FINALLY!

 I emptied out 4 LARGE  boxes and 2 Avon boxes. This is the result. 

Plus the 2 blue bags of recycling and 1 black bag of rubbish. 

The little black box in the corner is photographs to go through in the near future.

On your marks, Get set.... The Peek a Block Toys are ready for a race!

I'd sell them (and the blocks) but I have so many blocks and complete sets that the minimum price I'm looking at is £100 and in this climate, I'll be lucky to get £10 for the lot of them.

Here's my self pitying bit of post. I had to leave 5 BIG boxes of books behind. In them were an almost complete set of Chalet School books by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer. They're no longer in print.  Almost every Discworld that Terry Pratchett had published in paper back up till 2008. The Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella. Most of James Pattersons works in paper back. A large amount of Micheal Connolly..... Not to mention random other childrens' books (Malory Towers, St Claire's, Sabrina the Teenage Witch) 

We didnt' have time to get them out of the house. If we had I might have gone through the boxes more carefully or got my friend to bring htem when he came down the next day. Guess it was one way to get rid of stuff. But I also had to leave about half the children's books behind not to mention about half the toys they owned. And some fantastic IKEA storage/furniture. 

Christmas is a Coming....

of course, so are birthdays! So I thought I'd see what I've accumulated for the kids for presents this year....

Sian (27th December):

Hello Kitty Tee Shirt
Little Miss Tee Shirt
Lip Balm

Beth (9th October):

Harry Hill TV Burp DVD
Lip Balm

Rick (5th November):

Cars Lego
City Lego
Spiderman Mask
Cars 2 Diecast
Hot Wheels Car
Chuggington Jigsaw game
Chuggington Repair Shed
Chuggington DVD
Roary DS Game

I think I need to find more for the girls! And Beth's birthday is rapidly approaching LOL. So far she has 1 DVD and a lip balm for her stocking! I think I shall just make sure they all have the same amount to open in their own boxes this year. Christmas is overrated!

I also know what they're getting from

GrannyJan and Grandad for Christmas- A guide dog (sponsoring)

Birthdays from Uncle Steve

B: Tinkerbell Slippers
R: Spiderman Skateboard
S: Muppets DVD

Christmas from Uncle Steve

B: Minnie Mouse Beauty Kit
R: Spider Man Car
S: Goofy Mug

Family Holibob!

Last year we spent 4 days in a tent... and I got infected insect bites (Yet we still bought a nwe to us tent to go camping again!)

This year, we had a caravan holiday in Christchurch. The children's Godfather has a caravan on a quiet little park there. No pool/entertainment but a small games room, shop and a great base for exploring the Christchurch/Bournemouth/Poole/Boscombe area.

We didn't have much money. But we had lots of fun and plenty of memories. My main one being trying to contact the tax credits people to sort out our claim for this year!! It got done however and we went swimming at the Littledown Centre, caught up with old friends, Mooched through Southbourne Town (very small, pretty area), went to Southbourne beach twice, walked to Bournemouth from Boscombe. The kids played at the playground alone. They would have breakfast and then go and play. We looked for a cache but it had been moved :O( and I met a friend from the internet (so we now both know the other is real!)

extra curricular activities!

thanks to the guys at archery (they do more than just that!) the whole family has had a go at archery, kayaking and canoeing. Even the littlest and biggest ones. I've rediscovered something I used to really enjoy. And although I get annoyed with myself, I do enjoy shooting and trying to better myself a LOT. AND I've started to enjoy canoeing. I want to do more with out the kids. Here are a few  pictures from our adventures with Andy and Gareth.

 The arrows I shoot are almost as big as my boy!

 Grampa helping Rick shoot

 Sian's Gold

 first kayak session

 PFDs give really bad wedgies!!

 ready for the family trip out in the canoes (we tied 2 together)

me and the girls on the water with a little help from Gareth.

