Bootcamp (break) update

With our Twins at the open air swimming pool in Martzol, Austria.

So I have had one gianourmous, 7 week blip!

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I detest my fat legs (cheers mum for the genetics there) so the photo above is quite daring for me.

Yes, I have put on weight.

The contributing factors to this steady, weekly demise are as follows:

Holidays

Late nights

children eating snacks

Prague- fried snacks and wine

Austria-Pretzels,fresh baked rolls, chips and strawberry beer and chocolate

Too tired to actually care!

Hmm

First week I suffered HUGE guilt, so much so I contacted my gym leader, now even she said R-E-L-A-X , so Zara, I blame you!

After this, all was downhill.

I am now left 10 lbs heavier and not fitting two pairs of shorts and some trousers!

Oh dear.

Never mind I have enjoyed my roll of crap food.

On the downside my body has not.

I won't elaborate, suffice to say the toilet and I have seen more of each other lately!

I have been much more tired, bloated and sluggish and completely lacking in energy (although I have been ill since July as well).

Eating crap, means you crave it more. Vicious circle.

So next week the children return to school and I return to my diet.

The fish is bought, and the veggies.

I need to start cooking up healthy snacks and drinking water again.

I need to drag myself back to the gym again and get into some routine there as well.

And so Bootcamp diet blog commences again.

You see we all have a few blips (unless we are Victoria Beckham!)

The School Trip?

Showing Ruzena Abigail's wedding photos.

We receieved a birthday card for the twins today from their old, Czech childminder Ruzena, who we affectionatly call 'babi Ruzena' because she is like a grandmother to my children.
This summer we were thrilled to be able to once again visit her, whislt we were in Prague.
She now lives in a lovely flat, in a purpose built complex for old people.
At 75 she is quite young, as the residents go.
We all rolled up in our van, mindful of the sudden noise and commotion we were about to create.
Apperently she had already warned the neighbours who were out in show to greet us.
We had a lovely evening with her and as always her warmth and kindness will linger in our hearts.
Today, alongside her birthday card, was a letter.
It made us howl with laughter.
When asked by the residents who these people were, they simply could not believe we were all one family. They thought as we had appeared in the van, that it was a school trip from England to visit old people in the Czech Republic!
Well, we have been called many things, but a teenage school trip is certainly a new addition!

The screen saver.

Luke got a new ipod touch for his 16th Birthday today.

 He came into our bedroom beaming.

'I have downloaded the cutest screen saver, look'.

It was a photo I took on holiday of his 16 month old brother, Caleb, who he is devoted too.

I was touched. My 'nearly man' sized boy, cool, trendy and handsome having his screen saver as his baby brother.

Caleb is very fortunate to have him as an older brother I think!

We're back!

The Mirable Gardens, Salzburg.

Finally, roughly 2,600 miles later, 24 days and about 6 countries later we have arrived home.

It has taken all week to sort out the car, the laundry, all the children's clothes along with the twins recieveing their GCSE results, and taking Bella to her sixth form induction day!

The washing machine broke on the first load, the drum, so we have had to get a new one. In the meantime we took a trip to the laundrette, and managed all the hoilday washing in two loads!

Drying it, inbetween the showers was more problematic!

Everything seems to have broken recently!

We have had to proritise.

We have been without the cooker since January. It is surprising what you can cook on three gas rings for 12 people!

The hairdryer started smoking , then full on fire on holiday. Five miserable teens meant a new one was definatly in order!

Simon's car broke in July and we have juggled jobs with one car since then. We have tried to think outside the box to save money, but have realsied we will need two cars to manage our work commitements, so are now on the look out with a week to go!

So next week looks as mad, with charity boxes to deliever, uniforms and school equipment to be bought, the twins 16th birthday celebrations and an on going list of jobs to complete before the summer ends!

More photos about our trip to follow........

We had a great time!

Beavan Family Road Trip 2012

Some of the children by Prague Castle and The River Vlatava.

The annual road trip is now underway!
I am making the most of the free wi fi that we have here in Prague, as the next part is in a remote village, up a mountainside in Austria so access will be more limited.
Well, getting ready for our holiday this year was most defiantly eventful to say the very least.
Simon's car, sadly went to car heaven as the bill to repair it was more than the car was worth. That took us down to one car, which we then had to share for work, alternating between this and public transport.
This all added a considerable amount of time into our day.

Jono, Mair, Caleb and Anya on a little steam train

Capped with a lot of illness, including myself, and then my car ending up in 5 garages in the two weeks running up to our holiday, along with the passport fiasco, meant we were the most unprepared and disorganised we have ever been.
Still, we managed to get away, thankfully.
We have cut our cloth accordingly and cut short the London part of our trip as the car bill was eye watering.

Two very hot and miserable babies

We arrived in Prague on Monday, after staying a night in a lovely rest house we have found in France. It still meant we had to drive 1000 km the next day in order to arrive. Oddly enough we lost the most time trying to find out apartment , around the new one way system, road works and darkness!
Over the years of travelling year in , year out with an increasing number of children, we have at least got packing and unpacking down to a fine art, so were soon settled into out 'penthouse' apartment.
Great views, no air! scary balcony!

One very hot mummy (you can see my legs from behind the buggy!!!!)

The lovely thing about coming back to Prague is the fact that everything is so familiar, we can speak some Czech, know the streets like the back of our hand and can travel around without causing too much of a fuss.

Babi Ruzena in the background. Tea at her flat.

On the downside, it's been 33 degrees here in the daytime and 25-28 at night, so it has been pretty exhausting dragging everyone around a city, which is why we wisely booked it this we y first, so that when we reach Austria we can hopefully relax a little more.

Ruzena's Flat with buckets full of water for the children to play with.

I have got many tips on travelling with children over seas, built up over 20 years from both holidays and also living in Prague for 5 years as an adult and Germany for a year as a child. Hopefully in the not so distant future I intend to do something with all this information so watch this space!
So it's our last day in Prague tomorrow.

Curly Caleb!

Agile Anya!

It's been fantastic to see old friends and for the children to re acquaint themselves with the place some of them spent their early years. Prague has changed and developed hugely from when we lived here nearly 18 years ago. Every time we come back we can see this is the way the shops have changed, shopping malls have been built, little (not so politically correct) stalls and shops have been removed and still development goes on.

Luke taking photos in Old Town Square

I must admit I miss the quaintness and the slightly run down feel it had all those years ago. It had a rather deep, dark mystery about it all back then, now it is rather more sanitised. Back then, there were curiosities and quirks around every corner, now everything is rather more predictable.

My lovely family

 I will always look back fondly to the years spent here, to the opportunities my children had, and to the friends we made here. We all shared such a unique experience that has had such a long lasting effect on us all.
Prague we love you!

Thank Goodness for water fountains!