Your friendly neighbourhood... fairground vendor?

Over the summer holiday we didn't venture out anywhere near as much as usual and ended up spending a lot more time at home and surprisingly I absolutely loved it. During term time we're all over the place, adventuring and visiting interesting places but as soon as the holidays arrive we tend to shy away and keep ourselves to ourselves, It seems to be common practice among many home edders. The erratic weather helped with the 'parent guilt' of not doing much but I think Opeie  got as much out of the rest as I did. Because of the hermit like behaviour our weeks ended up being heavy on the LEGO building and we were been busy creating all sorts. The building of Opeie's upside frown made him realise again that a little time and effort with the building goes a long way.

So after that was finished we were having a discussion one evening about where to go next with those magical bricks. I asked him if there were any other of the larger kits that he liked the look of for a bit of inspiration. We had a little mooch through the LEGO site and Opeie decided that he really liked the look of the Ferris wheel but had a much more 'Opeie fitting' theme to base the build around.

So the following afternoon we went on a piece finding binge In hope that we had the parts for the main structure before we started putting our own spin on it. Aside from a few technics parts and some pieces for the main wheel that we had nowhere near the quantity needed, we were pretty much good to go. As expected Opeie had no interest in the start of the build, as building the main body is "Boring", he's all about the cosmetic flair. So I got a chunk of the 'boring part' out of the way while he was in bed over the first couple of nights and got the build to a point where I knew he would be excited.

While I carried on with building the main posts and the big wheel Opeie got to work on the kiosks and as you can see, the 'Opeie fitting theme' was of course Spider-man (which is why I was so excited from the get go). A Spider-man themed Ferris wheel got us talking about all sorts of creative ideas to follow up this build and the the more parts we connected the more the ideas were flowing. I could never get bored of the great ideas that Opeie comes up with, his imagination is amazing.

In no time at all we had the main structure completed, the base of the wheel filled with Spider-man themed things and we were left with the part of the build that Opeie was most excited about. We had decided early on that the twelve Ferris wheel carriages were each going to based around a different character with colour schemes matching their costumes or personalities. This part was really fun because the carts themselves were pretty basic to make and we didn't want them to be too heavy and affect the way they moved, so we had to be creative with the parts etc. My favourite was definitely J. Jonah. Jameson's carriage with his Daily Bugle desk in and Opeie's was Sandman's bumpy looking sand carriage.

Unlike other things that we have built recently there was the added satisfaction of adding the power functions in to make the wheel spin. The fact that Opeie could have it remote control made the whole thing more exciting, and there was nothing quite like the look of pure happiness on Opeie's face being the first to push the button and watch our creation spin.

The sunshine state, through younger, more inquisitive eyes.

After having such an amazing time away this summer we had a lot to write about and the boys had collected ticket stubs, flyers and a huge amount of photos of all the great places we had visited. Opeie, always wanting to be in on the action, Saw me writing holiday blog posts one night and asked if he could make a holiday book about all the things he got up to. It's really adorable, he see's the newspapers and books that he writes as his own version of the blog and I love that. 

A few days after we got back he started his book and we've completed pages here and there amongst doing all of our other home ed activities. We had so much to write about thanks to Visit Orlando. I love watching him write, it makes me realise how well this home schooling is going and reinforces that for us, it was the right decision to make.

Anyway, I'll leave you in Opeie's capable hands, Our holiday in his words...

"It is better to travel well than to arrive."

Booking a holiday, as exciting as it is, can also be very stressful! With so much to organise before you actually board the plane, the build up can be quite a daunting time. As a parent, I am thankful for anything that makes the trip that little bit easier on everyone and this year before heading off to Florida my favourite company came to our aid, helping with something that worries us every time we go away. There is a lot of walking involved at the airport, which I guess I don't really notice that much because I am so focused on getting from A to B with all the bags etc. For Seth though, all this walking can be very stressful due to the effect his muscle condition has on his legs. 

