Wednesday 29 August 2007

The Dark....

"Well, the thing is, " says LA as she's sat on the edge of my bed, "when I close my eyes it's dark and I don't know if there's any monsters there, so I open my eyes and it's light and I can look to see if they are there. But when it's dark, when I open my eyes its the same and I haven't got any more eyes to open, and I don't know if there's monsters there or not."

So, I'll put the light on then...

Friday 24 August 2007

Exploring Leicestershire

We continued our explorations of the "local" area this week.
On Wednesday we had a great day out in Market Harborough. Its a little market town in the South of Leicestershire, a beautiful town with lots of tiny "arty" type shops.

Thursday we went to Western Park in Leicester. We hadn't been for many years, not since BA ran in races with his primary school there. It was another little treasure that we had forgotten about. The play area is great and there's plenty to do. LA stood up for her rights to use the slide in the face of 2 very bossy little girls (who must have been at least 6 and they must have seemed "big" to her) who told her that she was too small to use the slide. "I'm not small, I'm big" she told them. Unfortunately they were determined not to let her play and took to blocking her way, so we had to put them right! It was good to see LA standing up to them though.
From the park we went on to the EcoHouse. We had been meaning to visit for many years, but it was one of those things we had never got round to. It was very interesting and we have come away with some ideas on how to make our lifestyle even more green than it already is.

And today, we've been working in the garden. Tomorrow, unfortunately I have to go back to work...

Tuesday 21 August 2007

Playing, Learning and Pondering.

I started this blog a few months ago as a diary of the days we spend together, playing and learning.
During the last month I have been acutely aware that we do a lot more playing than learning...well, at least learning in the sense that I think of it.
I think I am going to have to adjust my attitude, as I know that as we play, we learn. I also know that LA is only 3 and she's "supposed" to be playing. So it's not that I'm anxious about it at all. I think its just, as I say, an increased awareness - probably brought about by pondering and reading around the topic of learning.

It is strange isn't it, how you worry when you feel you are under achieving, even though you know you're not.

Then just lately I've had the opposite worry in complete contrast to what I just wrote above. LA loves to draw and write, she knows a lot and wants to learn all the time. When I stopped worrying about us playing all the time I realised what a lot she already knows and how desperate she is to know more!!
Then of course, I worried that I was a "pushy mother"...

Wimps and Twin Lakes

This week was to be "The Acorns go camping, Part 2", but we took a look at the weather and chickened out! Yes we're wimps, but at least we are not living in a wet tent!

So we have decided to have a look at the things that go on locally, we have never made it to many of the local attractions in the 18 years we've lived here...so it's about time we did.

So to start us off, we spent the day at Twin Lakes, a junior Theme Park near Melton Mowbray, LA, MA, Rich and I.

On the big bumpy slides:


Paddling on the Lake:


and getting cold!!!


(Thanks MA for donating your jacket to the "Get LA warm" appeal.)

LA finally found the courage to go on a ride during the afternoon, and went on the train and the caterpillar ride with her big sister.

We came home exhausted, but will have to go back as we haven't managed see everything.

Monday 20 August 2007

Time warp

Where did last week go?
What did we do?

Oh heck.... I've lost it entirely.

I must try harder !!!

Sunday 12 August 2007

Flickr

I have added our Flickr account to the bottom of this page. Lots of photos....

Thursday 9 August 2007

The Acorns Go Camping in Suffolk

...actually, most of the Acorns went camping in Suffolk, and had a thoroughly enjoyable break.

Big and Middle Acorn didn't want to come, so we only had our Little Acorn with us, which was great as it meant we weren't torn between all the different things everyone wants to do.

The weather was a vast improvement on last week and it only rained once.

We stayed on a camp site near Dunwich, a fascinating little place that is falling slowly but surely into the sea, with a great little museum. I think we'll have to go back when Little Acorn is bigger, it certainly covers the topics of erosion and long shore drift very dramatically!!!
Our new tent turned out to be the size of an aircraft hanger, so much so that we have invited the "other 2" to come with us when The Acorns Go Camping Again... next week.

Saturday 4 August 2007

Our Holiday Blog

Last week, the entire Acorn family went on holiday to Penzance.

We set off at 5.30 am hoping to miss the majority of the traffic, but got stuck an hour later when we discovered the M5 had been closed due to flooding.
Floods? We knew nothing of floods, (too busy packing to listen to the news) so foolishly tried to divert via Evesham. Not the best of plans...
...we eventually managed to get back on the reopened M5 and arrived late and somewhat hassled at our apartment in Penzance.

We had a lovely relaxing week, with not too many disagreements:
Big and Middle Acorn got along well.

Rich and Little Acorn chilled out.

I DON'T DO PHOTO'S....so there is none of me...
We spent much of the week on the beach, although the weather wasn't brilliant.
On Friday we went to the Eden Project:

We came back home on Saturday, relaxed and revitalised.
Next week: The Acorns go camping in Suffolk.