Author: seasidesparkles

Shop Girl, Girl Power and Ghostbusters #littleloves

Published on by seasidesparkles

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The countdown to the end of the term seems real this week, we’ve had viewing classes and final sessions of some of our clubs and the week has been full of special events and trips.  Shame the weather didn’t play ball, the Beavers beach party wasn’t quite the same on a cold, grey evening whilst the girls at Brownies thought the heavy fog just made the geo -caching they were doing in the local country park more atmospheric!  At home, its been a noisy and dusty week, the bathroom renovation is going well and now the floor has been renewed it all should be finished in the next few days. I’ve needed to spend quite a lot of my time at home this week to accommodate the builders, so I feel I have had a little more time to myself which has been nice and some of how I’ve spent my time has made it into Little Loves.

READ

I have read and finished Mary Portas’ autobiography Shop Girl.  Its an easy read with  very short chapters but is really addictive.  The book perfectly evokes the period she was growing up in with lots of detail on the 70s music and fashions, but the book is so much more than a social commentary.  The effect of her mother’s death is devastating on the family and in some ways the narrative is more of a tribute and love letter to her Mum and the quiet ways in which she held the family together than the author’s life, its a heart-breaking theme.  On a  similar theme, Caitlin Moran produced another cracking column about love this week and the excerpt above (Times magazine, 2.7.16)reflects how I say I love you to my children too, minus the cat texts!

WATCHED

This video is doing the rounds on social media and is a brilliant reworking of the Spice girls Wannabe from the UN project The Global Goals.  #whatireallyreallywant

Girl power is alive and strong!

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On Saturday I sat down with the children to watch the Ghostbusters film.  They have seen the new trailer and as there are a few similarities I thought we’d watch the original.  I remember watching this film at the cinema when I was a little girl and getting so scared in places, so I sat with the children reassuring them etc.. I recall jumping out of my seat at the cinema at the start with the old lady in the library, but there was nothing from them and I did wonder how I had been so scared, I’m blaming the darkness and big screen.  I’m not sure it’s a film which has survived the passing of time, it’s funny in places but didn’t have the wow factor for the children.

MADE

There’s very little in this category this week, no crafting with the children as we had parties at the weekend and with the builders in and out of the kitchen, meals have been simple and quick.  I have made a few packed lunches for trips and treats and do try to make these a bit special to add to the occasion.

WORE

Again nothing of note here, at the moment it’s finding an outfit which can serve all four seasons in the one day.

LISTENED

So I’m late to the party but I discovered Spotify this week and love it.  I’m on a free premium trial but think I’ll sign up for it at the end of the month. I can’t believe the tunes I’ve found.  I’ve started creating a few playlists and was delighted that it was so easy to find a rare French song which reminds me of my year abroad.  This of course made me even more curious on what I could find and I have not defeated Spotify yet with my music choices.  My music has gone in so many directions this week.

AND FINALLY

Next week is the final full week for the children and it’s nice that things are slowing down.  We have been doing some amazing things recently but it’s time to relax, play on the beach and simply enjoy each day without a schedule to follow.

I’m linking up with Morgana and her lovely contributors for this week’s Litle Loves http://coffeeworksleeprepeat.com

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An adoption story

Published on by seasidesparkles

This morning I’ve been doing some tidying up and came across my diary from 2010, the year in which the children came to live with us.  Unlike most of my full diaries this stops suddenly on the day we started introductions, which whilst a shame does illustrate how crazy life became with two little children.  I thought I would share the story of how we went from prospective adopters to parents in less than a year.