If we have to walk long distance while at home, there is a lot of stopping and starting so that Seth can relax his legs before starting the next leg of the journey (haha). A few years ago we started an ongoing adventure with a company that has changed our lives in so many ways and helping Seth get to his destination quicker and with a little less strain on his legs was one of them. Being able to push and roll gave Seth much more confidence getting about and really changed our outdoor play. So much so that before heading out to the states, Seth, along with all of us in fact, were talking about how much we wished we could have taken all of the Micro Scooters away with us.

As much as we would have loved to take the four scooters away, it was Seth that could have done with one the most and Micro (being the AMAZING company that they are), had a very special scooter, suitable for our needs, taking the strain off of Seth and giving him the confidence to be on his feet a little longer than he probably would have liked, while turning heads and giving him a huge amount of street cred! 

The ladies were swooning as Seth scooted by...

The Steve Aoki Micro Luggage Scooter is an awesome bit of kit, with its colourful quirky design it had everyone taking at the airport as Seth whizzed by. Being able to maneuver from baggage, through to security then to the shops before making our way to the departure lounge on wheels made all the difference to Seth's legs, and the smile on his face as he did so was contagious. With certain points of the airport being too busy to scoot, due to the number of people about, being able to turn the luggage scooter into a trolley to pull along made our journey even more productive.

With a 26 litre capacity, the Micro luggage scooter is perfect for hand luggage, which means your wheels can stay with you throughout the entire journey. This was great as I don't think Seth wanted to let it out of his sight. If the look, feel and fact that it revolutionalises your travel isn't enough, the SoundtoGo sound system included (yes is has a speaker built in!), easily connects to your phone via Bluetooth making it possible to listen to your favourite music as you scoot along. 

While reading the box when the scooter arrived, Opeie informed me of who Steve Aoki is and his favourite Aoki remix (yes our 5-year-old is that cool!).

"The lake and the mountains have become my landscape, my real world."

We had an awesome start to the summer holiday with a day of rope swings and adventure. Seth's little face that first night was adorable, excited about what the rest of the holiday had to offer. I think we really made the most of the time he had off school and i really wanted the last day of the holiday to be as exciting as the first. It was clear on the build up to the end of the holiday Seth was starting to feel a little deflated and I hoped that some fun, on what turned out to be one of the nicest days weather wise would pump that happiness back up a little.

I loaded the car early Monday morning with a picnic, the micro scooters and Seth's bike and we headed out in the sunshine to Lake Vyrnwy. You may have read our previous post about the lake a while back, when me and Opeie had visited in the pouring rain and had a great time despite getting drenched. This time round though there was barely a cloud in the sky and we couldn't wait to take Seth to the magical place.

Opeie was really excited about showing Seth what he referred to as the boobie mermaid and from what I could remember about the place, I thought the sculpture garden would be perfect for the boys to scoot about and burn off a little energy.

Opeie loves a good grass fight and as soon as he spotted all the piles of freshly cut grass he made it his mission to get as much of it in our mouths and down our tops as he could. I remember being the same when I was little. I'm not sure Seth was too happy about being covered in grass but I thought Opeie's angry little grass throwing face was adorable.

After a grass fight and a brief moment to answer emails (brief is all i get but this mans got to work) we were on our way again and Seth was desperate to walk across the dam and get a good look at the straining tower (or Elsa's castle according to Opeie). Seth was fascinated by the fact that where we were standing would have been under water had we have been the other side of the dam and that inquisitive boy of mine was asking question after question.

Lake Vyrnwy is such a picturesque place and so relaxing, this was magnified by the fact that Monday was a PD day for Seth's school so there were no other children or families about. It was almost like we had the entire place to ourselves. Its really lovely that the boys appreciate places like this as I don't think I did when I was their age. It seems that when we are hanging out together, no matter where we are we always have an amazing time and our trip was one of those effortless days where everyone smiled all day.

