Beach and bubble fun

This was our Saturday: 10 April 2010. It started slowly for although us adults were up and about early, feeding dogs, making lunches, walking dogs and making preparations as well as sipping tea in the sun, the young ones slept on and on and on.... We kept trying to wake them- well from 9.30 onwards but it took till 12.30 before we could actually leave for our day out.

The beach was lovely, blue skies some sand and lovely view of boating activities. Quiet too.

Much more quiet than I was expecting, but then it was NOT warm. It just looked as if it SHOULD be. After about an hour and a half of walking and sitting about watching the kids and the dogs play I was frozen to my core, chilled to the bone and had to go warm up in the car!

Once there and driving to Portsmouth Miss E fell asleep- again- it's all that growing she's doing don't you know.

We found the Spinnaker Tower which I have been wanting to visit for ages and thus we decided Miss E and I would go up, as Miss Y doesn't like heights and dad stayed with her for a coffee break and sit on a terrace with the dogs.

Up we went : first 100 m and then some more. We only had 20 minutes before closing so we dashed about a bit!

This is me- see stripey sock?- standing on the glass floor.

Me again, plus baby- not mine- looking at a terrace but it's not the one JJ's sitting at.

Pretty small these houses and dinky toy cars it reminded us of Madurodam in the Hague which is a miniature village replicating many famous buildings.

Towards the Isle of Wight we think?

2 ferries crossing, so cute from up here.

Sunny day but not as warm as it has been. The glass in the tower must be coloured because this is not how it looked to the naked eye?

Here come the souvenir shots: we were HERE!

AND HERE.

and here....

From the outside.

But I like THIS one, at this angle?

While we were up in the tower I saw this bubble and it looked such fun that I zoomed in to see more. Also to locate the place, that canal?

So when we came out we explored a bit and found it and both girls were game to give it a go!

Here's Miss Y about to be ''inflated''.

Ready , steady, GO!

ooooh OOOOOH They has sooooo much FUN!

THIS is a major achievement. Only lasts less than a second....

BUMP! Back down again.

Such fun I won't bore you with ALL the pictures we took. Suffice to say we'll be back to do it again!

SNOW on the last- and thus cancelled- day of school in 2009

SNOW!!!There's LOTS of SNOW!!!!! ... is the cry that awoke us this morning: VERY excited children dancing around in PJ's. Here is the table ''laid'' with a snowy tablecloth ....

Oooooooooh I'm sooo excited says Miss E ready to go outside to play: we just heard her school is closed on the radio...Santa let her have her new down gilet early and I made the hat, pattern will follow soon!

Too cold for the fingerless gloves today.... no good for making snowballs!!!

Miss Y in her Santa down gilet too, hers was chocolate brown, very cosy. So cosy she didn't feel the cold while making a Snow Angel....

Can we come in now? Time for HOT CHOCOLATE!!! And daddy made a lovely log fire too: Bliss!

TA DAH! This is the finished tote or bag for Miss E, she is sooo pleased with it, it almost got hi-jacked to go to school yesterday!!! Oh no! Santa said you have just a week more to wait!

Santa merrystitcher is not sure if it should have been 6 cupcakes, in 3 tiers? a 3 THEN 2 THEN 1 arrangement? or should I have added some words? Like YUMMY?

Not sure , I have my doubts but not too bad for a first effort? I do like it?

Definitely the fish are OK! Much better with BUBBLES!

And inside we have a large zippered pocket, a ring with tab for keys and a mobile phone/sunglasses pouch all sewn into the lining.....PHEW! It closes totally with velcro.
One happy present finished and many more to go! Bag, stocking, scarves,oooh too much to mention I'd better get on with it.

Bye for now, Pippa checking progress of the postman in the snow. Been baking so will share a recipe tomorrow: savoury oatcake bites!