actually taking some time out to have a family - it's proving quite a challenge. Hey hoo - I'll keep trying, someone's bound to give us a break eventually, it;'s just a bit hard sometimes, when you really wantto work, but also don't want to give up all your time with your family (and pay out all your wages in childcare too - seems like a thankless task) I really don't know how some people less fortunate than us actually manage. This government needs to do something about it, it's almost like it wants people to either stay at home sponging, or in fact throw themselves into work and their kids in to childcare (something which does no-one any good in the long-term) -makes no sense to me - i just want to work! ;0)Sorry, didn't mean to rant, it must be agitating me. Anyhoo - on a more positive note, please keep the 5th September free as we have decided to combine celebrations for mine, Jo's and of course Tatiana's 1st birthday party. The obligatory bouncy castle should hopefully be there and we'd love to see you all for a catch up - Invites should be out over the next couple of weeks and I do hope you can all come. Oh, before I go, have a look at the new video we have posted on our videos page of Kristina blowing raspberries on Tatiana's belly - so sweet... www.torcato.co.uk/videos.htm Cheerio for now! (T wants to play) big hugs xxx "EMMA"
June 24th - Took the day off today to spend with my 3 girls as we have been missing some of that quality time we used to have in Portugal. So, I had a lie in and got up at 10am. Shortly after, K & T went down for their morning nap and Emma and I sat down to a couple of episodes of Dallas and a bit of daytime TV. When the girls woke up, we went to the local lake and sat watching the ducks, played football and Kristina ran up and down hills. I have had a lovely day and feel really chilled. I have put some pictures on the girl's pages and one below too. Gonna go now. Take care. "VIC"
June 21st - Its Father's Day and I got lots of lovely pressies from my girls... I got a balloon, a mug, a teddy bear, a certificate and chocolate! Really made my heart swell... I love being a dad and husband more than anything else and even though I can sometimes be a bit grumpy when I've had a hard week at work, it's nice to know my girls love me - makes it all worthwhile. Have been a bit sick this week with the same cold which Emma, Kristina and Tatiana had. Have now fought off the worst of it I think and feeling a bit more human. Have a lot of holiday still to take so have booked Wednesday off to spend the day with my 3 girls and if the weather is nice, we can maybe do something a bit more outdoorsy (that's a good made up word...). It will break up the week nicely for both me and Emma and will give me some of that quality time I used to have with the girls in Portugal and now hardly ever have... Forgot to mention in my last blog post (naughty Victor...) but my wifey bought me two box sets of Dallas. Now, you are probably thinking "what an old woman - watching Dallas..." but, there is a reason I love it so much. It used to be a little ritual of my mum's back in the 80's - on a Wednesday night, about 8pm, she would sit in the armchair in front of the TV with her crochet and would watch Dallas - without fail!!! Me and my brother would also sit there and watch it between playing with something or other but as we grew older, we got in to it too. So, this week, Emma and I have been watching it and have already got through 6 episodes. It's lovely to take that stroll down memory lane with my wife... and I still do actually enjoy watching it which is a bonus. As for work, still going well - had a couple of tough days this week which were compounded by me feeling shit but, when I read in the paper that every 33 seconds, someone in the UK is losing their job, it put everything into perspective and made me realise how very lucky I am to have a job (not that I didn't before as i am extremely lucky and grateful to MBT UK for taking me back under their wing. Finally, on the MBT subject, if you are interested, click on the movie trailer below - It's our new "Mood Movie" and it's fantastic. Chat soon. "VIC"
June 15th - Sorry, Just had to drop a mention in here to also say that last Saturday we also had a lovely day with Lisa and Charles. Lisa is now our supreme visitor, not only has she travelled to Portugal for a catch up, but she and her lovely hubby have now also navigated their way through the sea of roundabouts to visit us in Milton Keynes too - respect! ;0) It was the first time Vic and I got to meet Charles. The girls remembered Lisa from her visit in January and the odd times we would pop into MBT and warmed to Charles within no time. The weather was unfortunately quite miserable, but thankfully it cleared up enough for us to go for a quick walk to the local lake. Whilst there we spotted this really aggressive swan terrorising all the Canadian geese and other ducks and we were all commenting on how volatile he seemed, when from around the corner, it all became clear - his swan 'wife' appeared with a little litter (not sure thats right? what do you calla group of swans? - answers on a postcard please ;0)) of cygnets. They were all fluffy and grey and looked quite odd swimming next to their majestic mum. As usual K didn't want to leave and at this point was really quite tired, and we were all a bit hungry, so we decided to head back, pick up the car and go for some food.(Both leaving factors possibly contributed to, by the fact that my little 'short cut'got us all a bit lost - oooOOOopppps! ;0) ) Harvester was great - We've been there a few times now and they never disappoint. The salad bar is very good - Although Vic never dabbles, as he thinks it resembles a pig's trough (I can kinda see the resemblence) but the fresh rolls are too much of a temptation for my little bread eaters, so there's always a stop made there by me nowadays. Lovely day, lovely meal and Kristina decided to let on that she had learnt to say Charles' name as they were making their way to leave and so we wer inundated with a few thousand 'bye, bye Charles!' and 'bye, bye Lisa!' before they were able to get away. ;0) We all had a really nice day and it was lovely to welcome our first none mum and co. guests to our digs in MK and we are looking forward to the return leg to their place next weekend. (hopefully with all of us getting over this nasty cold). Anyhoo - wittered on far too long - babies calling! Just wanted to pop that in as it deserved a mention, just think my poor sleep deprived hubby got a bit distracted by having to complete another assignment this weekend, playing about with his new MBT banner (please say you noticed it?! ;0) ) and after receiving the Holly update with photo -he lost his train of thought a bit - what would he do without me eh? he he! "EMMA"
June 14th - Well, it has been two weeks since our last blog so lots to talk about. What have we been up to then? Well, since the last blog we have had an anniversary celebration - our third wedding anniversary on the 10th. Emma and I went to the theatre to watch Sister Act and I must say that even though I was a bit unsure how it would measure up to the film, it was very good indeed. The lead has the most fantastic voice and didn't sing one bum note all night. We also had dinner at Pizza Hut before theatre and I ate like a pig - felt really bloated but enjoyed every mouthfull. It was tube strike day so we had to walk all the way from old Street (Emma met me at work) to Oxford Circus which really opened up my appetite. Other than our anniversary, what else have we been up to?... Well, I have been really busy at work these past two weeks as we had a product meeting and that involved a lot of preparation. Also, it was the first time that Customer Services had a slot in this meeting which happens every six months so, as I manage that department, I did a lot of preparation for that including a PowerPoint presentation. Suffice to say that it all went extremely well and I was really proud of Zoe who after a lot of preparation presented her part of the presentation perfectly. All the hard work and planning paid off and that day (and the week for that matter) ended very well indeed. It had started off as a really stressful week because of some extra workload that had come my way which was unexpected and as I had not planned for this extra work, it put me under a bit more pressure and I was a bit snappy because of it. Lisa kept asking when the old Victor was coming back... Well, as I said, the week ended very well and after a weekend catching up on sleep, the old Victor is now back. As for my girls, two of them are sick. Mummy has caught a cold and now Tatiana also has it and they are both snufalufagus... Kristina and I are still not showing any signs of this cold so let's see how strong our immune system is... As a result, Emma was supposed to be supply teaching tomorrow but will have to cancel that as she is really not up to it. On another subject, last night I texted the lady who is taking care of our little doggie and she said she is doing very well. She is aparently very 'muscular' which has happened as a result of her running around their big garden all the time. So, this will mean we will have to give her plenty of walks to stop thise muscles from turning to fat. She is also aparently terrorising two other dogs there which sounds just about right... The lady also sent me a picture of our crazy Holly (below). We have already bought her pet carrier box and now have to send it to Portugal so that she can travel back to the UK next month. Anyway, gonna get going now - I've bored you enough... Take care. "VIC"