In mid 2009, we attended a 4 day intensive course for prospective adopters, this was to prepare us for adoption and the issues we might face.  It was factual and prepared participants for the realities of adoption but made us even more determined that we could offer a safe and loving home to children.  This course was followed by a home study where every aspect of your life, relationship, family, work, hobbies etc.. was discussed.  The home study is hard, as every aspect of your life is analysed and checked.  Whilst we were expecting safe guarding checks it also included proving income, home and life insurances, risk assessments and safety recommendations for your home, life plans and child care, as well as exploring in depth your health, emotional wellbeing, relationship as a couple and with family and friends.  Thankfully we completed it within 8 months and were approved by a panel from the LA as prospective adopters for siblings up to 6 years old.  At this point, our life really went on hold as we were finally waiting for our children.  Whilst there is a national register, as our local authority had taken us through assessment and approval, the practice is that you are on their books exclusively for six months. I think of all the years in which we had tried to start a family this was one of the worst periods, we were waiting with no idea of what would happen and when.  We were as proactive as we could be, clearing our spare rooms ready for children’s bedrooms and I tentatively began to look at local toddler clubs, schools, equipment etc.. But the reality was that there was nothing we could do. It was getting so frustrating that we phoned our social worker and asked if we could at least book a last minute holiday to give us a focus, we were given permission to do this as we were told it was highly unlikely that there would be any placements in the coming months.  Needless to say these were famous last words, on what should have been the first day of our cruise to the Norweigen Fjords we met our children for the first time.

Our wait finally ended on an ordinary Wednesday afternoon when after leaving a few messages our social worker finally reached us on the phone. We were expecting a catch up call so had no idea of the surprise she was going to spring on us.  There had been developments in a case the department were working on and a brother and sister were able to be placed for adoption and she would like to talk to us about the children.  The week which followed until her visit was the longest of my life and my emotions really were all over the place as we waited for her visit in which she honestly presented all she knew about the children and their history.  Events quickly snowballed from here with lots and lots of meetings with social workers, a paediatrician, psychologist, foster careers and we completed all the detailed paperwork to allow us to go to panel the next month to be matched as the children’s parents.  Where as I had been quite shy and reserved in the approval panel, I was so different in this forum, I felt so passionately that these were our children and argued so strongly and determined.  We were officially matched and then the madness started, we had 7 days in which to serve notice at work, decorate the children’s bedrooms, buy all we needed and get ready for introductions.  In the most intense period of my life I will always remember the kindness and generosity of people who helped us in so many ways, the rooms got painted and decorated, furniture was ordered and delivered, curtains, black out blinds and bedding arrived, our pond disappeared, carpets were fitted, everybody wanted to help in whatever way they could and by the day of introductions we were ready to welcome our little ones.

Introductions are an incredibly stressful time, you are under scrutiny at all times. The first time we met the children, there were foster carers and social workers watching everyone’s reaction. It was a short visit and I remember little about our first visit, we went clutching a doll for Little Miss and a puppy toy for Little Man which had featured in the introduction resources that had been read to them, a scrap book all about us and a talking book with our photos.  Mr S was more confident and enthusiastic, I was really conscious of not forcing ourselves onto the children and letting them come to us more gently, we played and sang rhymes and read books and after a short while left, it was all so strange it felt quite unreal.  Over the next nine days our visits continued, at first the visits were at the at the carer’s home accompanied by the foster carer, they progressed to us taking the children out alone to the foster carer bringing the children to our house and then leaving them at our house for a day.

There were progress meetings and in introductions we also met the children’s birth mother.  This meeting was organised very carefully by social services at a neutral venue, we were briefed before hand on what we were allowed to say and how the meeting may develop.  It was an incredibly emotional meeting, social services directed a polite conversation and we had a photo taken together so that in the future the children can see us together to know that we all agreed on the adoption.  The smiles in that photo do not reflect the raw emotion in that meeting.  At the end me and the children’s birth mum both hugged each other tightly and I promised her that I would always love and care for the children, we were both sobbing our hearts out and it was one of the most intense and emotional moments of my life.  I know some adopters choose not to meet the birth family, it was very painful but I am pleased I did, I have a lot of respect for the birth mum’s decision to allow the children to be adopted and I hope that she saw how much we would love and care for the children.  She was also always very supportive of the adoption process and did things that helped speed up the legal process, she did not make any objections.  She even signed her permission to allow the children to use our name immediately on all legal documents, eg NHS, child benefit etc.. which made things easier.