After our walk along the dam we headed back to the car to get the picnic out and refuel ready for part two of our afternoon of adventure. While I sat and ate the boys played in the river and built a dam of their own using large rocks and sticks, which sparked an interesting talk about how to completely stop the water and what would happen if we did manage it. The boys are like sponges, soaking up any information they can, it's amazing to be a big part of that.

 (I bet you are not at all surprised that what followed this picture was 'Daddy I'm really sorry to say this but I need a wee!' haha)

The next part of our adventure was to find the waterfall. because of the heavy rain the last time we had been, me and Opeie decided not to attempt it so we were all eager to see it. We were all a little disappointed the first time we made it to the waterfall at Carding mill valley and we hoped that this wouldn't be a repeat. As we walked the trail though we could see the waterfall really far in the distance and it looked beautiful.

Getting to see the waterfall this time showed us another amazing side to the already mesmerising surrounding area and the fact that the sun was shining and the sky was bright blue really added to the experience. The boys got to paddle in the stream and even though mine and Seth's trainers got soaked through it wasn't an issue because we were all having the most amazing time, it was just a shame that Mrs M wasn't there to experience it with us.

Inevitably Seth's muscles started playing up and he had reached his limit with the walking. Although he is getting quite heavy I picked him up and put him on my shoulders and we jogged for 30 minutes down the valley and back to the car. Seth's adorable face went from uncomfortable because of the pains to a huge smile. He said "I don't really know how to thank you but I really appreciate you carrying me" then he gave me a huge kiss on top of my sweaty head. It was a really touching end to a perfect afternoon adventuring with two of my favourite people ever. They make me feel like the most amazing dad.

"I swing between procrastination and being really thorough so either way things aren't getting done quickly."

It is the end of the first week of the school summer holiday and I can't believe how many times I've heard parents complaining about the up coming six weeks. In one case a woman at the school last week looked distraught at the concept of having her children at home, it's crazy!

Myself and Mrs M love the holidays, I can't see why anyone would feel differently about spending quality time with the people they brought in to the world.

We had a great first day and really made the most of the start of the holiday and the lush weather. Seth was desperate to put one of his plans into action but first we needed to assess an area before executing his idea. A little bit of investigative adventure was definitely on the cards to kick off our summer of fun so we packed bags full of necessary gear and headed out for a ramble through the forest.

We spent a good hour or so stomping through the woods, climbing hills and chatting about all the things we were going to do over the summer before sitting down for snacks. Seth asked me to set them a challenge so I sent the boys off looking for ten different kinds of leaves. Then we did a little woodland craft, the boys built a miniature cave for bugs and then we all set about building a big tree using sticks, rocks and moss.

After thorough investigation it was time to put Seth's plan into action, we needed some rope. We acquired the rope in no time at all and headed back to the forest to look for a tree to attach it too. When I was little I loved a good rope swing but in all those years, discovering these swings while out with my friends I never actually put one up myself and that is what Seth was desperate to do.

Good old Google helped me out with the best knot to use (I'd be lost without it) and then it was time to find an adequate tree to swing on. The boys loved watching me climb up into the tree's and as with all the little things I do with the boys I felt like I was reliving my youth a little. I made sure that I picked trees I could get up and down easily so that we could take the swing back down again and move our swing around the forest trying new trees.

Seth made it quite clear that although he was having a great time he wanted a little more than the 'Opeie suitable' swings I was putting up. Right next to where we parked there was a swing put up that Seth was desperate to have a go of but he didn't feel safe holding on (and I wouldn't have let him anyway). I didn't want him to miss out though so we found a thick branch, strong enough to take his weight and I tied our rope to it making him a seat. I honestly thought he would chicken out but I've definitely brought up a prop little adventurer.

What an awesome start to the summer holidays. This time of year is the best and I can't wait for many more adventures over these very special weeks, woohoo!!