its all about the kids!

We are almost done with the Easter break now and what a break its been!

A hectic arrangement of activities to keep the small ones amused and entertained started with a trip to the ice rink last week.  Ever since they had a go at skating on a mobile ice rink at Christmas they have been pestering me to take them, bearing in mind im 40 and havent skated for 17 years I knew this was going to be interesting.
Kyle (7) was off first whizzing around the ice while Kate (6) and myself clung onto the side for dear life!! Connor (17) and his mate Luke were also off like there was no tomorrow.  All was going well and even Kate an I managed a few laps without hanging on to the edge, then disaster...
Luke; not the little ones, and not myself had managed to fall flat on his face and break his nose and burst his lip, being the compassionate soul that I am after much stifling of laughter I did manage to check he was ok, there was a lot of blood :( and after his visit to the first aid he sat the rest of the session out.  It was almost a complete success but even he admitted it was fun!

Weekend came and without the munchkins I had the chance to go and watch my son and my dad in a play, they are both members of the local amateur dramatic club and the plays are usually hilairous, this one; Caught in the net, was possibly the funniest I have seen for a long time, a very fast moving play, no idea how my dad didnt pass out he had so much to do, and the boy wonder was brilliant in a very understated way. My sisters and I have been known as the witches for years now due to our dreadful cackling laugh and Connor did say he had trouble trying not to laugh onstage as he could hear us all.... oops!! 
For future ref you can check out the whitechapel players website to keep up with their antics, its looking like a pantomime again in November which will no doubt as always be incredible.

You would think that would be enough excitement really but nooooo!!!

Next on the agenda, what with the unusually lovely weather we packed a picnic up ready to go to the beach, this was thwarted by the increasingly grey looking clouds and we decided to go to Beacon Fell which is a lovely naturey place near where we live, basically its a big hill with lots of trees and the kids love it.  Gina and her daughter joined us on this adventure into the wild and much fun followed, take two mad women,  and three daredevil tree climbing kids and you are guaranteed a laugh.  On the way to the summit we came across the BIGGEST snake in the world, albeit a wooden carved one but this was the first of our victims for photography fun!

Next the kids desperately wanted to explore in the trees so off they went, and here they appeared, haha 

Off for more rummaging in the woods we found a lovely carved cat, no idea who does these but they are fabulous

miouw!!

It was threatening rain by now so we hurried up through the trees, talk of the lion man and the bogey monster had the kids scurrying quickly onwards haha (kids talk not adults hehe) and as we saw the opening at the end of the trees I had to get this shot

We finished off with a picnic and ice cream and headed home, kids shattered, Gina and myself even more shattered yet planning the next days activities!!

Wednesday arrives with a flurry of excitement once again as the sun is shining, this means today it most certainly is BEACH DAY... hurrahhhhhh!!!

Should it be Blackpool? noooooo none of that tat for us, today we are heading to St Annes, (the old peoples bit of the coast) its quiet and there are no stalls for kids to want things from, another picnic and sandcastles galore, Kate became a sand mermaid and we had fun with the frisbee, the weather was brilliant and for a few hours we played in the sand and sunned ourselves :)

the girls :)

and the boy :)

This Easter holiday has rocked, the weather has been awesome and the kids even more awesome, we ended the day with a swim, my kids are learning however were not scared to jump in and go under which was the best news !!

Final thing of the day was a kebab and a beer !! need I say more ...

Ooh la la !! My Paris

It seems like such a long time since I wrote on here, yet its only a week or so, so much has happened in the past few days I dont seem to have had a minute to breathe. 

Let me tell you about my exciting week,

it started a couple of months ago when I was asked to accompany some students on a trip to Paris... oooh how fantastic, so Monday morning bright and early saw me boarding the train and heading down to Londinium to catch the Eurostar.  Ive been to Paris once before and couldnt wait to get back there, so, passport check, money check, camera check and students BIG check!!

We arrived in Paris late afternoon to overcast skies, which is actually PERFECT for pic taking in gay Pareeee woop!  We were booked into the Paris Pointe Rivoli Hotel which at first glance you would walk straight past, just a small door between two coffee shops with a small hotel sign above the door, but behind that door lies the most lovely and delightfully unique hotel, down a long and narrow corridor to reception the hotel looks tiny, but once up the most winding spiral staircase it opens out into a U shape and off the narrow corridors you find the most wonderful modern and very beautiful rooms. My room was decorated in black and white with lovely decor, "ooh la laaa" said Kate when I told her about my zebra crossing striped floor, "take pics mummy"

If you are ever in Paris this is a lovely place to stay, the owners were brilliant even with 15 students partying in one of the upstairs suites. 


Just around the corner about 20 mins walk we visited Notre Dame, what a building, interesting and with the overcast skies a storm brewing it made it even more imposing, I missed this last time I went and it was good to see it this time, you could almost imagine Quasimodo in the bell tower !!!

We headed back to the hotel with the thunder rumbling and the rain pouring, lightning flashes lit up the sky, and it was blinking brilliant!! Just around the corner the heavens opened and the hilarious sight of students running for shelter, fantastic, the small pathetic umbrella really doing nothing to protect them from the now torrential rain... laugh? Hell yes it was totally the funniest thing to see!

Just before the skies opened I managed to grab a quick shot before hurriedly wrapping my cam up in my scarf

The waiters were laughing as we all sheltered until the main of it had passed, then we made the last mad dash back to the hotel to change ready to go and take a look at another iconic place in Paris, The Moulin Rouge.  Weeks ago, we were asked by a student, 'can we go in?' err no its very expensive and you have to book, 'oh, I thought it was just like a erm strip joint' ... how fantastic to refer to the Moulin Rouge as 'just a strip joint' !!

It was packed outside here and once you have seen the flashing lights and the windmill there isnt much to see really, apart from the window where Ewan McGregor spent his time typing for the film.

Off for paninins and crepes before the trek up the hill to see the oustanding Sacre-Coeur, to call it a Catholic Church would be so very wrong, as we walked up the narrow winding roads and saw the first glimpse of the building it takes your breath away, so beautiful its hard to put into words.  We ventured inside to find a service in progress, truly a moment which touched most of us who were there, the inside of the building is positively stunning, some of the kids lit candles and after a few moments we left, feeling we had seen something special and touching but also a little like we were intruding on a very personal experience. 

After such a wonderfully somber experience I was really disappointed to be accosted by some mad French dude who seemed to want to accompany me wherever I was going!! After a quick escape from him I headed back to the group and we started the trek back to the hotel once again.  It seemed all the weirdos were homing in on me that night, when suddenly after dropping back a little I found myself confronted by street sellers who suddenly managed to have my hand tied up and I was convinced they were after my camera, it was a little scary and I did panic a bit but luckily a quick 'help meeeeeee' to the other tutors and I was rescued!!!!

Back at the hotel again, now began the door watch, basically making sure students dont sneak out, we had desperados beer and chilled for an hour or so until it was all quiet.

And that, was day one!! fantastical day had by all and how much did we pack in!!

More later when I have a little more time!!