How does it happen?

How do children's bedrooms breed so much stuff?

After Dylan went to the gym and I went swimming this morning I decided I would spend 15 minutes organising in Stephanie's bedroom, I mean it shouldn't take long should it just to put a few things away. Yet once I started I realised there was a lot more to organise than I thought. I started by moving out anything I could see that she has not used for a long time. I decided to put these items into the attic. When she gets back from her Dad's if she hasn't requested specific things I will sell them on.

Here's what I moved out in the 1st 15 minutes;

After moving these items I could see space to organise some of the toys etc on the floor so spent another 15 minutes doing that. I planned on doing some more another day however as I was getting ready to go to the allotment we had a thunder storm so I decided to go and do a little more in her bedroom. I removed this amount again and collected a black sack full of broken/ missing pieced toys and did some more tidying. I ended up doing about an hour in there, there is still more to go!

How do toys etc breed?

Olympic celebrations

Yesterday we began the day by going for a swim. Then we got ready to go to Rochester castle to join in the celebrations for the opening ceremony of the Olympics. We ran the Medway Mile which is a mass fun run which has happened on the 27th July for the last few years here to mark the count down to the Olympic games. It is a fantastic family event with lots to keep the children entertained whilst waiting for the mass race. There are shorter children's races, a mascot race, and a competitive racers mile before the mass race. All activities are free to take part in including the fair ground rides etc for the children.

It is a fantastic evening of fun, we always take a picnic with us as there are burger vans there but they are expensive and I find it strange that the only option is burgers and chips at an event where there are lots of initiatives on display by the local council to get people to eat more healthily..

I am disappointed that last night was the last one of these fantastic events. I think there should be something similar set up as a yearly event, it's great to see everyone come together. Oh and I ran the mile with Stephanie and we completed it at her pace with a time of 11 Min's 09 seconds. Dylan decided not to run and came in about 7 minutes later.

Here are some of the pictures from the evening;

Face painted by the Better Medway team

Stephanie on the big slide

Dylan on the big slide

Swing ride

Making smoothies, they both want one of these bikes!

Celebratory ice cream after running the mile.

One of the local Olympic torch carriers bought the torch with her and very kindly let the children hold it so I could get their photographs with it.

Watching the Olympic ceremony on the big screen whilst waving GB flags. Was great to watch the children running around playing together with others who they did not know. Yet when the people on the screen started to sing the National Anthem the children stopped what they were doing and watched joining in with the words. Very spontaneous and very sweet.

After this we watched the firework display which was fantastic, we were too busy watching to take pictures- sorry!

Tired today

All this getting healthy with the children is tiring work!

After breakfast I took Stephanie out on her bike with no stabilisers for the first time. I spent most of the time holding onto the back of her saddle, then catching her seconds after I let go. For some reason she seems to lean to the right very heavily as she rides. As I didn't let her crash to the floor she is happy to keep trying until she gets the hang of it. The promise of a trip to build a bear when she manages to ride it herself is working wonders...

From bike riding to swimming where we all swam for just over an hour and a half. Dylan took himself into the big pool and swam LOTS of lengths. Stephanie swam in the middle sized pool lots of lengths. We had to come out of that pool at 11 as there was an aqua aerobics class in there. I took Stephanie in the deep pool for the 1st time. She loved it, swimming as deep as 150cm ( as deep as I was comfortable taking her as it came up to my shoulders and she is only just 110cm tall). Definitely need to do this with her again.

We then had our lunch in the park opposite the leisure centre where the children ran around for a while. Came home Dylan prepared the dinner for us. We then went to the library and on to the dentist. I decided that I would save a little bit of money and get some more exercise by not driving all the way and walking the last bit of the journey. It is about a 15 minute walk.

Once home Dylan finished the dinner he made a very tasty tomato pasta bake with chirozo, peperoni and salami in. He added some chili powder to the  tin tomatoes as he was cooking was very good.

Then Dylan went out on his bike with a neighbour before we headed down to the allotment for an hour of weeding and digging.

We are definitely notching up the exercise this week. I just hope we can maintain it once September comes around. Sorry about the lack of picture today but I must admit to being very tired today, I didn't sleep well last night so that probably hasn't helped. Maybe tomorrow I'll have the energy to upload some pictures to show.

a no tv/ screen day

Today the children have not used a screen at all. We started our day by going swimming. We then sat by ther river and ate the lunch I had packed.

A view across the river

Dylan eating.

