Fun at Flambards

I woke up this morning to the sound of heavy rain.  I quite enjoyed starfishing in my lovely comfy bed listening to the pitter patter of rain but was a little bit worried as yesterday I had called up to pay for advance tickets to Flambards theme park for today.

Had i realised yesterday that the weather was going to be so awful I probably wouldn't have booked to go.  But having paid we were going and that was that!

As we ate our porridge I noticed a man in the cottage garden and realised he must be the gardener.  I offered him a cup of tea and then was really embarassed to realise I didn't actually have any tea bags. I had seen some teabags in a pot but when I went to get one out I realised they were all berry flavoured. I sheepishly explained to the gardener that I didn't have any tea - only coffee and he said he would have that instead.  He came into the kitchen to drink it and helpfully gave me directions to the theme park inlcuding a more direct route than the one I had been planning to take.

It was very straightforward to find and we arrived quarter of an hour before the park opened so we were one of the first to enter the park.  We headed straight over to the big rides thinking they might get busy later on in the day.  We were the first people on the rollercoaster.  I wasn't sure whether Nat would enjoy it but he seemed to like it.

Next we clambered on some little helicopters.  I stupidly hadn't looked to see what the ride actually entailed.  It involved pedalling to get the helicopter to move but the machines were so tiny that my knees were up in my chest and it was really difficult to pedal and very hard to get it moving.  We moved around a little track, went behind a hedge and then I found we were up in the air with a very steep drop.  I suddenly realised (a) I didn't like it and (b) I couldn't do anything about it as I had to carry on pedalling in order to get back to the start.  My leg muscles were burning and I practically fell off the ride when we finally got back to the beginning.

We then headed inside the science tent where there were lots of amusing and entertaining things to see and do including funny mirrors, disco lights that play music when you break the light beam, an echo box which plays back an echo of anything you call into it, a shadow screen which flashes a light and when you walk away leaves your shadow imprinted on the screen and lots lots more.

Next it was onto the carousel.

 

and then time to play in the outside pirate village and try and avoid getting sprayed  by one of the many water cannons.

Nat enjoyed a little ride on some ladybird boats - he really liked them and cried when we took him off.  In fact when the ride ended he was stuck in the middle of the water and Seb and I had difficulty reaching him to get him out again!

We stopped at an inside soft play area and had our lunch and Nat and Seb chased each other around.

Back outside, it started to chuck it down with rain so we dashed inside the exhibition tent to visit the Britain in the Blitz exhibition and then the Victorian Village exhibition.  The Victorian Village was fantastic and much bigger than you might expect it to be.  There were lots and lots of victorian shops to look inside including a bakery, tobacconist, glove shop, milliners, barbers, printers etc.  then there was a school room and upstairs you could see the inside of a victorian home with bathrooms, bedrooms, kitchen etc.  It was really well done.  If we hadn't had Nat with us I would have liked to listen to the audio tour.

 

 

Back outside again we went on the teacups and lots of other little rides.

 

Then a space ride which was in the dark with laser lights.

Seb went on the death slide and then we went inside another bigger soft play area with huge ball pools and air cannons.  I had a coffee and sat while the boys went off to play.

Another family soon came over leading a young boy with a cane.  I realised he was partially sighted rather than completely blind because he had glasses but he seemed to have very cold hands and his family were having trouble trying to warm him up.  They got him a cup of tea for him to warm his hands around but he ended up spilling some hot tea over his skin.  I reached into my pocket to pull out my gloves and realised I only had one and must have dropped one somewhere in the park.  I went to find Seb to ask him if he would mind if I gave his gloves away and he said that was OK.

I gave the boy Seb's gloves and his mum then explained to me that her son had been diagnosed with a brain tumour and had lost his sight when he was aged six.  He is now 12 and had apparently nearly died six times.  He is due to go back to hospital tomorrow for a day of tests to see whether the tumour has grown again.

I started chatting to the boy and he told me his name was Haydn (pronounced Hay-den) - he was a really bright and chatty boy and he told me how he was learning to play the piano by reading the music in braille. He also has won a couple of singing competitions which he was very proud about.  I asked him what music he liked and we even sang a couple of songs together.  I really enjoyed talking to him and it certainly passed the time as my boys were in the soft play area for the best part of an hour and a half. 

It seems so hard for a family to go through such a difficult experience of seeing a healthy child suddenly struck with a brain injury and blindness and not knowing whether they are going to survive.  Haydn told me it happened when he fell off a bench in PE and was knocked unconcious which seems like such a tragic accident.

