I'm still upset about the kittens... but I'm also enjoying the holiday. A small break before the big house renovation project.

My dads really poorly. The doctor's don't think he'll be retunring home. Adam has promised to take Raven to see him at the hospital. He'll probably never get to see Arthur.

Raven's been so very good on this holiday. I've been so proud of her. She's also begun saying words she never said before - she's discovered the -sh- sound and will say 'shoes' and 'fish'. We bought her a pair of expensive but very hot red boots for winter. We had her feet proper measured and all, so I don't mind spending a bit of money on her footwear. Besides, we buy everything else for her second hand, so we can 'afford' to get her some nice and foot-healthy shoes.

Although I've enjoyed the holiday, I am looking forward to going home as well. Look forward to seeing our big red house, my mum, Jan, Angel and our little yellow house (in no particular order). My mum says she'll come to see us on the Saturday we return, so that'll be nice. I wonder if Raven will recognise her.

Speaking of which, Raven's just got so much more confident and better with strangers than she was a couple of weeks ago. Still wary, but happy to give a big cheeky smile to everyone new she meets. She even goes over to her aunts and uncles now. It's so nice. Her grandmother and grandfather has also got loads better at being grandparents to Raven since we've been over. It's nice we've been able to stay here, because they would never have got to even this level of 'intimacy' with her if we'd stayed somewhere else.

Don't know how we're going to fit all the bringing-back stuff in the car.

We're cooking tonight, so I better go see to it.