We've been on Holiday!!

Yes, after thinking we were going nowhere again this year we have actually just come back from a fantastic two weeks in our new (to us!!) campervan. We have dreamed of having a van and being able to go around the Scottish Islands for soooo long so as soon as we brought the van we were planning our first trip!! We had a weekend history festival in Lanark already planned so from there we headed to Bute, the Kintyre Peninsula and then onto Arran.........We only spent three nights on campsites to catch up with showers and washing and electric but the rest of the time was waking up to beaches and the sea at any spot we could find to stop......gorgeous!! I won't bore you all with the details but here are just a few highlights.....

Romans at History Festival

!7th century encampment

Then off to drive the Blunderbus to Bute and Arran....five ferries in all!

 

We saw quite a few of these.....

Had a birthday meal for Eilidh...grand old age of ten

Saw some amazing views (Kintyre Peninsula)

and some gorgeous sunsets...

Between the bickering, the kids amused themselves...

Went down a fair few long and winding roads!....

Spent hours doing this....

and even got in some art lessons!....

Built a fantastic sand fort on a beautiful beach...

and got chased by a few waves....

Found some great spots to camp...

and lived the life of Riley!!....

Happy bunnies all round....

We had fires by the beach......

Found some great play parks by the sea...

even found a castle!.....

Saw boats and harbours...

and some truly wonderful rainbows ...can you see it?

and out lovely Blunderbus did us proud xx

Would I go back tomorrow?   Oh YES!!

A bit of this and a bit if that.....

Over the last couple of weeks we've been busy enjoying the lovely sunshine up here, it always amazes me that we seem to rush around everywhere but I an never remember what we've done!! When I do remember a camera I can remind myself but it's all the times I forget and then kick myself for not having it with me....frustrating!!

So here's a little of what we've been up to....

We found a lovely bit of river for swimming and paddling..

Nothing better than reading in the sunshine

Paddling...

Playing and ice-cream by the river in Kendal

Re-enactors at the Windermere airshow

Oops...too slow...that was the red arrows!!

Bit of crazy golf...

Boys at Brockhole..

Confession of a messy Home Educator....

I had to laugh this morning when I read a post from someone on one of the Home Educating Facebook pages I read asking how other people manage to have the kids at home all day, home educate and keep the housework and household paperwork under control.....simple answer.......I DON'T!! My house is always a mess, stuff everywhere (not helped by piles of craft stuff for my business or a husband that thinks everything 'will come in handy one day') Only really good friends get invited around, ones that won't think anything of finding a pile of washing up in the sink, lego spread all over the floor or boxes of car parts in the living room (don't ask!!) I completely understand that some people really can't accept our way of living.....shame really but we'll move on...life really is too short to spend it keeping up with the Jones's.

Anyway it just reminded me of this great poem which I'm sure I've put up on the blog before but can't find now....(bit like most things in my house really!!) At the end of the day what matters most to you??

My dishes went unwashed today ...

My dishes went unwashed today,
I didn't make the bed,
I took his hand and followed
Where his eager footsteps led.

Oh yes, we went adventuring,
My little son and I...
Exploring all the great outdoors
Beneath the summer sky

We waded in a crystal stream,
We wandered through a wood...
My kitchen wasn't swept today
But life was gay and good.

We found a cool, sun-dappled glade
And now my small son knows
How Mother Bunny hides her nest,
Where jack-in-the-pulpit grows.

We watched a robin feed her young,
We climbed a sunlit hill...
Saw cloud-sheep scamper through the sky,
We plucked a daffodil.

That my house was neglected,
That I didn't brush the stairs,
In twenty years, no one on earth
Will know, or even care.

But that I've helped my little boy
To noble manhood grow,
In twenty years, the whole wide world
May look and see and know.
 

Merlin in the Park...

There's a lovely park not far from us in Lancaster, Williamson Park. Each year there a local theatre company puts on a great outdoor show, last year was Peter Pan (in the pouring rain!) and this year it was Merlin in the beautiful sunshine....it was brilliant! It's a lot of money for us to go but it's the one thing which I can honestly say I'm happy to spend it on. The scenes are all set at different location around the park and everyone troops around with their picnic blankets, bubbly and chairs to enjoy each part..there's nothing quite as exciting as outdoor theatre!!

Ashton Memorial - in the middle of the park

Arthur killing the dragon

Birthday Blues and Vintage Tractors...

