Joshua gets Reading Glasses

Joshua has been telling us for sometime now that he needs glasses. We have always thought it is more "he wants" glasses as opposed to "needs" them. He shows no signs of poor vision when reading or when out and about. However as we hadn't had the boys eyes tested before we figured it could do no harm. It turns out that Brandon has perfect vision and Joshua surprisingly needs reading glasses. The optician said it is not mandatory for him but will certainly help him with his short distance vision for reading and there is a good chance that he won't need them in the future. The glasses a quite weak at only a 0.75 rating, so not very strong.

 

Thank god Joshua gets free glasses under the health care system as I hate to think how much this could have cost me. He picked out two sets of glasses, one smaller framed to keep at home and a thicker framed pair for at school. As he is quite big for his size he had to order adult size frames!!!!

 

Joshua trying out his thicker framed school glasses at the opticians.

The thinner framed glasses he picked for at home.

 

He picked his glasses up on Saturday and I have to admit he appeared to read better when I sat down and read with him.

Me and Joshua doing some reading with him wearing his new glasses.

 

 

On a slightly different subject the boys have both picked up a beat of a bargain beat box speaker cool bag. We found this in Wickford High Street at the weekend for the bargain price of just £5. The inner section can be used as a cool bag for your picnic/lunch/drinks. Then there is an end pocket with two built in speakers to connect to your phone/IPAD etc to play some tunes. The boys absolutely love the bags and are constantly listening to music on You Tube through them.

The boys new beat box speaker cool bag.

School Year 3 and 4

With the summer holidays now a distant memory both of the boys started back at school last Friday. Brandon now in Year 3 and Joshua a Year 4. The both look very grown up and smart in their new uniforms. I bet those scuff resistant shoes don't last the first half term!!!! Later next week Holly also starts at school as she has her first day at the TOPS pre-school class. She is so ready for pre-school.

 

Joshua and Brandon looking very smart for Year 3 and 4.

Holly wanting to get in on the school uniform photo.

A selfie picture that Joshua and friends took in the playground on his first day back at school. Ironic that he is the only one without glasses and yet he has just been prescribed reading glasses.

Newquay the Final Day - Journey Home

Up nice and early on our final day as we had to get all packed up and off site by 10am. Everyone mucked in to help get everything packed away and we easily had it all done and the car loaded within 2 hours. The challenge when packing up is always whether you can fit the tent back in the tent bag - I've never understood why they make them so small and such hard work!!! The car was rammed to the roof and whilst I finished loading the final few bits off, Tina took the kids over to the restaurant for a cooked breakfast before we hit the road.

 

The journey home was pretty horrendous as it took nearly 10 hours due to traffic (twice as long as it took us to get there). Brandon was driving us nuts with his constant request for Michael Jackson songs!! So having left the site at around11:30am we finally arrived home at about 8pm - that's a lot of time in the car.

 

 

Not much space left in the back of the S-Max and looking quite low to the ground.

We left quite an impressive footprint of dead grass on our pitch.

 

 

Holly and Tina waiting for their cooked breakfast.

 

My god how is Holly ever going to eat all of that.

Joshua and Brandon enjoying their last meal on site. I get to eat all the left over cooked tomatoes.

Lastly here is a picture of Holly's fleece that she got. A nice Newquay camper van with her name in a glitter Disney font.

Newquay Day 10 - Penultimate Day Tolcarne Beach

Our last whole day in Newquay and we was really hoping for some nicer weather to have a last beach day. The sun kept threatening to come out but it never really got to be a hot summers day. We started the day heading in to Newquay to do a bit of souvenir shopping where the kids bumped in to a giant size Pokemon character. Whilst shopping the souvenirs the kiddies all got a personalised hoodie. Holly and Joshua's were very Newquay / camper van themed whilst Brandon's was an Aston Martin with his name as a personalised number plate.

 

Once the shopping was done we did head down to Tolcarne beach for one more beach day so that the boys could do some final body boarding before the long drive home tomorrow. Fortunately this time at Tolcarne we managed to park up without receiving another parking ticket like earlier in the holiday.

 

Once we got back to camp the kids also wanted one last visit to the indoor Oasis swimming pool so that's exactly what we did. In the evening we hit the arcades for the final time and Tina helped the kids exchange up all of their tokens and tickets from this week. You will be pleased to hear that the large sums of money I had pumped into the arcades over the 10 days converted into about £4 of cheap plastic toys and bubbles that you could buy in Pound Land - great value for money! Not!!!

 

The kiddies all meet a life size Pokemon character whilst out souvenir shopping.

Pokemon-Go is the big mobile craze at the moment and during our time in Newquay we had a couple visit us in the tent. Brandon didn't look impressed with this one.

