September Update

Wow, September gone already!! Managed to cram lots in this month so just an overview or I'll be writing forever.

At the beginning of the month (Sept 6) , the kids were back to school/pre-school. Beth started in year one (grade one) and Toby went into his final year of pre-school before he starts reception (kindergarten) next September (how did that happen?!?). Neither had any problem settling back in although Beth has made rather a lot of comments that school is now rather hard. I think she's finding that there isn't quite the emphasis on play that there was last year, especially since she is in a mixed year one/two class (the school is pretty small with only 10 year two children and 20 year one kids - a total of 105 children in the whole school).

One of the first topics they are covering is toys. The homework last week was to set up a toy shop and practice making up the correct amounts for the cost of each toy. You can see the shopkeepers ready for their customers. I can't help but feel a little dread every time I see Beth's pink homework book as I know that it'll mean homework for me too!

Shortly following that, on Sunday 11th, was the village gardening show. As a new member of the gardeners association I thought I'd dive right in and enter a few bits from the veg patch. It made me realise that I have rather a long way to go . . . The classes I entered in were runner beans, cabbage, longest runner bean, three-veg selection and onions. I probably should have entered in the disaster vegetable instead! It was very interesting to look at everyone's produce and chat with them. I found that two men tend to win everything every year - one works in the gardens of a large estate and the other is retired and grows stuff specifically for shows.

I guess as someone just throwing things in the ground and hoping something will pop up, I didn't do so bad! I was at the veg patch yesterday watering the newly planted onions and garlic and had a look at what's still 'producing'. We still have runner beans, dwarf French beans, beetroot, cabbage, baby sweet corn, butternut squash, tomatoes and onions (of which we have 70 left in the ground as I have no where to put them to dry out!). We also have brussel sprouts nearly ready, purple sprouting broccoli (though I'm not quite sure what it's doing) and parsnips getting bigger by the day. I'm happy with that!

Keeping on the subject of producing your own food, the pigs made an escape at the beginning of the month. It seems the battery for the electric fence got a little weak and the pigs took advantage of it, pushed through that then using their snouts, pushed out one of the massive fence posts and off they went. Unfortunately for them they ran two miles down the road and ended up at a pig farm - very bad luck! After some repairs to the fences, they were brought rather unwillingly back home. After that little escapade, their meeting with our freezer has been brought forward - think they will be going to their new home a week on Monday.

We meant to use the summer holidays to catch up with all our friends in the far corners of Britain. Unfortunately we didn't quite manage it and a couple of our rendezvous spilled over into September. So, on Sunday 18th we went to Chatsworth House and Gardens to meet up with my friend from University, Holly and her family (hubby, son Rafferty and step-daughter Naomi). We were lucky and got a sunny day rather than the forecast rain. We decided not to go into the house as three young children and lots of breakables don't always mix!

As it turned out, the gardens were plenty big enough to fill a day. There was a maze which Toby managed to get us out of very quickly - he ran off and we had to run to catch him or else he might have been lost for a while but he picked all the right turns! There was also a cascade waterfall, rock garden, kitchen gardens (I could have spent ages in there!) and lots of sculptures. Among the sculptures were two by Damien Hirst; the one in the photo is called 'Legend' and was created this year. Have to say that I wasn't overly fussed by it - looked quite nice in the setting but just wasn't my kind of thing, sorry Damien!

Last weekend, Sunday 25th, we went to Eureka in Halifax (about an hours drive away) to meet up with cousins Adam and William. We have talked about going for a while but never quite made it but it was definitely worth the trip. Although some of the concepts were above Beth and Toby's level, there was plenty for them to do. I didn't take many photos as the light wasn't great and we were just too busy playing. :) I think we'll go back again at some point, perhaps when Beth is doing some school project and we can't quite pull an explanation together - Eureka can answer all her questions. :)

All our trips are just about shared with the exception of one this past Wednesday when Toby and I went to Sherwood Pines and met up with a childhood friend of mine, Sarah, and her two children Abigail (same age as Toby) and Charlotte (six weeks old). I was a little unsettled by how obsessed Toby was with Charlotte - he just wanted to stroke her cheek and cup her face in his hands. He was also desperate to hold her but there just wasn't a soft and bouncy enough place! I did wonder if a request would come in for a new brother or sister but when I asked Toby if he would like that, he just laughed and said "That would be silly!". Very glad to see we're on the same page. The kids had a great time clambering on the tree trunks, climbing up the giant mushrooms and eating ice cream. Beth was more than a little put out that she wasn't allowed to miss school and come with us, don't blame her, I know where I'd rather be!

Thought I'd just finish off with a salute to our very hot weather this week. On Friday and Saturday, in our garden it reached 29 degrees C/84 degrees F - not bad for October, we even broke out the paddling pool. :)

Ireland Part III (Days Out)

We did manage to fit a few other things in among beach days and the wedding. One place we managed to spend a couple of days was The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum in Holywood. We got free trial passes in an offer from one of the Sunday papers and they definitely got good use! The museums are separate but situated on the same site so on our first trip we managed to do both.

Beth loved the Folk Museum as all of the houses were furnished, some had fires lit and quite a lot of them had people all dressed up ready to answer questions and demonstrate stuff. I have to say that the first trip was mainly taken up with them running wildly between houses, shops, banks, schools, sweet shops, etc. generally causing chaos!

