The heart of summer - just past half way

Anna with her friend Katy

Whilst the daily institution of the afternoon film is playing, I get a chance to write.  And what a wise person that was who institutionalised that in summer holidays!  With little ones still waking around 6am and older ones not going to bed until after 9pm, it's a little tiring.  All good though with 2 swims a day if needed, no morning rush and lots of time to simply play, create and relax.  This can only go on for so long, however, before the effects of no routine and sometimes boredom set in. It's been particularly hot and humid these last few weeks, the sort of heat that saps you and just makes you want to sleep.  The Cypriots deal with the heat in the normal way - a long siesta in the afternoon and then the place comes alive in the evenings.  We continue to try with somewhat limited success to get our kids into this groove!

Weekend with friends at a lovely house near Paphos 

Since the end of June, we've had lots of time at home together, various play-overs with friends and a few trips to the beach.  Fortunately it hasn't been the deathly slow July that last year was, purely because we're much more settled here now and know what to expect. Some days have been difficult to find anything happening (nothing is open for kids until 4pm!) and other days have been all a bit too social with far too many kids in our apartment and me flopping into bed at 8.30pm wondering "how did today end up so crazy?"  Sam & Anna have been at home with me, whilst Jessie spent 2 weeks at a gymnastics summer school and Gus attended his school summer programme complete with rock climbing, swimming and football.  Ross travelled for about 10 days in total this month and I went snooping around for houses to rent that have a yard for the kids to play in.  You never know, next blog might be from a different house!


Only one more week until we head off on holidays for a month.  First we will spend a few days in Cyprus at a lovely old village house by the sea which has kindly been offered by some friends. Following that, we travel to western Europe to spend time in Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium.  It will be good to have a decent break as a family; our first longer holiday together in quite a while.  


A few recent pictures of life in summer holidays over the past month:

Cyprus coast near Aphrodite's Rock

Aphrodite's Rock

Siesta time.......