Amy’s birthday

It was Amy’s birthday this week so we went over to Nanny’s for a little party for her.  After saying I was going to take more photos my camera battery has run out and I have lost the charger.  I had been using Caitlin’s camera but her batteries have also run out and the charger for them is in the same bag!!!!!  So I was left with my phone camera which I couldn’t get to work in my Mum’s house….

Amy liked her presents that Caitlin and Noah opened for her!!  And they all enjoyed the party food.

When we got home we put our pumpkin outside the front door to attract trick or treaters…we had a couple of groups and Caitlin and Noah loved giving them all some sweets.  Caitlin also thought it was very funny that her dinner lady came around with her kids!!!  When it was bed time we brought our pumpkin in and we didn’t get any more trick or treaters which was good.

Advertisement

Halloween party

A friend found out the park across the road from us was having a Halloween party so we joined her there.  It is the smallest park ou have ever come across…there are no swings or any play things it is literally just a small area of grass and trees…a bit like a large back garden.  The party was great…there was actually loads to do in a pretty small space!  There was face painting for only £1 and she did a really thorough job…..

…which did mean a fairly big queue but I think it was worth the wait!  After the face painting we did a spooky trail where we had to find the clues in the trees and then Caitlin got a packet of sweets for completing it.  Caitlin then did  pin the wart on the witch, guess the name of the cat and entered a best dressed witch competition…none of which she won but she enjoyed joining in.

Then they played whats the time Mr Wolf with a group of girls the same age.  Austin enjoyed just running around!!

Movie night

A friend of mine regularly has movie nights with her kids…they go and buy or rent a DVD, get in some popcorn and snacks and snuggle up to watch the film.  I decided that it was a great idea so we got some popcorn and sweets (and beer for me!!!) and recorded a film on Sky.  I knew Austin wouldn’t sit still for a film as he was too young so we waited until he was in bed and settled down!  Richard was at work…. Noah should have  joined us but as usual he hadn’t eaten his tea in the time I set and the punishment was no movie night!!  I don’t know why I bother really…he doesn’t care at all!!  He has no interest in food and will only eat in under constant persuasion!!  I gave him 1.5 hours and it took him longer.

So Caitlin went and got her blanket and we switched the lights out and pretended we were at the cinema!!  It was actually really good.  The film Caitlin had chosen was fairytopia….can’t say I was that into it but it was good fun just snuggling up having a girly night!!!

Pumpkin carving

I opened the bag that our pumpkins were in to discover that Caitlin’s had completely disintegrated and was oozing out of the bag!  I have no idea why hers had gone off so quickly especially since I picked it for her and I chose one that was still on the vine so in theory as fresh as could be!  There was nothing left of hers to carve so they had to share Noah’s….

So we scooped out the middle and made some soup with it….. and made a lantern out of the shell!

They loved marking out the eye’s and mouth!  We also toasted the seeds but no-one was impressed by them!!!

Pumpkin picking

Today we went pumpkin picking in the middle of no where!  We set off with plenty of time to spare but then Richard phoned us a few times on the way and a couple of roads were closed which once I’d followed the diversion I was completely lost on my directions and we ended up being half an hour late.  I HATE being late I think it is the worst thing ever, so much so I am usually stupidly early for things to avoid being late.  Since we were late I felt really stressed when we got there and Austin obviously picked up on this and was a complete horror!  He just screamed all the way through the maze and then when we got to the pumpkins he just threw himself on the floor!!!!!

There was a much better choice of pumpkins than at the place we went to last year and Noah found it really hard to choose!  He was fascinated by the mouldy ones and pointed every mouldy one he came across!!  He eventually picked one and I picked Caitlin one…a nice fresh one that was still attached to the vine!

After we had picked our pumpkins we went and had our picnic and a play on the bouncy castle which cheered Austin up!

There was also a big selection of really cheap activities to do like colouring, mask making, necklace making etc all for 20p or 50p….it was great!  So we did a few of those and then it was time to head off home.  We followed Linda with her satnav on the way home which was good because even with that we went wrong so without it I think I might still be driving around now!!!!

Naughty words….

We were driving along in the car and the boys were asleep…. Caitlin was singing away and then asked if I wanted to hear her practicing her rainbows promise. I said yes and she started off….I promise that…..then she stopped and said I can’t say they rest it has a naughty word in it. I couldn’t figure out how it could so I said what naughty word………. she replied….

GOD!……they make us say God!

I nearly killed myself laughing! After I had finished laughing I did explain that it was ok to say God during her promise….

