Holidays, and back to earth with a bump

Ugh, school has started. I keep thinking "this time last week we were....."

<-----Here.

We had a wonderful week in Kent, with the beach at the end of our shingle road, a row of beach huts, a tea room, paper shop and a pub. What more did we need! We swam in the sea every day and slept soundly each night. It seemed very very dark without streetlights, and so peaceful. It was fantastic to sit outside and look up at the full moon.

Still, the week had to end and suddenly I was doing last-minute label sewing, buying forgotten school equipment (and then finding it after I'd bought a second lot) and catching up on household chores. H&C went back to school with no problems (although C has cried a little!). I miss them, but I don't miss running after them constantly tidying and re-tidying!

C has moved up another class, but she told me last night that she preferred being in the nursery, but wanted to be able to wear her dress. Isn't it hard telling your children that although they don't like doing something, they kinda have to? I remember when H started at his new school, he HATED it, and me. But we made the right decision, he just wouldn't be persuaded at the time (he is stubborn like his mother!) Now he absolutely loves it, he couldn't wait to get back and see his friends.

I'm sure C will get to that stage eventually (I hope!). Until then, bribery of "Bravery Awards" (a pink Stephanie from Lazytown Wig and Dress) and chocolate fish from Waitrose seem to be keeping the tears at bay. I haven't forgotten H, he was awarded a Kindness award at school this week, for not only being kind to his friends, but for checking up on his sister every break time - a much longed-for Batman game for his Leapster is on its way. They will come down from earth with a bump next week when homework starts and it's carrot sticks and fruit on the way home!!

The Joy of School Holidays....

I love having the kids around. OK, so they may bicker, make lots of mess and wear me out to the point of exhaustion, but I love having them around! On Monday we spent practically all day in the garden, laying under the tree, reading, playing football, making camps and generally lazing about.

On Tuesday we went to the cinema to see Evan Almighty (very good). Yesterday we went to a garden centre to buy plants for one of our borders and spent the afternoon planting. I'd forgotten how relaxing being in the garden can be. Now all I have to do is buy some slug pelletts so the buggers don't eat everything. I'm sure my neighbour slings them over the fence as we've had them in epidemic proportions this year!

Today we were at the park and the kids didn't stop running, cycling and playing for 5 solid hours. Needless to say they were in bed and asleep by 7 o'clock! Days are flying by and soon they will be back at school (groan). The school run isn't a favourite pastime, and we'll have to get used to getting dressed before midday and not making chocolate brownies in our jammies.

We still have lots of other activities planned - painting, more baking, a visit to Kew Gardens, a PYO farm, Thames Barrier Park (shame about the fountains though!) and then it'll be off to the coast for another week. Lovely.

Oh, and I'm swimming the channel! Not literally, but 1760 lengths of my local pool in order to raise money for ASPIRE. That should get me fit.

Happy Days.

A Driftwood Heart....

This is my latest acquisition, a heart made entirely out of driftwood from the Cornish coast. Combining my two favourite items, I spied it in a shop and R rolled his eyes and laughed, knowing I had to have it! I said he could buy it for my birthday, but my parents bought it instead. R seemed to think I had enough driftwood to make one of my own, but it would take me another year to collect enough - and I can't wait that long.

I love it, and even though R and my Dad were silent when I asked "Isn't it beautiful" I think it is. They just have no taste!!

It's in the family room on the wall at the moment, but once THE extension is done, it will go in our room.

Not just driftwood floating on the water now.....

St Mawes

This was the view from our cottage, and the two rainbows were a bonus.

We had a fantastic holiday in St Mawes and the weather wasn't actually too bad! When we arrived I thought we were in for bad weather as the sea leapt over the wall and soaked R as he got the cases in from the car...however we had two days of awful rain and the rest were nice and sunny with a few spots of rain, creating the most gorgeous rainbows.

There was so much to do. We went to The Eden Project, The National Maritime Museum, Goonhilly Satellite Station, St Mawes and Pendennis Castles, also a ferry trip to Falmouth on a gorgeous evening for fish and chips, long days on the beach and loads of cream teas and ice cream (mint-choc-chip mmmm). There is still plenty to do again so I'm sure this won't be our last visit.

St Mawes is actually quite a quiet village (well, it was when we were there!) and the views were breathtaking. I love the sea and we miss waking up to seeing the tide go in (or out) and the salty air as you walk down the road to get a paper and a fabulous Almond Croissant or Pain au Chocolate from Cafe Chandlers.

The children enjoyed their room with the sea view and spent most of the time pretending they lived on a boat.

I want to go away again......

Wool and Children

I escaped to the living room with my knitting, only to be followed by one of my small people incessantly asking questions about a. what I was up to and b. was that a flapjack sticking out of my mouth. I didn't want to reply (well I couldn't at that precise moment because of the flapjack) that I was actually trying to escape and knit a few rows of my bag. I am learning to knit, so this bag is taking an awfully long time. As small person stood next to me, she peered into my Monsoon bag and gasped at all the lovely green balls. I fished out my knitting and got started and was so engrossed in trying to keep hold of both needles while trying to knit, when suddenly small person said 'uh-oh' and then ran off. I looked down at my lap and she had unravelled the ball of wool attached to my not-yet-a-bag and turned it into a messy green heap on my lap. I then spent the next 20 minutes making it back into a ball, muttering that I could have at least knited one row in the time it took me to sort that out. Smallest small was sorry, with a sly grin on her face. "That was funny" she said.