May 31st - Hello Hello! First a little data update - Last Monday, Kristina had her first hair cut courtesy of mummy and daddy (we were trying to restrain the Nutty Professor look, and promote it growing a bit more quickly). Tatiana also clapped to herself as she was enjoying an episode of teletubbies. They are both playing wonderfully with each other - When K wants T to come play she calls her, then tries to pick her up and take her with her(unfortunately its currently by the neck - but the thought is there! ;0) The first thing K says when she comes downstairs in the morning is 'Hello Tatiana Tor-ca-to!' she now says her name clearly and she also, out of the blue, goes and gives Tatiana kisses and pats her on her head. What else, what else . . . K took herself up and down the slide by herself this week (the 1 mum got her for her birthday). Tatiana's top teeth have finally cut and we have 4 emerging - which hopefully will mean she won't look like Popeye for much longer. Other than that I got my first paycheck in what feels like an eternity. Supply don't pay too badly, I now wish I had some type of routine in my life as I'm trying to find a slot to take the girls to a playgroup/toddler group and I also want to go back to doing some aerobics classes - Lots to fit in, when you never know if, when and where you are working and you split your week between Milton Keynes and Romford. Yeah, feeling a bit unsettled at the mo, but I'm sure things will get better soon. ----Makka Pakka just came flying past my ear as apparentely I didn't 'sound enthusiastic enough' when Vic suggested that I use this time to mention how wonderful he is!! Yes, he is generally very wonderful (and doesn't usually display violent tendencies- Poor Makka Pakka may disagree). Don't really know what else to write, the near miss and a concussed In the night Garden figure have thrown me off any flow I may have had - so blame Victor. I'm off, to go wake T so I can get out and go shopping. "EMMA"
May 24th - Well, what have we all been up to since my last blog a couple of weeks ago? Not a lot to be honest which is why there was a lack of blog. It has been all about the usual work and life routines... Emma has started teaching again which is great. I know she has really missed teaching so this will be a good way for her to get back in to the swing of things. Although supply isn't really her thing and she would rather settle down with a class of her own, it is a step in the right direction. As for me, work has been much the same though it is challenging at times and I am making good progress which is always great. Tatiana is coming in leaps and bounds and now crawls around the house terrorising us all - he he he. She is such a power house bless her. It is really nice to see her and Kristina play together though Kristina is very patient and good as Tatiana keeps stealing her toys and she willingly lets her take them and moves on to other toys instead. We do sometimes take the toys back and hand them to her as we want to show that Tatiana can't just take what she wants cos she is little and I think Kristina appreciates it when we do this and gives us a little smile as if to say thank you. Ahhhh... She is such a good girl - they both are really... All Tatiana needs to do now is learn the art of sleeping through the night! Kristina had her first home hair cut today as we needed to put her crazy hair under control... it is much better now. We also went to a place nearby today called Willen Lake. The weather was lovely and we had loads of fun. This place has loads of water activities (though we didn't participate in any of them) and also has playgrounds for the kids, activity centres, etc. There is also a lovely lake with ducks and swans and loads of parks. We had lunch at one of the pubs and then sat on the grass and had ice cream. It was a lovely way to spend the first hot day of the year. I have placed some pictures below and some more on the girl's pages. Anyway, gonna chill for the evening. Take care all. "VIC"
May 12th - Hi there! How are you all? Hope all is well. We have been keeping well... up until recently that is... Tatiana is suffering with the dreaded teething process and seems to have got the sniffles so she is soldiering along and I had a right old palarva the other day which ended up with me at the on call doctor's surgery. The other day, I knocked my back whilst commuting on the train and didn't think anything of it. However, back pain turned into a bit more and it came to a point where I was having difficulty breathing. A call to the NHS direct and a subsequent visit to the on call clinic revealed that I had a hairline fracture on one of my ribs. However, luckily, it seemed to heal itself quite quickly and I now feel fine - so, only a couple of sleepless nights and a bit of pain - could have been worse. We did however have a very nice day at Old Mac Donald's farm on Kristina's birthday. Her favourite part was the sand pit where she spent ages playing with a bucket and spade... I guess it probably reminded her of the beach - it certainly reminded me... Afterwards, she opened her pressies and played in the garden with her new slide that nanny bought her and her bouncy castle that mummy and daddy bought. All in all, a fun day. I have put some pictures on the girls' photo pages and also a couple below. Work is going well too and life in general is ticking along. Nothing more to report for now. Take care all and chat soon. "VIC"
May 4th - Hello from the Torcato household. We have had a good bank holiday weekend. Saturday was shopping day so we went out in the morning to Bletchley to buy a few bits and bobs. Then in the afternoon I took myself off to Milton Keynes library to do my uni assignment. Yesterday was spent indoors just chilling and today, we popped out for a short drive, saussage in batter and chips and then home again for a chill out afternoon. I let the hair clippers loose on my head which left me with a nice No.2 shaved head and then spent the rest of the afternoon playing with my girls. Kristina has been in a real big daddy place today and has given me lots of kisses and cuddles. Tatiana is getting much more independant now because she can now crawl to where she wants to be so she whinges less as she is less frustrated. She is growing up really fast... they both are. I can't believe that Kristina is nearly two... Time flies and she has turned out to be such an adorable child - I am so proud of her - she is just perfect - and so clever too... They both make me so proud... As for Emma, she is still alive - I promise... she just hasn't had the inclination to blog recently - but she does facebook regularly so thats living proof that she is alive and kicking... Anyway, gonna go now - got to register with the local GP tomorrow morning though it shouldn't take too long - just the run of the mill pee in the pot and hand it to the doc appontment and then they tick a few boxes and say "you're registered"... Hoping they will get a move on so that I am not too delayed getting in to work... Anyway, chat soon. Take care. "VIC"
April 27th - Hey all... how are you keeping? We have been plodding along this last week - no major events in the Torcato household which is not such a bad thing - it means we have been relaxing (as much as you can with two small kids)... Spoke to the cargo people last week about transporting Holly over from Portugal and had a very nasty unexpected surprise... it's gonna cost us £495 to transport her over - Thats her plane ticket! Can you imagine??? They say it covers all their costs! What costs I ask??? Anyway, took me a whole day or two to get over that shock but have come to terms with it now and just have to accept it as part of the parcel... She is a member of the family and we can't abandon her at the last hurdle... She is now officially the most expensive adopted dog in the world - I am sure she has to be... So, I will not be going to Portugal to collect her now as I have been told I don't have to and that she can be checked in by anybody as long as they have her paperwork to hand in too. So, the lady who is looking after her for us is going to take her to the airport and checking her in for us. On a different subject, Tatiana has been attempting crawling and on Sunday, she crawled a couple of metres. I noticed this evening that she is getting better at it too! Kristina is her usual cheeky self - nothing changes there. Emma is doing fine too though I am sure she would really love it if tatiana would give her a full night's sleep some time soon... Emma loves our new bed so much but never gets to sleep a full night in it... Come on T, be a good girl for mummy and daddy... Anyway, gonna leave you guys to it. Here are some recent pics we took of the girls and there are more on their pages. Chat soon. "VIC"
April 18th - We had a lovely day today. We went for a walk to a local park called Lodge Lake and it was lovely. It has a lake (as the name so obviously describes), many country paths through the park surrounding the lake, ducks, swans and a "Trim Trail" which is for the fitter people who choose to jog through the park. Kristina had her "Peppa Pig" wellies on and really enjoyed jumping in the mud and puddles. It was a lovely sunny day today here in MK and the walk was a lot of fun. Next time we go, we might take some bread to feed the ducks. We have also decided to get some bikes and child seats so that we can take a cycle through the park every now and again - Kristina and Tatiana will love that. Tatiana fell asleep after a while and then later on, Kristina got tired so I picked her up and she conked out in my arms. The fresh air obviously did them both good. Its so nice to get the opportunity to do these things... Anyway, nothing more to report for now. Hope you are all well. Take care. "VIC"
April 11th - We are officially all settled in now. Everything is in it's place and we have today been shopping to the local market / town centre for the first time since moving here. It is nice being settled again and hopefully, the next time will be the last time for a while - but that's not going to happen in the next few months at least as we have to save save save for a deposit on a place of our own. Work is going well too and Emma has been to an agency who have said there is a possibility of some part time work some time soon. I also received a text from the lady who is looking after Holly and she said Holly is doing great and has had her yearly booster and the vet was very happy with her. So, all is good in the Torcato household. Below is a photo of me and the girls having a splashing time in the bath. There are also some new photos on the girl's web pages (links further down this blog or off our main page). If you don't get the new images when you visit their pages, just refresh the page and they should appear. Take care all. "VIC"
