Tag Archives: great day out

Wicken Fen, canal, mumof2
#magicmoments, Being a mum of 2 boys, General

Wicken Fen – a great day out

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Wicken Fen, Mumof2, great day outWicken Fen is a National Trust Property in Ely, Cambridgeshire and we just love spending time there with the boys.

Over Christmas time, my parents came over to stay and they love bird watching and my mom has taken up photography and so what better place to spend a non-rainy day. It was windy mind but not raining!

We love the fact that there is always something to see or find. The folks at Wicken Fen always have an activity or search going on and the boys take it very seriously as the promise of a sticker if they spot all the items is not to be under estimated!

Wicken Fen, Windmill, Mumof2There are a couple of watch towers which are super to climb and on arrival is their famous windmill en route to a bird hide. Now I am not suggesting the boys are able to sit quiet for long enough in a bird hide but the excitement of going into one is just too sweet!

On non-muddy days we take a picnic and do massive square, stopping and resting along the way and on colder, wintry days we stick the to boardwalk which means a little less mud (or a whole lot less mud!).

Wicken Fen, canal, mumof2I have only ever once spotted the wild horses and it’s their magic that keeps me on the look out for them time and time again. In the Summer the canals are full of dragon flys and other insects.

Wicken Fen, Mumof2, great day out, National TrustAfter a leisurely stroll, and of course ensuring we have spotted everything on the spot list, we head back to the cafe for a nice warm hot chocolate and to collect the stickers!

Wicken Fen, mumof2, sunsetWe had such a lovely day out in amongst all that rain.

 

oliversmadhouse Country Kids from Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays Cornwall

Being a mum of 2 boys, General

How 3 4yr olds made my day!

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Gift, weeds, flower, pretty, mumof2.comYou would usually think that a 4 year old may make you a little crazy and that 2 4 year olds was a bit nuts and agreeing to look after 3 4 year olds at once would send me in search of the gin!

I have to say – it doesn’t and I look forward to the days when our son’s 2 friends come over for a play date. This past Wednesday we headed off in search of fun at Duxford Imperial War Museum as the sun was shining.

We were spoilt on arrival with a jet doing some aerobatics and the boys just squealed with delight! It was such a joy to watch their excitement and enthusiasm. What completely made my day was that each one of them went in search of these tiny daisy flowers (yes weeds to most) …they came up to me and asked me to close my eyes and gently placed a flower in the palm of my hand and then asked me to open my eyes.

Their faces were smiling and waiting in anticipation for my reaction and it was a priviledge that they chosen me to give their little gifts to. They would then run off and go in search of another one.

To some these are mere weeds but to me they were in a moment in time and so beautiful. I hope to remind them one day of how thoughtful, kind and complete gentlemen (yes age 4) they were.

Just before we left, the jet went back up and put on another display. One of the boys asked me why and I told him it was just for us. He again asked why and I said because we are so special. His face lit up again and with a big smile he said ‘ Just for us!’ and then ran off to tell the other 2 that it was doing tricks just for them.

Honoured that it was me that day.


Being a mum of 2 boys

A bit of downtime is always good

We started our half term holidays with a bit of a bang and headed off to London for the weekend.  I can recommend The Royal Mews as a great destination for the kids for when the weather is gorgeous or not so fab. Our boys loved their headsets and that they could control which item they listened to. The various carriages and horses are also a different day out for adults too!

We also popped along to Primrose Hill children’s playground which has some great climbing equipment and kiddies only toilets!

Clearly making the most of the weekend, we then went ice skating and took the riverboat from Westminster to TowerHill. So, a super yet busy time meant that when we got home we were completely exhausted after our train journey home.

The action did not stop there as we then went swimming and had a bike ride around our village whilst taking the girls (our dogs) out for a walk. All these happening within a space of 4 days and a lot of travelling to and fro.

This prompted a duvet day – a guilt free duvet day! Shock! Horror! They spent the entire day in their pyjamas watching Tom and Jerry!  As I said – a guilt free duvet day.

I think these are important for both body and mind for us all. A day to just be, with no pressure to be anywhere on time or do anything at a specific time, and allow our brains to process. I also think our boys need the time to relax so that when they get back to school next week, they are rearing to go.

I gave the boys the option of whether they wanted to bath or not – they chose not. Whilst this may seem a weird option to give them, I recognise that it’s good for them to know that sometimes (just sometimes) they have the option to decide what they want to do and I am not a complete control freak – just a ¾ control freak.

This morning, they have woken refreshed and whilst they still need some more time to recover, they are out of their pj’s and coming to dog school with me. Apart from that – nothing much else is planned.