Festival Aquapark with Layla

Last weekend we had the pleasure of the seeing Chris, Steve and Layla for the first time this year due to the Lockdown. Saturday we just all chilled at our house and it was really nice for most of the family to make an effort to come over so we were altogether.

Then on Sunday the weather was again really good as the heat wave continued and surprisingly I managed to get the 4 kids booked in to the Festival Aquapark. It was just a perfect day for playing around on the water to keep cool and for the first time Holly was big enough to go on her own and didn't need me to go on with her (although given how hot it was I think I would have quite enjoyed playing in the splash park as well). 

For all of the sins of Covid-19, I have to say that the reduced capacity on the aquapark is actually much better as it is nowhere near as congested, safer and more fun for the kids. After exhausting themselves for an hour on the aquapark we all headed out for a well earnt McDonalds as the queues for all the other restaurants over at Festival were too long.

Holly and Layla playing in the sand before our time slot on the Aquapark.

The kids soon starting soaking each other and throwing sand snowballs!

Layla giving Brandon a face full.

Life jackets on and ready to go.

It is so lovely to see the 4 of them just playing together in the outdoors.

Josh walks off as the girls gang up on Brandon.

Holly making a run for it as Layla drags Brandon through the lake.

Smiles all around and this is before they even get on the Aquapark.

And Brandon is in again......

Finally they make it on to the Aquapark starting with the trampoline.

This was the first year Holly was big enough to go on without an adult.

Holly on the small inflatable slide.

Brandon trying to bounce everyone off of a walkway.

Holly and Brandon swallowed up in the large pillow.

Up the climb to go down the large slide and jump off the pyramid.

As always Joshua is first to leap off.

Layla holding hands with Holly as they jump off of the giant pyramid.

All four of them trying to balance over to the giant hamster wheel.

And finally they make it.

Loads of fun and in the shade.

View from the balcony across the whole of the Aquapark.

Brandon about to hit the hamster wheel.

Rainbow Toastie, RC Lamborghini, Tallest Sunflower and Unicorn Water Slide

Keeping Holly entertained this week has been lots of fun. Firstly we had a bit of a clear out in the boys bedrooms and sorted out old school uniforms that were no longer required. Whilst doing this we stumbled across Brandon's RC Lamborghini which Holly wanted to play with. So I set up a skills driving track using football cones out on the driveway and me and H had loads of fun. Even the little boy from over the road was interested and came over to see what we were doing.

Holly has also been helping me water all our plants and her fairy gardens daily and it looks like we have won the sun flower competition with a tallest one coming in at 8'5"!!!! We have lost on quantity of flowers but are clear winners on the tallest sun flower plant for this year.

Next up was one of Holly's ideas she saw on YouTube - making rainbow coloured cheese toastie using food colourings. We only had blue, red and green so Holly had to settle for a rainbow with blue, green, red and yellow. Basically you add the food colouring to the cheese, layer it in between two slices of toast and then cook it in a pan with melted butter. I have to say it seemed to work ok and didn't taste too bad either.

Then lastly today was another scorching hot day with temperatures over 30 degrees. We did plan on going to the AquaPark at Festival Leisure Centre but it was fully booked. So instead me and Holly got the water slide out to help keep cool and then even added her holiday unicorn inflatable. The front garden was starting to look and feel like a Mediterranean holiday resort!!!

RC fun with Holly and Brandon's old Lamborghini.

Our award winning 8'5" sun flower plant.

First attempt at Rainbow toastie's - not bad if you ask me.

And then to cool down out comes the water slide and the unicorn floatie.

I know I will get the blame for this stunt, but it was actually Holly's idea to ride down the water slide on the unicorn.

If we can't go on holiday due to lockdown, then bring holiday to you instead!

 

2019/2020 School Photo's

A bit late on this blog but here are some of the official school photo's from the 2019/20 school year where Joshua started Seniors and only Brandon and Holly were at Abacus. Also we finally managed t purchase the year 6 class photo for Josh and the Foundation year class photo for Holly. We like to keep their first and last year's class photo's as collectables for their boxes. Unfortunately due to Covid-19 I do not think we will get a Year 6 class photo for Brandon's box :(.

Joshua's Year 6 class photo before moving on to Seniors. Josh back row second on the left.

And Holly's Foundation year class photo. Holly is 5th from the right in the purple dress.