When the boys finally came back and it was time to leave I was sad to say goodbye to Haydn and wished I could have given him more than just a pair of damp gloves.  Such a sweet boy.  I will definitely be including him in my prayers tonight.

I wish I had had the confidence to offer to pray for him there and then but I couldn't bring myself to ask if he or his family would mind.  I do hope that one day I will get to a point where I can openly pray for people rather than thinking about it and wishing I could but not feeling able to act upon it.  At one point he even said to me that I was a really nice lady and he had not met such a nice lady before.  It was the perfect opportunity for me to explain why and the fact that I am a Christian but again I bottled it and didn't take the chance to explain that my faith is what gives me strength and helps me to look for opportunities to be kind to others.

It would be so easy to feel discouraged and to feel like a failure but I am comforted by my knowledge of God's grace and love for me.  I am reassured by the fact that although God can use me, he certainly doesn't rely on me and my confidence to speak out in order to get his good work done.  I might have personally missed an opportunity to share my testimony  but God knew exactly how I would react in that circumstance and thankfully his plans will always be fulfilled even when I fail to be the one to help fulfill them.

The rain had become much heavier so we finally came back to the cottage and were thankful to be back in the warm and the dry.

George, Joe and baby Holly are due back around eight thirty and I have offered to cook bangers and mash for tea so I had better get peeling some spuds!

Halloween Fun

Today, after a lovely cooked breakfast, I took the boys to Granite Planet climbing centre where Sebastian enjoyed scaling the climbing walls.

 

 

After that we went to Raze the Roof soft play centre where Seb and Nat raced around the climbing frame and slides while Ilistened to my Ipod and caught up with a CCK sermon i missed on the subject of Angels.

We came back to the cottage for lunch and then enjoyed a leisurely afternoon watching a comedy together.

Then we had some soup and wrapped up warm in coats, scarves and wellies to head out to Trebah Gardens for their spooky Halloween night walk.

It was great fun - lots of children had dressed up and there was a lovely candlelit walk down through the gardens with lots of suprises for us to stumble accross.

 

 

At the bottom of the gardens there was a bonfire which looked like it was floating on the lake.

Back home for supper . . .  and an early night me thinks.

Carwinion Cottage

The cottage we are staying in is absolutely beautiful and I feel so blessed to have been given the chance to stay here with my boys for the week.  I almost don't want to go out but just stay in and enjoy all the prettiness and comfort.

There is a lovely winding path leading up to the front door which is like a stable door with a window. All the windows in the cottage have the most beautiful curtains and blinds.

The door we are using is the one straight into the kitchen but there is another to the left which leads into the hallway.

The kitchen is just beautifully done.  There is a huge Aga which I have never used before so we shall have to see how I get on with that.

There is a lovely round table and just lots of lovely knick knacks and pretty touches everywhere.

In the lounge there is comfy seating and a woodburner.  Again I have never had an open fire, or had to light one so we might not manage to get that going!!

Upstairs are the bedrooms. One where Nat is staying in a travel cot.

Another for Seb with a lovely on suite shower room

The bathroom with a wonderful roll top bath that I can't wait to try out.

 

 

 

And the bedroom I am saying in which is just so pretty and romantic.

Think we are going to be very happy here.

I had ordered a food shop to be delivered Saturday morning so all our groceries are here and George had kindly put them all away in the fridge and cupboards.

It is not quite half past seven yet.  I woke at six to pray and then came downstairs to catch up on my blogging. I am starting to hear movements and stirring upstairs so I guess I should get some porridge started!

Cornwall at Half Term.

Yesterday morning David dropped the boys and I at Gatwick airport so we could catch our flight to Newquay Cornwall.

The airport was really busy, even though it was early, with lots of holiday makers getting away for half term.  We checked in our bags and the pushchair and by the time we were through security we saw our gate was about to close in ten minutes. 

of course when you fly with the cheapest airlines you always have furthest to walk to get to the right gate.  We made it with just minutes to spare.  So glad we didn't leave home any later!

We soon boarded the plane although Nathaniel was quite disgruntled.  He took one look at the tiny plane we were due to board and then looked at a bigger jumbo to our right and declared that his plane was the bigger one.  I half feared he might run accross the tarmac and refuse to get on the plane we were destined for but he unwillingly climbed the steps.

The flight was less than half full but unfortunately for our fellow passengers all the seats immediately in front, behind and to the front right and front rear were filled.  I think people felt too polite to ask to be moved away from the only young child on the flight!

