{this moment}

out and about Wednesday

Our expedition on Wednesday was to the park at Aldbury, a picturesque little village close to us. After a short walk from the car park, and a stop to see some horses trotting past, we found the park in a lovely location in the middle of the village allotments.

The park has a large wooden climbing structure, as well as swings, a slide, small and large seesaws and the all important roundabout.

 

We ate our picnic, played with some other park visitors, and then, on the walk back to the car, came the undoubted highlight of the trip, watching the bin lorry.

{this moment}

out and about Thursday

Now that we are in the summer holidays I am trying to do more trips out with the kids. I'm also trying to use public transport more often. Thomas has not been on a train very often as you can perhaps tell from his body language.

Today we went to Bletchley Park, the place where many codes were broken in WWII, which has now been turned into a museum. There is a direct train from Berkhamsted to Bletchley and the park is only a few minutes walk from the station.

We headed first for the play area but unfortunately it was closed for maintenance, there were however some giant chess pieces to play with.

In the rest of the museum we enjoyed the re-furbished and working Colossus computer - an enormous beast of valves, flashing lights, switches and punched paper tapes - which took up an entire room, and the collection of toys from the 1940s, in particular the trains and the old school desks.

{this moment}

{this moment} A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. See Soulemama to play along.

{this moment}

{this moment} A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. See Soulemama to play along.

yarn along

I'm cheating a bit today due to complete lack of progress on Hannah's top. So here is a baby surprise jacket that was meant to be for Thomas but didn't get finished before he was born and so didn't get finished until he was already too big for it. I was wondering what to do with it (and, ahem, the other cardigan that also didn't fit by the time it was ready), but, hurrah, my sister is having a baby in the Autumn so they now have a recipient. The light green wool is some random ball I picked up because I liked the colour and I had to add some darker green as there wasn't quite enough. I think I'll put a dark green collar on it, or something around the neckline as it looks a bit unfinished as it is.

The book is 'Playful Parenting' by Lawrence Cohen which I have been re-reading bits of. It's great for reminding you to lighten up and have fun with your kids. And getting your kids to giggle is just the best thing! I find it too easy sometimes to go into stern parent mode, and the reminders and ideas in this book for how to have fun in what can be stressful situations are great.