Nine days after the initial introduction the children finally came to live with us.  However even then it was not the end of the process as social workers’ visits and reviews continued to the final adoption order six months later.  It had taken eight long years but we finally had our perfect little Sparkles family.

Below are the original diary pages of this time in our life, sadly my fancy coloured pens have faded over the years but it is still legible evidence of our grand adventure.

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Word in a Month June : Referendum

Published on by seasidesparkles

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Photo from http://www.jmbullion.com

There was no hesitation in choosing a word for June, it is the word which has dominated most conversations, referendum.  I hoped that the referendum would allow fair, balanced debate of our position in Europe and with a remain vote secured, resolve the issue which has overshadowed party politics for years. I can’t believe how wrong I was on all counts.  Brexit created the fear and anxiety among voters to encourage a ‘victory’. The result has left the continent in shock and led to a seismic shock in our political culture. It is the most significant event in British politics in my lifetime and I feel so sad and hollow about the result.  Perhaps in the future we’ll look back on this period as the changing point of British politics and it will be seen slightly differently as it is now.  It’s just hard to imagine a positive outcome from such a shocking result.

June 2016

Published on by seasidesparkles

There are some months which are beyond crazy, I present June 2016 and the reasons I would love to snuggle up in bed for the weekend (needless to say it’s not possible). This month I have spent

1. The first three days of the month at Butlins on a fabulous family break

2. Two days at Longleat, one of my favourite places for a family day out and one night in a lovely hotel.

3. A school trip to Paultons Park, I am queen of days out this month!

4. Fourteen days without our main bathroom and counting … Gutting the bathroom led to the discovery of a dangerously rotten floor and joists which led to the project being paused for essential emergency building works completed yesterday.

5. Five parties this month, including one for Queenie.

6. Two primary school music concerts.

7. One sports day amazingly completed on a rare dry afternoon (but little sunshine)

8. One interview and subsequent promotion at work, I now have an impressive title and have negotiated to remain part time.

9. One referendum and one sleepless night to discover the result (not a good idea on a school night!)

Among all this we have been to school and work and done our normal ballet, brownies, beavers, football and cricket clubs too.  It’s been fun but exhausting and I’m looking forward to the summer holidays and being able to have a more relaxed schedule.

 

 

 

Vogue, Sports day and Mummy style #littleloves

Published on by seasidesparkles

I think for the first time ever, I didn’t write a Little Loves / Sparkles post last week.  I normally write it on a Friday but was so shocked, sad and angry by the EU referendum result that I simply didn’t have the spirit to write a light and positive post.  The EU referendum has dominated my week again this week, it’s unbelievable how events have and are developing, however there have been other things in my life this week to share.

READ

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It’s fair to say that much of my reading has been commentary and analysis of the EU referendum.  However even I needed light relief this week and bought Vogue magazine to distract me.  It’s not a magazine I usually buy but I just liked the front cover, Renee Zwellegger’s relaxed pose and pretty dress, sold it to me.  I’ve dipped in and out of the magazine this week and am enjoying it although I don’t think it’ll become a monthly purchase.

WATCHED

On Monday I watched England crash out of Europe for the second time in a week.  England were so poor that I wasn’t as disappointed as I could have been with the football result.  The best thing this season has been the success of small, unfancied teams who develop team work, train hard and have a desire to succeed.

There’s a sporty theme to my watches as I have also watched the children participate in Sports day. Fortunately school sports day fell on one of my non working days so Mr S and I went together to cheer the children on.  It was really useful to be a duo as the children are in different key stages and were doing events at opposite ends of the field, by splitting up we got to see everything the children did.  My very special moment was seeing Little Man win the obstacle race. This is simply not a boast but a story of how much progress he has made over the years.  When we were approached to adopt Little Man, we had to speak to a paediatrician first to understand the challenges he might face.  At the time his physical development was delayed and at one year’s old he could barely sit up and was unable to crawl.  Through hard work and his determination, Little Man now has all the physical skills appropriate to his age .  His first place in the race today was a little bit special knowing the challenges he has overcome and simply remembering the little baby who came to us so fragile and weak and who has now developed into a strong, healthy boy.

