Ah Love...

Devon has his first crush. When he brought home a certificate from school for being the "most improved in behaviour", I knew something was up. The next he day he brought a Christmas present home, from Sian. A week later he asked if we could get her a diamond necklace for Christmas, "because she's always wanted one".

Yeah, well, me too kid. You buy your mother one first, ok?

He listens to her favorite music on repeat. I tell you that kid is GONE for her. It is so cute. He is only ten after all.

Olivia's arch nemesis, Brooke *please, say it with dripping disdain* has moved away over Christmas and she couldn't be happier. Brooke's sidekick, Kimberley has apparently "gotten used" to Olivia, now. BUT, there is a new girl at school, Lauren, who is very nice but who Ebonie says that Olivia can only play with on alternating days. My advice that she tell Ebonie to shove it was not gratefully received and so I told her she should tell Ebonie that she likes her very much and wants to be her friend, but that they can all play together, she doesnt think it's very nice of her to tell her who she can or can't play with. Which is the nice way of saying "Shove it, Ebonie."

Rafe continues to be a toddler, doing toddler things. He won't let us feed him any more, and is very particular about what he does eat. Fruit? No. Meat? No. Veg? No. Chocolate? Yes. Toast? Yes. At Grandma and Grandpa's he won't eat unless he's fed and it's on toast. No talking yet. We do get the occasional "Kitty" and "Mummmmm", sometimes he says "Da"

We've had a cold snap the last week. They were forcasting snow, but only Scotland and the Yorkshire area enjoyed the white stuff. We endured bitter temperatures, freezing wind, and plain old rain, down this way. I had to laugh when I went to wash my windshield at a gas station at 3:30 in the afternoon and found the squeegie was encased in a two inch thick block of frozen washer fluid.

And finally, we took the Christmas tree down last night. The poor thing had expired at somepoint in the week, despite daily watering, and everytime I brushed it, millions of pineneedles fell to the floor. A thoroughly depressing site.

Now, we ready the house for inspection in two weeks. *sigh* Renting Sucks.