April 3rd - It's been a busy time recently but we are finally sort of settling in. It's very hard trying to tidy up and set up home in a rented place that needs some DIY done to it but we are getting there. Both girls have been sick too with rashes, fever, vomiting, the lot. Then, to top it all off, Kristina bashed her head on the stairs the other day and had a massive golf ball sized bump on her forehead which was quite worrying. We followed the advice of the NHS helpline and thankfully, it went down and she was ok. Gave us a scare though... Work is going well too and I have settled in nicely - it's like I never left. I have a lot of my old duties back and as some of them were not touched or had barely been touched since I left, I have just picked up where I left off with a lot of things. Emma has been a bit sick too over the last couple of days but seems to be on the mend too. I seem to have escaped - touch wood. Emma has an appointment next week with an agency about some possible part time teaching jobs so fingers crossed for that cos any extra money towards a deposit on our future home would be very welcome. Below are a couple of photos we took earlier today - one of our car and another of our girls in Asda. Anyway, just thought I'd say hi to everyone from all of us and hope you are all well. Stay in touch. Take care. "VIC"
March 24th - Tired, tired, tired... We have finally moved to Milton Keynes and although the house is only half tidy and we still have boxes all over the place, it is nice to have a place of our own again. It will take time but we will get back to normality soon. I have a few odd jobs to do around the place as there are lots of loose screws, doors that won't open, taps that drip, etc. The usual stuff with a rented place, it looks lovely when you view it but then when you move in, you see all the little defects... Nothing that can't be fixed though. The carpets and sofas were cleaned today as I couldn't bear the thought of any of us relaxing on the sofa or walking barefoot on the carpet as they looked filthy so we paid for a professional clean. The commuting is not bad either. It is about 1.5 hrs door to door and considering that is more or less what I was doing when staying at my mother in law's in Romford, that is bloody great. We have also just had our phone line switched on and I have just got off the phone with Talk Talk to transfer our BT line to them and get their broadband as they have the best prices at the moment and special offers. It will take about 3 weeks for the broadband to be switched on so until then, we have to live with dial up which is interesting - quite pre-historic in comparison. Tatiana & Kristina both still have colds and are driving Emma up the wall as she can't get anything done with them being so clingy. The joys of parenthood... Still, they are coping quite well considering they are sick and they have been moved for the second time in a month... Anyway, as I said at the start of today's blog, I'm very tired and gonna go to bed now as work becons early in the morning. More updates soon... "VIC"
March 14th - We had a good time in Amsterdam and it made a nice change to spend my birthday somewhere different. I didn't get to smoke any weed which was a disappointment (he he) but we did have plenty of walks and the weather held up for us too. I have posted a couple of photos below. I got lots of lovely pressies for my birthday and Emma made me a book called "That's not my daddy" which is basically an immitation of a collection Kristina has called the touchy feely books. These books are full of different textures and say things such as "That's not my fairy, her wings are too fluffy" and so on and then goes on to finish with "That's my fairy, her wand is so sparkly". So, this book was also full of textures and had lines such as "That's not my daddy, his belly is too wobbly" and ends with "That's my daddy, his cuddles are so soft". So, out of all the pressies, that was my favourite. Emma also gave me tickets to Grease and we went to watch that yesterday. I really enjoyed it and it was lovely to have an evening out with just me and Emma. On the house front, our references have all been completed and we have agreed a date to move in. We will be moving in next Saturday so Emma and I have been shopping for a bed, kitchen appliances, etc. We will also be collecting our people carrier next week so everything is falling into place nicely. Went with Kristina today to the chase to feed the ducks and she loved it - was nice to spend some quality time with her. Tatiana has two little teeth coming through and she is coping quite well with that. She is getting so sweet and looking so grown up - time flies... Other than that, missing Holly and her craziness so called the lady who is looking after her for us and she said she is very happy in her temporary home playing with all her new doggie friends. So, that put me at ease a bit cos at least I know she is well and happy. Anyway, gonna go now - Take care all. "VIC"
March 6th - Well, my first 3 days at MBT went well and today I am at home getting ready for our 4 day break to Amsterdam. Still have to pack & shave but other than that, everything is in order. Gonna pop to the shops in a minute to buy some nappies and food for Tatiana so nothing too taxing... Got my first Uni assignment back from my tutor and he gave me a good mark for it so that was nice to see. Got an email from Vauxhall and it seems our car could be ready for collection next week which will be good and then the week after, we will be able to hopefully move to our new place in Milton Keynes (provided our refs come back ok which I am sure they will). So, everything is falling nicely into place... Gonna get on with it now so i'll post another blog when we get back to let you know how it all went. Take care. "VIC"
March 3rd - Tired! Am now working and glad I am only doing 3 days this week cos I need to break into getting up early gently and get used to it again. Work was good and it was nice being surrounded by familiar faces and sitting in the same area I used to work in. Just settled right in and started to work straight away. Felt like I had never left. We have also been to Milton Keynes this week and found a house we like. We put in a lower rent offer and this was accepted so, I have spent most of the evening paying their admin fees and filling in 16 pages of reference requests and faxing them through. Its such hard work even to rent a place... Emma is settling in fine too but the kids are driving her round the bend a bit. They have so much more attention from other people in the house and as they are not used to it, they are playing up to it - Kristina in particular... Anyhoo, it's all good fun and its nice that they have some interaction with other people for a while. Apart from that, nothing much to report for today. Take care all. "VIC"
February 26th - We're back in the UK and have now settled in. Our delivery of boxes has arrived and we have unpacked all of our clothes. I was however hit with the surprise of the fact that we are in the Low Emission Zone and that there was a charge of £200 for our lorry carrying our boxes. Basically, if we wanted our boxes delivered, we would have to pay this and so I did online. I didn't even know such a thing existed until today so it wasn't a very nice surprise at all. Anyway, water under the bridge... I have also bought the new domain name www.torcato.co.uk and transferred all of our website to that new one. After all, it didn't seem right to keep calling our website "algarve-home" considering our home is no longer in the Algarve... I need to make a clean break and this is one thing that needed to be done... It also means that our new email addresses will be victor@torcato.co.uk & emma@torcato.co.uk. Anyway, nothing more to report for now. Over and out. "VIC"
February 24th - I second Emma's comment from yesterday - I'm knackered too... Has been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster day and very tiring too. Picked up the rental car this morning first thing, then came home to pick up Holly to take her to her temporary home... I will miss that crazy pup... It was quite hard leaving her knowing that we will not see her for 4.5 months but when I saw how happy she was playing with the other dogs, it made me feel better. I gave her a big hug before I left and she licked my eye - he he he. We have just come back from the carnival and although the parade was a bit bland and disappointing, Kristina and Tatiana more than made up for it - they both looked gorgeous. Have a look at the photos on their web pages (you might have to click on the refresh button for the new images to appear as sometimes they don't appear automatically) www.torcato.co.uk/tatiana2009.html & www.torcato.co.uk/kristina2009.html . Anyway, gonna go now to say goodbye to my auntie and then back home to wind the girls down for the day. Our packing is all done and just some tidying up to do when the girls are asleep (it never stops for us adults). Tomorrow is D-Day and I am now just wanting it all over and done with so that we can move on with the next chapter of our lives. Its really sad we're leaving but I want to stop feeling sad and start to plan for our new lives and be 100% happy again. Below are our Holly goodbye pictures. Our next blog will be from the UK - watch this space... "VIC"