MADE

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The end of term is approaching so I made some Etsy orders for teacher gifts.  It has been very easy, I found some lovely shops, the gifts have already arrived and I’m really pleased with them.

WORE

Its been a very busy week and I have been doing a lot of Mummy duties.  As some of these have been special activities, I’ve made more of an effort with my outfits and have tried to dress stylishly, with nice clothes, accessories and make up.  It has felt good to make the effort.

HEARD

No new music to report on this week, as I have been listening to the radio to catch up with the news as so much seems to happen daily.  I heard the resignation speeches from Cameron and Hodgson on the radio,  both were dignified and honest and I respect both for their decisions. Next week, I do need to find some new music, something completely  different to my normal tastes to awaken my creativity and shake me from this Euro gloom.

AND FINALLY

I’ve found this week tough in the light of the referendum result, I am a naturally positive and calm person but the result has shaken my beliefs and values.  This week it seems that I’m mourning a future and opportunities that I hoped my children would inherit and feeling at a loss at a Britain where fear and hatred appear prevalent. It has been good to read from fellow bloggers and tweeters to know that I’m not alone in my thoughts, it’s up to us to teach respect and share our values with our future generations.

I’m linking up again with the lovely Morgana at http//:coffeeworksleeprepeat.com for #littleloves and all her lovely contributors.

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In or Out?

Published on by seasidesparkles

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As I have written before, I am a bit of a political geek although its something only those really close to me know.  Politics does seem to be one of those topics you simply don’t discuss so I explore it through Radio 4, broadsheets and social media.  Social media is wonderful for allowing me to engage with other like minded individuals and I love the wit, remarks and reflection of Twitter.

There was never any doubt how I would vote in tomorrow’s referendum.  I was born in the year we joined the EU, studied languages and European politics at university, lived in Europe for a year, have seen the value of EU grants in some very deprived areas and schools in which I have worked and believe that we are more successful when we work together to achieve our goals.  This doesn’t mean that I am naïve to the weaknesses of the European government and there are significant issues to be addressed on  how the institution works, but I believe that change must come from within rather than outside.

I was looking forward to the Europe debate but to someone so passionate about politics it has sickened me with its vitriol, hatred and scare mongering.  It has not been an arena of political discussion but has encouraged extremism and fear.  Immigration should not have been the prime focus of the campaign, the EU is about so many more important themes, trade, rights, etc.. yet the Leave campaign and its spiteful rhetoric has put this at the heart of everything.

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At the weekend, when we ventured across the country, I was genuinely shocked when I  saw posters stating we want our country back.  I am a proud Brit and appreciate the culture, spirit and innovation of our modern society, our country has evolved and I don’t want the Great Britain of last century, I want the multicultural, quirky, respectful GB of today.   I don’t think the Leave campaigners understand the modern, digital world, we cannot survive with a policy of splendid isolation, countries have a lesser role in a world where some multi national corporations have bigger budgets than states, where the Internet has made borders irrelevant, we are not the great power they want to believe we once were or could be again, its a different world.  I  am worried about the future leadership of our country if leave is successful as I don’t think the leaders of the Leave campaign have the integrity, intelligence or innovation to lead our country as inevitably they will in time. This has been another of the failings of their campaign, there is no one that I believe could lead a strong, powerful, inclusive nation.

This referendum is being defined by generations and a high turn out from either young or older voters could swing the polls either way, with the young supporting the in campaign heavily.  Our mock referendum at school reflected the result among other schools across the country, a resounding victory for remain. Perhaps there is hope for our future generation of politicians and decision makers!

I will vote tomorrow and I have no doubt that I will then be awake all through the night for the result, I only hope its a sweet dream and not a nightmare result.

