Sunday 20th September - Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Don't worry - this is still my blog - just thought I'd try a different look. You know me - I get bored easily :-D This post has taken a while to get on as life has got in the way a bit this week. Even now, I'm doing this laid on my bed whilst Zoe decides whether or not she's going to go to sleep or eat her sleeping bag!

On Sunday, as it was such a glorious day, we packed ourselves off again and went to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park at Bretton Hall. http://www.ysp.co.uk/view.aspx?id=3 I think it is one of my favourite places to go - up there with Newby Hall and Edinburgh Botanical Gardens.

Ben sitting on a very expensive (I would have thought!) Henry Moore sculpture.

Ben really got a lot out of it this time - he was looking at the sculptures, talking about them, asking questions and generally having a great time. In the past when we've been, its really just been a big open space for him to run around in.

There were a series of sculptures of 'lady hares' which I found most bizarre. They reminded me of the dream sequences in Watership Down - 30 years on and I'm still traumatised by that film!

We had great fun in this field - I don't know if you can tell, but they're giant cylinders of asphalt with a metal tube through the middle - there were about six of them scattered through the field and we had a great time running round them, shouting through the tube and shoving bits of stick through the tube. Probably not what the artist intended, but never mind!

I love this picture - this is Ben looking through one of the tubes through the middle of the cylinders :-)

All in all we had a great day.

And in case you were wondering, Zoe decided to go to sleep in the end, but it was a close run thing!

Zoe tries 'real food'

The title of this should really be 'Zoe tries something that isn't completely milk' but that's not really catchy at all! I tried her with baby rice mixed with milk to start with. As is usually the way with these things, she ended up with more down her front than she actually ate, but we've all got to start somewhere, haven't we? I'm sure she'll catch on sooner rather than later. She's too busy smiling at her Daddy to eat in this one!

Then she decided that she'd have more fun chewing the spoon than bothering with the food. Oh well - try again tomorrow :-)

Ben the Daredevil!

Here we have a (very!) short movie of Ben's current favourite thing. He wheels his scooter or his tricycle up to the top of our drive, lines himself up and then freewheels down. He knows no fear!

ETA - you might want to watch it with the sound off - I don't know what's going on with it, but it doesn't sound right at all!

Sunday 14th September - Flamborough Head & Sewerby Hall

We've had such a disappointing summer, weather-wise, we decided to make the most of a nice day, packed up the car and headed for the coast. First of all we went to Flamborough Head, to show Ben the lighthouse and have a paddle in the sea.

After demolishing a delicious chip butty (Ben included!) we went down to the sea. If you're thinking of going, the path down to the bay is very steep and muddy, and so is unsuitable for the elderly, infirm or silly people wearing their nice violet Birkenstock sandals!

Ben had fallen asleep in the car on the way there, so by the time we arrived he was so full of energy he just went tearing up and down the beach - it made me tired just watching him! Zoe was quite happy just chilling out on the blanket, as you can see.

The tide came in at about half past two, which was far too early to come home, so we went back towards Bridlington to Sewerby Hall. http://www.sewerby-hall.co.uk/ We didn't have a look round the house, but there's a playground, (Ben said he was too big to go on the one for 2 - 7 year olds!) a little zoo and some gardens to look round, as well as a cafe and some craft shops selling jewellery, which I may actually get to look in if we ever go back. The 'land train' was a bit disappointing to our train aficionado - it was just a bus really! But we had ice creams, so he was happy.



We finally left at half past four, and let Ben eat sandwiches and crisps in the car for his tea - we are such bad parents :-D Despite putting a huge dent in my diet, we had a great day which is the most important thing!

Sunday 31st August - Harison's Christening

We went to my cousin Joanne's little boy's christening yesterday. The service was lovely - I particularly liked that is was just the christening. It seems to go on forever if you have it in with the normal service - especially when you have small children with you!


Here we have Joanne trying to stop Harison trying to take a bath in the font. His face lit up when the vicar poured the water into the font - I would guess he likes his bathtime!

After the service, we went over to the Church Hall for a natter and a bite to eat. Auntie Joan opened up the toy cupboard, so Ben was happily playing for most of the afternoon, when he wasn't eating pink buns, that is! I made the mistake of letting Angela take him to the buffet ;-)

Speaking of Angela, here we have Zoe and her Auntie Angela.

The hall was absolutely packed - Nal had a lot of his family who'd travelled from down sout especially, and there are quite a few Turpins, as well as friends - so it was heaving for a while.

Finally, here are Ben and Zoe in their Sunday best. And just in case you were wondering, I am holding Zoe!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle ;-)

Yesterday, Zoe was wearing a pair of Ben's old trousers. I don't know why this pleases me so much, but it does. Probably because it means I didn't keep all that stuff in the loft for over three years for nothing! So, just for fun, above we have Zoe modelling said trousers, and below is Ben wearing them, about three and a half years ago.

Tuesday 26th August - The Deep

On Tuesday, we drove over to Hull to visit The Deep. http://www.thedeep.co.uk/ It was very impressive, but as with most of these things, I hope to go back in the future to be able to take my time looking round the place ;-) I was very impressed with the 'aquarium' setting on the camera, as you are not allowed to use flash photography at all, because it upsets the fish or something.

Ben was very excited by the ray fish, and I was extremely impressed that he'd remembered what they were called! Because it's still the summer holidays (just) it was very busy, so we didn't make the most of the 'hands on' things, as Ben just doesn't have the patience to wait, and the crowds were about three or four deep around the tank. He enjoyed running round the soft play area though - always good for burning off some surplus energy!

At the end, you have the option of going up the stairs and having a look at their giant tank with sharks, rays, swordfish, dogfish amongst others, or you can go up in the underwater bubble lift. Ben and Ian went up the stairs, but I had the pram so I went up in the lift, which was very impressive but only took 11 seconds so you don't really get to appreciate everything in there. Ben was saying 'hello' to the sharks on the way up, apparently. Before we went home, we had a browse through the gift shop, and Ben is very pleased indeed with his sqirty shark and motorised police patrol boat. The first thing he does when he gets in from Liz's now is ask when it will be bathtime :-D