We have had a brilliant time at Arnside with our lovely Home Ed crowd. The kids are absolutely shattered and so are we but it was fantastic!! Eilidh and Ben had their friends there and some new ones and disappeared for most of the time playing, running around and making lots of noise!! We take over the whole Youth Hostel and as the kids have been there a few times now most of them know all the little rooms they can disappear into. They are all different ages so if anything ever happens then someone older is always around to help out or sort out so it's great.

Every year they all get together (no adults allowed) and put on a play. This year we actually had two!! They sort out everything, story, costumes, props and music etc and they are usually very funny! This year it was about Hannah the evil lord of the manor and a violin of doom (don't ask!!) Eilidh and Ben opted out this year but it was really good and they thoroughly enjoyed watching.

Most of the group are people we know really well through art group etc so it was lovely just being able to relax and have time to chat with them all and catch up with people we don't see as often. There is something strangely relaxing about sitting in a crowded kitchen cutting veg for dinner while chatting away with everyone!! All the food was delicious and there were no quibbles about getting people to volunteer to do anything.

On the Saturday Dave had taken some craft bits to make cards and paper flowers for Mothers Day, someone else had bought some gingerbread hearts for them to decorate and one of the older lads organised a toffee making session so whoever wanted to could do any of them. All the mothers were presented with all these lovely things on the Sunday

Most of us went up for a walk on Arnside Knott on Sunday, and had lunch sitting overlooking Morecambe Bay. It was very windy but nice to get out and blow out the cobwebs!

We got back at lunch time today and Dave entertained the kids while I went out for a trawl around some of the charity shops in Bowness. He is really good at face painting so if anyone needs some entertainment at a kids party............