February 23rd - Absolutely cream crackered!! ;0) kitchen took up the majority of the day (minus half an hour while our friend popped over to say her goodbye to the girls) and then we walked across town to bid fellwell to Vic's other cousin, her husband and their two girls. Long day, but tomorrow will be equally as eventful - starting with poor Vic having to get up and out early to catch a train to Faro, then bus to the airport, then a lift to the car rental place, before picking up the last few bits at the supermarket, swinging by our apartment and collecting Holly, dropping her off at the house of the lady who has promised to look after her for us, then swooping back to the apartment hopefully to find that I've hoovered and sorted the girls out and made sure they have had a nap and are ready in their outfits to go...phew! We are then goint to Tavira to see the carnival parade there (Kristina has the most delightful pink fairy costume and Tatiana (because they didn't make any costumes small enough for her) will be wearing a headband with bouncy butterflies on) he!he! Fingers crossed that they are in the mood to pose, as it would be great to get a few snaps. We will then make our way home, before all the final packing and prep. Starting to feel quite sad now - Our apartment is spotless (if it was a tv ad, you'd have the glimmering stars appear on the surfaces as the camera pans round) and I have given Holly so many cuddles today - going to miss my little lady - 4 and a half months is a long time - particularly for a doggy! I just hope she comes back to us as good natured and loving as she is now. The girls adore her too and it's a shame that they will be apart for this time. Anyhoo - I'm going to get off as Vic needs the comp - hope all is well your end. see you soon xxxx "EMMA"
February 21st - Today was spring clean day... It's funny but even though we clean the place on a weekly basis, when the furniture was moved, there was so much dust there... because the apartment is all tiled, dust collects so much more under and behind furniture. Anyway, now that the place has all been cleaned and the bathrooms are all sparkly after Emma got happy with the steamer on the tiles, it looks like a show home (apart from Kristina's toys spread all over the place... he he he) - The only room left to clean is the kitchen which we will tackle on Monday. Tomorrow is a day of rest. We will lounge around and then in the afternoon we are going to say goodbye to my cousin, her husband and their son (my godson). These will be the first goodbyes we will be saying and I will really miss my godson - he is growing up so fast... he's a teenager now and it only seems like yesterday that he was running around in nappies... I have just had a lovely relaxing bath with Kristina and she is now sitting on my lap watching "In The Night Garden" on "Youtube" while I type - she is in such a daddy place right now and I must say I am enjoying that... One of the good things about me being at home for the past 2 months is that I have spent a lot of time with my family and have made a special bond with Kristina through spending so much time with her. Emma is cooking right now and Tatiana is with her in the kitchen. I am going to go now and get Tatiana for a bit so that Emma can cook in peace. Take care all. "VIC"
February 19th - Happy Birthday Mum - I miss you... xxx "VIC"
Good news - I've got a job!!! Wooohoooo!!! MBT in London are taking me back under their wing from mid March as their Office Manager. That is a great weight off my mind cos in the current climate, I was going to have some trouble finding a good job with decent pay so the fact that they went out of their way to slot me back in there was fantastic. Also, our boxes have literally just been collected and should arrive at the other end the same day or the day after we arrive which is good. Anyway, with nothing more to report, I'm signing off - over and out... "VIC"
February 18th - We are all packed and our stuff is being collected tomorrow. It should arrive in the UK the day after we arrive so that is perfect. Nothing more to do other than to give this apartment a spring clean so that it is spic and span when we leave. We will start that on the weekend and should be all done by the end of Monday. We will then have Tuesday off for our goodbyes and then we are off on the Wednesday - a week from today... Wow, one more week and we will be back in the UK - hard to believe... the dream is coming to an end and we will soon be back to old routines and it will all be a distant memory within a few weeks. Still, life has a funny way of dealing these cards and we have to accept it and move on - destiny has chosen this to happen and there must be a reason for it - one day it will become aparent and when it does, we will know. As it is carnival on Tuesday here in Portugal, and it is the eve of our departure, we thought we could make a day of it. So, today we went out and bought Kristina a fairy costume complete with wings and a fairy wand for her to dress up on Tuesday when we go to watch the childrens parade in Tavira. She is going to look adorable... Also, it was my auntie's birthday today so we went round to give her a pressie and took some lovely photos there too. Have a look on Tatiana & Kristina's web pages (you might have to click on the refresh button for the new images to appear as sometimes they don't appear automatically) www.torcato.co.uk/tatiana2009.html & www.torcato.co.uk/kristina2009.html . Oh, Holly has had a hair cut and now looks like a rat with massive ears... he he he. It's amazing how different they look under their nice long coats... We're really gonna miss her during the 4.5 months whilst she is here but at least we are leaving her with a nice lady who loves dogs so we know she will be well taken care of. But time will fly by and before we know it, July will be here and she will be allowed in to the UK. On that note, gonna go and chill for a bit. Take care all. "VIC"
February 14th - Happy Valentines everyone! Hope you've all had a nice day and evening. We've had a nice relaxing day today. Started off the day exchanging gifts and then lazed around all afternoon followed by going out for a lovely meal in the evening. Feeling quite full now and a bit tired too. Going for a sit down in front of the TV. Take care all. "VIC"
February 12th - Just a quick note to say our second car has gone too. So, we'd like to say: Goodbye 63-ER-78 - we'll miss you... "VIC, EMMA, KRISTINA, TATIANA & HOLLY"
February 11th - Well, today we went to the beach to say our goodbyes. It was 17ºc and the sun was out with blue skies. We took our shoes and socks off and dipped our feet in the water and although it was cold, it felt good. A huge wave came along and caught us all out and poor Kristina got the brunt of it cos she was crouching so she got a wet bum, legs and hands - to say she was not happy would be an understatement. It was lovely to have the opportunity to say a proper goodbye and thankfully, the weather was nice. Afterwards, we went to the toastie house and had a chicken and garlic toastie - yummy... Tomorrow, the other car is going and then we will not have a car until we leave which is why we went to the beach today. Once the guy has come to pick up the car, I will then go to see my accountant to hand in my paperwork for my tax return... very exciting, not! If I have time, I will do some more packing when I get back. Anyway, not gonna bore you any more. Have a look on Kristina & Tatiana's pages for photos of today. Tatiana was sleeping the whole time so I only got pictures of her sleeping... Though, she seemed to really enjoy the sea air cos she woke up in a great mood after... Take care all. "VIC"
February 10th - So, it's now time to get organised. Mum and Jo left yesterday - It was really great having them here and was especially super that Jo went home with a few funky bargains as well. The clothes here are so much more her style and can be quite reasonable on sale (other than that they are extortionate!). Mum and Jo also babysat for us on Sunday for a few hours, so that Vic and I could have some time to ourselves, which was lovely. We went to the 'depths of the inferno' - and no, i'm not quoting a new move from the Karma Sutra - although it does sound fun?!! ;0) It is a nature reserve which has a waterfall in, in the nearby town of Tavira. Today, however we have started packing up the first few boxes of clothes - they weigh soooooooOOOooo much, poor Vic's back. The process of packing is quite difficult when you have 2 kids, thankfully Kristina is able to amuse herself most of the time, but today Tatiana insists on doing only the most minutist of cat naps, so as you can imagine, it's been eventful ;0) It's quite sad that we are moving again so soon - we really did think this 1 was the last 1 (for a few years at least) oh well, we will just have to pick ourselves up again and hopefully jump back on the property ladder asap. Anyhoo - I'm going to play nursy to Vic and that back of his and will chat again soon. Big hugs!. . . Oh P.S - Good Luck Jo for your driving test tomorrow!!!! "EMMA"
February 7th - Well, a few more days have passed and our return to the UK is getting ever closer. Yesterday was not a good day for me... :( I felt a bit low as I am fed up with being at home and not working. It is against all my principles to not work and it's not all about the money either cos thankfully, we can afford for me to be at home. It's about the actual act of getting up in the morning and going to work - doing something useful with my time. Instead, sometimes I feel like I'm just sitting watching time go by... Anyway, like I said, that was yesterday. Today I feel a bit better and have snapped myself out of it. My mother in law is here for the weekend with my sister in law so the girls are having a ball which is good - helps the time pass... I am just looking forward to next week cos me and Emma will be boxing up some stuff to ship to the UK and then that will be another thing to tick off the list of things to do. I am spacing everything out so that we don't feel too overloaded all at once and that will also ensure we are kept busy between now and our departure. Oh, for those of you who are interested, I have posted a couple of cute photos on Kristina's web page and also a couple of new video clips on our videos page (you might have to click on the refresh button for the new images to appear as sometimes they don't appear automatically) - www.torcato.co.uk/kristina2009.html & www.torcato.co.uk/videos.htm Anyway, I have nothing more to report today. Take care. "VIC"