We sat in our seats, the pilot announced we were likely to be taking off slightly earlier than scheduled.  Nat was getting impatient so I told him, don't worry we'll be going faster soon.
We taxied out to the runway and then  . .  . we sat there not moving for 25 painful minutes where the only sound was Nathaniel repeatedly saying "go faster now mummy?  Go faster NOW mummy!  Mummy go faster now?" 

Anyway eventually we were in the air.  Can't say I enjoyed the flight as it was a little un-nerving after having been on much bigger planes before. I said a few silent prayers as we were taking off.

Nathaniel was hard to entertain although it was only a short 50 minute flight.  i think he was already feeling quite tired.  He didn't want to read any of the books I had brought to entertain him.  He did enjoy colouring a picture for baby Holly for a while and then the rest of the flight I had to sing nursery ryhmes with actions including Humpty Dumpty which he insisted I repeated about twenty times while he squealed with laughter.

I think the other passengers might have been quite relieved to disembark.

George, Joe, Chloe, and Mary were all waiting to greet us at Newquay airport which is a fantastic small airport with only one luggage belt so no long trek back to arrivals.

It was so great to see George again.

We had a sandwich and a drink in the airport and then headed off in a brand new seven seater Landrover which Joe had borrowed to test drive for the weekend.

We headed over to the Cyder farm so that Nat could look at the animals and we all enjoyed a tractor ride around the Cider Orchards.

After that we headed back to George's and she showed us around the cottage we are staying in.  At the bottom of their garden is a beautiful little cottage which George helps manage rentals for.  She is allowed to use it for personal use three weeks a year and has let me and my family use it over October half term which is so kind and lovely.

After the quick tour we headed back to George's for coffee and cake and Baby Holly came home.  Nat enjoyed playing ball with Holly.

Later in the evening we went down to the FerryBoat Inn for some delicious pork and applesauce or Chicken and Stuffing Baps and a drink. The Baps were lovely and there were two fantastic singers with their guitars singing all the music that I really love.

Me and my beautiful God-daughter Chloe

Seb and his cute Russian looking Chloe!

After that we headed back to the cottage where I put Nat to bed and we all watched the end of Mr Poppers Penguins.

We were all quite shattered so we all had quite an early night.

Finding Quiet Time with God

Recently I have been finding it very frustrating not seeming to be able to find time to immerse myself in prayer.  I have managed to get into a habit of praying on the go- for example in the shower, in the car, while I cook - which is all well and fine but is not as fulfilling or meaningful as just being able to settle down to spend some quiet, uninterrupted and focused time with God.

I realised that I keep hoping that I will somehow find the time, or that I will get done, everything I need to do on my to-do list so that I can finally grab a half hour of quiet time.  The problem is that I never get to the end of my to do list and I eventually fall into bed exhausted and frustrated because I never got around to that quiet time.

Last Friday I was invited over for lunch with a lady called Claire from my Church and area Zone.  She is a really wonderful and inspiring woman, a very mature Christian and a great teacher.  God definiteley gave me a helping hand as on the way over to Claire's house Nathaniel fell asleep in the car.  I carried him into the house and he stayed fast asleep on the sofa while we talked and I had to wake him up when it came to eating lunch.

It was really fantastic to have a couple of hours chatting with Claire and seeking her advice on all manner of topics.  In particular Claire shared with me that she always starts the day in prayer.  She has a special chair downstairs in her living room and she makes sure she gets up early every day to start the day in God's presence.

My problem has been that I have always preferred to pray on my bed as it is cosy and comfortable.  But I also like to pray in private and there just never seems to be chance to be on my own in my bedroom.

Anyway the last couple of days I have set my alarm clock for an hour earlier than I would usually wake up and I have come downstairs, made myself a black coffee, wrapped myself up in cosy fleecy blankets and I have enjoyed fantastic time in prayer and have also had time to read my daily Bible in One Year bible reading.

It is early days and I think they say it takes about eight weeks for a new practice to become a habit.  It is not that it is something I want to be 'religious' about - it is just that I definitely feel calmer and better equipped to face the day knowing that I have put all my little challenges, worries, anxieties and decisions in God's capable hands.

Belated Birthday

I didn't get chance to blog about my birthday because Virgin mistakenly disconnected our power cable and left us without Telephone, TV or Internet connection for a couple of days.  Thankfully a lovely engineer came out this morning and has now resolved the problem so we are back in contact with the outside world!

Thursday was a nice day albeit I had a long and stressful day at work and didn't get away until nearly six pm.

