Pyjama Day

The children asked for a pyjama day today. They were worn out from the last few days and two late nights. So stay in their pyjamas they did! I lasted until 11am and then the shower and my clothes were just calling too loudly to ignore. We played games, wrote a couple of "thank you" e cards to those living in Walnut Creek USA, made a den, did some dancing to "Wham" ( ok, it was mainly me doing the dancing with Jacob holding onto my leg trying to stop me, Oliver and Bethany running around and Rebecca copying - bad move!)

The day finished with a trip to the park, but it was all too much as after half an hour the children all asked to come home and they have all gone to bed really early.

The results of our baking session after we had all eaten one for lunch! Four children and one bowl to lick out. Yes you would have loved to be a fly on the wall!

Four children, one swing and a golf ball?

Jacob and Rebecca having a swinging competition on the revolving mushrooms.

Any higher and they'll take off.

Far more giggles when you Riverdance together!

Who needs a skateboard?

Anything you can do I can do better!

Charity Volley Ball 2010

The time has come again when grown men think they can recreate a scene from Top Gun and relive their youth! Yes its Weymouth Charity Volleyball 2010, where local businesses enter teams to wow the tourists & local residents. We managed to lose our first two group games (not by much) then we drew the third match, this put us in to the section to win the Plate trophy and not the Cup trophy. This worked to our advantage as we scraped through the next round and only got better and ended up in the final after a HUGE win in the semi-final. But did we win?

Top Gun Team

Scott, Ken, Gerard,Nick,Paul, Lee, Richard

I should be a pro!

Tom Cruise could learn a thing or two from this!... probably stay fit!

Half time entertainment, the Magical Drummers

Team support watching from afar.

Nothing like team work & coordination

End of the night team photo, but with no trophy. After being 18-16 up in the final we managed to lose 18-19. Apparently we did receive a runners up certificate, but end of the tournament alcohol was required.

Lifeboat Demonstration

This evening we were entertained by the RNLI and HM Coastguard who performed rescue demonstrations at Bowleaze cove. The children were not as excited as the adults because they were "not real people in danger they are just pretending"

Lifeboat no 1 in action, Not sure why the person could not just walk to shore. That would have been the easier option.

Helicopter rescue, the man came down then went up!

Helicopter fly by ! almost like Top Gun

The finale send off! everybody wave.. and donate money please!

Sand Pit

Wednesday today and we met friends Joleyne with her children Max, Anya and Louis , all the same ages as our 4. We parked at the nearest beach to our house Overcome Corner and then walked halfway to Weymouth town centre to Greenhill Gardens where there is a public sandpit and paddling pool. We arrived nice and early to beat the crowds and had a lovely couple of hours playing in the sand, having a water fight with full buckets and water pistols, and a lovely picnic to finish. After loading Joleynes' stroller with our mountains of stuff again, we trundled off back down the seafront towards the car and stoppped for an hour on the stoney bit of beach for another play. Needless to say certain children got soaking wet for the second time and thoroughly enjoyed walking back to the car in their pants! We have another full bucket of stones and shells in the backyard to add to the several we already have out there!

Building a sand city, but as the saying goes "too many cooks spoil the broth", yes it does apply to sand castle building too! There was huge debate over where the sand ducks were allowed to go and which part was the entrance and whether there should be a moat or a wall around the edge!

Four holes dug and children buried. Jo and I were in need of a rest!

Day at the Farm

Today we went to visit our friend Elaine and her four children Samuel 6, Abigail 4 ( also my Goddaughter) Elliott 2 and Anya 0 ( 4 months anyway), and we thought we had our hands full, but at least our last two children came at once! Elaine keeps horses on her parents farm a 15 minute drive away overlooking the sea. A beautiful spot and lots to keep the children occupied. We walked up to the fields to say "Hello" to foal 'Dinkie', her mother 'Tamar' and 'Thistle'. We watched a cat catch a mouse and eat it. I stopped watching when the mouse was having its head crunched off. After a drink and two biscuits each (turned out to be a whole packet due to the number of children between us) they all played out in the farmyard with some sand.

Abigail,Bethany and Rebecca making me a sand cake with sprinkles.

Jacob and Samuel loading and dumping stones in a very busy and serious manner!

Oliver just enjoying the freedom to make a huge mess and get filthy!

The finished sand cake looking remarkably edible.

General busyness.

Summer Holiday Beginnings

Summer Holiday is here! children have broken up from school, the sun is shining with the warm air making everyone hot and miserable and the traffic is a nightmare! but I was not going to let these minor things spoil the first day. They chose to walk to the white horse at Osmington, so I made the picnic and off we went.

Our destination in the distance! are we going to make it I hear you say!

Up the steep climb with the sun roasting our backs, but just round the corner was the treat stop.

Picnic time and it was 11am, the white horse only 1 mile to our right, so we almost made it.

After the picnic in the thistle field, and a congratulations from three horse riders on a successful walk, we thought our job was done, so down we walked & slid. After this success we stopped at the local SunRay for a quick pint and ice-cream.

Afternoon entertainment, see what happens when you give them to much ice-cream!

Sports Day 2010

This week could have been very eventful for ! I missed out on a work trip to San Francisco to promote the company's new technology which would of also meant I may have had a chance to see Tottenham Hotspur take on the San Jose Earthquakes at football, but it was not to be! But all was not lost as I still managed to see Oliver & Bethany perform in their school sports day. The morning events were for Bethany's Year which consisted of a variety of small events ranging from stilt walking to making a clowns face out of pompoms and bean bags. After these events came the running races which all parents are waiting for to cheer on their child's athletic ability, Bethany came a good 2nd in the sprint. Well done Bethany!!

Stay on the stepping stones and watch out for the crocodile!

I dig those tiger feet

Go go go go go go.. COME ON!!!!

Need to teach Jacob and Rebecca about running on the bang of the gun!

The mummy race was cancelled due to NO competitors, but the Daddy race was definitely on! I came second but had an apology from the winner who started running before the whistle. There is always next year.

The afternoon was Oliver's time to shine, he came 2nd in the 75m sprint and 3rd in the agonising to watch 400m, which was set in a straight line, not round the track. He managed to win the 200m part but did not realise he had to run back to make it 400m, he managed a well deserved 3rd place.

On the way back

The relay race. There is still time to practice the changeovers before 2012.

DEK Summer BBQ

Every Year Dek aim to treat employees and their families to a summer BBQ Party. This year it was held at the Weymouth Rugby Club. The activities included a Spiderman bouncy assault course, small bouncy castle, Bucking bronco, sumo wrestling, face painting and FREE candy floss, plus a fireworks display to end the evening.

Rebecca completing the spiderman assault course.

Jacob completing the course.

Sumo competitor Oliver-son taking control of the first bout

Oliver taming the bronco

Master Ken in Red, Scottson in Blue. First round to MasterKen.

Revenge is sweet!

Bethany holding on for the ride

Little lioness

BBQ at the Robson-Rowells

On Sunday we were invited to a BBQ at the Robson-Rowell residence (Leanne, Paul & Jasmine)

With the weather being so hot, we were told to bring their swimming costumes. So while the food was being cooked by the chef Paul the children put on their costumes and dunked their heads in the paddling pool! what else can you do to cool down?. After eating, a water balloon fight erupted with everyone getting soaked.. even the grown ups.