February 4th - Further to yesterday's blog entry, just a quick note to say one of our lovely cars has gone. So, we'd like to say: Goodbye 63-ER-79 - we'll miss you... "VIC, EMMA, KRISTINA, TATIANA & HOLLY"
February 3rd - Well, my mother in law said this evening that my last blog entry was a bit depressing so I thought I'd try to be a bit more positive today... (not that I usually listen to her but I don't want to put any of my readers in a depression so I will take note of her comments on this one occasion) So, a bit of good news - we've found someone who will take Holly in for us until we can collect her and take her to the UK with us in July. I visited the lady's house and she seems lovely. She has 6 dogs of her own, each with their own little deformities... She loves dogs and takes them in whilst they are waiting to be re-homed. She works in conjunction with a local animal rescue centre and is at home all day with her dogs. I think Holly will be very happy there. She will have a little garden to play in and all the dogs sleep in the house at night and can wander in and out of the house as they please. Another bit of good news, the guy who is buying our cars off us for a BARGAIN PRICE is coming to collect one of them tomorrow (sorry if I sound a bit bitter there but I am). We will keep the other one for another 10 days and then he will come and collect that one too. So, at least we will have the car issue sorted. Also, we did end up booking that end of summer break to Sardinia which I mentioned in my last blog entry. There you go, a bit more positivity in there (tainted slightly with the odd negative thought but hey, I'm entitled to a small grumble now and again...). I have also collected a few boxes from local shops and in the next couple of days, we will start to pack some of our clothes and a few other nick nacks - not too much as most of our belongings will stay here - no point shipping stuff back and forth needlessly. Finally, I have placed some new photos on Kristina & Tatiana's web pages (they are in the usual places but if you want, the links are further down in this blog). Anyway, signing off for now. Hopefully I'll have some more positive news for my next entry... we'll see. Oh, before I go, what's with Britain and their little flurry of snow? Oh dear oh dear... They call that a blizzard... what about countries like Switzerland and Canada? It's not as if there wasn't enough warning... The whole capital came to a stand still, very disappointing... Oh well, on that note, bye for now. "VIC"
February 1st - Pinch, punch, first day of the month... Well, I am sitting here typing with one hand whilst with the other holding Kristina who is balanced on one of my knees playing with the pen pot, the pens and a scrap of paper. Tatiana is asleep in her little pink chair at my feet, Emma is having a lie in after having been up with Tatiana during the night and Holly is in bed. It was really windy and pissed down last night all night but I love listening to the rain when I'm in bed so that was fine for me. Earlier on this morning it was sunny but now it's cloudy again - I think we're experiencing typical Portuguese winter weather today - one minute rainy and the next sunny but always nice temperature. Gonna miss that... We've spent the last few days organising ourselves for our return to the UK. We had various flights booked to and from the UK over the coming months so we have been changing them. We've changed one flight for me to come to Portugal in July to collect Holly and then booked a seperate one to return to the UK cos it has to be through approved airlines under the pet passport scheme. Then we changed one of the flights we had for the 25th Feb for our UK return. Now we have a few more to get rid of so that we don't lose them. We have been looking at Olbia in Sardinia for the end of August to make use of the bank holiday as well. It doesn't work out too expensive to change the tickets and we would get the sunshine and beach for a few days. So, before we change the dates on our existing flights, we are looking at how much accomodation will be, then we will decide. We also have a nice 4 day break in Amsterdam booked for my birthday in March so that will be a nice welcome break after the misery of the last few weeks and to console us for having to give up on sunny Portugal. I don't think I can take returning to Portugal this year as it will be like rubbing salt in the wounds so, Sardinia could be a good summer break and then Portugal can have us back in the summer next year. Did my first Uni assignment for this last course - only 6 more to go and then goodbye Uni (provided I pass). Though I must say, I wasn't in a good frame of mind to do an assignment what with everything thats going on so I just churned something out and that's it. Not sure if is going to be good enough for final year standards they expect but time will tell - let's see what the tutor says and then I'll work on the next one taking all comments on board. I am just not in the right place to be doing assignments but it needed to be done and I did the best I could under the circumstances. Other than that, not much more has been happening here... Still trying to remain positive and plodding along trying to enjoy our last 3.5 weeks here - things are not all bad, we are all together, healthy and I have a great family that I am very proud of and that is all that counts. We'll be fine cos I'll make sure we are... Hope you are all well "VIC"
January 28th - Well, since my last entry, we have been busy preparing for our return. I have agreed to sell the cars to a dealer but under the current climate, I have been offered a pityful amount which means we will make an almightly loss. However, weighing it all up, we have decided to reluctantly accept the offer made to us as this is the most sensible thing to do in the long term. I have also used the current crisis to our advantage and negotiated a fantastic deal on a new Vauxall Zafira in the UK. So, cutting a long story short, the money we will get for both corsas in Portugal will just about be enough for a zafira in the UK so it's kinda like a straight swap of two 1 year old small cars for one new seven seater car. Have also changed all our bills to direct debit today and will be having a look at flights tomorrow. So, all in all, not too bad really - the planning for the move back to the UK is going well which is the main thing. I have come to terms with the return to the UK and am just concentrating on getting everything sorted out properly and as smoothly as possible. Still trying to find an alternative accomodation for Holly to avoid the 1600 euros the kennel want but it is not proving easy. Though, my auntie has offered to take her in and keep her dog away from Holly so they don't fight which is really sweet of her. If no other offers turn up from someone without a dog then I will gladly take her up on the offer. We'll see... Anyway, things are a bit more positive around here and before long, we will be back on UK soil. Over and out for today, take care all. "VIC"
January 24th - Fate has decided... we will be returning to the UK and it will have to be sooner than we originally thought. The MBT offer was pathetic to say the least. I was offered the job to find and manage their shop in Faro and the salary offered for that was a measily 12,000 euros a year. That is simply not enough to live on for a family of 4 so I had to decline. Then, I asked if I could simply have my old job back as the post has not been filled yet. Get this... I was told that I was possibly not the right person for that job! Can you believe it? I was good enough for it before but not now... I opened 6 shops in 7 months with no literature or brand awareness whatsoever; One of those stores was the biggest shoe shop in Madeira and I convinced this person to take MBT in his shop simply by speaking over the phone to him without meeting him; I found their shop in Lisbon and organised the opening of it as well as finding their solicitors and placing the adverts for all their staff in Portugal; I did all the admin for Portugal until they had staff to take over these responsibilities; I translated all their material from Spanish and English into Portuguese; I made the launch of MBT in Portugal possible practically single handed without any guidance or much help from the head office in Spain - yet I am now not good enough to take my old job back... Well, there are many ways to point score because I left the company but this was a very cheap blow and if that makes them feel better, so be it - I will rise above it and karma will play its hand soon enough. Because of this and the fact that the recession has now hit Portugal and jobs are few and far between and the fact that the few jobs that are around are paying very little, we have no option but to give in and return to the UK. I have mixed feelings about that and none of them are good. I feel sad that we have to leave our lovely apartment and the lovely weather and the place where I feel settled and comfortable in; I feel anger that someone's petty decision has forced us to make this final decision and that this has also deprived Emma of her teaching job which she had been offered here too (it was not a lot of money being offered but the job was absolutely perfect as it was all about the teaching and no beauracracy involved); I feel disapointed for Emma because of the job and disapointed for the girls as they will not experience all the things they would have otherwise; I feel let down by fate as I think we weren't asking for much - just to work and live peacefully in our nice