Sunny Weather Water Slides and Water Fights

Well the sunny weather seems to have temporarily abandoned us (just as we head in to summer), but we still managed to get the trusty old water slide out before it got cold again. The pictures might make this slide look in good condition but it really is on its last legs after many years of use. It's actually amazing that it still works given all the holes in it. Unfortunately the two boys are now too big for the slide and I fear it would topple over if they tried to climb it, so Holly now gets it all to herself whilst the rest of us can only have water fights with the super soaker Nerf guns!

Water slide looking good, but it is on its last legs now.

Only Holly can now use the slide as the boys are too big.

So for the rest of us we have to just settle for water gun fights on the hot summer days.

Brandon looking to sniper someone. The boys may be too old for the slide, but no one is too old for a water fight.

Holly giving Josh a good cooling off.

Taking the high ground and shooting Brandon.

The perfect way to cool off on a hot day.

This will probably be the last year we get any use out of the water slide though.

So we shall make the most of it......

A Pirate Fathers Day

This term at school Holly has been learning a lot about parrots. She has been coming home and playing lots of pirate songs on Alexa and has got the pirate "speak" down to a tee now. They have been making their very own paper mache parrot which looks really amazing. But best of all Holly made me a really cool pirate card for Fathers Day last week and was so proud of the front writing which said "Happy Faaarrrthers Day" which has to be read in a pirate accent! Anyway as Holly was learning about pirates it would be rude of me not to celebrate Fathers Day with a bottle of rum and my new hammock for the garden which the kids all got me!

My new Fathers Day hammock which I am yet to lay in alone as Holly jumps on every time I get in it!!!

The amazing pirate parrot that Holly has made at this this term.

And check this out for just the coolest Fathers Day card.

Holly gets Glasses for her Eyes

After a recent trip to the opticians we were quite shocked to find out Holly's eyesight is pretty poor and they advised that she needed to wear glasses all of the time. Holly has been really nervous about wearing glasses and was worried no one would recognise her, so to help her out  have started wearing my glasses a lot more to show her there is nothing wrong with it.

She picked the glasses herself and chose some really nice pink Disney Frozen ones which really suit her. She has taken to them really well and hasn't removed them from her face all night. Her reading tonight seemed a lot better than most nights, so maybe the vision issue is part of the reason why she has fallen behind a bit with her reading skills.

Auntie Lisa recently brought Holly this train plant pot to paint and fill.

Holly mixed lots of colours and painted it as the Colchester Zoo bird train.

Holly with her finished masterpiece complete with flowers and bird statues.

I think Holly has done a great job (just need to clean some of the paint off the wheels!).

Holly looking very grown up and beautiful in her new Disney Frozen glasses.

So please Holly has taken to her glasses so quickly. I just hope no one at school is nasty towards her and knocks her confidence with them!

Brandon's Higher Attainer Update

This weekend we received a really nice letter from Brandon's school with an update regarding him being selected as a "High Attainer" out of his year. They have organised a day outside of their normal timetable on June 28th for Brandon to experience subjects which are off of their normal timetable which are taught at GSCE and A level. So on Monday 28th of June he has got  an experience to try out the following subjects which I think is an amazing opportunity for him:

1. Law

2. Media

3. Criminology

4. Sports Science

5. Italian

He doesn't seem too keen on the Italian as he really doesn't enjoy languages, but the other 4 all have some sort of appeal to him (especially Sports Science). Good luck to my little brain box - keep up the good work.

Joshua's Fishing Equipment Update

Joshua really is hooked on fishing (no pun intended). He pretty much hardly ever plays his PlayStation or PC now and is either watching fishing programmes or googling stuff up about fishing. He spends all his pocket money on fishing equipment and recently sold his Segway to buy a 3 rod pod with a 3 rod bite alarm with wireless receiver!!! He is getting quite a little set-up established now with a  lot of new fishing gear which he has purchased this season. He is going to need a bigger bag or fishing trolley very soon!

Joshua saved his pocket money and sold his old Segway to buy this rod pod and bite alarms.

Starting to look like a very professional little set-up he has got now. Just hope he looks after it all.

