A quick holiday in Charmouth!

this july has been v crazy-busy so far, and i could really do with a relaxing holiday. it seems that sept is my best bet! mon i had off work, so nipped the 2+ hours to visit sis, and then journey back. then after work again visited her again, this time with family. following that tho, we didn’t come home, but stayed at mum and dad’s house and raided their freezer! [they were already in charmouth with my nephew M and niece E].

following morning, nice and early we set off for seadown. I love seadown! it saved my sanity last year, and certainly provided me with some moments of happiness this time. it is also a fab campsite, with yes, lovely toilet block, flat pitches and also statics for my parents to stay in. but the main attraction is the tiny walk to the beach! and what a beach!! rock pools for rockpooling, fossils for fossiling, waves for boogie boarding for kids, sand for sandcastles, as well as retail opportunity and bijou museum. have i sold it to you yet?? Love it!

anyway, tent up, hugs with parents and craziness with 4 kids!! we went down to the beach, bought SB and BB a small board to mess about with.[ later we saw a surfer dad start to teach his kids to balance with a wooden shield like board. looks like a good idea!] both my girls near drowned themselves they had so much fun ‘catching the wave’ with SB trying to kneel as well. we might enrol her in a surf school one holiday… [hmm having checked newgale out due too many recommendations, see it does have a surf school nearbye, but doesn’t take dogs anymore! that must be a blow!!] oh, i am being so distractable in my blogging! anyway, lots of messing in the sea. E not so keen tho! and BB and E hid in suntent to enjoy ice cream. us hardy adults thought the need for sun tent or wind break fairly evenly balanced! quickish tea – ken hom for us, pasta for them, and then me, mum and steward took the kids for an evening fossil walk. also fab!! we found quite a few ammonites, i found a composite belemnite rock, which i thought was cool!! SB found a cast of a bivalve, which was cooler!! although we found some iron pyrites, we didn’t find any in ammonite form though which was my goal!! called back by dad and husband who thought we had been out way too long! it was getting quite dark, so guess they were right.

earlyish start the next day to get the waves! sand castling also happened, but boogie boarding was the best activity! SB just soooo loved it. she is truly a water baby! i loved so watching her, gave me a huge hols smile. and in fact, one of my drives to get thinner/fitter is so that i can mess about with her – i think i would prob sink a board currently! unfortunately i broke BB’s bucket, and going to get another one was a disastrous 45 min wailfest as there was too much choice I think i did a passable impression of a calm and collected parent as we swept out of the shop to sit and cuddle on a seafront bench whilst calming down [yes, both of us!] before coming to an agreement, going in, buying bucket and quick exit!! after sarnies on the beach we went to the coastal heritage place, and SB, BB and E polished an ammonite slice there, and then looked at the activities. This time it was E’s turn to have a ‘retail moment’, but still mine to manage it it’s a great little place tho, and v helpful wardens, who looked at some of our finds of the previous eve. A bit more beaching/sandcastling and then home for BBQ for us and take away pizza for them! kids did some crafting – fab djeco mosaics from craft merrily! all round at our tent as venue. unfortunately [or fortunately, since we had all finished eating] the heavens opened and we proved that you could fit 5 adults and 3 children in the living space of a minnesota 4! [SB was outside doing a rain dance - lovely dance, crazy girl! ]

another day! another day at the beach!! this time we started with rockpooling. we found some likely looking pools with stewart, dad and M. [E having a bit of a moment stayed with mum, who then joined us when migraine a bit more under control] we were suprised by the wealth of life we found in the pools! crabs, anemones, various seaweeds and small fish. we had a great time searching, peering and finding! eventually the tide covered the rock pools and we let the variety of creatures go free. Mum and E had joined us, and we had a picnic before the plan was made to make more sandcastles and do more boarding, after having a perusal of the shops! money was exchanged! rocks, stones, fossils, stretchy dinosaurs etc bought!! happiness!! SB upset that M didn’t want to go in the water, but with chris and stewart, she and BB had a whale of a time! i hadn’t put in the swimming costume i had planned to, so didn’t swim, and slightly grumpy, tho the water would have been freezing!! [this is where i look up plus sized wet suits again!!]. went back to tent. kids crafted – finished the fab djeco mosaics! def a recommended craft! curry for tea – camp for us, takeout for them!! and then piled into bed exhausted. I had a bit of a teary night, and all unsettled. it did feel as if the holiday was my last drop of happiness for a while. I blame too much limoncello!!

having not slept, getting up and taking tent down did seem rather an effort! have to clear the pitch by 10! waved mum, dad, M, E and stewart off, and then our car didn’t start! i took girls to beach and left chris in charge of starting car – luckilly a nearby camper helped out! we went to the heritage museum, looked at bits and pieces and then down to the beach and rockpooled with chris. totally different beasties in this totally different area! a cafe lunch as picnic on beach, some sandcastles [leaving me to visit viv on way home with sandy knees still!!] a goodbye to the sea – one day we will live by the sea! – and we were off!! an easy drive home with a stop to see viv – she plans to go home on wed, all being well.

sunday at home a bit deflating, rabbits back home – snowy even bigger but far less fluffy, so went and watched shrek forever after, a bit of a romp of a film, only 1 sad moment [that's good!] not as good as first 2 shrek’s, but sequels are always trickier!! still, all happy and home to bed!

monday SB waved off to Brownies camp today! hope she has a really fab time!! BB slightly moochily lost, so a variety of crafts – some from playmerrily discont sale!! [so no longer there to link too! v well received!] and some glass painting things from yellow moon – always a hit! I did some freehand dolphins on a glass to give to Viv. then ds vs mario kart – BB ecstatic to win each race as i am totally crap at it!! ah, and now we have caught up – presses publish!!