Memorial Day 2015

A very busy memorial day for us today which started with Tina taking Brandon over to the Memorial Park where he did a march with the Beavers Club for a memorial service. Unfortunately despite being a Beaver leader I could not attend as Joshua had an away football match at Leighwood United and it was against our bogey team that has beaten us twice previously.

 

Brandon really enjoyed his march and got to hear some bag pipes which I was dead jealous to have missed as I love bagpipes. Surprisingly they said that a few of the Beavers and Cubs were getting quite emotional at the service and some were actually collapsing / passing out!!

 

Joshua's football match was amazing. The game was very competitive with good flowing football from both teams. Joshua was sporting these rather bright, pink, size 5 football Adidas football boots that he picked up at the club yesterday!!! We won the game 0-2 but even better than that was the fact that Joshua scored our first goal and his first ever league goal. He could easily of has another 2 or 3 if he was a natural finisher. As a result of his great positioning and his first league goal he was also awarded today's MOTM. So really, really proud of him today.

 

As it was remembrance Sunday  the boys all held a minutes silence before the match today and we also got them all a stick on poppy to wear proudly on their football shirts.

 

Brandon with the 1st Wickford Oak Beavers ready for their memorial march.

 

And they are off, in pairs marching their way on the parade.

Our FG U8 Tigers all wearing a stick on poppy on their football shirts.

Heads down as we hold a minutes silence before the game.

The poppy which was worn on their shirts.

Joshua gets his first league goal and also wins MOTM trophy this week.

Legoland 2015

Having just taken a wonderful half term week off of work to spend with the family, Monday was a teachers training day and therefore no school again. So I decided to take another day off of work and we had a fantastic day out at Legoland in Windsor. I thought that being a Monday after half term and early November that the park would be quite with minimal queues. However as it turned out I think half the country was on inset or teacher training days and they all decided to go to Legoland!!! The weather wasn't great due to being foggy but it didn't really ruin our day and in fact me and the boys went on the water slides first and got a good soaking to start the day.

 

Holly managed to go on quite a few rides herself and had a great day out. She is very photogenic and loved posing next to the Lego statues for a photo opportunity. Both Brandon and Joshua were tall enough to go on all the major rides and therefore me and Tina made the most of the parent share so that we could also experience the rides without having to queue up twice each time. I think that the last time we went to Legoland was 2-3 years ago and we were amazed by how much it had changed and how many new attractions there were. We probably only managed to go on maybe 2/3rds of the rides and will definitely look to stay in the hotel next time we go and make a 2 day visit out of it.

 

A foggy start to the day as we arrive at Legoland Windsor. Booking priority parking allowed us to get through the entrance in record time.

A quick family picture!!!!

The kiddies with a Lego dinosaur.

Whilst the boys were on the water slide, Holly played in the kiddies park area.

Tina and Holly riding on the Fairy Tale boat ride.

Look out Holly, its the big bad Lego wolf.

Joshua and Brandon rode in another boat with me.

Holly and Tina go past Cinderella's carriage.

Tina and the kiddies get ready to take a ride on the mini train.

All smiles as the train goes round and round.

For the first time Brandon was tall enough to drive the Lego cars and successfully passed his licence.

Joshua had fun getting his licence but is starting to look a little big for these cars now!

After our longest queue of the day we finally get to ride on the Lego speed boats. Me, Josh and Holly in one boat, Tina and B in another.



Tina trusting Brandon to drive her in the Lego boat.



Me, Holly and Josh (driver) take the second boat.



Joshua found it funny to park up by the Lego elephant so that me and Holly got squirted from its trunk.



Joshua being eaten by a Lego shark.

Holly in the Lego sharks mouth.

Little B enjoying his day out in Legoland.

Its race on as me and the boys drive the Lego fire engine to get to the fire as quick as we can.



I end up pumping both handles so that the boys can squirt the fire hoses.

Me and the kids ready for a Lego hot air balloon ride. Holly dropped her apple from the hot air balloon which subsequently got splatted when we landed.

The best ride of the day was the squid surfer. Such an awesome ride and Joshua could ride solo this year as he is over 1.3m and Brandon rode with me.

Brandon absolutely loved the squid surfer and getting me soaked by the water jets.

Holly and Tina about to enter the dinosaur safari.

Brandon drove me around the dinosaurs.

A very impressive Lego dinosaur.

This dinosaur must have taken a few bricks to make.

Holly was really impressed with the Lego shark on display at the Atlantis ride.

Can you spot the 3 kiddies in the fish tank?



My 3 kids completed their adventure to Atlantis in the yellow submarine.



Here is one of the yellow Lego submarines.

Holly was very photogenic and loved posing for pictures with some of the characters.

Holly playing with some Lego whilst the boys and Tina ride one of the big horse rides.

Tina, Josh and Brandon leaving the stomachs high in the air on the horse ride.

Joshua and his little Sis.

One of the new rides was the log flume which was in the new pirate kingdom.

Up, up and away. What goes u must come down, and boy when you come down do you ever get wet!!!!!

Holly hiding in a large Lego treasure chest. She will always be our little treasure.



A very impressive Lego pirate.

Tina;s turn to ride on the log flume with the boys and get her soaking.



Another new ride was the Dragon in the Kingdom Castle. The queue runs around the top of the castle and you can just about see Josh and Brandon up there.

 

By the time we had finished on Dragon it was 4.30pm and the light was drawing in rapidly. We thought the park closed at 6pm but the pa system announced that it closes in half an hour due to the rides closing at dusk. So unfortunately dragon was to be our final ride and then it was off to the Star Wars display and then the shop.

 

Lord Vader with Josh and B.

Brandon meets a Lego R2D2.

Josh and B with a Lego C3PO.

The boys with a Lego Yoda.



Holly holding hands with C3PO for a picture.

Finally Holly with a rather large Lego Yoda.

Brandon gets MOTM

This past weekend Brandon's U7 Tigers team played only their 3rd league match having lost the previous two. The kids were all starting to get a little negative making comments like "we always lose" and things like that. I have told the parents to be patient and to not expect much this side of Christmas I try and get this newly formed team to gel together and start working as a team. Well Sunday's game was a huge breakthrough and a massive confidence booster for all the kids and parents. I was so proud to see the boys power to an 8-0 victory. Brandon played 75% of the game in defence and was an absolute rock pretty much stopping everything that headed in his direction. His positioning was great and in the second half I am not even sure the goal keeper got a touch of the ball due to his defending.

 

So despite one lad scoring 4 goals and another getting 3, I did not chose the goal scorers for the MOTM. What I don't want the team doing is all going goal hungry and thinking they get rewarded for scoring all the goals. So instead I chose to give Brandon the MOTM to emphasise to the whole team the importance of a good defence and how important it is to keep one player back behind the ball at all times. Hopefully a few of them will follow his example and enjoy taking their turn in defence instead of all of them wanting to go upfront and attack all the time.

 

Only the 3rd winner of our MOTM trophy for some really great defending.