Family Holiday Episode Two – the countryside

 On their way to the holiday house, Mum and Dad found this gorgeous little river, full of waterfalls, so on the Friday when the weather wasn’t really good enough for the beach they took us back to it. It was completely gorgeous, and fun for my little rock hoppers!

 There was a sign above the door on this wheelhouse that said open, though we didn’t find out what it actually was. I just thought it was completely gorgeous, townie that I am.

 The boys were incredibly excited by these holes in the bridge, as you *might* be able to tell. It was actually a handy holding place as they couldn’t get down to run off!

 See, good rock-hopping spot! Though it was pretty much only accessible by…

 This rather ordinary looking, but quite scary, bridge. It was only maybe 10 feet from the ground, but incredibly narrow. The gaps were quite big, so you had to look at your feet, and I had Henry on my front so you sort of have to plan 3 steps in advance. Mum refused to cross it altogether.

It was heaven, especially as no one fell in. We took a short walk upstream, Sam was excited by several passing dogs and Ethan had great fun throwing in stones with Daddy and sticks with Grandma.

The garden at the house was incredible, perfectly made for small boys. It was deceptively large, with trees and bushes, large rocks and a bridge, brilliant for hide and seek and playing monsters with Uncle Jonny. The house itself was also lovely, enormous (fairly necessary, as there were nine of us), beautifully furnished, and a better equipped kitchen than mine, seriously, the oven needed a degree to work it. We never really figured it out, something about telling it what you were cooking?!

All in all, we had a pretty fabulous time. So much fun and good company, I’m still on a comedown!

 

The way home was very peaceful 😉

Family Holiday episode one, the beach!

 We had a wonderful family holiday this summer, In Aberporth, near Cardigan in west Wales. We were really lucky and had two glorious days and one very good day to be spent on the beach. It was a teeny local beach and quite quiet. We arrived in town on Saturday and had a quick shop stop, and back to the lovely house we were staying in, Then on Sunday after church and dinner we popped down to check it out.

 Sam loving it with Aunty Jessie

 

 Ethan exploring with Grandma

The boys were ecstatic, sand and sea, it was all they desired! The beach also had a small stream running down the side so they had a nice shallowish place to play.

 This was my view several times a day as I fed the Hen-beast, and it was lovely. I really believe that a day at the beach is pretty unbeatable for feeling content. It’s like letting out a big breath you didn’t know you were holding. I think there’s a piece of me in the sea, I crave it. Jess and I swam out twice, the first day we were there it was pretty bracing, but still good. The second time the sun was streaming down all day and the water (well the top foot or so of it) was actually fairly warm, and we swam out to the last buoy and back and had a lovely chat doing it.

 Here you can see the remains of several dam attempts. It was blocked off successfully several times to let the stream fill, but moving water (and small children) will not be stopped.

 They spent all day running around and wearing themselves out, building and splashing and digging and laughing. It was wonderful.

It also meant they were exhausted by bedtime. So much so that several times in the week Sam actually asked to go to bed, where they snuggled up to watch the ipad and then fell asleep.

Good days

I’ve had a lovely week 🙂 On Saturday, despite feeling like absolute rubbish still, I went to see Les Mis with Amy and some friends. It was so wonderful. Moving and beautiful. I was shocked at the bits I’d forgotten (nothing major plot-wise) though. I thought all the actors did an incredible job, to my untrained eye 😉 I’m not going to list them all, but Samantha Barks as Eponine was just amazing, A Little Fall of Rain was heart rending. 

As we came out someone behind us quietly said to his companions “I didn’t know it was a musical.” We stifled our giggles.

Sam did this:

And kissed and cuddled the baby for several minutes, which in Sam time must be about a decade.

He also asked that we make a snowman, and insisted he have a carrot nose.

 He was only little so it had to be a carrot-stick nose. He’s checked on him everyday at least once (we put him on the bin so he could be seen from the window) and says hello to him. And his eyes. And his buttons. And his carrot nose.

 I drew a moustache on my face for a friend.

 Never let it be said that I don’t give you anything, my dear (though I suspect near non-existent) readers.

And the pièce de résistance…

 Say hello to my little friend!

I had my 20 week scan today which I had to wait an extra 45 minutes for, with a full bladder. Thanks for that one, hospital. When I went in the sonographer apologised as there were staffing issues and people turning up late/not at all. I was not happy but did the completely British thing of saying “oh no, it’s alright.” Why do we do that?! I was cheesed off! I think I just got so grateful for an apology, and to be laying down, that I just went with it. She then also told me that the baby’s head was plowing right into my bladder, so even though it wasn’t very full (I cheat a bit on the amount of water they tell you to drink and when – thank goodness in this case)  that’s what caused it. Yes madam sonographer, I’m sure the 45 minute wait had nothing to do with it.

So.. we are cooking up a little boy! Ethan is ecstatic, He was rooting for a boy, who he decided would be called Rudolph. Sam is fairly uninterested, but we’re attempting to convey that an actual little brother will be materialising at some point in June. I can imagine it will still be a surprise. Rich had to stay out with the boys until the checks were completed, but as he came in apparently got a nice crotch shot and saw that it was a boy before I had been told 🙂

The little sausage has really begun kicking in earnest now, which is lovely and reassuring, though no fun for my bladder! 

Only 20 weeks to go, hopefully it’ll go as fast as the first 20 have!

Poor Neglected Blog!

I’m sorry. I’ve abandoned you, cold and alone in the vastness of the internet. It’s not that I don’t love you little blog. It’s not you, it’s me. No really. To be perfectly honest there’s not been much of interest to write about, I’ve been feeling rubbish with the baby on board, and this week I’ve had a wicked cold/cough/blocked sinuses combo, which under normal circumstances I’d just take something for it and carry on. Unfortunately there’s almost nothing you can take in pregnancy.

I am incredibly blessed however, to have a brilliant husband, and good timing meant that yesterday when I was feeling really terrible, was a Thursday, which meant he was working at home. Rich always does the school run on a Thursday, so I was spared that, and he also sent me to bed for an hour and a half in the afternoon after I was dozing on the couch and started talking in my sleep! The boys were brilliantly behaved for him too, as usually he has to work upstairs away from us, or we go out, as it’s just too much noise otherwise. I’m also incredibly happy and grateful to be pregnant, even when I feel so awful.

I really don’t have a lot of news at the moment, hence the neglect 😉 So I’ll just leave you with a picture of my lovely boys on Christmas Eve, the gorgeous little sausages.