On one hand, it seems like yesterday and on the other hand, it seems like a lifetime ago, Junior and Mini ESLT (now 8 and nearly 5) joined the team. They have grown and developed into two beautiful, strong-willed, independent and truly loving little girls who complete our family and keep us laughing and learning every single day. Attachments are fully formed and we simply cannot remember life before them (and they certainly do not want to talk about it). Of course, some days make you want to down a bottle of wine, that’s parenting but on the whole, we as a family have hit a great stride and long may it continue, well at least until the teenage years – we’ll cross that bridge when we have too!
Travel
Travel over the last year has by our standards been pretty none existent. One reason for that is that we now have school-age children. If you too have school-age children you will know the astronomical prices travel companies charge for the pleasure. It’s ridiculous. Gone are those £20 return flights to a random Italian city. Now it’s a bazillion pound to spend a week with a million other families and their kids.
However, we are in a lucky position that we both have decent-paying jobs and were still able to escape the everyday a couple of times over the past 12 months.
Last summer we headed out on a road trip incorporating Cornwall, Cardiff, Southampton and The Midlands. It was 12 weeks of great fun and minimal rain, which in the UK is a massive bonus. We got to visit beaches and farms, spend time with Nanna and Grandad (Mr ESLT’s mum and stepdad) and hit up Peppa Pig World, Warwick Castle and Drayton Manor. The UK is beautiful and we are glad that we had the opportunity. It proved to Mr ESLT and I that actually, you don’t need to escape to some far-flung land to have a great time. Quite often it’s about who you are with and not where you are (although that usually helps).
Mr ESLT and I also had our first night away from the kids! Yes, after 2 and a half years, we got the opportunity to escape to a neighbouring city to celebrate Mr ESLT’s birthday (thanks Grandma and Grandpa). It’s amazing how much we used to take simple things like that for granted. At least once a month we would head somewhere to drink too much, eat nice food and relax in a luxury hotel. Therefore, we took the opportunity to enjoy every second and be Vicky and Chris for the evening rather than mummy and daddy. We needed it, more than we realised and hope to be able to do it again very soon.
We also FINALLY got the kid’s on a plane and visited Disneyland Paris. This trip had originally been planned for August 2020 but as we all know Rona came to visit. Therefore we rescheduled for the first week of the Easter holidays over the 30th-anniversary celebrations. Needless to say, it was packed! But we made it work. We stayed at the Newport Bay Hotel which is only a 10-minute walk from the parks, which was ideal for little legs. We took Mini ESLT’s buggy for when she got tired (this was essential). Vicky’s cousin (27) also came with us which was great as it meant an extra pair of adult hands. We all loved it and are already planning our return trip.
Illness
Unfortuanlry the main reason for our limited travel over the past year is the fact that Mr ESLT has been ill. After a couple of years of back and forth to several doctors and many misdiagnoses, he finally got diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer a couple of months ago. It was a long process to get to where he is at the moment, therefore we didn’t want to make too many plans as of course Mr ESLT’s is far more important than travel!
Originally thought to be tonsilitis it morphed quickly into sleep apnea and eventually acid reflux, of which it was none. After failed biopsies and opting for private healthcare, Mr ESLT had a lump the size of a satsuma removed from his throat 2 weeks before Christmas. Further tests and scans insued. The final diagnosis was reached 3 years after his first visit to his GP following a trip to the National Amyloid Centre at the Royal Free Hospital in London – solitary extramedullary plasmacytoma. Only 25 – 30 people in the UK are diagnosed with this type of cancer per year.
He starts 4 weeks of radiotherapy next Monday.
The Future
So, what does the future hold for Team ESLT? Hopefully a lot of wonderful stuff. Following Mr ESLT’s treatment we hope to draw a line under the past three years and live long healthy lives.
We even have some travel plans. Mr ESLT’s mum has hired a lovely bar for the first week of the summer holidays which co-incindes with the last week of Mr ESLT’s recovery time. Therefore, he will get to relax in beautiful surroundings and the kids can have a great time with their grandparents.
We then have a trip to visit Mr ESLT’s mum and stepdad in Cardiff later in the summer holidays. We are keeping this a surprise for the kids. Hopefully Mr ESLT is feeling more like himself and we can have a couple of days out but the kids will just love to see their grandparents.
We have two trips to the UAE planned.
The first one is to Dubai during the October half term. This trip was originally planned for earlier this year but because of everything going on with Mr ESLT we wanted to postpone until a time when he could relax more following treatment. We cannot wait for some fun in the sun as a family.
The second is to Abu Dhabi for Vicky’s 40th birthday (Jesus where have the years gone) next May. Having visited Abu Dhabi before for a luxury holiday, this one will be very different. This time, we are staying on Yas Island and we plan to visit all the theme parks there which we hope the kids will love.
We hope your year has been exciting, especially after the previous two years when Rona restricted us all. Here’s to the next year as a HEALTHY family of four……
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