MOSI

Today it was half term and Richard was off work for the day so we went to the museum of science and industry.  It is still in the middle of being upgraded so there was lots of building work going on, but considering it was a rainy half term day it was really quiet.  There were a few exhibitions going on which we went to see including one where they played mind tricks on you… You had to look at a fake hand while someone stroked your real hand and the fake hand at the same time…it was a really odd sensation.  I’m not sure we did it for long enough on Caitlin and Noah because they didn’t seem to react at all.  After our picnic we went to Caitlin’s favourite part…the engine room!!!!

Caitlin has loved this room since the first time she went and this water wheel has always been her absolute favourite and still is!

We also went to see how plastic is recycled and to the textiles room.  There were also birds of prey on show which they liked.

London for a Christening

On Saturday we headed off to London (well not quite London…but since I’m a Northerner it’s London to me!!) for cousin R’s Christening/Baptism.  Me and Richard were Godparents along with Brian’s nephew.  We set off and after about 5 miles Caitlin threw up!!!!!  She is never sick so it was really odd.  We had spare clothes so we got her changed and carried on in the hope she was ok.  As soon as we set back off she was all chirpy and full of life so being sick must have sorted her out.  We arrived mid afternoon and went to the park for a bit of a run around….

Then it was time for tea and bed ready for Sunday.

On the Sunday we all headed off to the church for the Baptism.  Caitlin was very pleased with her new dress….

After the service we went back to their house for some drinks.  A few of their friends were there who all had little children so they all had lots of people to play with.

On the Monday we went to a local farm which was good.  There was loads to do, an area with little tractors and ride ons….

….animals to hold….

…animals to look at…

…animals to feed….

…2 massive play areas with big climbing things and lots to do, we played in one of them but ran out of time for the second one.  There was a big sand area with a crane to hoist sand to the top.  We walked around the fields with the animals in….

It was a shame the feeding was down big drain pipes…it would have been nicer to actually get to feed the animals rather than posting their food down to them but we all had a great day…..

…then it was time for the long drive home.

100 years!

At 20:10 on 20/10/2010….was the 100 year celebration for the Guiding Association.  Since she now goes to Rainbows Caitlin was invited to the celebration, so I signed her up.  After I had signed her up I realised she would be going out at night with people I had never met…and to a park/woodland!!!!!  It felt very strange and I did worry that she was going to get swept up in the excitement and forget who she was with and get lost in the woods!!

Once I dropped her off I realised it was really well organised and her designated adult only had one other to look after.  From what Caitlin said she had a great time…she did alsorts…hoola hooping, games, singing..but her highlight of the night was seeing herself on the big screen!  She was completely amazed by that!  Her hand was covered in stamps which she apparently got for joining in all the activities.  She had a glow in the dark set of ears and got a metal badge to celebrate the 100 years.  It was gone 9pm by the time she got out of the park and she was totally exhausted!  She was talking no sense at all she was so tired!  But we did get that she had had a brilliant time!!!

Blackpool Illuminations

Today we went to Blackpool Illuminations.  I used to go every year when I was little so I love going!  We decided to get the train but we really should have checked this out first…it turned out there was a football match on at the same time we were travelling.  We arrived at Manchester and it seemed a bit busy but the train to Blackpool quite often is at this time of year…then we noticed some police…then hundreds of Stoke fans piled onto the platform all singing and drinking!  There was a vicar who was complaining to the police to do something!  In all fairness to the football fans they were only singing so the police couldn’t really do anything…  We squashed onto the train (just) and all plans for a nice table seat with our packed lunch and some colouring went out of the window!  Two hours later we arrived in Blackpool and made our way to the seafront.

We played in the arcades for bit and won some cars and keyrings!!!!  Then we wandered down the front nad went into a few pound shops!  Caitlin and Noah both had a pound from Nan for the next time they went to one so they spent those…a car for Noah (of course) and pink dressing up shoes for Caitlin (of course!!)  They love going to the pound shop and it is great…you can give them £1 and they have complete free rein as to what to buy as EVERYTHING is in their budget….so no saying no!  Blackpool has fantastic pound shops!!  Way better than Manchester!!!!!  We also bought some glow sticks for later on.

They had a play on the beach and then some more photo’s with the tower from the other side of it!….

and another!!

and then a go on some fairground rides on the pier.  It was starting to get cold and late so we headed off for our chippy tea…  It was then time for the lights…….

They seemed impressed by them all and were especially impressed when one of the trams came past all lit up as a steam train…but I didn’t have my camera out for that one!  Later on another decorated tram came past so I tried to get a photo of that!  Noah was not impressed I made him stand on a tram track…(there were no trams coming and the other one was parked up!!!!)…he is very road conscious!!!!

We then got the train home while they all slept!!!!!!!