Well, it's been a while since the last post - I'm really getting quite bad at updating these days. Guess we just have so much going on!
We're all well, just had half term - much needed and we made good use of it by staying in our pj's until far too late, trips out and generally relaxing.I think I'm just going to have to list everything we've been doing or I'll loose momentum halfway through and stop! Here goes . . .
Toby has started playing football one night a week and so far he loves it. He is very motivated by the possibility of getting star of the week and the trophy that accompanies this. So far he's got it twice but is quite indignant when someone else gets it - in his mind he is the best! I'm not sure that Pele would agree but he certainly tries hard.
We have all started Taekwondo twice a week and are enjoying it; Beth is very good at it as she is flexible, quick and has the memory of an elephant. Toby spends the lessons looking anything but concentrated but annoyingly knows all the moves when it comes to graduating! 
Unfortunately I have no photos of us in our uniforms (or costumes as Toby calls them) but there is a Halloween pic of all the kids outside the academy.On the topic of Halloween, I think this is the first year that both kids have designed and mostly carved their own pumpkins. I think they did a pretty good job of it. I always forget how easy and fun carving is, I'll really have to be more organised next year and have a pumpkin carving party for adults (alcohol and knives, what could possibly go wrong . . . ?).
We went to the usual Halloween party at the village hall, appropriately Toby was a devil. Beth was her usual witch. We extended our trick or treat route this year and even ventured in to the extremely scary house (previous years this has included the owner jumping out of a coffin). Neither of the kids was scared in the slightest - I guess when you have a father that hides under your bed well before bed, stays there till you're about to drop off then either jumps out or scratches the wooden bed boards and 'heavy breathes', you don't let the little matter of expected ghosts and ghouls bother you too much!!
Over half term we did a quick overnight ferry trip to Belfast to visit Grandma Ruth. The cabin we got was pretty cool - right at the front in the middle overlooking the bow by the radar. Shame it was so dark that we couldn't really see that much! It was a great weekend, we got to swim in the hotel pool, walk by the shore, go on the pedal swans (Steve managed to deposit his iphone into the lake) and spend some quality time with g'ma Ruth. :)Over half term we also had a few trips out for the day, one of them was to Clumber Park for a bike ride and leaf kick. It was beautiful, slightly foggy, with lots of autumn colours. Despite being a little soggy, we had a fantastic walk/ride and play. It makes me sad that the kids are in school and we can't go more often. I took a few photos of the kids but couldn't resist attempting some 'artistic' ones too.
These last two photos are lovely ones; the one on the left is from a trip to see Great Gran Ess. The other is Beth entertaining herself while Toby was playing football. She was very pleased to manage to swing to the third rope before falling off!
