Saturday morning = Castle Howard

It's so autumnal it feels wrong not to be out in the woods. So we took soup to CH. it's my favourite lunch I've had all year I think... 

Half term

Somehow Della has been back at school for six weeks! Which means it's now half term. She made a list of things she wanted to do. More on that later but today we have been looking after a friend from school who is the year above Della. 

As the one adult to three children ratio can be pretty intense we went to Piglets. This is a farm/adventure play/ activity centre a 10 min drive away. This half term was its annual pumpkin festival which meant lots of Halloween inspired activities. 

Crafting before we left 

Sand play 

Trucks!! 

Picnic Lunch

As this place is also a working farm today we got to ride on a tractor to the pumpkin patch and everyone got to pick their own pumpkin to take home. This was loved by all the children!

Of all the perfect pumpkins on offer Della choose a pretty gnarly one as it looked like witches fingers, apparently...

Then we got lost in a maze hunting for ghosts

Bounced on some giant pillows

Rode in a barrel

Went on a fancy dress parade with soMe witches

Watched a magic show and shot corn from a cannon. 

Then we came home, exhausted! 

20 hours in Cambridge

We heard that 3 of the Swiss family Collins were going to be in Cambridge last weekend, so 3 of the Collinses of Heworth jumped in the car and drove down... 

We arrived about 10pm and got Gus and Della into bed after falling asleep on the journey. The cousins found each other about 630am and were very excited.

Then Uncle Ben cooked us a big fried breakfast 

Della demonstrated how to put on Rita's nappy... 

Then we walked to town, and watched a bit of the Town and Gown 10k run on the way. Della went straight to the kerb to high 5 the runners.

Gus found a big rabbit to cuddle in waterstones bookshop

We had a very tasty meal in wagamamas

Bluet and della are like pro's!

The walk home...

Gus had a sleep in ilonas bed, but woke too soon and screamed for the next hour!

So we went on a walk by the river to feed ducks, and find conkers. 

Then they played a bit before we left about 7pm. All in all a very nice 20 hours!

Gus is two!!

Gus is two today! 

We're postponing presents and cards til the weekend when we have more time. But he had jam on toast for breakfast and seemed happy with that!

Grandad andrew and uncle nick visit

This is a compilation of two visits - grandad andrew on his own, then accompanied by uncle Nick the following weekend. 

We took grandad andrew to the sky ride in York. 

Then he read a book to Gus 

Before relaxing in the living room

Della did this pic of daddy

We all went to the park 

Hung out in the garden

And picked apples on the allotment

It started to rain just as Nick and andrew got ready to dive back to aberdeen 

But Gus and della were very keen to get involved in what was going on