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David Walliams, School concerts and the most inspiring listen #littleloves

Published on by seasidesparkles

In a truly horrific week when I have despaired at the cruelty, ignorance and hatred in the world, I did question writing Little Loves. I’m writing it because my listen of the week is the most inspiring podcast you will probably ever hear, a bold assertion but I promise  a listen will remind you of the best in humanity.  However before I get to it here are my other loves of the week.

READ

I did start reading Lisa Jewell’s The Girls. I’ve really enjoyed  Jewell’s previous work but the subject matter is just a bit too dark and sinister to read at present and I’ve put it back on the shelf. When life is so brutal, I need my reading to be something different.

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I’ve also been reading David Walliams’ Worlds Worst Children at bedtime.  Its a beautiful hardback book with wonderful illustrations, quirky font and quality paper. I rarely buy hardbacks but got it at a very good price and the quality does show.  The children are loving the book and are not just reading it at bedtime but are looking through it during the day, choosing a tale for the night.  Walliams is a fantastic storyteller with a definite nod to Roald Dahl.

WATCHED

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I love football and have watched it since a child.  For years I had a season ticket at my local league club so the Euros are a big treat, so much football on all day and I’ve watched lots of the matches. However I haven’t had the joyous feeling I normally do watching the football as there have been ugly scenes of violence and intimidation. This is not football and after recovering from the dark days of hooliganism I only hope that its not returning.

On a more positive note, on Tuesday evening I had the pleasure of watching the local primary schools present a concert of their musical talents.  The children were incredibly gifted and it was delightful to watch.  Little Miss was in the recorder group and also sang in the choir. The choirs sang such uplifting songs that you left happy and refreshed.

MADE

Tomorrow we’re off to Longleat for the weekend, we have two day tickets as there is so much to do on the estate. We’re taking a picnic for Saturday so my make this week is making a menu.  Such a special venue merits a special picnic so I’ve planned salads, mini Scotch eggs and sausage rolls, dips, fruit slices, fancy drinks. It’s the little things which help life sparkle.

WORN

Cardigans, come on Summer you tease us with a few nice days and then disappear again, please can we start summer now.

LISTEN

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http://bbc.in/25rHHEA

The purpose of this post is to highlight the amazing Desert Island Discs broadcast from David Nott, a surgeon who works in three London hospitals and then takes sabbaticals to work in war zones.  It is remarkable, do a Twitter search for David Nott Desert Island Discs and read the comments, the programme really is that good and for someone who listens every week, it’s my favourite ever DID. I normally listen to the Desert Island discs on my Saturday run as it helps a gentle start to the day. This programme stopped me in my tracks and I cried at several times.  Even if you don’t listen to all the podcast, the story of the little girl at 23 mins had me sobbing so hard that I couldn’t stop thinking about her and the bravery and kindness David Nott had shown.  I never do anything like this but when I got home, I found the details of his charity and made a donation. In such an awful, despairing week I promise that this listen will leave you crying but full of admiration for such a humble, inspiring and courageous man. He is my beacon of light in a dark, dark week.

AND LASTLY

Words fail me this week, the attack on a gay nightclub which killed 50, the far right ultra hooligans at Euro16 and then the murder of the mp, Jo Cox.  What has become of us?  I have been doing lots of thinking and don’t have the answers but the events make me determined not to be scared by such evil acts but to do all I can to stand up for my values and show there is lots of love and respect in our society.

I’m linking up with Morgana and her lovely contributors for this week’s Litle Loves http://coffeeworksleeprepeat.com

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The Simple life, Charlotte’s Web and the Spirit of Cricket #littleloves

Published on by seasidesparkles

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Wow, that was a week which just zoomed past, I’m not sure how we are at Friday evening already.  As the sun has been out for most of the week, it has been a week spent in the garden.  We’ve had dinners al fresco, a barbecue, lots of swing ball and cricket and lazy evenings on the swings and making daisy chains.

