off the path for the weekend

i don’t know about off the path, but thinking we might need an off road vehicle for next year!

we had a fabulous weekend off the path with friends, camping in the back field with our new tent. the children all had a fabulous time. SB blending in and out of various girl combinations on the whole [there gets less and less boy/girl crossover as the years go on. i guess this is normal] and BB having a fab time, particularly with J and M hosts and R. we adults also got plenty of time to gossip with our friends, drink pimms and enjoy J’s errr, rather eclectic musical taste which at one point got me and another parent to jump up to see which child was being murdered!! [tho thanks for the addition of plainchant, and another err to lovely mozart turning into wombles!!].

the children did a variety of outdoorsy activities. SB going on a walk as soon as we arrived, and returning completely drenched – she sat in the stream!! on another stream visit she must have been body surfing down it, the state she was in on return! BB also enjoyed visiting the stream, and also playing with J in the paddling pool. we obviously got through a fair number of clothes changes! neither of them participated in the caberet which i enjoyed compering, and listening to the ever increasing musical talent of friends’ children

the absolutely glorious weather was totally fabulous, though didn’t really give the new tents there much of a testing – as J and J’s are the HE equivalent of a wind tunnel test for tents! We were v pleased with ours though, and think that it will do the expected job. A tight squeeze but poss with all in the inner, chris happy to sleep in the outer, nice and warm, but we are still presuming the stability.

The Babs and I enjoyed playing my birthday game. i know various others thought we were slightly on the weird side, but no change there! and anyway, i can’t knit or crochet! lots of kids interested in the game, and lots of other games going on. good for the brain! i did also get to piano duet with J also, which was excellent fun.

sad to leave such a fab weekend.

we made a break on the way home at Bolsover castle and were pleasantly surprised to find it a re-enactment day. the children initially didn’t seem much interested, as they were v taken by the castle itself, bB declaiming loudly ‘ i LOVE it’ as she walked round. we topped to bottom it before watching the last bit of the re-enactment – a tourney. unfortunately i had read the leaflet quickly and promised a joust, so had to apologise. an icecream seemed to help! though there were a few spots of rain, it mostly held off. On getting back to the car, the girls declared hunger of such levels that perishing was imminent, so we bought a take-away pizza and ate it in the car as the heavens opened.

home and the house still standing – always a bonus. now just to get through the next working week! as a catch up, we did have the joy of my mum visiting briefly friday into saturday, and helping with the pre SOTP baking. i am busily trying to catch up on flickr [feels like a doomed enterprise!] and also blogs.

Many thanks to our hosts for a fab weekend, lovely to see them and loads of friends to relax in the sunshine.