With Joshua in Seniors now we only have Brandon and Holly at Abacus.

But they did let Joshua sneak back in his blazer for a photo of all three of them together.

My cheeky little girl in Year 1 at Abacus.

Forest Glade 2019/2020 Season Presentation Day

This years annual presentation day at Forest Glade was a bit of a non event. Due to the Covid-19 restrictions the actual presentation day was cancelled and instead we simply gave out the trophies to the boys prior to a friendly match last week. No hand shakes, team photo or anything.

Brandon only got one of the regular annual trophies this year. The special awards for his team went to Jamie (Managers player), Jack (Clubman award) and Vinnie (Players Player). Now they start preparing for hopefully a better 20/21 season under the new club name of Hashtag United!

Brandon receiving his 19/20 season trophy in a very low key presentation day.

And as of next season, no more Forest Glade - we will be Hashtag United.

Holly's 3-Tier Fairy Garden

Auntie Lisa has been planning to create a 3-tier fairy garden with Holly for several weeks now and in preparation Holly has been working hard all week preparing fairy dust. You would not believe the hours that Holly has sat there filling little pots by grinding chalk sticks into dust to make plenty of fairy dust for the new fairy garden.

Anyway Lisa and David came around yesterday and the 3-tier fairy garden is complete and looks absolutely amazing. Holly thoroughly enjoyed making the garden and then laughed when it was time for me to try and pick it up and carry it out to the front of the house!!! There is even a secret compartment hidden in the fairy garden which contains a bottle of fairy dust (but I am sworn to secrecy to to reveal its location!).

Whilst Holly was working on this, I was busy re-living my youth as Lisa had bought around and old Tomy Caveman handheld arcade game which I absolutely loved when I was the boys age. I spent hours and hours dodging lava, throwing clubs at dinosaurs and stealing eggs. This is proper gaming, not all this online X-Box/PS4 stuff the boys are in to. Clearly I still have it as I already hold the record and the two so called "gamers" of the house (Josh and Brandon) can't get anywhere near me. In fact Holly is probably better than them and has picked it up really quickly.

Holly spent hours each day this week grinding up fairy dust.

Lisa and Holly commence work on the 3-tier beast of a fairy garden.

I thought gardeners were supposed to have green fingers?

The 3-tiers are done and the fairy ornaments in place.

Next is the planting.

Then the gems and stones to cover the compost.

And after a struggle to carry it through the house, the new fairy garden now resides next to the previous one.

The finished garden looks absolutely stunning.

And whilst all this was going on, I was getting down to some proper "gaming"!.

I hate to think how much of my youth was spent playing this game. What a classic.

More Canoeing and Paddle Boarding on the Chelmer

Friday just gone was the hottest day of the year so far with temperatures peaking at around 34 - 35 degrees!!!! Needless to say we decided to head out on the water with some factor 50 on to try and keep cool. It was hard work setting up and packing up 2 canoe's and 2 paddle boards in that heat, but once set up we had a fantastic time messing around on the river.

The kids were given the choice of paddling from Boreham up to Papermill Lock for a cake and coffee, however they really wanted to go in the opposite direction like last time to head to towards the Springfield lock where we could picnic and they could jump in the water from the side of the lock.

Holly still hasn't grasped paddling so I had to tie a toe rope to her canoe to pull her along. But having said that once we were at Springfield lock she decided to have a go at paddle boarding using one of the boys boards and actually did really well.

How to keep cool in 35 degree heat, me and the kids enjoying some time down on the Chelmer.

Just beautiful.

Joshua tends to go on his knees more than standing lately. I am wondering whether he has already outgrown this board and needs an adult one!!!

Holly is trying to learn to paddle a canoe, but isn't quite there yet.

Stunningly clear and still waters on such a hot day.

And just beautiful scenery along the river banks. Such stunning colours.

Under the foot bridge which Joshua is still contemplating trying to jump off of!

More stunning scenery enroute.

Springfield lock was like a holiday camp with dozens of people camped up for picnics and chilling in the water.

Holly immediately climbing the lock and jumped in.

Then Brandon...

...and then of course Josh has to go even higher.

Splashdown.

Action shot of Holly mid air.

Brandon takes his sister out on the paddle board.

Then Joshua takes her out for a bit.

Then bravely Holly decides to try her own hand at paddle boarding,

She was finding the balance hard standing so we got her to go on her knees which was better.