Festival Leisure Aqua Park

Last year we kept promising the boys we would take them back to the Festival Inflatable Water Park but never got around to it. Finally last week we managed to get the two boys and their friend Ethan booked in. The weather wasn't as hot as we have had lately but the water temperature was still fairly high and with wet suits on they were fine.

The Aqua Park has expanded since the boys last went with lots of new sections to play on. They have also introduced some snazzy red grip socks (like what you get when you go to Base Jump) which is supposed to help the kids get some grip on the inflatables and to protect their feet when walking on the bottom of the lake.

Unfortunately the Aqua Park is for ages 6+ and thus we had no way of sneaking Holly in, maybe next year. So Holly spent the hour playing on the sandy beach area with a few other little kids whilst we watched over the boys. An hour was certainly enough as all three of them came off absolutely knackered and certainly slept well that evening. All the boys had fun and I am looking forward to when Holly is old enough so I can take her on their as well.

Ethan, Josh and Brandon wet suited up and ready to go.

Life jackets on and ready to go.

Typical Joshua is first to make it on to the inflatables and doesn't look back to help Ethan or Brandon.

Joshua on the trampoline waiting for Ethan and B.

B finally makes it on to the trampoline.

Joshua taking a leap of faith on to the pillow.

Brandon loved climbing up this inflatable hill thing and bouncing / rolling down.

Holly entertained herself on the sandy beach area.

Joshua crawling through one of the inflatables.

Brandon at the top of the tower.

It looks like Brandon pushed Joshua off in this picture.

More pics of Holly playing in the sand.

Joshua and Brandon racing up the tower.

It was funny watching Joshua trying to get to the end of the pillow so that someone could jump off the tower and fire him in to the air.

Joshua at the top of the tower.

Josh jumping off the tower to try and fire his mate Ethan in to the air.

This was ambitious of B, as if his body weight was ever going to be enough to catapult Joshua in to the air.

Nope, Brandon lands and Joshua goes nowhere.

So he decides to slip in to the water himself.

The boys starting to get tired and having some chill time.

Contemplating going in to the hamster wheel.

Brandon shimmying around the hamster wheel.

Ethan and Joshua in the large inflatable hamster wheel.

True to form Joshua got reckless and ended up hurting his ankle and getting medial treatment from a lifeguard on his paddle board.

Holly finding throwing sand around fun.

Time is up and Brandon is first out of the water. Then decides to kick water over me.

Ethan and Josh take a slow swim back and are probably one of the last out of the water.

Lakeside Karting with Ethan

Last week Joshua and Brandon had their second go at the Lakeside karting along with one of their school friends, Ethan. Ethan had never been before so I told the boys that if he beats either of them then they would need to walk home. As it turned out Joshua won, Ethan came second and a very upset Brandon came 3rd (although Ethan only beat him by 0.021 of a second). It's funny because Brandon was grinning from ear to ear and beaming all over after the racing, he absolutely loved it right up until the point where he found out he lost - then he got real grumpy and almost crying about it. I can't imagine where he gets his competitiveness from.

To be honest it wasn't really a fair race. Firstly Joshua was always going to win as we measured him and he was over 5ft tall. So for the first time he could go in the higher powered adult karts. Ethan and Brandon were both in the lower power karts and you would think Brandon should be quicker due to the power to weight ratio. However his kart sounded awful as it went past us and sounded like it was misfiring or something. He was the smallest and youngest on the track so maybe they deliberately gave him this kart.

So the lap times for the 3 boys were:

Joshua - 59.325 (13 laps)

Ethan - 66.152 (11 laps)

Brandon - 66.171 (11 laps)

Brandon, Joshua and Ethan with their balaclava's on and ready to race.

Action shot of Joshua.

Brandon in his kart with a dodgy sounding engine.

Brandon coming down the home straight.

Joshua starts to close in on B with his higher powered kart.

Joshua on the home straight.

Joshua sticking one on his mate Ethan.

Nice close up shot of B coming in to the pits.

Joshua's racing ended and with the higher power kart he managed 2 more laps than Ethan and B.

All the karts lined up in the pit.

Joshua celebrating top spot on the podium and a very grumpy Brandon for losing.

Holly Losers her 1st Tooth

For 2 days Holly has been complaining that she has he first wobbly tooth at the age of 4. Being her first baby tooth to become wobbly she has been very apprehensive about it and hasn't let anyone go anywhere near it until this morning. This morning she woke up and asked how long it would be before her tooth comes out and I told her I have no idea as she won't let me anywhere near it. So finally she gave in after I promised not to hurt her and she let me take a look at it. Well it was so wobbly that I popped it out before she had even realised and not a single drop of blood either.

