We've had a couple of busy days, making the most of the sunny weather. We went to a park in Watford, that has a lovely playground next to three big paddling pools. The kids absolutely and totally loved it! Freddie is rarely happier than when he's playing in water. We splashed, picnicked and played. I forgot my phone so missed many excellent photo opportunities *sigh* The next day we met up with some of our home ed group at a fruit picking farm. It wasn't so sunny, and the sky was dark and threatening on one side of us, sunny on the other. Sorry about the mismatched font sizes, I was playing about with a photo editing website (and not doing it terribly well!)
After playing some football and hide and seek, and a picnic, we went to pick some strawberries.
From there we went to the Thames, to a spot that's perfect for paddling.
Freddie stayed in the river for 3 hours. He wanted to stay in longer, but our journey home was quite long and the girls were getting tired and hungry! We'll go back to that spot again, it really was perfect. We had a really lovely, busy couple of days, and I was totally knackered today. The kids were ready for a slower paced day too. Freddie played on the Wii, we went to the pet shop and looked at the fish and the furry pets for sale. After lunch we made a volcano using (way too sloppy) salt dough and a plastic bottle.
After we'd exhausted our supply of bicarbonate of soda and vinegar, the kids did some playdough and plastacine modelling.
Freddie made a plastacine snail and Betsy made a playdough pig. They were so cool!
It's Freddie's birthday weekend! It was his 7th birthday yesterday. He and Betsy woke at 5.30am, a whole 3 (or 4) hours earlier than they tend to wake up. Rob persuaded them back into bed for another hour or so. He opened his presents. We got him a radio controlled boat - he wasn't expecting it and was so happy! Here he is, taking it on its maiden voyage:
In the afternoon we went to a splashzone, an indoor water playground with water slides and fountains. It doesn't have a swimming pool, you just run about like a loon going down the slides and getting wet and laughing. We had a 2 hour slot, and by the end we were all exhausted. The kids fell asleep on the way home, a very rare occurrence for all three to sleep at the same time.
Freddie was feeling off colour by this point - I'm not sure if it was tiredness, excitement or if he was coming down with something. He didn't want any dinner, and was falling asleep on the sofa. He was still not right this morning, so we postponed the family get together. Instead he sailed his boat on the canal, and drove his radio controlled car on the little road (present from Granny and Grandad), and rested on the sofa in between times.
We went out in the afternoon for a while, to a nearby lake. More sailing, and also some rocket launching (a present from Betsy and Meg). It's brilliant! The rockets can go up to 400 feet high.
Freddie was finally hungry when we got back, so after tea we did his birthday cake, 1 day late. It's a pile of brownies, as none of the kids like icing.
The kids did some painting outside today. It started off with feet, then eventually they painted their bodies. I blew up the paddling pool for them to splash around in and clean up a little. It took ages to fill the pool up (grr hosepipe ban!).
More splashing about in water here today. We went to the playground next to the stream again, better prepared with waterproofs and wellies. After swinging and sliding in the playground for a while, we set off to the stream. We saw squirrels darting up trees, and climbing along a branch over our heads (a squirrel bridge, Freddie said). We chatted to dogs and their owners. We walked up and down the stream.
We walked around town, doing some shopping. We drew a few glances, dressed head to toe in waterproofs and wellies. We needed them for the park afterwards, see:
I'd made some more boats, and given them a layer of beeswax to help them last a little longer. They were fab!
I made some little paper boats for the kids to float in puddles this afternoon. They lasted approximately 30 seconds before they succumbed to the water!
The kids enjoyed them regardless. We'll make some more tomorrow, and paint the bottoms with melted beeswax to make them a little more seaworthy. They enjoyed a big splash about for a while, before we took a cycle (Freddie)/run (Betsy)/scoot (Meg) around the block. Along the way we saw the pretty purple flowers we'd noticed a few weeks ago, and picked one. We also picked a couple of bluebells (Spanish rather than English).
Freddie opened up my old flower press, and put the flowers in.
We'll leave them for a couple of weeks and check to see what they look like.
Yesterday it stopped raining for the day. We were all pleased to get outside. Freddie wanted to show us the biggest puddle (the one he swam in on 'his best day in history') I had an important parcel to post so we did that first, and on to the park afterwards. He was so right about the puddle! There was a very deep lake in the underpass, so deep that it sloshed over the top of wellington boots with ease. Betsy was very unhappy about it, Freddie was delighted. Then the massive lake in the middle of the park. Huge! I tried to take some photos but I dropped my phone and it got wet (doh!). After lots of splashing and some fun in the playground we headed home for lunch. Later, we started an experiment with white flowers and food-coloured water. We've not it before, and I've no idea how long it might take, or even if it will work at all. I have my doubts about the yellow, as it was pretty viscous compared to the blue, but we'll see.
Betsy decorated some craft foam people.
Freddie spent some time on the Wii, playing Lego Pirates of the Caribbean. He finished a level that's been challenging him for ages.
He and Meg then made the most of the dry weather. Freddie wanted to do experiments with water and balloons. He filled them up, squirted them, and made water bombs. Jarvis came round after school and joined in the fun.
