June 2014

Again, cannot believe how quickly the days fly by and that we are in the second half of the year already.

Looking back over June:

"School" has now finished until September.  After B sat her last exam for the year on the 13th of June we decided to finish for the summer.

We then took a short break to Dorset

Looking for Fossils on Charmouth Beach

In the sea

Rockpooling

Crazy Golf Pirate Style

Christchurch Priory

Highcliffe Castle

 Highcliffe Beach

 Isle of Wight

It was also M's birthday while we were away and  we were extremely lucky to have such lovely weather, which lasted all week.

The rest of June has been taken up with the allotment

and of course watching the World Cup - still getting over Englands very early exit :-(

Loving the rain at the moment......

Because it means that the sewage blockage  at the rear of our property gets washed away by the rain!

It really is rank - we have been promised though, that they will start work on the rotting sewage pipes next week.

Anyway.


We got a new cat

Bettie

There was an add in the local newsagents to say that Bettie needed a new home, so we went to meet her and she took to us immediately, so we bought her home.

Our other cat was a bit annoyed to say the least, but she seems to be getting used to her now.

Amelia

Athletics

D won the Devon School Trials, with a great throw of 32.68, which puts him in the top 20 for his age group in the UK, and No 1 in the South West. He now goes onto the Devon Championships in June.

H.E.
B took her first ever exam - iGCSE English (Specification B).  She thinks she did OK, but as always, its difficult to tell.  She is now having the weekend off before making a start revising for her GCSE Maths exam..

J has been busy, with his new reading books and jigsaws, drawing, playing and baking

Making Jam Tarts

We made the most of the nice weather, making time to go to the allotment, where J has his own patch

Planting Potatoes

Watering

Digging

Also went to the sea-side, where J had a great time in the play area next to the beach

Climbing

On the Swan Pedal Boat with his Dad

Enjoying an ice cream

(its worth mentioning that we didn't get this ice cream from our usual place, because in one of the raging storms during the Winter, the Ice Cream Kiosk we normally visit almost got washed into the sea

To top it off, an old military smoke grenade was then found underneath, which dated back to the Second World War!

I'm off now to prepare for J's birthday tomorrow, B has made him an amazing Sponge Bob Square Pants Cake, which I will post a photo of  when finished!

Bonfire night and walks in the rain

Despite the rain this week, we have managed to get out and about, including going to an organised Firework Display, something the children have never done before, as we have always had a big enough garden for a bonfire.  Was quite good though

M and I took J for a walk and a scooter along the sea front, and it was very wet and windy, certainly blew all the cobwebs away as they say

This coming  week is the build up (there is always so much build up) for my Daughters Birthday, she will be 15 years old (and of course is going on 18).

Tomorrow  -  off to the Rugby Club the first round of the Cup - thinking it will be a difficult game in very muddy conditions.   KO is at 11.02am, after we have all observed the two minute silence.

Two week round up

Or is it three - lost track of time.

Well. we have been on holiday, the weather wasn't great to start with, but we still all had a great time.

We arrived early Monday afternoon, unpacked and then headed straight for the pool.  This is the first time that James has been swimming since he was diagnosed with Epilepsy.  I have to say I was petrified.  But  the joy on his face made up for that

On Tuesday it rained ALL day.  We went into Bodmin and caught the steam train - the kids loved this as it was very Harry Potter

We also braved the weather and went into Bodmin town centre and had a look around the museum.

Then back to Michaelstowe again for another session in the pool.

On Wednesday we went for a quick stroll on the beach in Polzeath

Weather had improved slightly, bit cold and windy, but no rain.

In the afternoon we stayed on site, played rugby, tennis, frisbee, crazy golf, went swimming and managed to go to the park as the equipment had finally dried off.

On Thursday - sunshine, hurray, not quite warm enough for the beach though so we decided to go to The Hidden Valley, which is a bit like The Crystal Maze and a Treasure Hunt.


You get a special treasure map, then you have to get the codes and look for artefact's in various "huts" including finding codes from locked safes, and ringing the code through for another clue in an old red telephone box - which was quite funny as my children wondered what on earth "pips" were.
Eventually you find the crystal, and you have to do the final challenge in the vault.

Also there was a secret garden and maze, mini steam train, which Danny fell off, miniature railway, squirting fountain and a hobbit trail.

(I think that if they had this at our HE Group, a few members would have liked to see me in it)

Mike went and paid a little extra for us to stay en extra day - forecast was looking good.

Friday - sunny, off to the beach.

Then back to the site for some more swimming, bike rides, park and sunbathing

Then back to Devon to enjoy the Heat Wave.

Lou x