A Wonderful Weekend But....

Had a wonderful weekend with all the girls playing in the sun and a lovely day with our little Lucy today. Lots of playing in the parks with picnics giggles and cries of joy. Little faces bright and jolly laughing happy laughs. Climbing, exploring and do new things. Rising to every challenge with chuckles of joy.

But despite all this today I don’t feel like writing. Something missing and the world is empty.

The Last Day off School

What another super day we had. This time we were altogether for some glorious spring sunshine and some great fun in the parks and at the adventure playground on the shores of Rutland water. And the best bit of it all we found a secret park which we had all to ourselves in some lovely woodland.

Travelling along to the sound of Us3’s the “Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)” is always great fun with the boogying and jiving in the car seats especially when we are going to the park. It has to be Lucy’s favourite song at the moment and she just loves dancing to it and making us all laugh.

Today was no exception and we managed three parks in one day with Lucy making everyone smile. We started off with the football in Langham Park with Lucy showing off her skills on the rope bridge much to Emily and Catherine's amazement when she did it first time. Catherine and Emily had fun on the slide and playing football with me. Emily had a stint in goal while I used to breeze to good effect to curve the ball around her and into the back of the net. She didn’t stand a chance which such a light ball in the wind. It was lovely to have them altogether again after a week of them being apart. But this was just the start of the day and there was lots more fun to come.

A quick trip to the supermarket and we were all set for lunch and the food was in for dinner. It was a working lunch at the station as Lucy had both Emily and Catherine playing trains. Something they both promised her they would do when they were speaking to her on Monday on Skype.

After lunch we all got ready for the adventure playground, which is on the shores of Rutland Water. Emily bandaged up her poorly wrist in the hope it wouldn’t stop her doing all the things she wanted and we were soon on our way to the sound of more music.

We soon arrived and Lucy’s face beamed and pointed shouting the word “park” over and over again as we parked the car.

Once in the adventure playground there was no stopping them. Lucy was quickly up to the top of one the highest bits of equipment followed Emily and Catherine. Lucy couldn’t managed the pole to slide back down but with a little help we made her think she did. Getting Lucy up to the slide took a bit of thinking out but between me lifting her as high as I could get her and Emily garbing her we managed to find away and she had great fun sliding down. Catherine had fun on the chain walk and the assault course and I must say for someone that hates sport at school is rather good at it.

One thing I won’t forget is the fun Emily and Lucy had on the play items for the younger children. Emily was playing billy goat gruff with Lucy with Emily as the troll. Lucy was laughing her head off as ran over the bridge with Emily trying to get her and chasing her round.

Emily and Catherine went off to play in the words and climb the trees as Lucy began to tire and she sat down with me and we had a lovely cuddle while we watched the big girls play. We spent just under an hour and half at the adventure playground before we headed home.

On the way home we decided to try find the part of Rutland Water that we first came to nearly five years ago. We couldn’t quite remember where it was so we turned into one of the many car parks and leisure area’s that surround the lake.

As I drove around the car park I found a sign for another play area and parked the car as close as I could to the gate.

This little play area was a great little find. Surrounded by woodland and completely empty with a mix of climbing frames that gave them all something they could do together without being too babyish for Emily and Catherine. Lucy soon managed to get up to the slide on her own without any help and they were off. Going down the slide altogether with squeals of laugher and delight.

Nobody wanted to leave and with the extraction of a promise we would come again and have a picnic at our secret park we left tired but happy.

So tomorrow we are doing it all again if the sun is out but this time we are taking a picnic too.

Happy Times

Great to have them Home

It’s been a long week since they were last here and the house has been so quite you could have hear a mouse squeak. So it was so nice to get them back today from their Mum’s in Leeds.

It was so nice to see their smiling happy faces and their newly cut hair and get a big cuddle from each of them.

They might fall out and might whinge and sometimes whine but the house isn’t the same without the girls being here to make it come alive with joy and laughter and fun to be had.

They had to go to their Mums for so long because the school and college holidays didn’t match meaning I was working this week while they still had a week off school. It was a shame they missed out my on “Happy Day” with Lucy but I’m sure they had lots of fun too.

Tomorrow we have Lucy coming over to play and we are planning a trip to Langham park to show her rope bridge walking skills and in the afternoon a trip to the adventure playground.

Keep your fingers crossed for nice weather.............

Back to Work

It always seems strange going back to work after a two week break because of the change from days of doing nothing to days being busy with a capital B.

The speed at which the days pass at work is so much quicker than those spent at home during the holidays. Not that this a downside to the job just a difference in the pace of life. In the classroom life moves at a rapid pace. People calling your name needing help and having solve practical problems on your feet and sometimes personal ones too. It all makes the day pass quicker.

I really love my job but there is a certain apprehension when you go back you won’t be able to do it again. It is like an actor returning to the stage never knowing they can act again. Thankfully we all find we can and you just have to trust yourself.

Being back with the students is always good fun. They really bring a breath of fresh into you life. There is something about teaching and the interaction with people that makes it so special. It has to do with seeing them grow, learn and gain confidence in their abilities. This is especially the case when you teach them year after year.

It is really is a magical job but hard work too. Not many people realise the time you have to put in at home they just see the holidays and say wow that is easy. But at the end of the day the hard work is worth it to see the smiles at the end of a course as the students go on to greater things through your hard work and theirs.

Work for me is a happy but sometimes stressful place with great rewards and at the end of the day a place I’m happy to return to again and again. For everyday is different and brings new challenges and rewards.

I’m glad to be back!

A Happy Day

Had the most fantastic day with my lovely little Lucy even if I did miss the missing little people.

We started the day in Langham Park. Not the most exciting place I would have thought for a 2 year old but I promised her we could play football. She had other idea’s seeing the big girls slide she set about climbing to the top. She has no fear and was soon sliding down with a big smile on her face. And after a few goes on the small girls toys she moved onto the rope bridge. At first she just tried to climb up to the bridge and didn’t know where to start when she got to the bridge itself. That was until she got me to show how how to do it. As soon as I crossed the bridge she set off and without falling made it to the other side with the biggest of smiles. I was so proud of her and she was so proud of herself. She such a clever little thing. Football went out the window and she did it again and again.

It was hard to pull her away but the promise of the park later and playing trains did the trick. I set up a massive railway track for her in her bedroom. We had great fun together just playing together and crashing the trains and making them pull up at the station to pick up the people. The only problem was the bridge kept collapsing.

After a brief break for dinner it was back to the trains. We thought about a working lunch at the station but we both sat down and enjoyed our little break from play

After more fun on the rails it was off to Oakham Park for the afternoon along with a cat in a push chair. She had great fun getting up the slide and then letting it go. I was the goal keeper stopping it run into people. Finally we replanted the hanging basket and had dinner. She chuckled and laughed and filled my world with joy and that is how the day went on until she had to leave me. I love her with all my heart.

I might have missed the other two but it was a lovely day and full of cuddles fun and love. There was only one thing missing...