However, the girls at work were really lovely and made my day special.  Everyone enjoyed the chocolate cake but it was so big that there was plenty left over to bring home with me.

I also received some nice gifts from work including an Orchid plant; some chocolates; a bottle of white wine and what I was told was a home-made coffee cake but then  - when I exclaimed how nice it was because no-one ever bakes me a cake - the purported baker sheepishly admitted it was shop bought and they had wrapped it in cling film to make it look homemade!!  That made me laugh!

Mum and Dad came over to bring the boys home and they gave me some lovely gifts including a new gold chain for my heart pendant; a lovely bracelet and necklace; moisturiser and some clothes.  My favourite present was a beautiful painting that my Dad had painted for me.

I also opened a parcel from my wonderful friend Polly who had sent me some Victor Rolf Flowerbomb Body Lotion which was a great surprise as flowerbomb is my favourite perfume so it is so nice to have the body lotion to match!

My brother-in-law Graham called over with a card and new cookbook for me which was much appreciated.

Sebastian and Nathaniel gave me a new dressing gown - modelled in the photo by Sebastian!

Finally after a delicious Indian Takeaway I opened my presents from David which included a double layer Cupcake Carrier;

Three books

One CD

something that while still wrapped looked like a walking stick . . .


 . .  but turned out to be a clear umbrella!

and an unexpected present which is a really beautiful bracelet!

What a lucky girl am I?

Autumn Leaves

This morning I picked up little P and went, with him and Nat, to my Wednesday morning Mums' Prayer group at Church.

It was lovely to see all my wonderful friends and I took a cake with me as it is my birthday tomorrow! It was just a victoria sponge sandwiched together with homemade strawberry and vanilla jam and piped with vanilla butter icing. Fortunately there was enough left over for David and the boys to have a slice later!

After dropping little P back home, Nat and I stopped to collect some Autumn leaves.

Back home we had a quick bite to eat and I started sticking several sheets of paper together to make one large piece for today's kids craft project.

While I was busy sticking, my mother-in-law Hazel turned up with my birthday present which was a really nice surprise.  She had a cup of tea and a slice of cake and we had a very pleasant chat while I opened my lovely presents.

First was a really pretty and unusal book holder in the style of a deck chair.  This can be used for books or kindles but I think will be particularly useful for my recipe books while I am cooking.

I also was given a  beautiful black beaded wrap - a little bit of sparkle!  Now I want David to take me somewhere nice so I can have an excuse to wear it!

Finally a much needed pot of Passionfruit scented Body Butter which smells delicious!

Later Nat and I continued with our craft project and we painted a tree with branches onto the large piece of paper. 

 

Nat was keen to do some hand painting so we added some handprint leaves.

Next I had to get Nat to eat a yoghurt so we could use the pot for some glue.

 

Then back to work and Nat glued on the real leaves that he had collected.

And this is the finished picture which is now hanging on our conservatory wall! 

Just in time for Seb coming home from school.  I prepared him a bowl of fruit for a snack and we caught up on his day. 

 

Then he showed me a really great website that he has used at school.  It is called Fast Tomato and it is a careers advice website.

http://www.fasttomato.com/public/login

 You log on for free and then answer some questions about your preferences and also what level of qualifications you think you will achieve.  Then it provides you with a list of career options which it thinks you are suited for.  You can find out more about the different roles it suggests including what qualifications you need and what subjects would be good to choose at GCSE, A-Level or Degree level.  If you then click on your profile and then summary it explains about your working preferences and what kind of things you are likely to like or dislike in a job.

I thought it was fantastically accurate.  it came up with suggestions of Website Designer, Fashion Designer, photographer, Cameraman or CAD Engineer (Computer Aided Design) for Seb which are all things I would think he would be great at.

I was so impressed I even made an account for myself and Seb and I tried the questions out on me to see what careers it recommended for me.  I learned that I prefer a role involving lots of writing and also one in which I get to tell other people what to do or to persuade them around to my way of thinking!  The careers it recommended for me were barrister or advocate, teacher, social worker or Human Resources Manager (which is what I am!)

While Seb did his homework I cleaned the paint and glue off the conservatory floor before starting dinner and icing the other cake that I have made to take to work tomorrow!  This one is a chocolate cake, hope it turns out as well as the Victoria sponge - that was yummy!

After dinner we tried the fast Tomato website out on David and again a really accurate outcome as among his career options was Bank or building society Manager!!

Boys are both in bed, just time for a glass of wine and a relax before bedtime!