surroundings minding our own business; I feel I am partly responsible for having quit my job with MBT in the first place and therefore putting us in this position and letting my girls down... anyway, that is just the tip of the iceberg of what I am feeling right now and I could go on for hours but I won't. Lets just say that when you have had a lifetime of picking yourself up, dusting yourself off and starting again, you kinda run out of steam after a while. Anyway, after much internal energy gathering, I have finally managed to pick myself up, dust myself off and start planning on how to make this shitty situation better and provide my family with what they need. We will be leaving Portugal around the end of February as there is no money coming in to support us and we don't want to eat away at our savings any more than we have to. I have asked a friend if he can take Holly for us as the Kennel want 1600 euros to take her between now and July when she can enter the UK. If he replies saying that he can't, then we will have to leave her at the kennel and pay the ridiculous and extortionate amount of money they want and Holly will officially be the most expensive adopted mongrel dog on the planet but hey, she is our doggie and we love her... So, I have come up with our action plan and fully intend to have us in our own home in the UK by the end of the year - even if I have to work myself into the ground to achieve it. Watch this space! It's funny how this all started in October with us deciding to leave Portugal because of my Father in Law's health problems and the fact that we wanted to go back to help the family - Now things have changed and although he still has his health problems, it is now all about the fact that the recession has taken the decision out of our hands and forced us to move regardless of if we actually wanted to or not... Right, now that I have bored you with all our misfortunes, I will now briefly mention what else we have been up to this past week. Lisa has been and gone and we all loved having her around. She seemed to enjoy it too despite the doom and gloom hanging over my head making my moods a bit volatile... The girls loved the extra atention as usual and I think she benefitted from being around them too. Emma loved the extra company and someone else to talk to. All in all, a successful visit. We didn't go out much as the weather was not so good but we did have a couple of days sunshine so one of those we went to the local marina for a walk and the other we went to the beach, then for a walk around Faro and finally for dinner. It was a lovely afternoon. We took plenty of photos which I have placed on Kristina and Tatiana's pages www.torcato.co.uk/tatiana2009.html & www.torcato.co.uk/kristina2009.html and below is a picture of some artwork lisa did on the sand when we went to the beach. Other than that, not a lot more going on here - Just Emma being the saint that she is putting up with my mood swings and calmly making me see that if I put my mind to it, I will drag us through this to the other side of the dark cloud and it will all work out in the end. Finally, just a quick note to say that Holly is back to her normal self. She has had her stitches out and is very keen to jump around and play though we are leaving it a few more days before we play with her as we want to make sure her scar has healed properly. She was very well behaved while Lisa was here as Lisa is afraid of dogs and Holly did stay away when told. Well done Holly... So, on that note people, take care and I promise that my next blog won't be so long and let's hope that it is more positive too... "VIC"
January 18th - Well, in true Torcato blog style, there have been some developments in out work / living situation and here is a nice long update for those of you who are interested. If you don't feel the courage to read the whole story and just want the gist, we are staying put in the Algarve for the moment as we love it here so much. Curious? Well read on... As we have to sit and wait around for six months because of the pet passport, we thought we would let fate decide what we are to do. I spoke to MBT when we got back to Portugal from our Christmas break in the UK and they offered me a job. I am to find them their next MBT shop in Faro and then manage it. They have discussed it all between them and the MBT Shops manager is going to call me tomorrow to discuss the final details of what they have discussed and decided. They will have stuff for me to get on with between now and when the shop opens and then I will work in the shop. That was perfect really as I only have a 10 min drive to work and have set working hours - so, as things have worked out on the job front for me and I have been offered a job which I can see myself in long term, that was one factor. Then, Emma spotted an advert in the local paper for a qualified primary school teacher in an international private school to teach the English National Curriculum. She has spoken to the head and he said she should send him her CV and then they will talk more about it. So, she has sent her CV and he has replied saying that she should come along for a day to see the school and meet everyone and get all questions out of the way. Add to that the fact that before we returned to Portugal after our Christmas break, I sorted out transport for my father in law for the hospital to take him to his dyalisis and bring him back home which means his transport issue is sorted and things have settled on that front. So, what we have decided is that if the job with MBT definately goes ahead and if Emma gets offered her job too, we will enrol the girls in the local nursery and stay. If things do not develop that way on the job front, we will go back to the UK as previously planned some time in July. Emma needs something more than just sitting around the house and it will do Kristina good to get out and about and interact with other children. Tatiana will love it too. The thing is, we love the sunshine here and our lovely apartment and it would be a shame to jump ship at the first hurdle without exploring all the options and giving things a fair chance. We decided to move here for various reasons and those reasons still stand so we are letting fate decide. With the extra money coming in from Emma's job, we will be able to afford a couple of extra visits to the UK to give everyone a chance for some extra interaction. So, lets see what happens in the next few weeks or months and then we will be in a better position to make a concrete and informed decision. On the Holly front, she has been sterilised and is nearly back to her normal self. She sulked for a couple of days because I wouldn't let her lick her wound and then I had to put a cone on her head at night and she didn't appreciate that. However, she is getting used to the new routine of conehead and also I have put a bandage around her middle to cover her stitches to avoid temptation. She seems fine otherwise and is eating normally and being her normal self. We can't play with her just yet cos she still has her stitches but as soon as they get taken out on 23rd, she can more or less return to normal just being careful not to over exercise herself for a couple more weeks in case internal stitches come apart. Other than that, we have a visitor staying with us this week. Lisa who I used to work with at MBT in London has taken advantage of a cheap deal on flights and has come to visit for a few days. She arrived yesterday and will be here until Thursday. She seems to be enjoying it so far though she did have a long day yesterday having got up at 3am for her flight and only going to bed at 1am early this morning so she must have been knackered cos she is still sleeping and it is nearly 1pm... he he he - she does love a chat our Lisa and as I like to talk too, we all had a full debriefing of events throughout the day and out voice box certainly got some exercise - he he he. Anyway, gonna let you go now. Take care all and stay in touch. "VIC"
January 11th - Hi there everyone... How are you all? Hope the new year is treating you all well. We are happily plodding along here in the good old Algarve. Today was another lovely sunny day so we all went for a walk by the marina where Kristina enjoyed walking on the wall by the water and then spent an hour marvelling at the ducks and seagulls. Its lovely to spend such quality time together as a family. Also this weekend I finally put up a shelf in Kristina and Tatiana's room and put their books and soft toys on it. I then went on to put up the canvases that Emma painted and then went crazy with the cuddly toys and put them absolutely everywhere... ooops... Now the room looks complete. The canvases and the mural that Emma did all look so good (see further down the blog for a more detailed picture of the mural) - my wife is so talented... Anyway, that was on Saturday and then today I put up the other cot in the study / guest bedroom for tatiana to start sleeping in a couple of weeks. She has been sleeping in her moses basket in the lounge since she was born but she is quickly outgrowing it and needs to be in a proper bed now. However, as she still wakes up half way through the night for a feed and Kristina sleeps straight through from 9pm till 9am, it would be unfair for them to share a room cos Tatiana would wake Kristina up. So, until Tatiana sleeps through the night as well, she will have to have a corner of the study / guest bedroom as her temporary bedroom. Anyway, I am very pleased with the way the rooms both look now - see pictures below. See also the pictures I have added on the girls web pages www.torcato.co.uk/tatiana2009.html & www.torcato.co.uk/kristina2009.html . Tomorrow I have to replace a part on the toilet cistern in our en suite ("oh, exciting!" I hear you all scream) and then Tuesday gonna take Holly to the vet's for a free sterilisation which I booked in a couple of months ago as part of a charity campaign which was advertised in our local paper. Got to take advantage of all money saving offers and as we were going to have her done anyway, this was the perfect offer which is saving us about 160 euros. Whilst she is under, I will have them extract 2 milk teeth which refuse to drop out and are going to give her problems in the future if not taken out. That way, I only have to pay for the extractions... clever eh? Anyway, gonna go now cos Skating on Ice has just started. Take care all. "VIC"
