Friday 14th August

Treatment all went very smoothly and according to plan again today. Tobes was put under just after 8 am and I was called back for him at 9am. We were back at the flat by 10.30. The plan was to do some food shopping before Kyle and Sam came out for the weekend, and do a spot of tidying up, so the time we spent with them could be doing more interesting things.

Frau Monica, the manager of the flats here, called at about 11am with the opportunity of us moving flat. She knew we wanted a bigger flat, and although this was the same size (still only a 1-bedroom flat, and the same room layout) we took a look, and it definitely felt a better option. The nature of the furniture and how it was arranged made the flat feel a lot bigger, and the dining table had 4 chairs not 2, so at least when Kyle and Sam came out we could all sit down together for meals. Of course then the reality of moving flat set in! Down 3 flights of stairs and up 5 flights of stairs from one flat to the other. Not just everything we'd packed for 6 weeks, but the food in the cupboards, fridge etc. And with the temperature outside nearly 30 degrees, it made for a good work out!

Tobes was bribed to sit still with a DVD of Roary the Racing Car on the laptop while I nipped out and back between the two flats. Halfway in though, his attention was turned to 'helping' me. Shame anything heavier than a box of cereal was beyond him when it came to the stairs...and actually, even a box of cereal was too large for him to then hold on to the banister! Finally got finished about 4pm! Quick nip across the border to get some groceries (so much cheaper in Germany but got to be careful about customs - limits are v low on things like milk even) and then dinner, bath and bed for Tobes. I'd have to wake him at 9pm to go and collect Sam and Kyle from the airport.

The flight from Birmingham was on time, and it was great to see them both and us all be back together. How you can take the obvious stuff for granted. When I asked Sam if he'd missed us, he replied steadily that he'd been much too busy to miss us. A day out with a friend of mine and her children, 3 days at nursery and a day with another friend all seemed to go down well. I know I should be grateful he seems unfazed by it all so far.