Cnorwall

Thursday: to empty Chipping Campden. Friday easy journey to Porthleven then unloading the car in a thunderstorm. Caught A and P just before they left for France.

Friday: sunny intervals so trip to praa sands with the Edwardses walking down from the Rinsey car park. A bit choppy for decent surfing and rain coming in.

Sunday: lashed down with rain all day and I think we stayed in. Kids might have gone for souvenirs and we might have met up with mum and dad for coffee in the morning.

Monday: was a nicer day. We were going to do a walk over at helford but someone had driven into my car so I spent the afternoon at Gartul sorting it out with dad's help. Smax was towed away in the evening as the rain came in again.

Tuesday: Took possession of the hire car with dads help again in the morning and then. Then what? Porthleven beach, that's what. Sun sun sun.

Wednesday: Gartul rocks with the children. Caught some fish, lots of hermit crabs and a brittle star. Never caught a starfish before. Nauti but ice in the evening. Saw m and d taking a trip to Porthleven before their departure tomorrow.

Thursday: Perranuthnoe trip with VV and Rick and the Edwardses again. Good weather and good surfing for the children. Saw the Edwardses in the evening before their departure tomorrow.

Friday: Tried helford walk and got further at the third attempt. Will need a fourth to do the gillan creek and slash or frenchmans creek sections. May have to do it on my own or with Jim. C had face like wet weekend all day. Amy irritating. Min and Jim fighting occasionally, although to be fair Min was mostly positive today. Still, would have been idyllic with a very slight attitude adjustment.

Saturday: Much better day. Weather cloudy but we went on a good walk to Church Cove via nice lunch at the Halzephron. I was last there in march 2009 to have 3 pints before falling asleep on the coast path. Anyway, we looked for silver dollars on the beach and fed Sam in St Winwaloe's church yard. We popped in - shamefully, Sam's first visit to a church. The whole thing was just under 10 miles, with just a little complaining from Jim at the end. The kids did so well I rewarded them with double portions at NbI.

Sunday: Porthleven day. Shops for tacky souvenirs, Sainsbury's with Minnie, hunting crabs with Jim, then a stint in the sun on the beach.

Monday: prevarication in the morning while children monged but then decided with the weather improving to go for picnic at Logan rock followed by trip to porthcurno. Picnic great bit Sammy v grumpy with possible teething and definite tiredness so I sat with him while C clambered over the rocks. Had one of the moments I have in this part of the world when I lay with my back against a slab of lichen covered granite, Sammy sleeping on my chest and my face in the sun. Only the sound of the gentle waves. Then to a busy beach. The water looked tropical but felt anything but.

Tuesday: phone calls re insurance in the morning then over to Gartul for pasties and rolls for lunch. Hung out there for a bit with P @ A then the Chambers arrived to talk to them about downstairs bathrooms and we pushed off. Went to the Ship in the eve for dinner with kidz - aspect great but food not what it used to be. Fun time though and then a late trip to NBI and v late bedtime.

Weds: inertia really set in with the grey sky and we stayed in p11 rather than going to falmouth as planned. C and I had a bad night so were toired but the kids and I spent a good part of the day catching crabs at the fish slab then they spent another part of it filming the victims in their buckets.

Thurs: grey again and did the Rinsey to Gartul walk with VV Rick and Martha. Were introduced to geocaching by Rick and Martha, and the other children seemed interested. They did very well indeed - sort of didn't notice it really. Attempted to put the Rocket together at Gartul afterwards and failed due to a faulty gas tank. I suppose it has been sitting around in the shed for 30 years so not surprising. UA is sourcing a new part for next year. Picked up my Hyundai i800 in the afternoon - it is enormous but needed to be. Am not particularly looking forward to tomorrow, not so much because of the drive but because of the hire/courtesy car faffing about afterwards.

Drive home took 11 hours. Eleven.

 

July notes

Midweek. 

Jim was in the car on the way to school and very thoughtfully that everything is made of shapes. I asked him if he was doing shapes in school but he wasn't. 

I went to school to have Father's Day lunch on Thursday. Jim was super happy to see me and leapt into my arms. Had disgusting roast beef and yorkies then hit the playground. He showed me all the dangerous things he does on the equipment and we pottered. Met the notorious Edward and felt slightly sorry for him. Jim seems to be popular with the girls and Jack Jeavons is Ralph Wiggum. I was about to leave and gave Jim a helicopter swing, upon which I was suddenly surrounded by a gaggle of children wanting/demandingto do the same. I had quite a following by the time I left.

22/23 July

Saturday. Minnie had her spy party today so I was left with Amy and Jim, who watched someone else playing mine craft and then made things out of pegs and plastic cups when they got bored. Sam very easy. C back sans Minnie in the afternoon, and we did our usual circuit into town via Nero and failed to get cushions or pasta bowls but did get shoes for everyone. Barbie interrupted by rain in the evening.

Sunday was a relatively quiet morning owing to no Minnie, and the bubba slept until 7.30. The noisy one came home at 11 or so, and Amy was simultaneously swapped out for a sponsored cycle ride. She was home by 1 or so though, and then Amy, Jim and I went to see Despicable Me 2, which was hilarious. I think the main reason Min didn't come was because attendance was predicated on tidying up, and she didn't fancy it. Was enormously irritated by bairns off and on today due to being tired and have decided to pay pocket money at the end of weekends and make it dependent on tidying up. That also allows docking for offences such as leaving the hand towel on the floor or the toilet seat up...

June notes

[Added in 2016, from notes made at the time. Not sure precisely which weekends these refer to. Tom's gig was Tom Roughan's band at the Portland Arms, and the sofa was a futon from the eponymous company, long since Freecycled...]

Sat I put together new sofa. I went to Blott and iPhone store then again in the afternoon on my own. Minnie went to her sleepover. Barbie in evening. 

Sun. Lazy morning but early start with Sammers. Min back midday. Didn't go to Dave's barby but went to Tesco instead. Not really sure how that happened. Must keep hold of my friends. 

25/26 May Edwards visit and tree reading 

1st June Tom's gig freedom

Sat was sofa day. C went out to wordfest to hear someone talking about Raffles of Singapore fame. Short rainy walk in the afternoon with Sam in full rainproof regalia.  

Sun was good after a better night with Sam. Went for lunch at the Royal Oak in Barrington then to the play park then to Ford Wood at Bassingbourn to see Sam's tree. Warm and windy but we could have our lunch al fresco. So nice after such a long harsh winter. 

Sun finally out

So the sun finally came out. We did lots of things, and I'm not sure of the order. Still criminally tired but things are improving.

Me and the lads:

Walk to Grantchester meadows with the tiny boy:

 

Lots of trips to Niro's and Costa for macchiato:

The other children are getting very used to it...

There was a visit from Gramdma BTS to help out.

Some good sunny days for playing in the garden:

A bank holiday trip to the midsummer common fair. No girls, and Jim's first candy floss and dodgems ride:

A cold trip into Cambridge to buy shoes:

There were lots of people getting their "spatula of arts" ((c) M. Crawford) at the Senate House.

All in all enough to tire anyone out...