January 4th - Well what can I say - Christmas! So many plans all had to be cancelled due to us coming down with that nasty UK flu bug. Naturally the kids handled it best, Tatiana the most supremely of all (she just slept more, even though she's teething too), Kristina was not herself at all for about a week (kept tantrumming and got extremely frustrated
) but thankfully they shook it relatively quickly compared to Vic and I. Vic has a nasty cough left and I have it all back for the 3rd time, runny nose, migraine, streaming eyes, earache, shivers, sweats etc etc... It's so not pleasant and yesterday I could barely stand ;0( Today, I'm feeling a little perkier thank goodness, I hate not being able to be my self with the kids. Anyhoo sorry to all those who I had to cancel on or didn't ring to arrange anything (Oh I didn't mention that I also lost my voice completely too) Jo being Jo, said (as she had the flu too) only weak people lose their voice as I was the only one :0) On the 1 and only plus front, I am now extremely certain that I was misdiagnosed as having asthma a few years back, so much so that as I didn't use my pump it actually expired and I had to throw it, and if ever I was going to have an asthma attack it should have been over these last 2weeks! Huh! that's what I say! bloody doctors, do more damage than good most times! On another doctor - hospital manor, just to zap any festive cheer we sickies may have been able to muster, my dad went into have a minor op on his arm Monday 22nd to prepare for his dialysis treatment which was due to start in February, only to be given emergency acute dialysis through a neck vein as they said there was far too much potassium in his blood. They also said that he may not have made it past Christmas if he hadn't had gone in that day. Lovely eh? Long story short, he came home about 7pm on Christmas eve and has tubes via his collarbone now rather than his neck, while his arm op takes effect (which if it has worked - takes 2 months). We spent the remainder of the festive season taking dad to and from the Royal London for his 4hr sessions of dialysis every other day.Vic being wonderful as he is, also found the energy to pereservere with the travel scheme run by the trust so that dad can be collected and dropped off back home from the hospital now, as mum is returning to work and there's no way in hell he'd managed that trip on his own. It would just take someone to look at him a funny way and that would be it! Also his time keeping is very poor and even if he managed to navigate the minefield of pitfalls the underground represents for someone with Bi-polar mania, he'd never make it on time. He still takes a good half hour to make a cup of tea most days and has to reheat it in the microwave a fair few times too. Anyhoo - atleast mum doesn't have to worry about him getting there. Even from this distance I still can't sleep much, knowing how hard it is sometimes. He's already come back saying that the nurses told him to take his mood stabilisers every other day (something that is impossible, as such medication only works when it is taken continuously and something verified by his nursing staff when asked - they infact said that they have no authority at all when it comes to altering medication, the only thing they said they had asked him to do was to take his blood pressure tablet after his dialysis as it effects it. Needless to say, we told dad this, he nodded, but from the way he's behaving at the moment, he's still not taking them...what can we do? I even told him that if he is seen not to take his medication correctly, they'll never let him have a kidney, as if he were to receive a transplant, he'd have to then also take anti-rejection drugs - something I know he'd not cope with (he's already on 13 different medications) and he won't let us help him either. If you remind him - it get's his back up and he either lies and says he's taken it, or doesn't take it just to spite you. Any advice would be gratefully appreciated!;0) On a lighter subject, the weather here is quite nice, especially for january, it rained quite heavily yesterday, but an hour later the sky was clear and the sun was out. It's going to be very hard to climatise back to the UK i can tell you. It's so nice to have daylight, especially in winter. On the kiddie front, Tatiana seems to love Holly, I had Tatiana on my knee and was playing tug rope with Holly with the other hand, she was giggling away for a good 5 mins very sweet! Kristina is also a gem, she noticed that Tatiana couldn't turn on one of her toys, so she came and did it for her, then toddled off! ahhhHH!;0) However, she has also discovered how to take off her trousers! Not so helpfull! he! he! Anyhoo - I've wittered on long enough. Hope you all had a far chirpier chrimbo and that the new year has started well for you. Let me know. Take care and big hugs xx "EMMA"
January 3rd - Happy New Year!!!! Well, another year has started and we are back in Portugal. The weather was lovely today - nice and sunny. I took Holly to the vet today to have her blood sample taken to be sent to the lab for rabies testing. As long as that comes back showing enough antibodies in the blood, she will be free to travel to the UK six months from the date of the test. I am almost over my cold (I just have a cough now) and the girls are fine too. Emma on the other hand seems to have had a relapse - she has been feeling rough today and can't seem to shake it. Its nice to be back home again though - in our own space. Oh, I finished converting the loft in my mother in law's house and it looks very good. She has already put all the wallpaper lining up and the next stage will be to put the pink stripy paper we picked out on the wall. Then the carpet will be put down and the room is complete. It took a lot of determination to finish it after Christmas feeling as ill as I was but Emma helped me and we soldiered through. We were both up there coughing and spluttering and both had no strength but we were determined to finish our bit and so we did. It will be nice to see it when it's finished... Anyway, gonna go and see what's on TV and chill for a bit. Hope you all had a great Xmas and New Year celebrations. Have a look at our new pictures on www.torcato.co.uk/tatiana2009.html & www.torcato.co.uk/kristina2009.html . "VIC"
December 27th - What an interesting Christmas this has turned out to be... To start off, my father in law went in to hospital for emergency dialysis and stayed in over two days and was only allowed back home on christmas eve. Then, to top that off, we have all caught a cold which has us all coughing and spluttering all over the place. Speaking from my personal experience, I don't think I have ever had a cold as bad as this one. I spent the whole of Christmas Day curled up on the sofa wrapped up in a blanket shivering and then sweating, then shivering again... The fever was probably the killer closely followed by the streaming eyes and then the thumping headache. Suffice to say, by 9.30pm, I had had enough and took my shaking body to bed. Still didn't feel too clever yesterday and this morning, still felt very weak. Now I'm actually feeling a bit more human and I just hope it will last cos I'm really fed up with feeling like crap... At the moment, I just have a runny nose and a sore throat so I hope it's on its way out... fingers crossed... Poor Kristina has been suffering a bit with it as well as has Emma but little Tatiana has been coping better than all of us (as usual). She just sleeps through it all and smiles when she's awake even though we can clearly see she is not well... and she is teething... bless her. Other than that, everything else is fine. Emma has taken herself off to Romford with the girls, her mum and sister. I decided I am still not well enough to brave the cold and Romford is not all that interesting anyway so here I am blogging instead. Oh, the loft conversion is going well too. I have done about half of it and then stopped for Christmas but what with the cold, I haven't had the strength to go back up there and finish it. Will hopefully be able to do that tomorrow if I'm feeling strong enough. Anyway, gonna go and chill in front of the TV and enjoy the peace and quiet for a while. Hope you've all had a great Christmas. Take care. "VIC"
December 17th - Well, seeing as we were just sitting around doing nothing and I have no work ties, we decided to go to the UK a couple of days early. We are leaving tomorrow morning and that way, I will have two more days to work on the loft conversion... Yes, you heard right, I am going to convert my mother in law's loft (or at least part of it) into a bedroom for Kristina. That way, when we move back to the UK and in to their house, Kristina will have her own room and Tatiana can share the bedroom with us. Once I have finished it, the walls will be baby pink and she will have a nice carpet and look really girly - her own little room at the top of the house... It keeps me busy and keeps my mind off the not so pleasant things in life at present... Anyway, all is well with us and as long as we are all healthy, that is the main thing. the rest is material and not so important... Though it does help to make life easier... On this note, I will love you and leave you all. Take care, have a great Christmas and I'll try to find some time to blog straight after Christmas (maybe whilst i am trying to hide from the left over Christmas Turkey. "VIC"