Not my birthday blues but our 'not so little' lad Ben.. It was his birthday this week, after getting himself totally over excited the previous week he ended up with a high temperature and feeling poorly for a few days, one being his birthday. As an early birthday treat we went to our very first Circus (for all of us!), it was great with loads of different acts and even stunt bikes and a comedy trampoline show, two of Ben's favourites. He managed to get through the show and enjoyed it but wasn't feeling too good, with a headache and funny tummy ....poor boy!  Still he had a good, if quiet birthday and just enjoyed playing with his new toys all day and then he felt well enough to hit Pizza Hut in the evening (YUMMY!)

Yesterday we woke up to discover the field opposite us which has always been used as grazing land since we moved here is being ploughed up! This may not seem too exciting but it is a little weird looking out and seeing brown instead of  lush green with sheep and cows. The other slightly weird thing is that they seem to be doing it with a couple of old 'vintage' tractors!! They have been at it all day today and it's slow work compared to the monster tractors of this day and age. Being the nosey neighbour types (!) we went over to have a gawp and one of the men told us they had offered to do it for the farmer as they wanted to try their old tractors and he had agreed, even saying if they did a good job they could do the next one along. It seems he's just ploughing it up and then re-seeding...not really sure why but I guess the farmer knows what he's doing!! It's been quite fun watching their progress through the day and they must be shattered, they don't seem to have stopped all day.

Cars, Fires and Sunshine!!

It's been a funny kind of week.... Not 'ha, ha'  funny most of the time but just weird and stressy on occasions. Firstly our beloved Subaru Forester (which was due to be sold on as it's getting on a bit and starting to cost money) suddenly started making very odd noises from the engine area and died an untimely death. As we live out of town and Dave needs a car for his work we were now stuck without any transport (his van is also off the road!!) My lovely MIL stepped in and offered to buy us a new (to us) one so after spending a couple of days trying to find one nearby we are now the proud (well relieved, more than proud!) owners of a little Citreon Saxo.


The day after getting the car Dave then had a phone call from the people he was working for (he's a self-employed Handyman) saying that they had lost confidence that he would finish the job to their time-scale and they would find someone else. Not quite sure how the guy thought we could have got a car any quicker but hey lets hope he doesn't have to wait weeks for someone else to take the job and charge him twice as much (said with a slightly bitter and sarcastic tone!!)

Then to top it all off we merrily lit the fire one evening to then have the whole chimney roar (literally!) and find we had a chimney fire....GRRRRRREAT!!  After slightly minor panic with big clouds of black smoke, flames leaping out of the top and the cowl melting the Fire Brigade turned up just as the flames went out!! Fortunately the chimney in our house must be rock solid as no smoke managed to get in the house at all and the kids carried on sleeping without the alarms going off! Even a houseful of firemen (and one firewoman) didn't wake Ben who was most miffed the next morning to find he had missed all the drama! 

Still......on the bright side we have had lovely sunshine for the last few days and we have spent a nice few days at home in the garden. This doesn't usually happen as I get fed up with our garden looking like Steptoe and Sons back yard and run away at any possible moment, but it's been remarkably relaxing pottering about actually getting some things done instead of trying to ignore it!! 

Sorting out the shed....even managed to paint it too!

Trampoline, tent and lego....what more could a child want??

Our fantastic little 70's play tent...a great find at a car boot sale with cowboys and indians fabric.

Socialisation...you've got to be joking!!

It's funny....anyone who doesn't Homeschool / Home Educate (or whatever else you want to call it!) always comes up with the 'S' word as a valid reason for not doing it, as if we are going to lock our kids up in the house all day and never let them leave or talk to anyone! Unfortunately it's these people that seem to scare the living daylights out of  people new to Home Ed and it's usually these people who really have no idea what Home Ed actually is!! As if shutting kids up in a classroom with 20 or so other kids all of the same age is actually normal and how we all should live..... THANK GOODNESS WE AREN'T NORMAL!!! This week we have had a real problem with 'Socialization', in fact I am worn out with it all already and it's not finished yet......

First...Camping with a lovely group of friends at Gibralter Farm, Silverdale

Second....Concerts and performances for Eilidh at the Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal all afternoon Wednesday and Thursday evening.....after playing all day with friends....

Third.... out and about with Daddy on Friday...

Fourth... on to Sedbergh Folk Festival today..

every Festival has to have mud and lots of it!!

.....and still lots to do next week too...shame the kids don't socialize isn't it!!!

Just Playing about in the River....

The little lads on Rock Island

Launching off....

The girls make their escape...