The Natural History Museum

Yesterday was a day spent with the kids.  Due to issues with childcare I had to spend time with them.  I guess that if I had really really tried, I could have arranged something, but yesterday was the last Wednesday before they return to school. Next week, my daughter will be in secondary school (which does mean more quality time with my son) and before long, she will have left home.

We had to visit the doctors and after that, it was a walk into town.  The kids enjoyed a milkshake, and until my son had a sulk, they also enjoyed Pokemon Go.  Of course, my daughter was a bit stressed when she was told about a few issues with her uniform but that did not last too long (and was amusing to watch).  After seeing the headmaster of my sons school we went to the Natural History Museum.  I have wanted to visit it for ages but the kids were not too keen.

But they liked it a lot more than they expected.  It was a great way to learn about the natural history of the local area, it had interactive exhibits that stimulated them.  I think that they were surprised at how much they enjoyed it.

After that it was a trip for food where they ended up eating my burger and then home.  Days like this will become fewer, especially when my daughter visits the town centre with her friends.

Bring me to life

Time for a quick post as I am hoping to get enough sleep to watch the series finale of Game Of Thrones.  Needless to say, last week I expected death, but not that death to occur.

Anyway, today we traveled to London to see my mother.  She appreciated this as she had not seen the kids in a while.  They were fed chocolate which they always love and gave her come fudge from our holiday in Devon.

After this it was a drive into town where my wife and daughter shopped for perfume and my son and I went on a Pokemon related walk, which he seemed to love.  His ban on my iPhone being used to run his Pokemon account ends soon, but he was able to use his iPhone, until I put a ban on it for this week as later he was using it in the car after he had been told to stop.

Anyway, Arsenal lost to Liverpool by four goals.  Not sure what to expect this season.  Hopefully we will win something and learn from this defeat.

Bank holiday Saturday

Once again it has been too long since I posted about the family.  Our holiday was so relaxing that the nightmare journey back did not leave any residual stress and I have been feeling a lot more relaxed since.  The children spent a few days with their grandparents which were cut short due to a death in the family (on the side of my wife).  We did get to have a night out together though.  

Anyway, today, it was a trip to Brightlingsea. My wife had taken the children there yesterday but we went as a family today. We were lucky enough to be able to use a beach hut of a friend (or rather, her mother). The view was amazing, the weather was ideal and I got to help the kids catch crabs, something I have never done before, but they excelled at.

Day eleven in Devon. Our fast car.

What a day.  We left Fingals to have breakfast on the coast, but this was in the opposite direction to our trip home.  Breakfast was great and we all loved it.  And it was just as well as my son had left his iPhone behind!  Travelling back was no great hardship as it was on our way home and we thought that was the end of our problems.  

But it was not.  We hit traffic on the way to the M5 and our car ended up breaking down due to an issue with electricity.  And just for dramatic effect in what was meant to be in the fast lane.  Fortunately, the traffic was going slow, and later an AA van stopped traffic allowing us to move to the grass verge.  The police who had been called came and checked us over and we waited for a nice man in a breakdown truck to collect us. By that time, the car started to work, and we drove onto a service station where our car was checked and no fault was found.

So we went on, and due to issues with traffic again decided on a diversion to take us back past Stonehenge.  But after hitting heavy traffic we broke down again. So here we are, in a lay by waiting for a pickup to come to take us home, the time of this being put back further and further.

What a memorable end to the holiday!

Day Nine in Devon

Today we were intending to try out some glass blowing but due to a problem with mobile phone connections, this was not to be.  So we went to Slapton Sands instead where the kids flew kites.  They had tried before, but the wind only allowed my son to fly his kite.  This time both were able to enjoy this, but the kite my son had bought earlier this holiday broke.

After this it was a trip to a sea food restaurant that my wife had her eyes on which served the best fish and chips I have ever had (the fish was only recently caught), and the trip also took in some World War Two history before we returned for swimming while my wife made some food with the freshly caught crab and scallops.

And the photo is to show how cold my son found lunch!

Day Eight in Devon. Walking.

Today we went to Totnes.  When we had driven through it before, we had seen that there was a place to paint pottery, so we went there.  The kids loved it.  My wife demonstrated her abilities with art by painting a skull, my daughter painted a penguin, my son painted a tea pot that he intends to store money in, and I painted a coaster.

After this, it was a trip into town for lunch and a stroll before my wife met up with someone from school.  While she was catching up on old times, the children and I walked from Pokestop to Pokestop and they walked over three and a half miles before my wife was ready to meet again.

After dinner, a trip back to our base, where I got us lost, but now the kids are in bed after watching the end of Spider-Man. 

