One thing that made me a little sad the other day was when Mr E said that we had such a lovely holiday and Mads was so happy, however she probably won't remember any of it.  

She really was in her element, she squealed with delight when she was in the pool with her Daddy, and her face lit up every time she had an ice cream (which was frequently!)  She giggled non stop and loved spending time with her little boyfriend H, in fact the whole holiday she was just the happiest we have ever seen her.  After all how often do you get to spend a whole week with your Mummy and Daddy in the sunshine, with them not being as strict about bedtimes and what you eat?  Heaven for a little girl.

However it does make me sad that she won't remember it.  However we can look back on all the photos that we took and say to her that her first holiday abroad was very fun indeed. 

She may not remember it but we willl remember it forever.

Our first holiday as a three.  

Our first holiday as a family.

The thing about holidays is that the second those wheels touch down on to the tarmac it feels like you have never been away.  You get back home to a mountain of washing, a house to tidy and unpaid bills to pay, and it feels like it was a million years ago that you were sitting at the beach, sipping cocktails and chatting outside on the balcony till the early hours.

I was apprehensive about going on holiday- mainly for the fact that it was our first time abroad with Mads.  Little things made me nervous- her sleep routine, the marble stairs in our apartment and having to keep our eyes on her every single second.  Not to mention sun burn, the food and the fact that she might not be able to cope with the heat.

I need not have worried.

From the moment we set foot on our plane a week ago last Wednesday, Mads was an absolute credit to her Mummy and Daddy.  She fell asleep in Daddy's arms for most of the flight, only waking to play 'boo' with an old couple behind us who fell in love with her.

She slept exactly the same as she did at home- 12 hours a night, even though she was in the room with us.  She had long two hour afternoon naps, meaning we could get in some valuable sun tanning/book reading time.  

She ate lots, albeit a lot of rubbish and learnt to completely feed herself over the course of the week.  Perfect as it meant that my beige carpet didn't get a battering in the messy transitional stage.  She wasn't bothered by even attempting to climb the marble stairs and she kept by us at all times, not even trying to run off.

She was a pleasure to be with and we were so proud of her for not letting the heat or the change of routine get to her.  In fact the holiday could not have run much smoother and we had a great time with our friends.  A love affair has truly blossomed between Mads and her little friend H. 

I took a mountain load of photo's, but here is a few snapshots to help preserve the very happy memories of our first proper in a plane holiday as a family.  I have split them into two posts so will publish the next ones another day.

I am so lucky to be able to have been away with my lovely little pair.

We are back from our holiday- just as quick as it came around our week in Spain is over.  We touched down at the airport yesterday afternoon after a very bumpy flight. 

Our holiday was everything we thought it would be- perfect.  Good fun, lots of laughs with friends, a lot of firsts and above all a chance to relax and spend time as a family away from the distractions of every day life- phones, blogging, laptops and the television.

I have come back feeling rejuvinated, refreshed and so pleased to have made such lovely memories to cherish of Mads first time abroad.  

I will be blogging lots about our holiday- there were 1034 photos taken on two cameras, and a lot of memories to document, but right now I am panicking about unpacking, washing, and getting ready for Brit Mums Live this weekend.  

Welcome home to us!