Half Term

29th May
After completing the rearrangement of our veg beds, we splashed out on some lovely new garden furniture for the sunny spot by the fence. It has since, not been particularly sunny and most of the time we are looking at it from the house. 29th May was a Mummy Tuesday and we did manage to get out after school and have the girl’s tea out there.

mmm pasties, beans and sweetcorn…

2nd June
For the long weekend, we all went down to Dorset, so M and the girls could stay on for the rest of the half term week. On the Saturday there was a Jubilee fair at the local playing fields. The girls had a great time.

Fidget enjoying the bike competition

Royal TeamChallis

The girls couldn’t wait to get in the pool…

Fidget’s swimming really came on again over this week. She moved forward every evening. Just above she can be seen trying to jump in, in a more streamlined fashion. By the end of the week she was turning her head out of the water (to the side) to breathe, which was a great improvement in her technique.

4th June
The girls and I had a trip to the shops with Granny to get a party dress for Fidget, we came back with two lovely party dresses, party shoes for both girls and fab dressing up costumes! Thanks Granny!

5th June
was a rainy old day. Granny suggested we take the girls to the cinema. Beauty and the Beast was showing. Squidge didn’t want to go, (until after we booked the tickets and she changed her mind and made a bit of a fuss) so she stayed at home with M and Grandpa. Fidget really enjoyed the film though found the adverts at the beginning a bit much (I agreed). I enjoyed it too, it is years since I saw Beauty and the Beast, I cried twice!! Later, when Fidget and I were in the loo, I said to her that I had cried, she said “I felt like crying but didn’t let the tears come out”.

I had to head off for work on the Wednesday morning and was sad to leave the rest of TeamChallis behind.

15th June
M drove back with the girls on the Friday as he had a stag doo to head off to.

I decided I would take the girls out into Bristol on the Saturday as Bristol Big Green Week was on. There was a meet the mermaid competition with a prize for the best dressed mermaid or man, so on the Friday night, I whipped up a couple of felt seashell crowns. 

On Saturday morning I quickly sewed two tails using two handy pieces of gold fabric, two coat hangers and a bit of gold ribbon. The girls raided my jewellery box for shell-like jewellery, decorated their crowns and with sea creatures and sparkly cardigans each we were ready to go…

we had a wander along the market which was great. There were lots of interesting stalls and stands. I bought M some chocs for his birthday and as I talked to the lady, the girls snaffled away at her freebees.

Near the top of the hill I was approached by a photographer who said he had just taken a photo of us and would we mind if it went in the post. Here it is!…

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Bristol-s-Big-Green-Week-gets-way/story-16337077-detail/story.html
(you have to scroll through the pictures)

We then went down to the meet the mermaid competition

The mermaid arrives…

There were quite a few other mermaids and mermen, but I think the matching-ness of the outfits gave us an edge and the prize was given to us!!! I was so chuffed. The prize was a term of swimming lessons with Water Babies, which are not cheap so I was doubly chuffed.


More news coverage of our movements…
http://www.ecojam.org/interact/bristol-big-green-week-is-inspiring

We then went to celebrate with a fab lunch at Pizza Express. The girls are a delight to take out to eat and didn’t disappoint me that day when I was there on my own with them.

I do like Pizza Express with the girls, they eat everything up, from the starter (dough balls, tomatoes, cucumber and peppers), pizza and of course ice creams and bambachinos. I had a lovely lunch too of olives, pasta then a mocha with a mini-cake.
Our waitress took our picture – cheeesy beamers!!

we passed by the fountains and the girls had to have a paddle. I did subsequently take Squidge’s trousers and cardigan off her which was lucky as shortly after she fell over. Fidget had two layered t-shirts and kindly gave Squidge one, so we were able to carry on with our lovely day.

The final call of the day was to the Arnolfini, where an artist was running a free workshop where you could make a sculpture from junk. We were of course papped here also….
http://fionacampbellart.wordpress.com/2012/06/11/a-constructive-day-at-bristols-harbour/
http://fionacampbellart.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/img_5232.jpg

Fidget really enjoyed it and was engrossed in winding wool around the spokes. The sculpture is now hanging in the treehouse.

18th June
Received Squidge’s photos from her nursery, there were quite a few nice ones but we thought this was lovely.