Well, here we are again. School has resumed and I’m once more free to choose how to spend some of my time. Today I shall be staying in my jammies, feeling sorry for myself (I have a cold), having some uninterrupted knitting time, doing lots of lovely blog browsing and, most of all, enjoying the peace & quiet.
Considering the weather was a bit dismal we had a pretty good half term and that’s mainly thanks to my Mum & Dad who provided us with board, lodging and excellent on-site entertainment. My Mum and Dad are brilliant with the kids and are both well experienced at entertaining them with an impressive range of games, crafts, stories and day trips. Dad created a bathtime game for Amy which she adored and he valiantly repeated it for each of the three nights. Mum was tireless in her delivery of multiple bedtime stories and rustled up a seemingly endless selection of yummy food (even more delicious for the fact that I didn’t have any part in preparing it – thanks for the break Mum!).
We had some fun trips too – along the river in Henley-on-Thames and a visit to the brilliant Wind in The Willows exhibition at the Rowing Museum. Amy and I loved this 3-D walk through experience with models based on E H Shephard’s original illustrations and telling the wonderful story of Ratty, Mole, Badger and of course daft old Toad. On Friday we visited the Living Rainforest Centre in Hampstead Norreys.
This is a fab place for kids to explore and learn. there are animals (crocodile, bugs, monkeys, fish, reptiles and birds), real rain (a fine mist comes down without warning!), monster plants (huge leaves and real bananas growing) and heat (wear layers so you can strip off!). There was also a brilliant outdoor adventure play area. It’s not a huge place but there’s lots to discover and we had great fun.
Thanks to my Mum & Dad for putting up with us for 3 days, the noise, the mess and the sheer inexhaustable exuberance of the kids! Hope you’re now relishing the peace and calm!
little cotton rabbits 
ohhh – lovely to have you back xx
enjoy your p.j day!
Tracy x
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Sounds like you all had a great time. The Wind in the Willows exhibtion sounds especially nice. Enjoy your pyjama day.
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Sorry to hear you are under the weather, stay warm and cozy in your jammies, and knitting can be such therapy. It sounds as if half term was a learning experience all round and that fun was had by all. Such lush greenery in the middle of winter, soothes the hardened soul.
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We love the living rainforest. Johnny likes the monkeys and Mark the piranha! Glad you had a good half term and hope the cold is better soon.
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My very favourite thing about this post is the backwards gs on eran and erandad.
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Sounds like you had a super time, love the gran and grandad picture!
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Sounds like you all had a wonderful time, including your Mum & Dad. Hope your feeling better soon.
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Glad you had a wonderful time, aren’t Grandparents treasures.
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loving the picture of the old folks – i saw a great idea on soule mama where she had embriodered her sons artwork with a patch frame – it looked fantastic (find her entry ‘bird with a hat on its back’) it made me look at childrens drawigns in a new way.
hope you are feeling better soon. take care
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Sorry I missed seeing you & the kids, I’d especially have liked to have gone to the Living Rainforest with everyone. By all accounts it was a good day.
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G’day Julie, glad you have had some time to yourself, it’s nice to have the kids home but gee it’s nice when they go back to school.
I love the idea of a Living Rainforest to visit, what a great place to take the children and it looks like one little girl had a ball, gorgeous ‘born to dance’ t-shirt.
My Uncle lives in Reading and when we visited in 1989 he took us to Henley-on-Thames, we had a lovely lunch in a pub on the river, such a beautiful part of the world.
Hope you feel well soon!
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welcome back! glad you had a nice break and hope that cold is a fleeting visitor. nothing like a day in jammies though!
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