READ

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There’s been too much going on to start a new book this week so I’ve been reading my favourite magazine The Simple Life. I like the feel of the articles celebrating simple sensory pleasures of seasonal life.  Perfect garden reading.

WATCHED

With the beautiful summer evenings, we’ve hardly had the television on this week.  The one film I watched with the children on a drizzly Saturday lunchtime was Charlotte’s Web, I really enjoyed it and it inspired further activities.

I have been very lucky this week to have watched children having simple, good fun. I was on the parent rota for Beavers this week and loved seeing the boys explore their tent and to work out how to put it up together in the local park. I also had a great time at Paultons Park where the Rotary Club had very generously paid for our students to have a day out, all the local special needs schools are invited and it is so well organised to meet the needs of the children, it is an inspiring, humbling day.  Paultons Park (aka Peppa Pig world) is a wonderful theme park and well worth a visit.

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MADE

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On Saturday afternoon, Little Miss went with our neighbour to tend her horses so Little Man and I did some crafting.  Inspired by Charlotte’s Web we made a scene from the film, searching our box for materials. I was so impressed by Little Man’s creativity and interest in the activity which really developed from my original idea of a spider and web.

This period is crazy in our family for special events so I spent some time this week making cards online from Funky Pigeon. I find the website reasonable and there are nice designs.  I use them too as the cards are made in the UK, I love quality cards but got really fed up with shops like M&S sourcing their pretty cards from China.

WORE

It was a shorts and tshirts type of week, my favourite!

HEARD

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03xsv58

The latest cricket test match started this week so I have my favourite TMS on the radio throughout the day.  In the lunch break I listened to the Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey lecture by Brendan McCullum. It was one of those speeches which stops you in your tracks and you cannot do anything else but listen.  Obviously the theme was about cricket, but it was so much more, it was about leadership, moral responsibility, being a team and recognising the important things in life.  Brilliant.

AND LASTLY

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I do like my sport and I am very excited by the start of the Euros today. This is the first tournament that Little Man is old enough to appreciate so he has been collecting stickers for his Panini album and we have a football wall chart on the play room wall.  Fingers crossed for a strong England performance.

I’m linking up with Morgana at http://coffeeworksleeprepeat.com and all the other fantastic bloggers for this week’s #LittleLoves.

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Why I love Butlins

Published on by seasidesparkles

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Butlins will always have a very special place in my heart as the first holiday we took as a family.  For legal reasons we were unable to get passports for the children until the adoption was finalised 8 months after the children came to live with us,  so despite Mr S and I loving our sunny holidays abroad we went to Butlins for our first holiday. It really was special and since then we have  returned many times.  Butlins is one of my happy places, as soon as we arrive I feel relaxed, reassured and safe, everything is thought of and our time together is fun filled.  The children adore Butlins too and have been counting down the days until this break.  On our early visits, we stayed in the chalets but then discovered the hotels and have stayed there since. This year we moved from the Shoreline hotel to the Wave hotel, another sign we’re all growing up.  The hotel was superb, so many clever touches, the children loved the very well equipped games room with Wii u, Play stations, DS lite, computers etc.. The accommodation is spacious and with a fridge, kettle, iron and multi media set up it has all you need.  The children were very impressed by their room and individual televisions were well received, although they rarely watched them as we were so busy doing things.  There is an action packed timetable at Butlins and we enjoyed lots of swimming and slides (at least once a day) activities such as circus skills, a wide variety of shows, soft play, outdoor play, fairground rides, etc..  Whilst the Skyline pavilion can at times seem a little loud and bright there are plenty of quieter places you can go to, the hotel lounge area was lovely and the gardens looked great too, sadly it was a little too cold to sit outside in the evenings. We had the dining package and the food was excellent, with lots of fresh, healthy food on offer too.  Whilst Butlins is fantastic with all the activities and shows, it is the attention to detail which impresses me most, it is designed for families and everything has been thought of.  The staff are amazing and nothing seems too much trouble.  Butlins really is my very special place and I know that just the mention of the name will make me smile and remember happy, family times.

