Some time later

We are two and a half weeks into the school holidays and things are, surprisingly, not too bad.  We have had lots of meet ups with friends in parks and at the beach, picnics and walks, along with the kids playing out on this wonderful pedestrianised street of ours for hours at a time with the neighbouring boys and girls.  We have been fortunate to have Daniel with us for a nearly 2 week long visit, although he has sadly gone home today. 

While we were eating tea I asked the boys what had been the best part of their big brother's visit:
Sam " when he came walking down the street and I saw it was him and I ran and ran to him, and if his bag had been smaller he would have run to me"
Tom "Danny's gone and that makes me very sad, but the good part is that he built lots of up track and bridges for my train set"

We went to the Volkswagen classic car rally in Tynemouth which was really good - it was a beautiful summer day and the camper vans where jaw droppingly gorgeous!!  I never realised until then how much I would love to own a camper van!!  The beetles were also beautiful, but it was the camper vans which stole my heart!!

Tom doodles on the Doodle Bug!

It's handy to have a big brother to explain technical stuff to you

My favourite camper van

Priors Haven, Tynemouth on a beautiful day, rally in the background

The boys and I have had a visit to the Life Centre with the wonderful Helen Thompson and her lovely daughter Kira.  The Life Centre is a fantastic place to visit and the kids always have a great time, especially at the moment as they have the Wallace and Gromit Exhibition on.

While on the subject of Helen and Kira I must also mention our epic day trip to York.  Now I know that it being only a day trip, and only an hour away on the train it shouldn't qualify as epic, but trust me, it was.  The kids were up and down, heart wrenchingly good and stomach churningly bad, selfish and selfless.  They walked and walked and walked.  It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.  And so, as far as I'm concerned, qualifies as epic!!

Brave (insane?) woman gives Sam a proper, heavy, very old broadsword to hold... and then does the same with Tom!

Getting the hang of jousting

All set for the miniature train ride at the Railway Museum

 So all in all, it's going pretty well.  The boys seem to be enjoying their holiday, although Tom (social creature that he is) is missing his friends from nursery a lot.  We have been having quite lot of busy, so I think I am going to try for some friend and stimulation free time.  Remind them how to entertain themselves and just have some time to "chillax" - as one of Sam's friends suggested to me at his sleepover - and that is a post for another time...