Day seven in Devon.

First of all, I forgot to mention the Arsenal match from yesterday.  Like with the FA cup final, I had expected us to get beaten.  Unlike that match I did not get to watch this one, with being on holiday, though a friend of mine did despite being on the other side of the globe!

Today, we did not spend the morning swimming, much to the annoyance of the children but did travel to learn about Agatha Christie.  Her old home is close by to where we are staying, a ferry ride even.  The kids seemed to like the day and the lunch there, and later we went swimming.  We did get in trouble as we were in there for sometime so all in all, an educational day with fun afterwards.

Day Six in Devon. The Grand Old Duke.

My wife had a nap after breakfast. During our first meal of the day, my son kept asking about swimming which caused some annoyance as we were wondering what else could be done.  But once my wife had her nap (she was not feeling too well) we swam.  We also had a trip to the games room where the kids tried to play pool and also played table football.  But it was swimming that they enjoyed the most.  And much to my annoyance, my daughter is able to swim faster than me.  And she has yet to realise, but I think she can swim further than me.  My son, after his swim loved his massage and then we had a muck around on the grass tennis courts that are here.

Lunch was interesting.  We had tried to eat local, and I ended up taking my wife down some roads that are not used by cars much.  She was not happy.  And then the place we wanted to eat at, which was at the bottom of a very steep hill, was booked up.  So we drove to Dartmouth.  While we had similar issues there, we did find a place where we could sit and eat.  It did not have the best food, but it was good enough and my daughter and I went walking to play Pokemon.  Later, we met with my son and he got to play as well, which he loved.  

Once home, I was allowed a walk to nearby Dittisham, which has knackered me out.  But it was worth it.  I am surprised at how many hills there are here, and the walk up and down several, challenged me.

Night all!

Day five in Devon. A change of scenery.

We were sad to leave Glebe House today.  We have had a great time there and the kids loved Coco and the books as well as exploring the grounds and so much more.  After another fabulous breakfast there, we finished packing and then it was a trip further into Devon.

We did stop in Sidmouth for my daughter to have a braid put in her hair, something that she was wanted for a while.  We had the chance yesterday at the folk festival but the wait was too long before.

Anyway, we are now in our new locale.  It was an interesting drive at the end, as promised before we left Glebe House. What I had not expected was to drive out of a town into single track country roads.  But we arrived in good time and since being here have enjoyed the swimming pool, played Table Football, tried a game of pool and played about on the tennis court.

Not sure how we can beat that tomorrow!

Day four in Devon, kite flying

Another interesting day today.  We went to Sidmouth for the folk festival.  The day started with spectacular sunshine which sadly was replaced by clouds. But this morning my wife and daughter started off by buying one of the other guests a birthday present (she and her daughter had bought the two children some bookmarks) and a card.  After a lovely breakfast, we drove there rather than trying out the local team and Jurassic centre (we may try this tomorrow).

Sidmouth is a lovely town with a pretty wall along the beach which we walked along after parking near the sea front.  Walking we saw some people flying kites and the kids were tempted to buy some. I did promise to help fund this, but not if they bought things at the first stall they came to.  Along the walk, they saw hair braiding, finger spinners and many other things that fascinated them.  They climbed on some rocks which had been arranged as groynes and my son was ecstatic as not only was he able to climb, but his sister could not keep up with him (she was not wearing the right shoes for this task, having left them in the car).  We had a poetry recital and a delightful lunch before buying kites (the first one that my son bought had to be exchanged as it had not enough struts) but before lunch, we tried the kites.  My son bought the cheapest one there and my daughter bought a more expensive one using some of her own money in addition to what I had paid them both.  On the beach, I failed to get the kites up, but a kind man came over to help us and got my sons kite up.  However, that of my daughter was a lot more challenging.  It's tail was too heavy for the wind, and despite numerous attempts, and a fall from a height for me, we were not able to get it airborne properly.

But then, after lunch, it was a trip home, and after a rest, a journey to Axminster to eat at the River Cottage Canteen.  Sadly this meal was not up to the standards of lunch nor our expectations. But at least we have been there to say we did not enjoy it as much as we had hoped, rather than always wondering what it would have been like.

Day Three in Devon & a trip to Dorset

After waking this sunny morning, I took the kids out for a walk. We had discussed this the previous night and my daughter was keen to explore. My son was willing to walk a bit so we agreed to take him to have a look at the pool, and then to bring him back with a hair clip for his mother. However, once downstairs we were reminded that a naked swim takes place in the morning and therefore had to have a quick look. But we were given a recommendation, this being to take some windfall apples to the horse who lives down the hill. None of us had the courage to feed the horse with our hands but he ate the apples that we tossed over the fence to him.  After this, we walked back up the hill and my son was left with my wife while my daughter and I continued to explore, which included the pet cemetery and a walk past the solar panels to some fields above Glebe House where we saw some rabbits and sheep.

