October

It's been a funny old month has October. We have lots of changes happening in our lives and things have felt very topsy Turvey. Still, we have managed to get out and on with it. 

Here are some of the things we did. 

Miles makes eggs!

Enjoying a cuddle at the lake. Miles is going through a phase of not walking anywhere and being carried. Good exercise for me I guess :) he's very cuddly at the moment. He stopped breastfeeding this month, he is 3 in December, so I am sure that explains it. 

Miles refusing to walk! Told you ;)

We stood underneath a pylon and talked about it for a while. 

Miles played with his friends, Caden too. 

We went to the next natural history museum (Tring) workshop. This one was to learn about classification. The kids listened and really enjoyed it. Plus they got to handle some excellent preserved animals and try to classify them. 

Seahorse!

Ostrich egg!

Mr frog! (Jeremy fisher we thought)

Holding the huge reticulated python skin. Caden didn't want to join in this. 

A beautiful turtle. 

Then as it is part of national film week, we went to see Disney's chimpanzee at the cinema. The kids love popcorn and they really enjoyed the film. 

We did lots of other stuff too including te woods several times, swimming and going to the zoo with their annual passes. 

Random stuff

Caden got creative with his skylanders this week. He made a little podium and placed figures around it. 

He made a pile of them around the podium too, then got really possessive about the space, Miles was not allowed to touch it (this was a problem for everyone). 

Miles and Caden did some art this week. 

Caden made a card for his Grandad. 

It rained so miles fashioned a hood out of his jumper! Here he is running by the canal. 

Center Parcs

We went to Center Parcs in Sherwood with the kids last week. They absolutely loved it. We didn't swim half as much as we should have done but we took advantage of the fantastic playgrounds, the activities and even a little spa one of the mornings, though we only managed an hour of it. It was very nice to have a break!

Above is Caden climbing and below some photos of what it was like there. Their Dad (Paul) and Miles climbing together.

This is Caden making a plate for squirrels to eat food off. 

Slide fun on the beach!

All life-jacketed up ready for a pedalo. 

Miles cried as soon as we set off in the pedalo and was threatening to jump off so we brought the boat back and I got off with him. Caden and his Dad boated out for a while but I had a nice beer in the sun with Miles and we did colouring in! It was very lovely! 

We did 10 pin bowling. Oh the whinging before we actually began. Caden went all out to try to not do this but as soon as he threw the first ball, he was hooked. They went back for more later in the week. 

Pure bowling joy! 

Arms outstretched to hug Rupert bear and (a slightly masculine and dodgy looking) Alice in Wonderland behind him. Miles loved it! 

They loved going on the bikes. Caden is getting very good on his. They also enjoyed seeing the pond with the Koi Carp and the waterfalls. It was a lovely holiday for them. 

September

An update of the things we have been doing.

Some playtimes and Caden had his first go at the skate park! So proud :)

We had some good playtimes at friend's houses, lots of different games and crafts...

Here is Miles making something out of a bunch of skylanders...

The boys having fun playing, oh the wrestling and tearing up the house that goes on now Miles is bigger and more robust. Miles starts it most of the time these days.... They have a lot of fun together these two! 

We made some little peg people, Miles' was the fairy and Caden's the cat! 

Lots of walks in the woods, getting the most out of the last dregs of warmth left from the Summer, they need to climb and move a lot...

Miles going through the Cadey tunnel at Tiddenfoot Waterside Park. 

The 'wobbly bridge' at Rushmere Woods... 

We found some lovely mushrooms this year. Here is a fairy kingdom we found!

Climbing the giant spider 

and climbing the lovely wooden sculptures at Rushmere... There are some most excellent sculptures dotted throughout the forest. 

Proof our days dont always go to plan!

Whew, what a day!

We had a planned trip to Hatfield House to a Tudor Living History day. I have to admit I was nervous about booking it but thought Caden would sit there with the other kids he knows while I took Miles out. I didn't really think Miles would be totally quiet. What happened is that we were slightly late. Then for about two minutes Miles was really noisy and whingey! But the room was really quiet, like an echoey church with a man dressed in tudor regale conveying interesting facts to rapt children. Argh! So we were asked to leave after interrupting his performance for the third time :/ Fair enough really, we were disturbing the peace so to speak. I was frustrated that Caden refused flatly to stay there without me, I felt that it was a waste of a very interesting workshop (or three). But there we are, I don't want to force him to stay (not that I could force Caden to do anything anyway). So feeling pretty fed up, we went off for a walk. It was beautiful Autumnal weather, nice blue sky, warm sun, slight chill to the air and we had a look at some of the shops in a courtyard. Here is Caden antagonising Miles... he has delighted in this a lot today.

We found a quaint little music shop, the boys really liked looking at the Ukuleles, there was one shaped like a watermelon but it was £70, so we didn't buy it. :) We talked about the different kind of guitars there. 

We talked a little bit about the different kinds of building structure we could find, the beams, how they provide a structural support for the roof and how they connect to the wall supports etc. Caden was very interested and a little fearful of the giant cobwebs we could see in the rafters. 

Then fortunately, to make a 3 hour round trip worthwhile (as it was all going down the pan), we found The Bloody Hollow Adventure Playground. It was Awesome! There was a mini version of Hatfield House, (Much more accessible for little ones :) Both of them scaled the ladders, walked around the turrets, Caden even tried to climb the outside, to no avail. 

The King of the Castle !! 

We found a beautiful and perfectly formed mushroom. Not identified it yet but the boys liked looking it over. We also cracked open an acorn to see what the Oak Nut looks like, the bit that the squirrels eat. We were surprised to find it looks like the nuts we eat (though we talked about how these ones make us sick). This got us onto talking again about different kinds of trees and seeds. Caden really enjoys identifying plants, trees and animals/insects. Ill have to make sure I keep up with him ;)

They really loved the seesaw, they are both nearly the same weight now so it works very well for them! 

Being pushed around on their 'skylander ship' called Warnado's Tornado! 

Looking a bit glum on the swings though they were enjoying it really, honest! 

Cadey and me! 

They did some excellent artwork this morning. Caden drew this which represents the Seasonal changes to a tree. I have written in blue the labels he told me to add. The first is a Tree in winter, no leaves, just brown branches, Then Spring, Then Summer, Then Autumn with brown leaves. Really fab little drawing and totally under his own steam. He also wrote his own name very well I thought, again, I had zero input into this, he just did it. Very cool! 

Then, encouraged, he drew these two...

This is a rainforest with a (from left to right) flying lion (for the assonance I guess), a gazelle (good likeness isnt it), a monkey (in the tree) and a gorilla (right most, in the tree). There is a forest fire and he has made good use of colour to show the different tones in the fire. 

Sadly this one came out sideways, you'll have to tilt your head. It is an ocean with a happy whale, a shark chasing a fish and a seagull and a dolphin jumping out of the sea, and some seaweed. Loving the happy faces. 

Even though the Hatfield House planned day, didnt go to plan. I have now very firmly got it set in mind that these sort of organised events wont work for us in the forseeable future so I will save my pennies and considerable efforts. Better to stay local, have more energy and do things they will enjoy and thus learn more from.