Wow, what a week it has been! Fairly busy, or at least fun-filled, while at the same time – incredibly relaxing!
This was my second week off as part of Easter holiday break and there was a part of me that was dreading it, largely because the majority of the week was taken up with being away from home. Don’t get me wrong, I was looking forward to a holiday, but at the same time you always come back feeling tired and I still had a lot of things I could be doing at home! Anyway, Monday was the day we were leaving. The kids were with their dad and my mum was picking them up and taking them to Butlins (Skegness) so Chris and I had a lazier start. That said we had loads to do before we left including packing, taking some parcels to the post office and going on a food shop. We did manage to get everything done though and we set off about 3pm, getting to Butlins for about 4.30pm
Now although I keep saying Butlins, it wasn’t actually just a normal week at a holiday camp. This specific week was a Christian festival called Spring Harvest. It’s something my mum took the girls to last year and they really enjoyed, so she wanted to take them again this year. I’m not really religious myself – I was once but I guess over time its all faded away – but I certainly don’t mind the girls attending. In all honesty, at their age its really nothing more than an extended Sunday School. Fun activities with a Christian base. Anyway, Chris and I were attending in order to be extra adults, not to actually attend any meetings. The basic structure for each day was that Megan and her friend India, who was also staying with us, would attend an evening meeting between 7-9pm and then both them and Lily and her cousin Chloe, would attend a morning meeting between 10am-1pm. For the afternoon it was mine and Chris’ responsibility to entertain, making sure we were back in time for dinner around 5.30pm.
On the first day, as I say, we arrived at 4.30pm and so we had to unpack and settle in. Mum cooked Lasagne with salad and garlic bread for us all and we enjoyed that alongside a bottle of wine. We all then walked Megan and India to their meeting, mum went off to do her own meeting and Chris, Lily and I took a wander around to explore. After buying some hot chocolate we headed back to our caravan, put Lily to bed and then waited for mum and the other two girls to come home. After they headed to bed it wasn’t long before we did and so ended the first day of our holiday!
The next day we woke up absolutely freezing and had all had a dreadful nights sleep. The caravan was so cold it was unbelievable. We headed out to take the kids to their meetings, Chris and I dropping off Lily and mum taking Megan and India. Afterwards Chris and I went to get breakfast and then just mosey around. We headed back to the caravan, watched some rubbish morning TV and then headed out to collect Lily. We all met back at the caravan to have lunch, before deciding we would go swimming. At about 2pm we headed out to the Splash Waterworld, Butlin’s swimming pool.
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I have to admit, this swimming pool is pretty awesome in the scheme of things! We originally headed for its main swimming pool area in the middle. However it wasn’t long before the girls wanted to head down the mini slides, into a smaller pool. From their we headed to the indoor rapids, going around over and over again. I convinced everyone into looking around some more, but could only persuade Lily into being brave enough to head outside on the outdoor rapids water slide. She loved it and after a couple of goes we persuaded Megan, then finally Chris and India too. Once the kids were on it we couldn’t get them off, but Lily and I headed to the yellow water slide, one that you went down in an inflatable raft. It was great fun but sadly no one else was brave enough to try it and the queue was a little too long to go again. With great surprise we realised it was 4.30pm already and so we headed out to get dry and dressed, heading back to the caravan for dinner.
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Mum cooked sausage and mash for dinner, though I only had sausage sandwiches (I have some sort of strange stigma from childhood about eating sausage and mash!). We enjoyed another bottle of wine and then chilled for a little while before walking Megan and India to their meeting again. Lily, Chris and I wandered through the arcades on our way back to the caravan, Lily having a few goes on the 2p machines, using coins that had fallen from the machines automatically. Again we all had hot chocolate before Lily went to bed and then when the girls came home they had hot chocolate too and headed to bed. That night we all slept with the doors open and the fire on with the hope some heat would circulate around the caravan!
Next morning was Wednesday and we pretty much followed the same routine as the day before. Luckily it had been a bit warmer that night! After taking the girls to their meeting, Chris and I came back to the caravan and enjoyed sausage and scrambled egg. We then watched some Dollhouse on the tv, since we’d brought the DVD with us. At 1pm we picked up Lily and when mum arrived back with Megan and India, we all had sandwich lunch. Today we’d decided to go to the fun fair so when Auntie Pat brough Chloe around, we all headed out together – Chris and I, plus 4 girls!
The fun fair was interesting! Not especially big so really not all that much to do. First stop was the pirate ship, which everyone except India and Chris came on (Chris mostly because he had to wait with India). After riding the pirate ship twice, we headed over to the racing horses, all the girls having a go. India’s horse, number 11, was the winner and she got a bubble wand. After that we went on to the Dodgems/Bumper Cars. All four girls wanted to go on, but none were tall enough to ride unaccompanied. As such Chris and I had to ride twice, taking each of the girls with us. Next we headed to the carousel. India didn’t want to come on so Chris waited with her while I took Chloe, Megan and Lily. After one ride though we convinced India and Chris on, but India really wasn’t that keen. Finally Megan and Chloe both wanted to ride these flying hand glider type things. We queued up and I thought I’d have to ride twice, once with each again, but at the last minute Bernard turned up (Chloe’s grandad and Auntie Pat’s husband) and we convinced him on with Chloe instead.
After this ride, Chloe went off with her Grandad and Chris, the girls and I all headed to the arcade. They’d only brought £10 spending money with them and I let them change it all into £1 coins in the machine. We then spent a good hour playing on various arcade games, before realising we needed to head back to the caravan for dinner.
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Lily’s legs weren’t long enough to reach the peddles on Mario Kart so Megan had to use her hands! |
Mum cooked Chicken Kiev and chips for dinner that night and yet another bottle of wine was consumed (I know I won’t have lost weight this week on my Weight Loss Wednesday weigh-in!). Again we walked the girls to their meeting and then headed back, hot chocolate, Lily in bed, more hot chocolate when Megan and India got back, them in bed, then eventually us and that was the end of yet another day!
Thursday was our last full day and it started the same as the others. When the girls were at their meetings, Chris and I watched Dollhouse and then collected Lily. I made lunch for everyone in advance, so that when we got back we could eat quick and head out swimming again (this was the girls choice as they’d enjoyed it so much the first day). This time mum came swimming with us and got dragged around all the places the girls loved. We did the outdoor rapids several times, the inside yellow water raft slide again and I even braved the red slide by myself. It was great but also terrifying!
After swimming we all headed out to meet mum in a pub called the Sun & Moon. Here we all had dinner out, a treat for our last night.