Rick at the beach

A Year

Well, This time last year I had my doubts about everything. I can say. That moving to Wales has been the BEST thing we could have done. Even though neither of us has a job (I care for my father, Clive is a SAHD). We're a 10minute walk from the BEACH, 10mins to the swimming pool, 10mins to school (quicker if no-one dawdles!), 2mins to ASDA, 20mins to my parents, 20minutes to the big town, 90mins from Cardiff.....

Sian *loves* school again!! She has had a FANTASTIC Year 3 and a BRILLIANT combination of her teacher Mr Saunders (sadly now retired) and the Teaching Assistant Mrs Button. They have found her learning spark again. She WANTS to be at school. She's learning Recorder, Violin and Piano. Picking up Welsh as fast as if she was born here (she over took several of her peers in the first *term*) loving the practicality of her lessons. Mr S is a visual teacher. She still doesn't like handwriting LOL but Mr S has worked with her all year on it. Not forced her, just encouraged her. I doubt she'll ever enjoy hand writing as much as reading! She demolishes books- a bit like her Mama then! She's settled into her new Brownie Pack and made some fantastic friends. She's taken up Judo, Archery and Kayaking! I say the swimming is non-negotiable. We live near the sea!

 Playing at the Beach

 Brownie Badge Day

 GOLD! When she does hit the target it's a good one!

My little shrimp isn't so little any more. She's growing up too fast. 

Beth has had a harder time leaving her friends behind. But she's made equally fantastic new ones here too. And (bragging rights here!) moved up to Yr2 a term early- partly for spacing reasons but if she wasn't so clever they'd have moved someone else instead of her. She's been working in a group of Yr2 children all year anyway- they have a fairly open plan layout in the infant department and work in groups from 1-9. Beth has been in Grp8 all year. The only Yr1 to be that high up. there are 2 in Grp7. (they're the other 2 that moved up a term early). She has tried rhythmic gymnastics, judo, street dance and found something that she really enjoys. Who'd have thought I'd have a horse rider in my family! She'd love to be up the farm with her friend and the horses all the time but taht's not possible ;o) She didn't settle into her Rainbow Group here. So after 2terms I let her give up. Although she'd love to go back, jsut not to the group she was in before. It was partly the time- 6pm Friday is awkward when you need to walk 30mins to get there. It was ok when she could scooter or go by car but in the dark it wasn't possible to scoot and we didn't have a car till a month ago. She's not allowed to give up swimming either. 

 My absolutely GORGEOUS (OK I'm biased) Second Daughter. 

 We tried to get her to be quiet.. the GobStopper is HUGE (2wks on she's still going with it!) But it hasn't quietened her down any LOL.

\ On Smokey (her responsibility) who's retired now. She cares for him at the stables where he's living out his life in peace and quiet with lots of love from some little girls.

Down on the beach. Cefn Sidan this time. Which is a blue flag award beach. And is a 20minute drive from us. Here there are life guards. At our beach, even though it is well used and very popular, there are not.  The girls went wave jumping in the rain!

Rick. My baby. He's not a baby any more (I'm a BIG boy). He's spent a year at a Welsh Medium pre-school. Understands (and can speak) Welsh as well as English. If he KNOWS you speak English, you've no hope with Welsh! He'll answer my questions in English LOL. I'm a little sad that all last years work won't really be to much avail as he's going to school with the girls and it's an English Medium school. But there are only 2 Welsh schools near us and both are over subscribed :O( He's enjoyed having parks, the beach, an open field, friends, swimming all close by. His best friend here is another Josh. But they'll not be going to the same school in September. We haven't even managed to meet up in the holidays thanks to the weather. 

 There is an ice cream parlour at the beach. Rick's Favourite is the "booo" one... it's bubble gum and seriously sickly sweet!

 Rick and Sam Tan. We were at a child safety event. 

 Hiding in a tree. See, not a baby any more!

Playing at the beach.