After breakfast, it was a trip down the coast where we found it a bit windy.  My son and wife were not keen on a walk along the Jurassic beach, so that was left to my daughter and me, though she decided to leave her walking shoes behind.  We had not brought a hammer with us, so our attempts at finding fossils meant breaking stones by throwing one down upon others. We found no fossils, but did make a Stone Age blade which my daughter has kept, and promised not use on her brother.

On the way back, it was a stop at a bakery where the food was excellent.  The chef was a bit abrupt at first, but warmed up later.  The only downside was the toilets which badly let the place down.  Saying that, we would love to return, but probably will not get the time to do so, if we are to see the Jurassic centre tomorrow among other things.

Once back at Glebe House, the kids went swimming in the pool. And when they say that the pool is heated, it is.  We have been to other places with heated pools, only to find that they had a different definition of heated to what we had.  This is the kind of heated that we had in mind, and this meant that we had no qualms with the children staying in the pool for a while.  Though, once they were out, it was a quick trip indoors to be dried off.  The kids rested and read books (and watched a Pokemon DVD) while my wife had a much deserved massage.  And then it was out for food.

When my wife had talked about a trip to Beer for my daughter and her to get a crab sandwich and my son eating something else, I did not think that she met eating in a restaurant. So I was not too fussed about rushing, which meant that everywhere was booked.  We drove to Seaton and my wife started to get stressed about feeding the children. We went to one place to find it was booked, and she decided to go into the Co-op and get some food to eat in our room.  Fortunately she listened to the option of driving through Seaton to find a restaurant and to ring them while in the car.  And so we had a meal at Tandoori Tonight. And the food was quite nice.  No where close to the standards of lunch, but much better than dinner the night before.

Anyway, the kids have finally gone to bed, as must I.

Day two in Devon which involved marbles and no loss of them

Rain, rain and more rain greeted us today.

We had expected some rain today but when we looked at the forecast yesterday, we had thought that this would just involve a few showers allowing us to enjoy the sun shine later.  A bit like yesterday really where it had rained earlier only to be followed by spectacular sunshine and warmth.

But that did not happen. It rained and rained and rained.  So while we would have loved to visit somewhere local, instead we drove for an hour to see some glass blowing. When we arrived in the dismal car park, we found no spaces. It appeared that almost everyone in Devon had decided to come here.  

Starting on the positives, it did have a bit of educational information for the children to learn about glass and they got to was some glass blowing. In addition to that, it has a gift shop geared to kids, and some great machines using marbles.  And it is free. So considering that, it was value for money, but it was not what we were looking for to spend time learning about glass and spending time indoors, especially after an hours drive.  But the kids loved the things that they got, a memory game and a marble each (and big ones at that).  After this, it was a trip to Dartington crystal, which was further away. Sadly, when we arrived, we found out that the trips were all booked, so the children spent some time painting glass instead.  While my wife went shopping afterwards, while we waited for the paint to dry, I bribed the kids into learning things by paying them to find out bits of information. It worked, and they seemed to not resent having to wait.  On the long drive back, bribery was used again, this time in feeding them snacks.

We went to eat later, and sadly this did not come close to matching the superb meal that we had last night at Glebe House.  But we are back now, the kids watching some Pokemon before they get sent to bed.

Day one in Devon

Well, today we have arrived at Glebe House in Devon. To describe the place as clam and tranquil would be an understatement. 

The drive down was a challenge for the two children and we had to ban them from talking to each other at times. Knowing what I used to do to my brother on car journeys, I allowed them to make faces at each other as I would have done so.  (Apparently one took advantage of this.). My wife insisted on driving the first part, kicking me out of the drivers seat, which meant that she got to drive on the 'Road To Hell' but to be fair, things were not that bad with only a few traffic jams. Though once we started to argue, we swapped. This, though was after we drove past Stonehenge which the kids were amazed by. I would have loved to have stopped, but it was raining and there was a huge queue to see it.

When we arrived at Glebe House, we all loved it. The view is amazing and the kids ran to explore the area and also investigated the cows.  And when they thought that we were not looking, they explored the rest of the house as well.  Coco, the dog here, seems to like them as much as they like her.

We did have a drive around the area to explore but failed to bring some carrots back for a horse we met.  Anyway, time for me to have a walk now.