For those of you who don’t follow the school terms, this last week has been half term. This probably explains why I haven’t written an awful lot (well… anything). I thought I’d give you a brief run down of what I’ve been up to over the last week.
Camping
Yes, we were one of the many nutters that thought it would be a good idea to go on our first camping trip of the season during the wettest and coldest bank holiday on record.
We went back to Christchurch (our favourite from last year). The first day wasn’t too bad – only the occasional shower and we had a lovely day out at Perrygrove Railway – a narrow gauge railway with a treasure hunt in the woods for the kids.
Sunday, however, was a complete washout and really not very fun. We managed to cope thanks to a little electric camping radiator and a trip to my mother’s house for lunch in the warm, but on return to the campsite in the evening we discovered that the site’s electric had gone off. With the wind picking up and temperatures due to drop severely in the night, we gave it up and returned home a day early.
We’ve since had bits of canvas and camping equipment draped all over the garage and in the garden in the vague hope the rain will break for a bit so we can dry everything out again. Not our most successful trip ever.
Potty Training
Gluttons for punishment, we’ve also started potty training again. Li’l Bhaji is over three and has been asking to use the potty for a while now since our last abortive attempt. We’ve just been waiting for a convenient moment to try again.
First day was a complete disaster, loads of accidents and no successes. Second day we did fairly well with only 2 accidents and lots of successful uses of the potty. Third day was pretty good too when we actually ventured out into the “real” world and had lunch out and used the restaurant’s toilets about 5 times in a row (think he was mainly fascinated with the hand driers personally).
Today, however, we seem to be back at square one, but he has found a new love for his bits and is experimenting with twisting it in all weird and wonderful positions and watching it grow. Think I’ll get his father to talk to him about that one.
Mini Internet Meet
Just as it seemed that we were going to go insane from potty training and rain, Turquoise Lisa came to visit with her lovely girls, M and T.
We’ve been MSN friends for a while now and there’s been several times where a “chat” with Lisa online has been my main adult contact for the day, so it was a bit nerve-wracking to meet her in “real life” at last.
What if we hated each other? What if our kids couldn’t stand each other?! What if she saw that there were cheese strings in my fridge?!!
Fortunately, all the panicking was for naught. We all got on very well (at least, I think we did!)
We even managed to venture out to a restaurant for lunch armed with lots of spare changes of clothes and some Pampers care mats for Li’l Bhaji to sit on while he ate.
Then back home for a rousing game of hide and seek (the children, not us) and a cup of coffee (us, not the children).
9 responses so far ↓
1 Lisa // 1st Jun 2007 at 1:28 pm
I did wonder why you kept heading me off at the pass every time I ventured towards your fridge ;)
Lovely to meet you too.
2 Alley Katt // 1st Jun 2007 at 5:33 pm
Glad you had a good time. ish. Camping is always so much fun. I remember going camping in a place called Ampleforth in 1977 with the scouts, and it rained for 3 days straight. Were at the bottom of a gulley. I must say, for my first camping experience it was the worst. Especially seeing as my scout leader put my sleeping bag too close to the fire and it ended up with plasters all over it where the embers decided to make their new home. 30 years ago, and can still remember it well.
3 Mia // 1st Jun 2007 at 8:43 pm
Being cyber friends and then meeting in real life is indeed a modern day phenomena and quite strange. Turquoise Lisa – who I went to school with so do know from the ‘real world’ originally – came down to visit me recently and while we were chatting we realised that it was actually on the second time we’d met up in 16 years, even though we feel like we see each other all the time. And I have someone I consider a good friend, Silas, who I ‘met’ when he began reading my blog and in turn I began reading his, who I’ve actually only met once.
Curious. But quite nice.
4 Alley Katt // 2nd Jun 2007 at 9:34 am
2 people who I first met over the internet come to visit us once a year. Bowch and Mojo. :o)
5 Jag // 2nd Jun 2007 at 5:05 pm
Ahem, what’s wrong with cheese strings? (Serious question.)
6 Paula // 2nd Jun 2007 at 9:10 pm
Regardless of the weather though I’ll bet that when they are older your boys will have lots of great memories of your camping trips together, rain and all! It has been a thoroughly washed out May though.
Here is hoping you can get your gear dried out before summer arrives and that the summer is just than and not a rainer! (Sorry, that was just bad!)
7 Pewari // 2nd Jun 2007 at 9:30 pm
Lisa: *grin*
Alley Katt: eep! Yes that sounds like an interesting camping trip. Makes our deluge seem quite tame!
Mia: I agree, it is great to meet cyber friends. It’s a very odd way round to get to know people first, but in many ways it’s easier than having to go through all the small talk nodding acquaintance thing first – even though it is a teensy bit scary when you can’t pretend they’re just an imaginary person living inside your computer any more ;)
Jag: not sure as the ingredients say just cheese. Think it’s due to their texture (plastic processed cheese sweepings) and high price/excessive packaging. But I actually rather like them (and all processed cheese… well for that matter… pretty much all cheese). I know Turquoise Lisa is very hot on fresh foods, organic vegetables and green issues so it was a bit of an in joke that she wasn’t allowed to look in my fridge ;)
Paula: Oh me too… I’m so looking forward to some decent relaxing camping trips!! FINALLY got everything dried out now, I think…
8 Jag // 3rd Jun 2007 at 3:10 pm
Re cheese strings, OK I get it now. I like processed cheese too, especially those that come in those little triangles which are impossible to take the foil off without squishing them. Pity the kids don’t like them …
9 turquoise » Blog Archive » All quiet on the Western front // 5th Jun 2007 at 9:39 pm
[...] did have a trip to Worcester last week, home of the family Naan (and she’s put a lovely picture of T and me halfway down); had a lovely time. Bit nervous [...]
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