Nedster's World now featuring Ellis!

Thursday 29th June
With sports day coming up tomorrow we decided on a family trip to the park at Wash Common for a bit of a warm up.  We took the vortex, a football, my new goalie gloves, a basketball and the skateboards.  We had plenty of equipment.  We had a lovely time too, even Ned wasn't quite his annoying teenage self and was actually surprisingly good fun and very encouraging of my efforts.

Friday 30th June
School sports day.  Lovely sunny day so at least it wasn't in danger of being cancelled this year.
The Juniors had their events in the morning, Mum came along to watch which was really good.  I won a number of my running races and obviously my throwing was on point.  I did really well actually.  I seem to be finding my feet a bit more with sport at the moment.

In the evening there was one of those street theatre performance things in town.  We took a wander down to see what was going on.  It started with a load of weird looking drumming blokes and a small light up puppet.  He danced his way up the street for a bit, before morphing into a much larger light up puppet.  I found it all a little bit unnerving to be honest.....but I warmed to him with his playful inquisitive nature as he made his way up the street.  He high fived people hanging out of flat windows above the shops, waggled shop signs and even sat on the bridge, dangling his legs over the canal.  He made his way to the market where he admired his reflection in a shop window:

Before moving into the square for a bit of a dance off with the drumming blokes on full tilt.  It was actually pretty good, if a bit weird and I even got to sit on Dad's shoulders for a better view despite him saying I was too big for that sort of thing nowadays.

Saturday 1st July
We had a bit of a lay in and then headed to Kingston for a spot of shopping.  Ned has lost his school shoes and he wanted some new trainers too.  I had a lot of birthday money still too.....
We had a picnic by the Thames, it wasn't quite as pleasant as we'd hoped, with the litter slightly marring the setting...it was certainly no Venice.  
The shopping didn't go according to plan, Ned got nothing.  I bought myself a lovely pair of Adidas Superstar Shell-toes in black and a collection of three small fluffy, cuddly rabbits.

Sunday 2nd July
Dad did another bike race today, I made it quite clear I had no interest in going to watch whatsoever.  Mum and I rode to the outdoor pool with a lovely picnic instead....much better.  Ned went with Andy to watch to bike racing so at least someone went to see him.

Monday 3rd July
So our garden seems to be quite the nature reserve this summer when we spotted this little cutie in the evening:

Even professional teenage bedroom dweller Ned came down for a few ohhh's and ahhh's.

Tuesday 4th July
I'd been hassling dad for another Skateboarding session and it wasn't looking good for this week.....but as luck would have it the Bike Park closed early meaning he and Ned came home early enough for another outing on four wheels down the park.

Wednesday 5th July
Another evening outdoor pool session.  We rode, took a picnic and stayed until we got thrown out.  It's much better going by bike, no parking stress and you don't have to worry about how long the parking ticket will last.

Friday 7th July
Top excitement today, time for a Camping trip.  Despite me really wanting to go to the place with the river we went to a couple of years ago, I was comprehensively out voted and Croyde it was. I didn't really mind though.
We left as soon as Ned was home from school and found ourselves sat in sticky traffic on the M5 once again.  It wasn't too bad though we passed the time chatting, my best remark being that Ned was lucky, as he'd had three years without me before I was born.  When I came home from hospital, he was already here!  We were soon at the campsite, passing through a rather bleak patch of drizzle on the way.  Fortunately it was dry and pleasant when we arrived which no doubt aided our camp deployment which we completed in record time.  45 minutes for the whole set up, including airbeds pumped up and made, tables, chairs, supplies installed, mood lighting and cuddly toys arranged.  This was greatly helped by our decision to pack the tent away with tall the rooms and ground sheet still attached last time we put it away.  Andy arrived just in time to wire up the plug for the kettle to go on for coffee and hot chocolates.
We spent the evening playing cards, listening to the light rain pattering on the tent.  I stayed up playing until midnight.

Saturday 8th July
Despite almost landing face first in the scramble to get out of the tent for a very early in the morning toilet visit we had a good night sleep.  Not surprising since I had a double airbed to myself, topped with my sheet, luxury furry blanket and sleeping bag.
Sausages for breakfast with a lovely sea view...check!

We had a visit from this cheeky little chap on the arm of the chair, looking for breakfast:

Down the beach with the spade to get creative in the sand....check!
The others all went surfing and sounded like they had a great time, I didn't fancy it though.  I made a lovely boat in the sand, complete with mast and rudder.

We then got involved in a rather fun game with Ned's frisbee which involved standing stock still with both your arms out.  There were five points on offer for hoop-la-ing either hand and ten points on offer for landing it over the head.  This took a lot of nerve/trust/stupidity on the part of the target person.......Mum turned out to be pretty epic at this game, it was a lot of fun and we all emerged unscathed.  Nobody managed a ten pointer though.

We headed back up to camp for lunch and a siesta:

And then we headed into to town for a brief shopping trip (Ned hadn't packed any pants for himself the fool) where I almost parted with some more of my birthday money on a longboard skateboard...

We admired the fish and massive waterboatmen on the river for a bit then headed back to base again, the boys went surfing again while us girls had a nice shower and hair drying session.

Barbecue for our evening meal of course, before a trip up to the playground where Dad got involved in a very ill advised race against Ned on the obstacle course.  He nearly caused us both to fall from a rather high climbing wall before skinning his leg trying to clamber through a hanging tractor tyre.  Ned had him well beaten of course.

Sunday 9th July
The little Robin was back for breakfast!

Another morning on the beach, this time I fashioned a lovely hut using the windbreak, a blanket, a spade, a bodyboard and some string.  It was quite a construction!

Ned went to get fish and chips for lunch, dressed in his Sunday best clothes:

While Andy and I had another game of the frisbee game.....I got it clean over his head, a ten pointer!

Sadly we had to start packing up, but it didn't take long really.  It had been such a good weekend none of us really wanted to go home....

Monday 10th July
The year 5 & 6  end of term play has been taking up a lot of our time at school lately.  I've be n really serious about learning the songs and getting the dance moves down.  We did a performance for some of the younger kids and a sprinkling of parents today which went well.....

Another biking jaunt while Ned was at team kennet:

It was a lovely way to spend a summers evening!