December 14th - Not been a very good month really... things haven't worked out with my job and I have taken the decision to quit. My boss was too disrepectful and I have too much self respect to let him speak to me in a derogatory manner like he does to others. If arrogance and rudeness is how he made his millions, he should not be proud... Anyway, he agreed with me that I had made the right decision and in his words "I am not an assistant, I am a manager" which I do tend to agree with. He also admitted to my colleagues that he was wrong to have spoken to me the way he did the day before I quit. It wasn't even what he said that annoyed me cos it wasn't even that offensive but it was the way he said it. Anyway, he paid me for the work I had done up till then and I am now unemployed :( Not good at Christmas but, I'm sure something will turn up - everything happens for a reason and although I am unemployed, I am still feeling positive. The signs are all there telling me that we are definately meant to return to the UK and that now wasn't the right time for us in Portugal. We had a great year but what with Emma's dad getting ill and now this job issue, these are two major signs telling us we have made the right decision. Anyhoo, I'll carry on looking for something to see us through till we leave but until then, I will try to enjoy christmas with my gorgeous family and work will come I'm sure... The up side is that I have been spending some more time at home with my girls which is great. Emma has more time to chill and I get to spend more time with Kristina and Tatiana. Kristina is such a beatiful child and she is so full of character - really entertaining and lovely to be around. She can now feed herself and does so at most meal times which is great too - such a clever girl... Tatiana is also developing a lovely character - very smiley. When I feed her, she just lays there with the teat in her mouth and smiles at me. Her mouth full of milk brimming out of the corners but she just stops there until I turn my face away... She is starting to get very chatty too and loves to be talked to - her eyes just light up bless her. Emma is looking forward to Christmas and is just brimming with excitement like a kid in a candy store... Check out our new photos on Kristina and Tatiana's web pages www.torcato.co.uk/tatiana2008.html & www.torcato.co.uk/kristina2008.html . Also, see below a photo of the mural Emma did on the wall in Kristina and Tatiana's room - my wife is so talented... Oooo, did you all see X-Factor last night? Alexandra so deserved to win! Her performance with Beyoncé blew me away... A real star... Leona is good and I totally still respect her and her talent but Alexandra has something about her that is special... soulful... Anyway, on that note, it's sunny outside so gonna think about getting us all out of the house to go for a walk and some fresh air. Take care all. "VIC"
December 7th - Been feeling a bit melancholic today... Seeing photos pass by on our screen saver reminded me of good times we have had and how lucky I am to have such a wonderful family around me... I have also been looking at our christmas tree and even though I am looking forward to Christmas, looking at the lights flashing on the tree and just lying there on the sofa this afternoon, I remembered past christmases and luckily, most were happy. This is going to be the last year (for a long while anyway) that we are going to set up a christmas tree in this apartment which is very sad too as I had expected many a happy christmas here with the girls growing up... But hey, everything happens for a reason and we shall have many happy christmases in the UK instead. Two weeks from today we will be in the UK getting all the festive preparations underway... This is Tatiana's first christmas and Kristina's second and although Tatiana will not know what is really going on, Kristina will and it will be nice to see her opening pressies on christmas morning... Anyway, Kristina is in bed, Emma is finishing the washing up and Tatiana has just had her feed so, we will be snuggling up on the sofa under the quilt watching a bit of TV before bedtime... Good night all and take care. "VIC"
December 3rd - well, Holly has been microchipped and vaccinated against rabies and has been issued her passport with that information logged on there. Even though she had been vaccinated for rabies in April, she had to have another one cos the vaccine has to be administered after the microchip as she is identified now as a microchip number and not by her name... How sad is that - our doggie is now a number to them... Anyway, slowly coming to terms with this decision and getting used to the idea. Have slowly started to make a mental list of things that need to be done and Emma has been researching importing of one of our cars amongst other stuff. The girls are well and have both got over their colds which is good and Emma is ok too apart from being tired with the night feeds but what with me working and also getting up for night feeds, I feel knackered which has a knockon effect on my work... Plus, Waking up with Tatiana is so different to waking up with Kristina. Kristina used to drink her milk and go straight to sleep which was great so you could just stick a bottle in her mouth and snooze whilst she drank and then plonk her back in bed and go to bed and back to sleep. Tatiana on the other hand wakes up fully and then takes 30 mins to get back to sleep. This makes it a whole hour of being up and fully awake which makes going back to sleep a bit more of a task. Emma does it well but I lie in bed awake for 2 hrs with my brain working overtime in the quiet of the night as there are no distractions... Not good! We were definately spoilt with Kristina and her fabulous sleeping habits and are being punished with Tatiana's erratic ones... he he he. Oh well, that's life. She's still gorgeous though... Anyway, speaking of which, gonna get her off to sleep so we can get to bed ourselves. Chat soon. "VIC"
November 30th - Here's the latest - We've decided to return to the UK! Now you guys will say we are mad and can't make our minds up and decide what we want... Well, we do know what we want but we can't always have what we want unfortunately... :-( There were many deciding factors for us but the main reason is because Emma's dad has kidney problems and will be starting dialysis in February. The knock on effects are that they can not come to visit every 6 weeks as they have been doing for the past year and this makes things very difficult for Emma and her mum to cope. Emma needs the regular visits from her family as she does miss them and her mum needs to see Emma, Kristina and Tatiana. Emma feels guilty for not being there for her family when they most need support and I felt guilty for keeping them all apart. As much as I wanted to stay here, it simply wasn't fair on everyone else and so, after many many days of deliberation, I bit the bullet and suggested to Emma we return. At first she was saying no but after a bit more thought and talking through it, she decided it was for the best. We are both disappointed (me probably more than Emma) but we will be able to return one day when things are more settled and the time is right. It obviously wasn't meant to be this time round but all is not lost. We made a good investment with the new apartment and we spent a fantastic year so far travelling around the country and enjoying the sunshine. Emma got to experience it first hand and see if she really likes it and now knows exactly what living here is all about and says that under different circumstances, she would have been happy to stay here. So, we have plenty of security for ours and the girls future in Portugal and for our retirement. We will return to the UK and stay with my in-laws for the forseeable future. We will save up for a deposit and buy a 3 bed house somewhere in Buckinghamshire or Cambridgeshire probably as they seem to be nice areas with plenty of countryside and an easy commute to London. I am doing my last year of my degree in English Language and will then do my 1 year teacher training and once that is done, I will hopefully start a new carreer teaching English in secondary education. Emma will in the meantime go back to teaching and that way, when one of us is on holiday, we all are... We will then be able to come and enjoy the sunshine and our lovely apartment for 5 or 6 weeks in the summer or on half terms or whenever we have school hols. We will be taking one of our cars with us and leaving the other here. So when is this all happening I hear you ask (thats if I've not sent you to sleep...) - Well, as soon as we can sort out Holly's pet passport which normally takes about 7 months. We are starting the process on Tuesday by getting her microchipped and giving her her rabies vaccine. So there you go, big news once again from the Torcato's. I won't bore you guys any more for today. Take care and we'll post another update in a few days. Take care. "VIC"
November 26th - Well, new year in Portugal, new blog page... The weather here today is sunny but cold so, I have placed a nice snowy festive background as it's nearly Christmas :-) I am working from home today and have taken a few moments to write today's blog. We all went to where I work last Saturday and it was a glorious day too. I had a sweater on and was roasting but had nothing else on under it so had to put up with the heat. I met up with some tour reps there and when they were gone, i had a walk around the property with Emma and the girls. We walked through the animal park and Kristina baa'd at the sheep and stroked the auburn horse's mane however, the most interesting thing for her were the stones, pebbles and lawn... he he he. Emma had a sit down in the sculpture garden and then I gave her the keys to the manor house for her to have a wander round. She absolutely loved the house and felt very serene after the visit. It is very peaceful there and a lovely place to be when it's sunny... Anyway, nothing else going on with us at the moment. Gonna get changed and pop to the post office and then get some more work done. Chat soon all. Take care. "VIC"
