Girls outing

This week has been half term at school so the kids have been off although I have been at work. Rhodri has done a good job (as always) of holding down the fort and keeping everyone sane. Today Emma and I took Rhiannon and Sophie into East Grinstead to see the long awaited "Pitch Perfect 2" in the cinema. We all enjoyed it so much, but these two girls who are only 9 years old sure can act like teenagers sometimes! They kind of even looked like teenagers today... I don't know what the heck they are doing in this photo, though!

Camber Sands, Eurovision and more static photos

It has been fun to kind of live trashy and watching telly while it is still daylight and just hanging out in this trailer park. We have also been able to do some nice little trips around the area, like to Camber Sands beach which has the only sand dunes in Sussex.

Camber Sands

    

View of the pool area

 Rhiannon and Tryfan made friends with some girls who were in a nearby caravan and they spent a lot of time in the pool even though the heater was broken. Actually, Tryfan didn't last very long inside it but Rhiannon was pretty much in there until the pool closed at 5pm every day.

Inside the Static, playing board games

We played some good games, had loads of treats, and then stayed up late watching the Eurovision song contest on Saturday night.  We really wanted Serbia to win with this awesome song "Beauty Never Lies" whose performer was so great, but Sweden won in the end.

So anyway, it was a memorable weekend of just us doing something we've never done before. Now that its all over, I am not too keen to do it again but maybe under the right conditions it might happen. There is definitely a different demographic of society who spends time in places like this, but it was fun for a weekend.

The Static

This weekend was a long one with Monday as a holiday, so we actually booked to stay in a "static" caravan at a Holiday Park in Winchelsea. We booked it for 3 nights and got there on Friday night. The kids have been begging for some time now to go on a caravan holiday. We didn't want to rent one and drive around, although that might be fun someday under the right conditions.

It was a bit of a strange context for us because Rhiannon was on crutches for these days. She has developed some kind of painful cracks on the bottom of her feet which make them really difficult to walk on. This meant that we couldn't go on very long walks or anything like that, but we could go into the swimming pool and the sea.

The caravan park was just across the road from a grassy park leading up to the beach, so it was a lovely spot to be in. I had a couple of nice excursions on my own or with Bentley, and it was kind of funny to stay in this park where we felt so out of place.

Fire lighting with Beavers

Tonight I helped out with Tryfan's Beavers troop.
They were lighting fires at Broadstone Warren.
It was kind of a free-for-all, but I had my own little group and we eventually got a fire going. Here are Tryfan and Carter in front of our raging campfire.

Red Lion opening weekend

We are lucky to live within walking distance of two pubs: The Coach and Horses, and the Red Lion.
The latter pub has been under various different managers during the past 5 years we have lived here, and we've seen the pub go waaaaay downhill and eventually close under the most recent management. Now, however, new people have come in and it all looks very promising! Building a permanent play structure is a Very Good Start.

They held a Grand Opening celebration on Friday night, and then Sunday afternoon another Grand Opening but this was aimed at families. Naturally, Rhodri and I went to both of the events. It was a glorious weekend and we got to hang out with loads of our friends and neighbors while the kids ran around.

General outdoor loveliness

This now is the best time of year here! Everything is blooming and green and it is just so lovely.

All the neighbor kids have been taking advantage of the new wooden play features in the Jubilee woods behind the village green. Some guy called "Saxon" built all of these and they are absolutely gorgeous - there are balance beams, wobbly bridges, climbing frames, picnic tables and a roundhouse shelter!

Tryfan, Matilda and Rhiannon in the Jubilee woods

One morning, Anne Marie and I took all the kids to Sheffield Park play woodlands which is the same place that we went for the moonlight torch walk with the Beavers some weeks ago. There is a giant swing and really great trees for climbing on.

Kids climbing tree - can you spot Tryfan?

 Our back garden is stunning right now with some hot pink azaleas. And fortunately our neighbor a few doors down trimmed some of his giant trees so we have a lovely view from upstairs now!

View from sun deck of our freshly mowed lawn

Combined Birthday party for friends

Today was a combined Birthday party for Bruno, Max and Tommy.
It was kind of a nightmare because then we had to buy 3 presents although it was really only Bruno who had invited Tryfan and Rhiannon to come along.

Anyway, it turned out mostly ok except that Tryfan left his jacket at Monkey Bizness in Lewes, so we had to detour an hour (30 min each way) and I was pretty grouchy about that.
I can't remember what else happened today, but it was just one of those days that was a bit off. Oh well. You get that on the big jobs, as someone once said...

Bluebell walk gone wrong

Today Emma and her Dad and I took all the kids on a bluebell walk to a particularly gorgeous stretch of bluebell carpet in the woods below Cumnor House School in Danehill. It was a gorgeous day and it was also extra special because it was Monday and a Bank Holiday so everyone was off work/ school. Last year we had such a lovely bluebell walk in this place and so we had all been looking forward to bluebell season so we could visit again. One of the extra fun things about this place is that there are several rope swings throughout the forest, so we can leisurely amble along, stopping every now and then to swing on the rope swings.

Everything was going swell until Sophie fell off one of the swings and was in a lot of pain (later found out she broke her arm). Now, Sophie is a tough girl and doesn't cry very often, so we knew something was very wrong. I ended up running back to Danehill and getting the car, then driving up someone's private path to get to the closest spot where Emma, Rhiannon and Sophie were waiting. Fortunately Emma's Dad walked Oscar and Tryfan back home to their house.  So we girls drove to the "Minor Injury Unit" in East Grinstead and waited until Sophie and Emma were called into the treatment room, then Rhiannon and I left and Rob (Dad/ partner) arrived. Poor Soph. It turns out she broke her arm high up below her shoulder, so has to just have it in a sling for a long time.

So we never did actually make it to the really amazing stretch of bluebells and I have to go back before the season ends!