Happy 80th Birthday, Dad!

Yesterday we celebrated my dad's birthday. He was 80! 

He doesn't look it or act it, mind you! 

He can out cycle me and walk for miles and miles. He doesn't ever get tired! 

We were planning on a trip to visit the steam trains (Bishops Lydeard to Minehead) which was the day out we used to do when the boys were much smaller, Dad's birthday falling in the school holidays. 

But they no longer run on a Friday - which was his birthday!  

So we did our next favourite thing, other than visit a National Trust place, and visited Slimbridge, The Wetlands.

The last time the boys and I went, we were coming out of lockdown, and Dad didn't come with us. (I used to have membership.) 

It was FAB to get to feed the birds again, especially one very confident swan. 

Ben, never a lover of dogs, is not afraid of swans!

Slimbridge did not disappoint. There had been some further updates and new bits to explore.

It brought out the big kids in us, although we didn't venture into Wellyboot Land - they grew out of that area years ago!

But it was a tranquil day bird watching, with a canoe safari thrown in for fun, too.

The cutest thing was watching one of the otters sunbathing and playing with her stone. 

And finally, after all the years we've been visiting, we saw the water voles! Hurrah! 

Plus we picked up a couple of Gromit Unleashed sculptures, as came home via the A38 (rather than M5) and stopped at Thornbury, too. 

All in all, we had a Grand Day out! 

Happy birthday, Dad! 

My garden would not look as awesome as it does without your assistance. 

I am always grateful the help you've given me over the years. Not sure where I would be without you.

Here's to more fun days out!  

Love Teresa x x x 

Summer Holidays Recap

Mijas

I thought I would take a look back at the summer holidays, which seem to come round quickly, just like Christmas, and then when they arrive, have flown by.

Apex Park

Every year I make plans how to fill my time with the kids, and depending on the weather, I never quite get to do half of it.

Admittedly, the boys are with their dad the first two weeks at the start of the holidays which allowed me this year to jet off to Spain for a few days. When they returned, I had four weeks to entertain them.


Well, this is the list of things we have done:

It's been parks, bike rides, the Cheddar Gorge, walking, climbing, zorb fighting, Slimbridge - feeding the swans and ducks, meeting/making new friends...

Zorbs - Apex Park

Costa coffees, hot chocolates, museums, train rides...

1 of 70 Shaun's - Dolly

Hungry Horses for tea...

Tytensfield with Dad for his 70th

More train rides to Bristol, Shaun The Sheep hunting, selfies, a visit to Nanny Sylvie's (where they did cinema and more parks), castles, steam trains, National Trust houses, 70th birthdays...

Board games, lunch at Za Za Bazaar, and a book signing...

The last Shaun - Starstruck! 

And ending with the theme park Devon Crealy, adding roller-coasters, log flumes, water chutes and drop slides, and Glamping, where we've cooked on a wood-burning stove and made camp fires, roasting marshmallows, and played football with newly made friends until dark.


Sadly, I couldn't put all of the photos on my blog...

Glamping

Yeah, I think I'm ready for the boys to go back to school.

Easter Holiday Antics

Does anyone else get that sinking feeling of too much to do and too little time to do it in?

This morning I felt like that as I rushed to school on our first school run of the new term, worrying about events rapidly approaching - i.e. our holiday at the end of May - and I still haven't finished editing my second book.

Yes, I know I should be doing it now, but I'd also noticed I'd been neglecting my blog. The Easter holidays have taken its toll. But with the kids back to school today, I thought I'd share what we've been up to - very quickly!

We did 'Three Beaches in One Day': Seaton, Beer and Branscombe.

Beer, South Devon

We visited the Magical World of Harry Potter - Warner Studios in Watford.

The Night Bus...although we arrived by car

Sipping Butter Beer

And yesterday, as it was an inset day, we went to Slimbridge, where we saw a pair of Moorhens making a nest;



... a robin taking a bath in a pond and lots and lots of baby birds. Slimbridge in spring is awesome.

In other news: My book, Plus One is a Lucky Number comes out in paper on 8th May! Whoop! And panic!

Thursday Comes Around Quickly!

And of course I've started something with this Shirtless Thursday lark, and it's amazing how many 'silent' readers I do have that like to see this blog post happen. I was emailed (what will be yesterday) to remind me to do this, and as I'm out with my dad and the boys to Slimbridge, I thought I best get organised. (I'm going to schedule this post for Thursday morning - tomorrow). Gosh, is that a bit timey wimey stuff like in Doctor Who? I'm talking about tomorrow as Thursday, but it's today when you read this. Weird.

