Ice Age 4

Caitlin and Noah were invited to a friends (one of the girls we went to Rhyl with) cinema birthday party, but G said we could all tag along if we wanted so we joined them.  It was in 3-D and even though Austin has seen 3-D films at Legoland he seemed really confused and quite scared at first.  He just kept taking his glasses off and saying “when I put my sunglasses on everything keeps coming out of the tele”.  He also kept asking loads of questions all the way through!  Weird since he’s been to the cinema quite a bit but obviously he wasn’t overly impressed by Ice Age!!

After the cinema we went for a meal, the kids all had one big table and the adults a nice quiet table!!  They all had a brilliant time, they get on really well together…we’re going on holiday with them soon, they are all really excited!!!

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The Olympics

For fathers day I bought my Dad tickets to watch the Olympic football and he offered to take Caitlin and Noah with him.  I was really pleased they would get the chance to go to an Olympic event, I just hope they remember it.  They had tickets to see Egypt v New Zealand followed by Brazil v Belarus.  My Dad had picked the date because he wanted to see Brazil play, so I got Caitlin and Noah a Brazil kit each to wear…

They looked very funny in their little kits!  I dropped them off at Old Trafford….

…and told my Dad to call me when they needed picking up.  I was hoping they wouldn’t get bored before Brazil got to play, with the inter-match entertainment it was about 5 hours in all!  Just as they were walking in the gate they met some people they knew which was a bit odd considering there were 66 thousand people attending!!

But they had a great time and stayed right to the end!!

They were impressed with the size of Old Trafford and they took loads of photo’s so hopefully will be able to look back and remember!!

First day of the holidays……

…and the sun is shining!!!!!!!!  We met Noah’s friend at the park for a play and a picnic.

I couldn’t believe how packed the park was!  It’s recently been refurbished but last time we went there it had been shut again to correct all of the mistakes they’d made, and so it was quite quiet.  Caitlin and Austin played in the sand and on the swings while the boys played football and then messed about on the baby swings!!  Noah and his friend are like a comedy double act!!!

We had our picnic followed by ice-cream, which Austin insisted on having one of then taking one lick and declaring he doesn’t like ice-cream!!!!!

After the park we went to another park across the road from our house to try to find a geocache.  I didn’t really know what I was doing so we didn’t find it, but they had a good time trying.  We are trying to do the National Trust’s 50 things to do before you’re 11 & 3/4 and geocaching is on there!  After the park we went to join the library holiday reading scheme and they each got 2 books out to read.  It was a very nice start to the holidays, I just hope the sun continues!!!

Chipnic

Today was Austin’s last ever trip to playgroup.  It was very weird because I have been going to a playgroup of some description since Caitlin was a few weeks old…so almost 7 years!!  He had a great time playing with his friends but I doubt he understood when I said he wouldn’t be coming again….

Today was also the last day of the school year and someone in Noah’s class suggested an outing to a little park next to a local chippy for a picnic tea (chipnic tea) to celebrate the end of their first year at school.  The weather was great and with siblings there was about 40 kids plus parents.  We all just sat around in the sun while they all played football…

..or generally just ran around the park playing.  They all had a fantastic time..

Noah’s class all seem to get on really well and a few of the Mum’s are really good at organising get togethers.  It was really hot and one of the boys took his top off so all the rest copied….

They looked very funny all racing around with little brown arms attached to white bodies!  We ended up eating our chippy tea and then staying to play until gone 8pm!!  They were all having so much fun!  It was a fantastic idea…let’s hope it turns into a final day of the year tradition!!!

End of year gymnastics

I was hoping Caitlin’s gymnastics class were going to do a display for us since it was the end of the year, but they didn’t…  They did award certificates though and Caitlin got her level 5…

She is still loving gymnastics and has asked for a gymnastics party and she’s doing a day course during the holidays.

Rainbows picnic

As the good weather continues Caitlin’s Rainbows group decided to have a picnic in the park for their final week of this school year. Four Rainbows were leaving so it was also a leaving party for them.  They had the picnic in the park across the road from our house so we all walked over to drop her off and while we waited for the others to turn up they all played in the sun…

Caitlin practised her “big fat gypsy” dancing and Austin tried to copy her…..

Then they moved onto practising their gymnastics….

Caitlin is so close to doing the splits now….

Once the other Rainbows arrived I took the boys home ready for bed!!!

Party & BBQ

Noah was invited to a party by a girl in his class…

While he went there Richard took Caitlin and Austin to Noah’s best friend’s house.  Once the party was over I headed there with Noah, J and his mum.  Another family joined us too.  The weather was gorgeous and all the kids had a fantastic time playing in the garden.  The boys all played football and rugby….

Caitlin had a great time playing with J’s little sister L…

L will be in Austin’s class at school and he really likes her so I think we’ll be spending quite a bit of time with them!  The BBQ was great and we all stayed way too late…the kids were very tired and Noah, J and the other 2 boys in his class were all getting very tearful whenever the football or rugby didn’t go their way!  All four of them are very bad losers!!!!!

 

Swimming and jumping!

Last week at swimming they all got badges.  Caitlin and Noah got level 5 of the NSA awards and Austin got his 5 metre badge.  I’m not entirely sure how Austin got his 5 metres as he’s never swum that far when I’ve taken him, but according to the other mum’s from his class he did do it last week when Richard took him and he was much better behaved…far less crying and playing up!!  To get level 5 they have to…

 1. Perform a horizontal stationary scull on the back

2. Perform a feet first sculling action for 5 meters whilst horizontal on the back

3. Perform a sculling sequence with a partner for 30-45 seconds to include a rotation

4. Tread water for 30 seconds

5. Perform 3 different shaped jumps into deep water

6. Swim 10 meters backstroke

7. Swim 10 meters front crawl face in the water

8. Swim 10 meters breaststroke

9. Swim 10 meters butterfly

10. Perform a handstand and hold for a minimum of 3 seconds

11. Perform a forward somersault, tucked, in the water

12. Demonstrate an action for getting help

As well as all of these they have also been practising swimming underwater and yesterday Noah managed to swim the full length of the pool underwater…and he then bumped his head on the end so he could have carried on for a little bit further!  The pool is 17 metres long so I think he might have managed 20 metres if the pool was bigger.

Today Noah has been practising his hurdles!! Some friends called in to collect our old cot and stayed for a few drinks.  The weather was really nice so we sat in the garden watching the kids run wild.  Noah balanced some cones on top of a ride on car and spent ages hurdling over them!!

He’s actually pretty sporty…he’s a really good runner and even though he’s the youngest in his class at swimming he swum the furthest underwater.  It’s a real shame the weather has meant this years sports day is completely cancelled he would have loved taking part in that…well until he lost a race!!!

 

Another tooth gone

Caitlin lost another tooth while she was at school.  She was very chuffed that she got a special little envelope for it to go in….  That’s 6 teeth gone now….

Weekend away!

I went on a girly weekend to Malaga which was very nice and relaxing!!  We didn’t really do much except for lying on the beach – with my new kindle!!  Then go out for a meal & drinks in the evenings.  Just before I left for holiday I went out for a friends 40th birthday and she took this picture of me and Austin.  Since I am always putting photo’s of everyone else on here I thought I should post myself too!!!

While I was away Richard took the kids to the steam festival at Daresbury.  It looked pretty muddy but not as bad as CamperJam.

They had a great time…

..and they all survived just fine which is great as it means I can go again!!!