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  • These are all my personal opinions, we paid for this holiday and this is not a sponsored post.  I just like to celebrate Great British companies.

Caitlin Moran, Dick and Dom and Maxi Skirts #Littleloves

Published on by seasidesparkles

This has been half term week and we’ve enjoyed a lovely family break to Butlins in Bognor Regis.  I will write a post soon on our stay as I love Butlins, but as soon as we arrived I felt a sense of contentment and excitement that stayed with me throughout our week.  There have been many loves this week but here are a few favourites….

READ

Caitlin Moran’s column in the Saturday Times was a brilliant article on nurturing and supporting teenage girls.  It was stunning and is a must read.  It is the second article of hers I have torn from the magazine and kept for Little Miss in her teenage years, she so eloquently puts into words the things teenage girls need to understand and embrace.

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/caitlin-moran-compliments-are-good-for-you-vk95lbjg9

As its been holiday week I’ve also found the time to read two books (does a little reading dance!!)  The first was a fun, unputdownable read, Jane Fallon’s Strictly Between Us.  As the producer of two of my favourite programmes, This Life and Teachers, her pedigree is top class and the book didn’t disappoint. As you can guess from the picture I read this in the garden and at the park whilst the children played. I thought photographing the books mainly where I read them might be fun and quite revealing of my habits. The second photo is taken on a bench by the soft play area at Butlins which was a favourite haunt this week. Whilst The Last Act of Love doesn’t have the frivolity of my first read it is an incredible story about a family’s love of their son and brother who is in a permanent vegetative state following a hit and run accident. Whilst this might not sound the most appealing storyline, it is a very powerful true story of love which leads the reader to develop such respect and care for the family and despite its theme it is a life affirming and uplifting read.

WATCHED

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Butlins does fantastic shows and this week we have watched a variety.  The children love the Skyline Gang, Butlins gang of characters so we watched their shows, full of songs, dances and laughter.  We also saw a few shows with well known children’s characters although I noticed that the children are growing out of some of their childhood heroes now, the passing of time can be a little sad. In the Discovery Animals show, Little Miss got to go on stage and stroke a skunk, she loved it and the show with its 4 d effects was great too.  However, my favourite was Dick and Dom, a live show full of mad cap games, dancing, mayhem and foam pies, what’s not to love?  I have a terrific photo of Little Miss covered in foam at the finale with such a huge grin, priceless.

MADE

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As we have been away, there are no culinary makes.  However we have been getting creative with @jenniemaizels Half Term list, a great quiet activity to put some calm and peace into the day.  We have been making a collage of tickets, postcards etc.. and have also drawn the view from our hotel room which was a beautiful array of trees.

WORE

 

I am quite small and for years have been searching for a maxi skirt to fit, this year I have found two, a dress from Next and a skirt from Fat Face.  I love them, the material in both is so comfy and I have been able to dress them up and down this week and also layer them in the mixed weather.  Its really nice to be wearing something different from my usual ‘uniform’ of leggings with tunics and mini skirts.

HEARD

As detailed in this post from last year,

https://seasidesparkles.net/2015/05/19/mix-tape/

I do love a play list, so this week we’ve been singing and dancing to our Butlins playlist including Fight Song, Love Yourself, I Really Like You, Born this Way, Can we Dance, Shake it Off etc..  There is something special leaving in the car and putting your chosen music on, it all helps build up the excitement and then playing the music in the evenings as you dress up just adds to the occasion. Music is a big part of my life and I like to create the soundtrack of my life.

AND LASTLY

So the half term holiday is nearly finished but we have so much to look forward to this summer.  I’m really excited by our plans for the next few months and all the fun and surprises to spring on the children. To ensure all goes smoothly there is a lot of organising to do this week, but I like planning and list making so will be in my element.

I’m linking up with Morgana at http://coffeeworksleeprepeat.com and all the other fantastic bloggers for this week’s #LittleLoves.

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