Happy New Year

First January 1 in a long time that I haven't had a bit of a hangover...

Took the children to the Uncles for a sleepover. They always spend a day there after Christmas to take all their toys and presents to show Tony, who is at home in Durham every Christmas Day.

They took a lot of stuff and within five minutes of arrival their sitting room was covered in stuff and Betsy was sitting on Tony's shoulders reading him extracts from A Children's Miscellany. Al was playing Keith his Scooby Doo / Hobbit movie from his camera.

They will come home exhausted. They don't stay up late when they are though, the boys can't take it!

Came home and went into a whirlwind of tidying and cleaning. I don't know if it sounds Scroogey to take your tree down on Jan 1, but it's actually because I love Christmas that I do it, not because I don't. When I was a kid I always hated having to go back to school when the decorations were still up. It seemed like they were mocking me!

So, decs away, tree in the garden, house clean and tons of sorting done! Went for a run at about 2, and I couldn't believe how busy it was in the park! Almost crowded on the main paths. Car parks overflowing all down the approaches with cars parked on the grass on both sides. I have never seen it like that before, not even on boiling hot weekends in the summer holidays.

I go there so often and - especially on winter mornings - there are so few people around it seems strange when it's actually busy. Lots of new bikes and scooters, skateboards and a couple of kites.

As the children are staying at Jeremy's tonight we made the most of it and went to the pub. We are both looking forward to 2013 and have lots of exciting plans and resolutions!