Schools Out! (for Bradley, anyway)

Well, that is the end of reception year for Bradley! It didn't half go quick!! We have 7(ish) weeks of fun, fun, fun to look forward to now!!

He's going to go to the summer scheme for the first two weeks, (He's having a fab time so far in week one!!) and we've got our two week holiday to look forward to, so that leaves me three weeks worth of playdates & activities to think up/organise.

John, Bradley & I had our first tennis lesson this morning. I wasn't looking forward to it as much as Johnny was, but I think I may have found "my thing". Of course, the instructor was hitting the balls within my reach and didn't have me all over the court for an hour, so that helped!!

It took a while for Bradley to get into it. At first he wanted to be the coach, but he soon got the hang of it, and was hitting quite a few balls, even getting some over the net, which we thought was really good for his first lesson. Bradley & I enjoyed it so much, that I'm going to take him once a week over the summer, and we'll have a lesson for just the two of us. This way, I'm hoping to eventually be better at it than Johnny, so I can thrash him!!

Later this afternoon (Sat), we went back to the club (gym that we have joined is called the "club"), and took Adam with us. We thought it would be nice to go for a family swim. When we got there, one of Bradley's classmates was there, so they had a ball chasing each other around. All Adam wanted to do was run around the garden bit that surrounds the pool. He thought it was great fun, but it's not much fun when you're the one following him around. Next time we go we'll take Lydia or Connie, so they can follow him around while the rest of us play in the pool - see how we have fitted in so well with this whole family help thing!!? It really is great! Also, next time we go, I'll take some pictures of the place, because it is so nice there. About one third of the pool is very shallow (upto an adults knees) so the kids can swim and be pretty independant in alot of space. Another third of the pool is a 25 metre stretch that is split into 3 lanes for lap swimming. Then there is a deep bit in the middle that is roped off. Along one side there are lounger type jacuzzi chairs molded into the edge of the pool, which of course Adam used as a slide.

Over the last few weeks, the rain has been starting to fall. I don't think we've seen the worst of it yet, but the last few days have been lovely, with very little sun (never thought I would hear myself say very little sun is a good thing!!), and temperatures at around 27 or 28 degrees. The boys have been enjoying playing in the garden, which generally involves quite a bit of mud!!

They like to "paint" the path that runs along the front of the house, also the nice white walls get plastered with the mud, and Adam likes to run the little ride-on through it all too!! Then when it's time to come in, they shake their little wet muddy hands (yes, the sloppy mud DOES go everywhere!), and scream and shout when I tell them to wash it off.

However, Adam quite likes to wash the mud off the little ride-on car, and we only have trouble getting the hose off him!!!.....

Another after-school pastime that Bradley is really into at the moment, is going on the internet to look at the Lego website! I think he may even be obsessed with it. He has learn't how to navigate the site, so all I have to do is load it up for him, and he can get on with it by himself now!

We now have Anakin Skywalker as a background on the desktop of the computer, yielding his lightsaber. It's not any old picture of Anakin, though. Oh no! It's a LEGO minifigure version of him! And the screensaver we now have is a series of beautiful and inspiring images of LEGO creations - helicopter, fire truck, boat, all with the LEGO minifigures in action mode!! LEGO posters adorn Bradley's bedroom wall (I think he has 6 up), and even Adam has a LEGO duplo poster on his wall. I believe he has put his orders in with Grandparents, and he is storing up requests for Father Christmas!! He has a LEGO catalogue that we got from the store in Milton Keynes before we left, and it has been read so many times, it's lost the front cover, and is falling apart!! We have also put in a request with Nana to try and send us a new one. His absolute favourite is the Castle theme, and he wants it all (of course), so this may be on the wish list if Santa reads our blog!!

Adam doesn't want his own baby toys anymore, and has recently discovered the fun of dressing up - well putting hats on, anyway! His favourite is to put the Power Ranger mask on and perform his Darth Vader impression, which I have to say is really rather good!!

We'll have to get it on film, because it is quite amusing - as is almost everything he does at the moment! Even his temper tantrums (he throws himself on the floor screaming & shouting, if things don't go as he specifically wants them to) are amusing - what else can you do but laugh? Especially when, after I've walked away to leave him to it, I catch him taking a sneaky peek to see if I'm still witnessing his little performance!! He once, stopped his tantrum in the garden when he thought I'd gone, got up to run around & play again, then as soon as he saw me, hurled himself to the floor again!! This episode even made Connie & Lydia laugh!!

Anyway, John is waiting for me to watch "24" series 5 with him - yes I'm addicted to it again, and now I've got Johnny hooked too!!