Sunday, 29 April 2018

Easter holidays, part 3: Just the three of us!

So with Hubby back at work for the final week of the Easter holidays, it was up to me to entertain the kids...and the dog! Again, we stayed close to home because of the pup, but we had a lot of fun and managed to catch up with friends this week too. Here's what the three of us got up to.

Monday

Stan was beyond excited to have a birthday play date with two of his school friends. He had lots of fun, after an initial wobble, and his mum kept me updated with photos and videos! It was the first time I'd left him with someone who he's never played with outside of school before so was quite new to both of us! 

I took Rosie to get the car cleaned and we snuck off to the pub next door for a girls' lunch while we waited! We had a lovely little walk around Endon village and saw where they dress the well every year too.


Tuesday

You might have guessed by now that we love a free library event and today was a great one! We met up with Stan's mate Harry, his baby brother and his lovely mum, for a robot-hunting, badge, harmonica and catapult making afternoon! 
Harry was over the moon to come second in the Lego man catapulting competition, shooting his little man second furthest! It was so much fun and it even inspired Stan to make his own robot hunt as soon as he got home!

Wednesday

The children started the day by befriending a woodlice they found in the bath! "Please can we keep it for a pet Mummy?" If I'd have know they were so easily pleased, I wouldn't have bothered with the puppy! 
In the afternoon, the weather was rubbish so we popped along to a local church fete for something to do. Stan and Rosie enjoyed decorating (and demolishing) biscuits, we spent a fortune on the lucky dip and tombola then Rosie had her face painted! She looked adorable as a butterfly and she was quite upset to wash it off at bedtime!

When Hubby got home from work, we teamed up to take Dottie for her first walk in public, now that her injections were giving her the protection she needed. She was quite hesitant at first, but with a few treats and a bit of coaxing Dottie was getting used to all the new sights and sounds around her. Hubby obviously felt so masculine, walking his tiny pocket dog! Haha! 

Thursday

There's a great little place in our town centre called Kidovation, based in the Ruff and Ruby Rooms, Hanley. It's an imaginative playspace for the under 7s, with a role play area, sand and water area, soft play section, reading space, bouncy castle, trikes and bikes and lots more. It's part of a youth charity called Ruff and Ruby, whose aim is to support and inspire young people across the city to believe in themselves and change their futures. It's a lovely, positive playspace to take the children to, and despite being in the middle of the shopping centre, it never feels overcrowded or crazy like many soft play areas! We spent a few hours here catching up with friends, having a cuppa and a natter while the kids played. 

We ended the day with another walk with Dottie - she was starting to get the hang of "walkies" so we used this as an excuse to go a bit further to the the shops for ice-cream! 

Friday

What's the best thing to do on a grey, drizzly day to round off the holidays? Go for waffles of course! I treated the children to an amazing cookie topped, ice cream covered waffle from one of our favourite  places, Oceans Coffee and Waffle House, in nearby Cheddleton

After our fill of yummy stickiness, we went for a walk by the canal behind the waffle house. We love a canal walk, so I let the kids investigate the locks up close and we wandered up and down for a bit before it started to rain again! You can read more about our experience in our post, Our visit to Oceans Coffee and Waffle House.
Then it was off home to Dottie the Dachshund for a play and cuddles before bed. Stanley and Rosie have already fallen in love with her, and they miss her when she's not with us! 


Saturday

One of my favourite places to go with the family is a place near us called Tittesworth Reservoir in Meerbrook. You can do the 4.2 mile circular walk around the reservoir but it takes around three hours. So we usually just do the first section and back which is buggy and scooter friendly! There's a visitor centre, restaurant and massive park, along with picnic and BBQ areas which are fab in the summer! 

This time though, we decided to take the puppy for her first proper trip out! We met up with one of my friends and her two boys who had bought Dottie a present! All the kids had a great time walking Dottie and chasing her across the grass. We stopped for a little sit down on a "sofa" carved out of wood, complete with wooden cushions! 
After a little walk, a picnic and a play in the park, it was time for ice cream! Well, the sun had made an appearance so it would be rude not to! Rosie ended up wearing most of hers as you can see! I'd still kiss those sticky chops though! 
It was so nice to catch up with friends we hadn't seen for a while. The children always get on really well too! We must do it more often! With everyone totally worn out, we went home to join Hubby who had been working all day. Everyone slept well that night! 


Sunday

With Hubby working again today, Nanny B treated us to a trip out to Snugbury’s Ice Cream for a cone of Cheshire's finest ice cream, and to visit the Peter Rabbit sculpture. The family have been building amazing sculptures in their field for over 10 years! This one is 38ft tall, with a 10ft tall carrot and was build to celebrate Beatrix Potter's 150th birthday. 
I let the kids loose with their wellies on and we all took a muddy walk with the puppy to see Peter Rabbit up close. You used to be able to go right up to the sculptures, but unfortunately this one had to be rebuilt after a senseless arson attack which destroyed it. Now it's fenced off and covered by CCTV. Why are there always people that have to ruin things for others? 
We walked back to the converted barn ice cream shop to choose our treat from over 40 flavours! Rosie just wanted a "Peppa Pig" ice cream so it was simple strawberry for her and a chocolate chip one for Stanley. 

We stopped off for an emergency shopping trip to buy things to make a vet's costume for Stan for his first day back. They had a "dress up as what you want to be when you're older" day, and like lots of busy mums...I forgot about it until now! With help from Nanny B, we created a little vet's coat from a school shirt and ribbon, and found a green long sleeved top to put underneath! With a few props, he was sorted! I don't think we did a bad job considering it was very last minute!
It was soon time to go home to pack school bags, iron uniform then it was bath, book and bed before school in the morning. At bedtime, we had a lovely chat about all the exciting things we had done together over the Easter holidays. It was so nice to hear from the children themselves what they had enjoyed. Here's to May half term when we can do it all again!

Finding joy in the little things: This week we found joy in lots of little things. Just spending time together, catching up with good friends and their lovely children was so nice. I really enjoyed having some proper quality time with Stan too. Since he's been at school in September, and with most weekend being so busy and fast paced, we don't have much time to do all these kinds of activities any more. It was nice to just slow down a bit, not have to get up for the school run or sort uniforms, and just chill to our own beat, enjoying each other's company.




I'm linking up this post with these fabulous blogs, because #itsok not to be the "perfect" parent! Your children don't need to "have it all" because having you is enough. 
Mummascribbles Bringing up Georgia

8 comments:

  1. Wow that is a hell of a lot in one week. Sounds like you had an amazing time. #itsok

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    1. I could have done with a week off to get over it all! I was quite pleased to send the eldest back to school! Haha!

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  2. Oh my dear lord. That waffle!!! Thanks for linking up to #fortheloveofBLOG x

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    1. The waffles really are amazing! I haven't worked my way through the menu yet so I will have to go back! What a shame! ;)

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  3. I loved reading about your week! That did make me laugh about the woodlouse! Thank you for linking up to the #itsok linky! x

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    1. Ah, that's kind, thank you! They really did want to look after it, it was quite sweet!

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  4. Wow what a busy week you had. I absolutely love that they befriended a woodlouse, and that waffle looks absolutely amazing! Thanks so much for linking up with #ourweekendhappy

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    1. It's often the simple things that make their day...they talked about that woodlouse all day!

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