Whilst Bea has been able to count to ten for some time, and has been exploring counting to twenty (not very well so far!) as well as counting backwards/down (which is punctuated with a, “BLAST OFF!”!), I’d not seen her punching a keyboard whilst counting, so thought this little video was cool.
Few more photos from our trip to the north:
Bea loves bouncey castles. This one was a monster. She took to climbing up it really slowly (including holding up some of the bigger kids), and then after nearly getting shot off the end of the slide, she realised feet first on her tummy was the speed she was after.
Merry go round for little ones. Immi and Bea got in the taxi together, whilst Arch rode Thomas the tank engine.
After Morwick dairy, we went for a ramble around Warkworth and its really cool castle ruins. Shown below in the wrong chronological order, but you get the drift that the kids loved it’s classic keep design.
After a rather long winded journey up to Northumberland we got there for lunch and had a brilliant long weekend! Bea ADORES her Auntie Katie and Imi and Arch AND for the first time wasn’t even frightened of Uncle Joseph! It makes me a little teary seeing the children all together….and then remembering how rarely they get to do it. After a lovely first day at home we set off to Cragside Saturday for a (slightly damp at times) ramble, picnic, park action and general loveliness!!
Lunch break!
Hiding from Arch!
After finishing our walk around the lake we hit the park with plenty of zip wire action!
And some ice cream to finish of course!!
Sunday was more ice cream, this time at Morwick Dairy!! DELISH-NESS! Then onto Warkworth for a mooch and Castle ruins which the children loved! No pics from Mummy but Daddy might fill in the gaps! Monday was our last day which always taints it BUT we had a brilliant time at the Glendale Show, lots of animals, mooching, rides, bouncing, eating and very happy squiddies!! Mummy left her phone at home so again no pics from me but we did take some snaps for Grammie which are too cute not to blog!!
Well it began at 3:45 am last Thursday morning. Daddy had a days work in his Chester office so we decided to combine that with visiting Auntie Katie! We scooped Bea out of bed at 4:30am and she proceeded to talk for the next 4hrs hours without any sign of needing sleep!! We dropped Daddy off at 8:30 and set off for our day of eating and shopping….quite literally! We girls were in our element!! First stop porridge breakie in the City!
After lots of shopping we took in some culture at Chester Cathedral. Bea really loved it and in her best whisper (Mummy said she needed to speak quietly!) “Mummy it’s really huge and so pretty!” which it was!!
A spot of lunch after a little 45 minute car snooze between the City centre and Macarthy Glen where we did more shopping….and had some coffee and cake!
After we’d finally exhausted our retail fix we checked into our Hotel and went for a fab swim and some jacuzzi action! Back to the room for a bath and chill before Daddy got back and then we all went for a delish dinner! Bea was a star all day and LOVED her special late night and “Holiday Hotel bed”.
And to top it off….bacon and sausage for breakfast!
Onto Auntie Katie’s….
Would you believe that we got up at 0345hrs this morning to drive 250miles for Daddy to go to work in Chester for the day, whilst Mummy and Bea saw the lovely town with its yummy mummy shops!
Work done, Daddy joined the girls in the hotel and we enjoyed some pre dinner drinks with the obligatory “cheers!” from her ladyship:
And then we played with daddy’s camera and this short video was directed entirely by Bea:
….so much so the French closed France!? So we’d done all the activities on our to-do list and decided to head (quite literally ) in the other direction for a potter in some pretty towns. The first seemed eerily shut so we came closer to home to find yet more shut shops….some sort of french holiday….any old excuse!! Richelieu did have a lovely antique market on today and Daddy bought himself a herb grinder which is in fact a coffee grinder but serves the purpose! We stopped off in the square for refreshments and lovely sunshine!
Our plans to casually collect bread (to accompany soup this evening), milk to cover breakfast and pudding were somewhat scuppered but the shut-ness of France! Thankfully Mike & Glynis were more than obliging and gave (would not accept money!) us bread, milk and wine! Just had our dinner and could SO easily spend another week here in this gorgeous place! How we’re going to convince Bea to leave her beloved “holiday house”, “holiday friends” (Mike and Glynis), “holiday bed”, “holiday bath”, “holiday car”….I could go on! Just about to start our evening card games and polish off the last bottle of vino!
We began the day with a spot of croquet on the lawn….
We then visited Chateaux du Rivau. Again the second visit for us but just the most beautiful “Fairytale Castle” a 2yr old could dream of and she LOVED it!! Despite the weather perpetually being against us this week we managed to get it craftily right and only saw the rain on the way home in the car having spent the whole afternoon in lovely sunshine!
