Our annual holiday to centerparcs was as a family of 6. We borrowed R from TheBabs to keep BB happy and friended as we had FrB and SB as a pair. It worked really well. We were also lucky enough to have friends in the directly opposite chalet – we could wave to the deependers and SOTP – made socialising v easy! couldn;t have picked a better chalet arrangement if we tried.
We went swimming as DH did all the moving in. great swim had by all 
and we kept that up all week with swimming 2ce a day as a minimum – 3 hours morning and 2 hours evening – apart from thurs where we were in the pool pretty much all day. The kids [and dads] had a fab time racing around on slides, flumes, rapids and the cyclone. I mostly pooled, hottubbed, lagooned and rapids with some lazy rivering . I do think it is a fab holiday for all. lots of laughter and love and happiness. Also very wet! we all have a few bumps and grazes and a chlorine skin itch i think!
I took the kids to the play area in one of the swimming free breaks, and DH took them cycling around the park.
other than that, we celebrated birthdays. DH had his birthday on the Monday, and SB had hers on the tuesday, so we had 2 birthday cakes and candles and presents. Made for a party atmosphere. SB chose to have a pizza takeaway for birthday tea, and friends round to share the cake.
We played board games, watched some DVD’s, started FrB on an animal crossing craze on the ds and did lots of laughing and socialising.
On the thursday TheBabs and B joined us for the day as well, and that was great fun. Centerparcs is definately a ‘the more the merrier’ kind of holiday place.
On our final day we swam, the girls shopped 
and then we went to the pancake house for a ceremonial dinner. TBH I don’t thenk the pancakes are a nice as they used to be [or perhaps mine are better??] but it is fun for the girls. I think SB chose the best pancake.
The holiday for me was a lovely relaxing time with friends and family. Welcoming FrB into our home and life with love and attention, laughter and equality. I hope she has a wonderful time with us, that we get the balance of her, SB and BB right. Having been an only for 6 months, BB is having to do a rapid readjustment.
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They are absent! Week 8 SB returned, and although some bits and pieces might have been done, we declared it a holiday . [it was half term in southern England. Week 9 FrB arrived, so we declared that a holiday – well, it is in North England – and went to centerparcs and did lots and lots of physical exercise [swimming] and cultural exchange
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This is BB’s game, and again played at centerparcs, though I did love Frb, her dad, SB and BB all playing. It is a very good game for linguistic practice! nice and simple, and a lovely twist on pictionary. in my opinion the best of the lego games.
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SB got this game for her birthday, and we played it quite a lot when in centerparcs. It is a fun game with an interesting twist. It is cooperative, us all against the monsters. However, if we don’t lose, you then score the monsters killed, so that an individual wins. cooperative vs will to win. clever!
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SO we woke up to a sunny day, and offered an english breakfast. It seemed very quickly that V and E had to go, and we were sad to see them depart. FrB was also, understandably, a bit wobbly to see them go. We did a variety of things today to keep the flow moving, so that she would hopefully feel welcome and loved, even if it is all so different.
we went around our village, to the park and the lake
we made dinner together, and also a cake, which we decorated
we did some art – FrB did an abstract oil painting, and SB glass painting. SOme of the oil paint was more ‘mobile’ than perhaps wise, so there was a little bit of washing to do!
some friends came round to drop their daughter R with us, who will also be going to centerparcs. We built the 3d kigsaw eiffel tower, and alfie the tortoise crawled through it.
we had a little bit of computer time, with FrB using SB’s ds, before having dinner, watching a film and then snuggling in bed. A good start I hope for a wonderful exchange.
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Yesterday, the much awaited arrival of our french daughter, called FrB for this blog! We have done lots of planning and thought about what we can do to make her stay in England interesting, and an adventure. We have had a lot of thought about the home ed element, and what we would like to do/achieve since we are free of the constraints of school, and don’t want to just replicate school at home for her, which I think has some of the negatives of school and not the positives. We have thought about visits, and what she might want to see and do, and also looked again at our local home ed scene, and are not going to be so insular . we are hoping that our love and the willingness to make it work for her will make a succesful exchange.
So when the family arrived, we were all very happy to see them, and had a traditional english meal of curry!
A game full of (s)laughter . Small world. Sb got this some time ago for a birthday and loves it
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Bb happily did the Collins spelling on her own. Must do piano with her!
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We really enjoy thus game. It is quick and a number of different ways to do well.
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