Summer and puddles

Well we are now about half way through the six week Summer holidays from school. I'm getting more grey hair by the day, I tell you...... I'm guessing all families are the same but every day has at least one major argument and several smaller ones....... I so wish we could magically find the secret of calm and happy family time but I honestly don't think it exists, at least not with a 5 year old thrown into the equation. If anyone has the answer then please do share! Everyone I know seems to have the same issues and yet, once the 6 weeks are through, everyone will be saying they had a 'lovely summer, thank you for asking!'. hmmmmm. Don't get me wrong we have had some really lovely days and even some fantastic parts of days which have then gone downhill. I will look back at this couple of months with some fond memories but I really wish I could work out a way of making them more harmonious for more of the time.

I know a lot of children go to Summer camp or groups that are similar. There isn't really a setup like this in the UK and, in some ways, I think that is a shame. There is no doubt that children like to do different things from their parents and this would be a way of them doing just that. The only options that I have spotted locally are sporting camps such as a tennis one and that only runs for 2 hours a day for one week of the holidays. Add to that the ridiculous expense of some of these things and it's just not a viable option.

In fact, finances are one reason that the summer holidays can be a real nightmare. Nothing is cheap here - a day out can quite easily cost £100 for a family of three - multiply that by the number of days in six weeks and you can see the problem. The other major factor that causes problems is the good old British weather. August is always a wash out - no two ways about it. We have some lovely parks and countryside locally but who wants to go for a walk in the rain???

Well, that's my Summer moan over! lol As I sit here SLA and the bean are playing mariokart - all is quiet........we've already had milkshake spilt over over the living room floor this morning so let's hope that's today's 'issue' out of the way early! We're planning to go to a duck race after lunch....it's clouding up outside so we'll have to see. I think next year I'll just invest in wet weather clothes for everyone and head out anyway!

The mention of wet weather clothes actually reminds me of something that happened a couple of winters ago, well the mention of wet weather clothes and having just read Hillary's latest blog too :) It was something that happened when we had gone down to South Wales for a few days. It was December I think and the Bean was two years old. We were walking towards the supermarket having parked the car in the carpark and the Bean was holding both our hands and jumping in the puddles having a grand old time. We were watching where we were going and other people seemed to be looking at us and smiling. I just assumed they were watching the little one having some fun.........until one lady patted me one the shoulder...'Excuse me', she said, 'But your little boy's trousers have fallen down.' And they had. There he was in his wellies and his nappy with his jeans around his ankles. The shame of it! lol

Oh and following my ROAD CLOSED post.....the road has now been closed for 3 days and people are STILL not obeying the signs! Unbelievable. LOL