PYO

 

The other week I met up with a friend and her little one to go strawberry picking. It was at a lovely little farm just 10 minutes away. They only have strawberries, but as it was Stan's first PYO (and mine for such a long time) it was easy to do. Their crop was already running low I think due to the amazing 3 weeks of glorious sunshine, but what they did have left was gloriously plump and red. They ask you not to eat before you pay, which is just about easy enough for me to manage, but for the toddlers it was too much temptation!

sneaking in a strawberry

We managed a pretty good haul and celebrated with a picnic in the field nearby. A really nice morning. Most of the strawberries we ate with meringues and cream, but I blended the rest up with a mango to make the most intense ice lolly mixture. So good. Makes a real difference when you pick your own and don't buy shop ones. Even the best supermarket strawberries are never red all the way through!

WOODLAND WALKS

Since we've had some not too bad weather for a British Summer. (Seriously Summer where the FLIPPING HECK are you?) Me and Stan have been enjoying our extrememly precious one day a week together. We have been getting out and about as much as possible. Stan has developed quite a nice love for the outdoors. I think having a green fingered daddy helps a lot. Ben spends Mondays with him so I can have an extra day working and they seem to spend most of going out in the backpack (we bought a similar one to this off ebay) or hanging out in the garden planting up vegetables. I'm keen to encourage this nature loving side in S in the vain hope he'll still be into that at 15 rather than all the naughty girls at school. A mother can hope right? Right? Who I'm kidding I know who his dad is....

Anyway most recently we have explored the Arundel Wetlands Centre and fed (thrown) bird seed for all the new ducklings around.

The Friston Forest at Cuckmere was lovely. And a nice change from our normal route of wondering down the river valley to the sea to go rock pooling.

We had an impromptu day at Woods Mill near Small Dole recently. That was great - free parking and a lovely dipping pond which contained SO MANY tadpoles! We are going back this Friday to see if they have legs next. Stan love the book 'Tadpoles Promise' so is really interested to see them grow into frogs! We also spotted a great many damselflies and dragon flies and had the place to ourselves. I want to go back soon with Ben and the backpack so we can explore further....little toddler legs can only go so far!

It is amazing really what is so close to us. I feel very lucky to live in such a glorious part of the UK with the sea and the Sussex Downs just 5 minutes in the car in either direction. Need to make the most of it while we still have a little bit of the precious summer months left!

As you can see, Stanley's exploring outfit of choice is these mega comfy red trousers from Boys&Girls (he requests them A LOT!) and a grey hoodie from H&M he's lived in since he was about 9 months old!

Any of you in Sussex? Any top outdoor tips you'd recommend? I'd love to know if you are local!

SEALIFE

So the other day we went to the Sealife Centre in Brighton. I bought an annual pass because Stanley is free until he turns 3 years old, and as long as we visit more than 4 times in a year then I get my monies worth! Anyway it was perfect thing to do on a rainy and dull morning. We went at a great time, there was hardly anyone there...I can imagine during school holidays it is hideous but for us it was perfect as Stanley could run around shouting "more fish" at every tank we met. There is some trippy light action going on, but Stanley true to form enjoyed shouting out each colour as it changed...hopefully we didn't annoy too many people in there. I saw the most frightening spider crab that was HUGE, so scary that I couldn't even bring myself to photograph it for the blog. I did however capture these guys.

pretty nice victorian building

big fish, little fish...

mummy, mummy, massive turtle!

cuttlefish

It is the sort of place I guess you just have to enjoy for what it is. I know Ben is not keen, so we'd never go there as a family as he feels it is cruel. Although seeing them in their massive tanks they looked pretty well looked after to me. It certainly was an easy way to kill an hour or two with Stanley and not be in the rain, so we will definitely be back soon. We have no zoo near us (well, not without a decent drive in the car) so the Sealife centre is a good thing for us. Heck, Stanley even got to touch a starfish and a crab, he was made up with the whole experience!

DRAWING

stanley seems to be very happy to draw, or see me draw. he always asks to draw at some point during the day. he makes a sign for it - like round and round scribbling in the air. he never actually asks for it by word. the ONLY place i allow drawing is on our coffee table. it is the right height for him to sit at and i buy paper that luckily fits it perfectly so there is no accidental slipping off. maybe i'm a control freak (i am) but it works this way and there is no drawing up walls etc! so this is how we do it....

signing to me that he wants to draw

clipped at one end...

and rolled up at the other.

this is him asking me to draw a rabbit. this is his rabbit 'face'. he doesn't say many animal names - just uses actions or noises to describe them. S mainly 'asks' me to draw things so he can colour them in. this ranges from all that he knows (and i can manage to draw. no horses please.) so we stick to animals and cars, fruit etc. he likes to use the same pencil directly after me. i find it fascinating that this is his way of drawing. i'm sure lots of children like doing it differently. in fact i'd really like to know if you fancy telling me in the comments below. i think as an illustrator i find it all the more interesting!

colouring in the rabbit