So tonight Holly gets to use her tooth pillow which Auntie Lisa made for the first time and she has gone to be a very excited little girl at the thought of the tooth fairy leaving her some money.

Holly proudly showing her very first baby tooth which was pulled out by me earlier this morning.

Holly gets to use Auntie Lisa's tooth pillow for the first time.

Holly's new look missing her lower front right tooth.

Joshua Progresses with his Boxing to Development / Pre-Competition Squad

Congratulations to Joshua. After spending almost a year in the Foundation boxing group he has finally made it in to the blue Development Squad. He seems to have really taken to the boxing and enjoys it a lot, albeit he has not done much sparring in the ring yet. He does seem keen to actually fight but also recognises that it will be a good year or 2 before he is ready for a proper bout. He has transitioned from karate much better than Brandon did and does have a good high guard with his chin tucked down. As a reward for moving up a group I treated him to his reversible boxing vest which matches his boxing shorts. Next on the list will be his boots and some new gloves.

Unfortunately Brandon has now quit despite the fact that he was doing really well in the Development Squad despite being the smallest and youngest. He just didn't like fighting and getting hit, plus his best mate Brett no longer goes. He did make another good friend there called Noah and I thought he might have carried on with him, but now that Brandon has quit even Noah wants to give up.

Joshua moves up to the Development Squad and gets rewarded with his new boxing kit.

Warming up with some skipping which Josh is actually getting very good at now (he still can't beat me at double unders though!).

Poorly Holly has Tonsillitis

Holly has been a little poorly the last few days and has had high temperatures, an upset belly, she has been sick once and really hasn't eaten much at all. Tina decided to contact 111 tonight and ended up getting an emergency doctors appointment at Basildon hospital this evening. It turns out Holly has got tonsillitis. Unfortunately no pharmacies are open tonight so she has got to hold out until tomorrow to get her prescribed medication, so until then it is water and ice cream.

Poorly Holly taking my spot on the sofa keeping warm under a blanket despite burning up.

Ice cream and water is the prescribed medication until the prescription can be collected.

Joshua's 1st Mobile Phone

Tina has just upgraded her mobile phone which meant her old one was surplus to requirements. The boys have both been nagging that they want our old phones when we upgrade them and we have kind of been reluctant to do this because we just feel they are too young and don't need them until they go to senior school. However we have the pier pressure thing coming in to play as a lot of Joshua's friends all have mobile phones and also he wants to start playing out a bit which means we need him to have a mobile phone.

So we have given in and Joshua now has Tina's old mobile phone on a £10 a month contract which gets him 5GB data, unlimited texts and 500 mins of calls. It's a bit trial an error at the moment and we hope he uses it responsibly and are trusting him. He already seems to make lots of calls to his friends and uses it for WhatsApp and Instagram etc. He has even spent his pocket money and bought a "Fortnite" phone cover.

We have told Brandon he can wait a year until he is Joshua's age before getting his own phone.

Joshua showing his new Fortnite phone cover on Tina's old mobile.

Swimming Pool Wipeout and Pets at Home

Tina has been trying her best to keep the kids entertained and busy throughout the summer holidays with plenty of activities. Earlier this week whilst the boys enjoyed their first day at Stubbers outdoor activity centre, Holly attended the Pets at Home animal experience. The boys did this a few years ago and its really good for the children to learn about various pets and how to look after them properly. 

The Stubbers Smash Camp that the boys went too was just an amazing, slick set-up and both boys really enjoyed their day there and can't wait to go back. When they went earlier this week the got to have a go at paddle boarding, archery, the high ropes and also some long canoes. They really took to the paddle boarding and have both now said that they want to sell their inflatable canoes and buy a paddle board.

Today the two boys have been treated to another swimming pool Wipeout inflatable obstacle course which looked really fun and a lot bigger than the one they went on a week or so ago at Pakefield.

Joshua and Brandon line-up for their first run down the inflatable Wipe Out course. 

Joshua takes an early lead diving under the pyramids.

Brandon follows up behind.

Brandon takes the lead at the second obstacle.

Waiting for your brother to catch up, good sportsmanship.

Brandon is just about small enough to crawl under the balls.

Joshua being larger needs to shimmy on his belly.

Brandon hits the top of the slide first.

And splashdown.

Joshua follows up shortly behind.

And in to the pool.

Holly learning about pets at Pets at Home.

Holly getting to stroke a lovely floppy eared rabbit.

Holly with a little black guinea pig. 

Here are a few pictures showing how amazing the Stubbers Outdoor Activity Centre is. Unfortunately I have no pictures of the boys in action there as we were not allowed to stay and watch.

This is the big lake where they did their paddle boarding and canoeing.

View over at the high ropes area and climbing walls.

Some of the climbing walls.

A spider web.

A low ropes balance / obstacle course.