Bit like my dad says, you'll never get there, because when you're there you'll be here. Like you'll never reach tomorrow as it will always be today. I'm sure he says these things to get my eight-year-old thinking.

Anyway... while I'm here blogging, I might as well tell you some of my news... As I said, we're off to Slimbridge tomorrow, today, so camera is charged, and I've ordered a portable hard drive to store my photos because my PC is now rammed, and performing very slow. As recommended to me by my sister, I decided to buy a portable hard drive to store all my pictures on.

Right, back to Shirtless Thursday...


As to my 'silent' readers, please don't be afraid to leave a comment once in a while. It helps let me know my blog is actually being read.

Now this picture was on Pinterest (posted by the lovely Becky Black), which I'm becoming a real fan of. This shirtless cowboy photo deserves captioning, too... I'll let you leave them in the comments below.

I was supposed to start printing off The Wedding Favour tonight... and I have failed! Maybe I should get the Easter holidays out of the way first. And stop searching for shirtless photos...

Half-Term Antics

As my kids go back to school this week, I notice that others over the country are off for their half-term. The school holidays with my kids are sacred to me, even more so now that I don't see them at the weekends.

I've always tried to make sure we get a few day trips in during the holidays. Everything to add to their memory box as I call it. Something to look back on, reminisce.

February half-term is a difficult one to fill with fun. It's usually cold and wet. This February half-term was no different. But my mum visited, and we had a trip to the cinema, plus played board games like Scrabble. Ben loved it, and I also felt it was a little educational, helping him with his spelling.

On Thursday (14th February), the best day of the week for weather, we went to Slimbridge. I've added Dad to my membership now, as he likes coming with me, and the four of us ventured to the Wetlands to feed the birds. The paths are fine, but when the boys went off the beaten track they did get a bit muddy. Oh yeah, just a bit. Good job I found the wellies. (In the end I had to let them just be boys lol!)

They were given the choice of steam trains or Slimbridge, and it was nice that they both wanted to go to Slimbridge. I worry they may bore of the birds. We will save the steam trains for Easter.

This time we found two hides that were suitable for the kids to visit. (Trying to get them to be quiet whilst serious bird watchers are trying to take photos and 'watch' rare birds is very stressful. Kids just don't get the word 'quiet'.)

We sat and watched blue tits and woodpeckers feed from bird feeders, and then we found a warm 'hide' where we could watch swans, geese and various varieties of ducks on the lakes.

But their favourite bit is that they are able to feed the birds.

I put the boys in their thermals, so there was no fear of them ever complaining they were cold. But to be honest, when the sun came out, it was a lovely, mild February day. God, I hope that isn't our summer over already!

(I apologise for my lack of blog posting - been meaning to post for a couple of days now). 

Kids Holidays = No WRA

The last time I blogged was Friday!

Easter holidays are taking their toll, as I haven't had the time to sit here much, especially as in the evenings I've tried to knuckle down with the editing of The Wedding Favour, rather than procrastinate! I'll be getting to some parts that I know need some rework soon, but for the moment, as I work my way through, I'm trying to tighten it up, make notes of things mentioned, so I can remove repetition. I've removed 1000 words so far. But I don't think I'm being brave enough really, and hacking at it as I should be. But I suppose that side of my writing confidence can only come with time. I'm trying to do it off my own back though and not rely too much on my writing friends, as I appreciate I do need to learn. 

So, the reasons for lack of WRA: Yesterday we went to Slimbridge, and as hoped, we did get to see baby chicks! Never managed to get a photograph of the ducklings (too quick and too small), but there were some really young birds there this time of the year. So cute, so small!

And this is the boys feeding the last of their corn to the swans. It is rather wonderful to be able to walk amongst these birds, and generally they are not fazed. You know when a swan is getting moody, and to scarper! Ben had even managed to feed a pigeon from his hand.

So as you can see, I'm busy entertaining the kids, and not doing much writing. Last night, after having a wonderful massage, I decided not to ruin it by slogging away at the PC and read instead. Today I have a lazy day planned, so if while the kids play nicely (ha! arguments always kick off when I decide to disappear) I might get an hour in. We will see. 

*WRA = Writing Related Activities