It was pretty impressive the amount of detail and care that had gone into every building - kinda wasted on kids. ;) Despite making it back for a second trip, I'd quite like to go back without the kids sometime just to have a proper look at everything and appreciate the attention to detail - can't imagine that happening since both Beth and Toby continue asking to go back.

The Transport Museum was also worth seeing and of course was Toby's favourite. He was rather obsessed with the orange Herbie car and was very reluctant to leave it - said it would be lonely! Again I enjoyed wandering round, the trains were impressive and the Titanic exhibition was pretty interesting. I suspect that Beth enjoyed playing on the trains, planes and motorbikes just as much as 'playing' at the folk museum but she would vehemently deny this if asked! Anyway, a very successful introduction to museums.

Steve took his bike over with us so he could do a few rides. I don't think he quite did the mileage he wanted but he did get out for a long ride on one day. I was going to drive to meet him for lunch at the end of this ride but on the way, to entertain the kids I took them to Castle Espie wetlands. I had been as a child and had good memories of it and hopefully Beth and Toby will have the same.

They seemed to have a great time. Don't think we really saw that many birds - apart from the ducks and geese we fed, the others didn't stick around once they heard us coming! We did rather a whistle stop tour and could have spent quite a bit longer there, another place the kids just keep asking to go back to.

The last little outing we went on was to Exploris, the aquarium in Portaferry. The last time we went to an aquarium it was using our season tickets at the Long Beach aquarium. This one was rather like a poor cousin in comparison but the kids enjoyed it all the same since they had nothing in memory to compare it to. We did two loops of the entire aquarium as it didn't take very long. Toby made friends with a stingray - it kept popping up to say hello. :)

I think it was a great summer holiday - must have been since the kids just want to go back to all the places we've been, hope we can match it next year!

One last little bit. Toby has got quite into his drawing recently so I thought it would be nice to highlight it. Here he is with his picture of a scooter. :)

Ireland Part II (The Wedding)

The wedding seems a long time past now, I'm sure it does to Rebecca and Ian who are back from their honeymoon to Malta and back to work!

Beth was pretty excited about the prospect of being a bridesmaid/flower girl and loved the dress we chose for her. She was a little apprehensive about knowing what to do but was reassured because there would be three other bridesmaids, all grown-up and one my cousin Miriam.

On the morning of the wedding we headed to headquarters to have Beth's hair done and pick up her flowers. She loved watching everyone get their make-up put on, hair preened and dresses fitted. I may have got my face painted slightly - as most of you'll know, I'm not very talented when it comes to make-up application so jumped at the offer! Beth's hair looked lovely - I was a little skeptical as to whether it would last the day but apart from the loosening of curls, it did pretty well.

After a quick lunch we all threw on our glad rags and headed to the church (the same church where my parents were married). :) Everyone looked very glamourous and the bride of course looked fab. The ceremony was lovely and went without a hitch (certainly less tears than at the rehearsal!). There were a few tears from the youngest bridesmaid on the way back up the aisle - I think the excitement of the day started to catch-up with her a bit. Thankfully that didn't last long.

After a run round outside the church, a few photos and some magic tricks from Auntie Jane's friend Rob, we headed to Clandeboye Lodge for the reception. Beth's favourite part of the day was outside at the reception kicking a ball around with grandma and grandpa, hanging off trees and generally hurtling around screaming with all the other young guests!

The meal was easily the best had at a wedding (apart from our own of course) even if the long wait for it meant us stealing the kids food . . . After a short interlude it was time for the first dance (You Got It - Roy Orbison) then lots of dancing. Beth and I danced and danced, and Toby, after a little dancing, passed out on Daddy! A fun day and hopefully the first in a long and happy marriage of Rebecca and Ian. :)

Ireland Part I (Beaches)

We've been back from Ireland a week already and I am only just finding a few minutes to pull together a few photos and write about our holiday. We were over there for almost two weeks with my cousin Rebecca's wedding right in the middle. As you can imagine we have quite a few photos, especially from the wedding so I think I'll have to split the blog post up or else I'll get totally bogged down and never actually get it done!

Before we went, Beth's main focus of the holiday was to spend lots of time on the beach. Thankfully the weather was pretty good and we managed quite a few trips and grandma & grandpa also took them a fair bit. My favourite beach trip was to Crawfordsburn Beach, a very pretty little cove with Great Grandma Ruth's hospital overlooking it (she was a nurse there, though it has now been converted into apartments).

We spent quite a long time building sandcastles, collecting shells, paddling and in Steve and my case, drinking a flask of coffee. Very pleasant! After that we packed the buckets and spades back in the car, got out the bikes and rode along the beach path all the way to Grandma Ruth's. The weather was fab and it was a perfect morning.

The other beach trips weren't quite so warm and enjoyable (for us at least since the kids wouldn't have noticed if it was raining and blowing a gale). Steve made sure that there was no sitting round building the average sandcastle - he had the kids digging channels and moats, all very technical. :)

We did try to get an extra few hours at the beach in Seaton Carew (last photo on the right) once we came home. It was a little chilly and windy but the kids still managed to have a ball.