On the Saturday we left my parents to see my sister and her family in Southport. I couldn't remember the last time we visited, and consequently popped the Sat Nav onto her address. It wasn't the route I'd have chosen if I was map-reading myself, but it did the job.
It turned out from the work they'd done to the house, that I'd probably not visited for about 3 years.... which is testament to the distance we live apart from each other, and the busy-ness of modern family life. Happily, our children have had opportunity to visit each other in the intervening years thanks to Grandma and Grandad's fortitude.
My siblings, who live closer to our parents, enjoy the benefit of our parents' involvement in their family life by virtue of proximity. We take advantage of their 'services' infrequently by equal virtue of distance. Fact.
Luckily when Grandma and Grandad do get Phoebe and, or, Tom dumped on them/spending quality time with them, they usually spend time with the cousins. Which is great for everyone, and something which is too valuable to measure, and which words can't express the gratitude I feel deep inside when I watch the cousins playing together.
So to Southport. We trawled the charity shops as I'm hunting for Aladdin ideas for the Christmas display at the Library. After that we went for a stroll down the Pier - icecreams in hand and blustery wind knocking our balance to the side.
At the end of the Pier is a 'penny arcade' - you purchase 'old pennies' and play old-fashioned one-armed bandits, penny falls, donkey derby and suchlike. The children loved it. Actually, we quite enjoyed it ourselves....
The following day was the day of the predicted storm, and we were driving - very carefully! - to Bristol. The Sat Nav did its job, and we arrived at 3.15pm. Tom and Isaac have been friends since nursery, so we make the effort to keep in touch now he lives in Bristol.
Isaac's Mum had made a roast dinner - thank you! - which is something I only ever do at Christmas. Being mostly vegetarian (I still eat fish - probably once or twice a month) I don't cook meat at home (well, I'm prepared to cook sausages for the children, but that's as far as it goes), so a 'roast' has never been part of the regular menu at home. It was a lovely treat, she'd got me an individual vegetarian pie, which I enjoyed enormously. It was nice to catch up and the boys were thick as thieves, as always.
The full force of the storm missed Bristol, so driving home the next day, whilst wet, was really only hampered by a traffic jam on the M4. We diverted off at Jct. 17 to go cross country via Cirencester. The Sat Nav was having none of it and kept on trying to bring us back round to the M4. I'm sure you should be able to override that, but I've no idea how you do.
Got home 12.30pm and back to work 2pm-7pm. Knackered!
Here endeth the half-term 590 miles round trip.... ever again? Probably.
night night, Kat ;)
It turned out from the work they'd done to the house, that I'd probably not visited for about 3 years.... which is testament to the distance we live apart from each other, and the busy-ness of modern family life. Happily, our children have had opportunity to visit each other in the intervening years thanks to Grandma and Grandad's fortitude.
My siblings, who live closer to our parents, enjoy the benefit of our parents' involvement in their family life by virtue of proximity. We take advantage of their 'services' infrequently by equal virtue of distance. Fact.
Luckily when Grandma and Grandad do get Phoebe and, or, Tom dumped on them/spending quality time with them, they usually spend time with the cousins. Which is great for everyone, and something which is too valuable to measure, and which words can't express the gratitude I feel deep inside when I watch the cousins playing together.
So to Southport. We trawled the charity shops as I'm hunting for Aladdin ideas for the Christmas display at the Library. After that we went for a stroll down the Pier - icecreams in hand and blustery wind knocking our balance to the side.
 |
| From Southport Pier |
 |
| Tidal streams incoming... |
At the end of the Pier is a 'penny arcade' - you purchase 'old pennies' and play old-fashioned one-armed bandits, penny falls, donkey derby and suchlike. The children loved it. Actually, we quite enjoyed it ourselves....
The following day was the day of the predicted storm, and we were driving - very carefully! - to Bristol. The Sat Nav did its job, and we arrived at 3.15pm. Tom and Isaac have been friends since nursery, so we make the effort to keep in touch now he lives in Bristol.
Isaac's Mum had made a roast dinner - thank you! - which is something I only ever do at Christmas. Being mostly vegetarian (I still eat fish - probably once or twice a month) I don't cook meat at home (well, I'm prepared to cook sausages for the children, but that's as far as it goes), so a 'roast' has never been part of the regular menu at home. It was a lovely treat, she'd got me an individual vegetarian pie, which I enjoyed enormously. It was nice to catch up and the boys were thick as thieves, as always.
The full force of the storm missed Bristol, so driving home the next day, whilst wet, was really only hampered by a traffic jam on the M4. We diverted off at Jct. 17 to go cross country via Cirencester. The Sat Nav was having none of it and kept on trying to bring us back round to the M4. I'm sure you should be able to override that, but I've no idea how you do.
Got home 12.30pm and back to work 2pm-7pm. Knackered!
Here endeth the half-term 590 miles round trip.... ever again? Probably.
night night, Kat ;)
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