stepping back in time

i almost couldn’t face getting up today, and i almost couldn’t bear to go out today. luckilly i managed to ban the duvet from my mind and went out and we all had a lovely day at paxton pits. le ciel rouge, deependers, gina and a number of home edders i don’t get to see much were there, which was lovely, and also got to meet new ppl too – also lovely. and actually managed to spend most of the day giggling and laughing, which if you had asked me last night, i would have said was frankly unbelievable. so thankyou to those that made my day go with a giggle, friends and my lovely girls.

the weather seemed a bit unpredictable, so we had waterproofs and suncream – lol! and listened to italian on the way down, with some new things – colours! had to just look up on google blue and yellow in italian, it is quite unnerving to have yellow nearly the same! missed the paxton pits turn once off the a1, but had been looking at maps for geocaches, so told girls not to worry, could take another road. was just about to check with a stranger when z rung me to say i had gone wrong! when we beat her to car park she was most surprised!! joined our group, acquired 3 more children for the day – who were all fab and excellent! think we had had a really lovely group. sometimes the kids can be quite, well, disparate! so the mix is a bit oil and water, but today all went really well. the lady ‘in charge’ of our group did start off with a bit of ‘in charginess’ and TBH, although allegedly keystage 2 [i am not keen on all this keystaging either] it seemed best pitched for BB. [who named the icthyosaur]. luckilly she got less teachery enthiastic, and more facilitator as she reached what is prob her comfort zone of looking for beasties! then the day got far better!!

so we started by stepping back in time to the time of dinosaurs, and discussed in BB terms that paxton pits was a shallow warm sea, then we moved forwards a bit, but only so we could search for fossils in the gravel. TBH, I would have done this all quite differently, as the concept was good, but the delivery was a bit we have had a jolly good idea! then we moved to the iceage – not sure what that was about, but we then looked for insects around the woodland, under logs and shaking trees, and it started to work, with show and tell, identifying, and our facilitator was into her comfort zone! kids and adults obv didn’t have enough brekkie tho! as tummies rumbling. the final bit before lunch was in the bird hide, which sb really liked, and bb was wingeing. they had binoculars for everyone, and we saw cormorants, great crested glebe, heron and swans. then lunch = phew! they provided tea with real milk too!!

the afternoon was the best bit, the kids were happy, the adults were happy and the facilitator was happy – had the measure of us! and we started with pond dipping = fab! caught so many different things to last week as well. pond scorpions, caddis larvae [well cool!] water stick insects, swan mussels, as well as the more common water mite, boatmen, watersnails etc! and again a good show and tell, as well as lots of looking and helping to identify. she was really good at remembering the kids names too. so excellent. and then, what was prob the piece de resistance, bug catching with big swooopy nets! i have never done that before, and it was really ace. one of the other children-that-were-mine-but-not-mine confided that it was very much like animal crossing on the wii! caught lots of crickets and grasshoppers, as well as a variety of other bits and pieces. many happy children! we finished with a view of the future, how paxton pits might be when grows larger, and thanks to the organisers.

we all then congregated at cafe for icecreams and cold drinks! i managed to get sunburnt then, but due to the longsleeves and long trousers rule the girls were ok. chatting and finally drifting off. we had french on the way home. BB fell asleep and then when home we harvested potatoes from the potato challenge. i don’t think we will advertise our paltry weights!! rocket >>emerald tho! i had bought some sewing supplies [must ask merry where she got her aida from] and the girls argued and stropped over buttons etc – ok it was mostly BB, ending up with her wailing big style. chris couldn’t find brownies for SB, so was prob a trip somewhere we have missed, and then she got a splinter and was tired and washed out, so we elected to miss judo. instead all snuggled and watched toystory 1 together and then prehistoric park. but girls still not asleep in bed, so prob no better 2moro!!

ooohhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 edited to add – and how could i forget! – BB’s dinomite magazine arrived today as well, and the pic she submitted of a dinosaur was printed!! she is SOOOOOO proud!!