While we were at the sports centre we collected our race t-shirts for Friday and Dylan mentioned that he would like to use the gym. I enquired and they have an introductory offer on for the youth gym it cost £15 for 6 weeks and as we will be on holiday for 2 of those 6 weeks they are going to extend it so he still gets 6 weeks. We booked in his 3 training sessions where he will learn abot safe use of all the equipment in the youth section. I had wanted to do it with him but it will cost £45 for the same period for me and we would be in seperate parts of the gym anyway. So I will go for a swim when he uses the gym. I really hope he enjoys the gym as he doesn't really enjoy exercise and I want him to ind something he likes and enjoys.

When we got home we played in the garden, well Stephanie did she made a tent using the cothes airer and some blankets to sit and play with her trolls in. She then played in the paddling pool. Then the children sat together and played Monopoly;

I wonder what fun we can get upto tomorrow....

Another beautiful sunny day

Today was a day at home kind of a day. Stephanie had a friend round to play. As it was so hot I filled the paddling pool;

lots of splashing and shrieking with laughter.Which was great to hear. I sat and watched from the backdoor as I got sun burnt yesterday and don't want to make it worse. On the rare occasion I did step outside I got Dylan to suncream my back. Yesterday I got Stephanie to do it bless her I think her 6 year old hands didn't quite do the job right (don't tell her i said that)

We made pizzas for tea, there is still some left so we will have those bits for lunch tomorrow.

Dylan baked Herman for us, he put cinnamon in. It tastes very nice and I'm afraid I forgot to take any pictures until after we had all eaten a square or 2!

Herman looks a bit flat as Dylan forgot to add the baking powder, still never mind it tastes scrummy still.

After taking Stephanie's friend home we went to the allotment. I spent just over an hour weeding the potato bed it is almost done. Dylan sort of helped- he was having a grumpy teenage moment and wasn't very cheerful in his helping. Stephanie took the tray I was filling with weeds to the compost bin to empty it every time I filled it.

Oh well a new day tomorrow we are off swimming. I'm off to watch TV and do some knitting I really want to get this cardigan finished before we go away in August.

first day of the school holidays

We decided to start our summer holidays with a trip to the beach. I was very surprised to be able to park easily- although surprised by the £7.50 charge for the privilege. I think I may have a scout round and see if I am able to park on a nearby road next time!

We had a lovely day, lots of digging, sand castle making, Frisbee flying and swimming/splashing. Both children dozed in the car on the way home. You will all be relieved to hear that although tired- I did not nap (phew!! LOL)

Here are some of the pictures from today;

 excuse the pics I think I need to replace my camera

Sand the 'natural babysitter'

After several hours of fun and a picnic we had an ice cream each and came home. We started by going to the allotment for an hour of weeding before coming home for a barbecue.

The TV didn't go on until just after 9, it has been on for 1 hour only this evening. My laptop has been on slightly longer as Dylan and I have booked a day trip to Thorpe park for while Stephanie is at her Dad's for the week. So we have reduced screen time and hit our lots of exercises target for today. Tomorrow Stephanie has her friend round to play she is planning  water fight with the paddling pool out as well as some baking.

starting our get moving!

I decided that even though the children were at their Dads yesterday I would begin the 'get moving campaign without them. Yesterday I went to the allotment and spent an hour and a half digging, weeding and harvesting. This is what I bought home with me;

Look at the promise in the plum tree this year; There are lots of branches as full as this one I just hope they don't all come ripe whilst we are away like they did last year!

Today I decided that before I collected the children I was going to go for a walk. I went to a local farm nature reserve I have been looking at for years but somehow I have never made it. The walk I did took me about an hour and 45 mins and consisted of some very steep hills. Those hills made for some excellent views look;

I had a lovely walk and I really enjoyed the time just to be. I am going to do more of this, I will go for walks with the children but I never go alone usually.

I collected Stephanie, Dylan phoned while I was out to ask for another night out. We went to my aunt's to play with the new puppy. Very cute little bundle of fluff.

After coming home for dinner Stephanie and I went to the allotment. We planted the pumpkin seedlings, weeded among the peas/ beans. Stephanie ate all the ripe berries of the raspberry bush.

When we got home I made 2 loaves of bread and I blanched 3 of the cabbages I picked yesterday and popped them in the freezer, I gave 3 away to family today and have 2 left in the fridge. 

I told Stephanie of my plans to limit us all to 1 hour of screen time per day during this holiday. She doesn't seem to fussed, thought to be fair she barely has any anyway. It's Dylan that will find this hardest. I have 5 minutes of my screen time for today left. I'm off to research and decide which beach we are going to tomorrow before I go to bed.