Five days with the Lanas

I spent five days with a family who I have become firms friends - the Lanas. Included in this family were two children aged five and two. Their mother is French, their father is Brazilian and they converse in English. This means that they speak three languages. The two year old can speak more languages than I can! This makes me feel somewhat inadequate. Something clearly needs to be done.

Anyway, family is made up of G (my age, lady ), C (aged two and a half) and L (aged five ). They are lovely people who have welcomed me into their home after only having known me for about five days. Their house has a beautiful view, a lovely dog and a sub zero temperature which has had me sleeping in 2 jumpers. 

G is my age. She likes eating cheese and drinking wine. We get on very well which I am very grateful for - my Portuguese is completely crap so making friends is not hugely easy, and I am not working and neither is she. 

Anyway, here is what my five days of them consisted of:

Hanging out with children...constantly.

So as I said, L is 5...very bright, very cheeky, likes to hide my book while I go to the toilet and show me her 'babies'(dolls or any toy at hand or her 2 year old sister).

C is 2. She is a wide eyed mini person who likes to shriek a lot. She has a side line in 'painting' or rather colouring in my nails with a felt tip pen. 

Not having children myself, I have become quite overwhelmed with just how much energy it takes to keep L and C entertained - because you see, they can play as much as they like but they like it more when you pay attention. ('look Kizzie! Look Kizzie! Look Kizzie!).

 I think perhaps the most concerning game that was played is when I was 'locked' in prison (C's cot) because I had stolen a baby because my other baby had died in a fire. L has a darker mind than the writers of Eastenders. While L (Kat Moon) told me off constantly telling me (Ronnie Mitchell) that I would never EVER escape, C acted as the nasty prison guard chucking things at me (an additional character not originally involved in the Eastenders storyline) . Then dinner was ready so it was OK. Games have become a bit less heavy since then. Think L was coming down with something...

The Lana's house sits on a very steep hill above the town. It feels like you're in the countryside. Here are some pics and views from their house.