Girly Day Out at Colchester Zoo

Over half term me and Tina were commenting that Holly hasn't really been to many zoo's and she is at an age where she is really taking an interest in animals and learning a lot about them at school. Anyway last Monday Holly had an inset day, the two boys were at school and I was at work so Tina decided to have a girly day out at Colchester Zoo. 

I had sold a couple of life jackets that were too small for H and the money was hers to then spend in the shop. No surprises that Holly bought yet another cuddly toy and also a flamingo bamboo coffee cup. She absolutely loved the coffee cup and couldn't wait to come home and zoom call Auntie Nicky to show her. Then the very next night she took it to football and kicked a ball at it shattering it in to pieces!!!! She was gutted and in tears. Needless to say we had to order a new one off of Amazon and this time she is not taking it to football.

Girly day out for Tina and Holly at Colchester Zoo.

Quality girly time in the glorious sunshine.

Lovely to see pictures of Holly learning more about animals.

And being sassy.

A Slushie and a giant meercat.

My little Princess.

A big tiger came out to see Holly.

More of the tiger.

Holly being an elephant.

Spotting rhinos in the Africa enclosure.

Not sure why Holly is holding her leg!

Watching the giraffes.

Holly was obviously impressed with the giraffes as she bought a giraffe teddy in the shop.

A lovely day to go out elephant spotting.

Cheeky girl seeming to have a great day out without her brothers winding her up.

On the train to get some shade, rest the legs and go and see some more animals.

The penguins.

Happy Feet time.

My cheeky monkey watching some cheeky monkeys.

Another picture of H getting close to a giraffe.

And at last Holly found her two brothers at the zoo!!!

Good job she likes having her picture taken.

It's not every day you get to ride a sealion.

Or sit on a giant turtle.

But she is having bags of fun on her girly day out at the zoo.

Holly's Insect House

During half term Holly managed to finally finish painting her insect house and then we got it screwed to the garage wall in the front garden. We started building this about 3 or 4 weeks ago after Auntie Lisa gave her the basic box shape which we then converted in to an insect house. It was absolutely shocking how much cane it took to fill the middle section. Holly decided to paint the house grey and now all we need to do is finish the bottom part by filling it with pine cones.

Holly helping out with the construction of her insect house.

That took a whole LOT of canes to fill. Just need some pine cones now.

All finished, painted grey and fitted to the wall for the insects to start moving in.

Lakeside Inflatable AquaPark

And just like that half term is nearly over, but at least we finally had some summer weather. This has been the first half term in about a year and a half that has started to feel a bit "normal" with things starting to open up as lockdown restriction are lifted. The boys have managed to go go-karting, Holly has been to her Crafty Katie's club twice, and then Thursday the 3 kids got to try out a new inflatable AquaPark which has opened up in Lakeside.

We was really impressed with the Lakeside AquaPark which is significantly bigger than the Basildon Festival one. So much so that we decided to sign the children up for a season ticket which works out really good value, basically they have only got to use it twice and the season ticket has paid for itself. So guess where we are off again this afternoon!

All three kids absolutely love the inflatable AquaPark and it is really nice to see them sticking together, playing and helping each other (and occasionally pushing each other in the lake!!!!). The Lakeside park has a really high jump platform which looks like a good 30ft up in the air. Both Brandon and Joshua braved the jump, but Holly chose the side slides which are still pretty high and very steep. I still wish that things like this were around when I was a kid.

Holly had a great time and an hour on the inflatables left her exhausted.

Joshua, Brandon and Holly on the ninja warrior wall.

Typical Joshua cheekily pushing his brother in the lake.

Joshua managed to run across these pylons, Brandon bottled it and crawled across.

Holly taking the safe option.

Brandon being a wuss and not running across.

Over on the far side of the inflatables.

Holly crawling under the knockout ball.

One of the smaller slides.

Synchro slide by Joshua and Holly.

Joshua leaping off of the high platform.

Brandon did brave the high jump.

More smaller slides.

Joshua, Brandon and Holly getting ready to climb up a wall for a medium size slide.

All three kiddies enjoying the water park.

The two boys were looking after Holly and helping her out.

Another high leap from Brandon.

.......and Josh.

The AquaPark is significantly bigger than the Basildon one.

Back on the medium slide as Holly starts climbing up.

All three kiddies swimming out to the inflatables.