Loving the hammocks!!
At the top of the Castle helping Charlie through the maze….
Navigating the maze for herself….aka bossing Daddy about!!
Watching the Stable story intently!
Dinner out tonight! We asked Mike and Glynis for a restaurant recommendation, our criteria: good French food, child (2.5yr old) friendly and relatively local. SO we were pointed in the direction of Le Ricordeau in Loudun.
We arrived and were the only people there. It was big and VERY French (as assured by Mike) and the staff spoke less English than we did French, we were a little out of our comfort zone…!? It was late for Bea but she’d had a “power nap” late afternoon and was very excited about her “big girls dinner out”. None of us could decide (understand?) what we wanted let alone what we order for Bea? There was not a “frites” in sight on this menu!! It took us some time using our combined French “skills”, bare minimum from the staff (although lovely) and iphone apps to choose our meal BUT we chose, we ate the AMAZING food and Bea after her first course (of Parma ham salad…not a win!) lapped it all up! She scoffed chicken and mushrooms and Chocolate Gateaux avec “pink ice cream” for pud. The place filled up very quickly which meant we could “dissolve” our very English selves and enjoy the evening. Bea was a trooper and easily made it to 10:30! Brilliant end to a fab day!!
We went back to Mummy and Daddy’s favourite town today. The first time we came here Bea spent the day in a Pram and most of it asleep! Today was of course very different and much more fun!! I’ve trained her so well, when we told her we were going “pretty shop shopping” (as opposed to food shopping) her eyes lit up! It is such a beautiful town and perfect for a days mooch, lunch and coffee…..so we did just that!
Pretty Hotel de Ville with M&D looking especially “little and large” today for some reason!?
Dancing with Daddy….
Awaiting our nosh, Bea is in seventh heaven this week (much like Mummy!) devouring cheese and bread like it’s going out of fashion! Croque Monsieur avec frites was today’s choice.
Tidying up her brother after the event….
Off for a mooch in a new style of transport….
We visited lots of places for the second time today and Bea loved this funky shop with a fab children’s toy section! She was “cooking, and tidying up and sorting all the things”….apparently!?
Final stop was ice cream and coffee!
A new style of “snuggly cuddles!”
Two cookie temptation Sundaes and pink stawberry ice cream!!
Another lovely day and a very we’ll behaved little lady! She makes me proud.
Mummy and Daddy have wanted to take Bea to the Zoo for some time and France has always proved one of the best locations for it! Today did not disappoint! We had a fantastic day at Biopark in Doué la Fontaine. Bea was SO excited about seeing the animals and lapped it ALL up!!! First stop (Mummy’s favourite!!!) the Giraffes!
Posey pic!
The Park had the MOST amazing bird enclosures, they were stunning!!! Just a few snaps….
The children bravely approaching the vulture guarded gates…..the photo doesn’t do it justice! There were about 8 birds sat in front of the gates all larger than Bea! Naturally we sent them off first….
Hippopotamus riding!
Bea was a little confused as to why the “Hippo is really tired in the water….he’s not waking up!?!?!”
LOVED the Rhino’s….
didn’t want to leave….
She stormed her way around all day, loving every minute! She gets a massive amount from the boys, they have always been so eager to teach her and watch her experience new things. And Bea’s firsts somehow make experiences like the Zoo a new thing for them too. A teen, a pre-teen and a toddler….they make it work.
So here we are in France back at Demaine La Grange two years on from our first visit! Bea 2yrs older and 2 times more excited and contrary than the first! She is LOVING it!!!!!! She has been SO excited about her holiday it’s been lovely to see her lap it all up!
Enjoying her pre holiday brunch in Pret
“That’s my plane (she identified it because I’d told her the plane would have orange writing on it!) but it’s broken!? Need to get a new one!!”
Anxiously awaiting her “new plane” with reassurance from Ollie. Our flight was delayed by an hour but we did get (a bus first) a new plane!
Bagged the window seat!
Bea’s (“big girls”) late night! Dinner at 10pm, bed after 11pm and STILL (with only 40mins car snooze) she was high as a kite!
After some Supermarche action (before France closed….SO not like England!?) we went to a brilliant Car/Bike Museum! Why is it in France you can pay €5 to get a family in to a fab Museum and in the UK it would cost over £30!?
Wanting to get in all the cars…Charlie explaining “NO!”
Doing the hand-jive!?
Doing the “cylinder test”….or just loving the headphones!?
Loving the wheels!
Today was : lazy morning and then off to “the beach” aka the Lake with sand! Fab day of swimming, amazing slap up lunch, pedalo’s and ice cream!
Roll on Tuesday!