 

And this cheeky little bugger was jumping on mine and Tina's camp bed until we caught it with a Poke-ball.

 

Love this picture of Brandon on Tolcarne Beach.

Finally Brandon braved the cold water and got into a bit of shallow body boarding.

It may have been shallow, but it was fun and safe.

Pulling his board back out to catch another wave.

Joshua met up with another lad his age and they were both enjoying some body boarding.

Brandon starting to feel the cold.

Joshua never seems to feel the cold and would quite happily stay in the water all day.

Whilst the boys were boarding me and Holly made a turtle sand castle.

Holly destroying our creation.

You might be fooled in to thinking this is a scene from the old Baywatch programme as Holly sprints down the beach.

She just kept running up and down the beach and smiling away whilst I kept an eye out over Josh in the surf.

Holly running around the RNLI 4x4.

Our farewell to the lovely Newquay beaches.

Holly enjoying the mini slide in the Oasis pool for the last time.

Wearing her new Supergirl swim costume. Looking good.

My cheeky boy loving the water slides.

Getting ready to hit the tire tube slide again.

Joshua waiting for his farewell ride on the tire slide.

But flips over and gets stuck in the half way plunge pool.

Newquay Day 9 - Lands End

Day 9 of our holiday and one of my most enjoyable. We decided that having travelled 5-6 hours down to Newquay that we would be foolish to not do the extra hours journey and visit Lands End. I may have been here as a kid, although I really do not remember it at all. The drive down was really nice as we meandered through some beautiful country lanes with trees overhanging from both sides making a tunnel effect. The weather was probably the best we have had all holiday and it just made for a really lovely day in some of the most stunning scenery.

 

We had also pre-purchased tickets for the kids to visit the Lands End farm, do the King Arthur search, the 4D cinema and the Shaun of the Sheep Experience. They all found the King Arthur's thing a bit scary and couldn't wait to get out of there. The Shaun of the Sheep was good fun as the kids got to do some art work and learnt how animations are made. The 4D cinema was an awesome dinosaur experience which had Brandon jumping out of his skin on a few occasions. Then last but not least the farm was small, but set in stunning scenery and gave the kiddies the opportunity to feed some animals.

 

During the day we had a lovely picnic sitting outside Lands End whilst the kids played on some very large anchors. Then at the end of the day we finished the day off with a nice dinner in the Lands End cafe which of course featured a Cornish pasty!!!

 

We arrive at Lands End after a longish journey down. What a beautiful day outside.



The Cornish Pantry at Lands End would become the venue for our evening meal.

The kiddies with a Cornish Air Ambulance helicopter.

The first and last post box in England.

Absolutely breathtaking scenery that you never get bored of exploring and looking at.

We had travelled 342 miles from our home town to see the famous Lands End sign.

Sneaky picture of the kids at the Lands End sign.

Another scenery shot.

The first and last refreshment stop in England. Time to experience some Cornish ice-cream.

Tina and the kids with the Union Jack and you can just about see the lighthouse in the background.

Having a lovely stroll around Lands End.

A bit of a pick-me-up for me with a Cornish Bite energy drink.

Joshua and Brandon climbing some rocks.

This was the best picture we could manage of all of us at the Lands End sign until our official photo arrives.

Holly and Joshua getting their picture taken with Shaun of the Sheep.

Holly trying to pull out Excalibur's sword.

Joshua trying his muscles with the sword.

Lunch picnic time by a rather large anchor.

Joshua is king of the world.

Brandon preferred playing on this rather unusual anchor.

Some beautiful scenery at the farm.



Holly and Brandon in the farm.

Joshua trying to get Holly to feed the birds.

Joshua feeding a little goat.

Now that's what I call a view.

Me showing Holly how to feed a cow.

Brandon becoming popular with the sheep.

Tina and Holly feeding the chickens.

Eye test - can you spot Brandon in this picture?

A little easier to see Joshua in this one. Although Tina was not impressed wit their rock climbing.

Another view at Lands End.

My world...............

Doing a bit of exploring with Brandon.

I wouldn't fancy falling down those rocks.

Joshua in between a rock from Lands End and one from John O'Groats.

Holly's turn......

Then Brandon had a turn but tried to be different by doing a muscle up on the rocks.

Walking around the Shaun of the Sheep exhibit.

The boys throwing poo at the pigs to get them to make noises!!!!!!!!!

Sorry, never watched Shaun of the Sheep and have no idea who this character is.

Joshua and Brandon being splitters from the tent community and switching to the caravan.

Where the old life boat used to be they now have some miniature replica houses.

To end our day at Lands End - a proper Cornish dinner in the Pantry.

Joshua showing the only way to eat a pasty - pick it up with your hands and get stuck in.