Hole-y Beach

Monday 30/6

We decided to start the week off at the beach. It was going to go up to 32 degrees in London and we were not wanting that. Our place gets as hot as outside. There is nothing we can do to cool it down. So we hopped in the air conditioned car and drove to West Wittering.

We got there just before noon. It was 10 degrees cooler here and much windier. So we were all a bit cold. It was very sunny and the boys were ready to run through the sand. The tide was pretty low so we went as close as we could to the water. James and George we in heaven.

We moved with the tide as it got closer to the shore line. The boys loved jumping over the waves as they came. I loved watching them soak it all up. We played for ages in the water. The water was surprisingly warm! So even Matt got in and had fun.

Once they had enough of the water, we headed to the shoreline to the hot sand. The boys picked a spot where there was a shallow hole. They thought it was the best thing ever. While I and Matt read our books the boys were in the zone. I soon jumped in and helped with some digging. We got really deep. The boys loved that!

We played in our sand cater for ages. During our last hour the boys decided to go back into the water. It was nearly high tide so we didn’t need to go with them. I loved seeing them soak it all in. What a brilliant way to start the week. After being there for 5 hours we packed up and grabbed some ice cream.

When we got home we realised we made a massive mistake. We only applied sunscreen once. In the past that has been enough but the sun seemed to be different this year. We were all badly sunburnt. And since George has never experienced it before he was so distraught. Matt left to go see a film with friends while I dealt with the sobbing boys. We watched a film until they fell asleep. But George woke up every 20 minutes crying because of the pain. This is going to be a tough night.

Tuesday 1/7

Tough was an understatement. It was an awful night! George kept waking up every half and hour. I barely slept. It was insane. But we eventually made it through the night. We made sure we didn’t put clothes on anyone that morning and applied lots of cream.

After lunch we sat and watched a film. Then we got dressed painfully. It was nearly impossible but we did it. We got on the bike and cycled to pick up Alana and then Mal. We then headed to my friend Rachel’s house. There was some water play which made George very happy.

But really they just wanted to jump on the trampoline. The kids loved just chilling together and talking. Soon Rachel came out to start a fire. We all roasted marshmallows. The kids were in heaven. My friend Monica arrived with her other daughter just in time to finish up the marshmallows.

Just before 6pm we said goodbye and headed home. I was learning another favourite recipe tonight. We call it The Stobbs Pasta. It is made from heaven. And I think I did alright! Soon after we got ready for bed. The boys were so out of energy.

Wednesday 2/7

The night was awful again. Just awful. But I know eventually it will get better as the sunburn heals. We took the morning very slow. The boys needed it. I needed it too. There wasn’t much we could do so once we had lunch we watched a film together.

Just before 4pm we arrived at my friend Jenna’s house. I know she is due in a few days so I wanted to squeeze a play date in before the baby arrives. James and George were so excited to play with Rosie and Brooks in their garden.

George wanted to play along with the kids but he was having a hard time with the pain from the sunburn. Poor kid. James had fun running around. He has a higher pain tolerance and forgets whatever discomfort during playtime. I loved catching up with Jenna. She is such a gem.

We said goodbye just before dinner time. Once we were home we ate and then started getting ready for bed. We knew we had a tough night ahead of us. I am so grateful that our skin is healing but it’s painfully slow. Next time we go to a beach I know that we need to reapply sunscreen every hour.

Thursday 3/7

We took the morning nice and slow. The nights are slowly improving. It’s been nice to get a bit more sleep. The boys were much more playful this morning. George went crazy with his bubble wand. They had so much fun together as I tried to tame the mess in the house.

After lunch we got everyone ready and we headed off to the West End. Today was the day we were celebrating Matt’s birthday by going to see Hercules The Musical. We were all excited to see how they adapted it from the film. Matt is a big fan!

We got lucky that the people in front of us did arrive so we got an unblocked view. I wish I could have recorded it because it was so amazing but I respect that they didn’t want phones used during the performance. I loved the signs haha!

It was incredible! My favourite number was Hero To Zero. Wow! It was big! The Muses were so fun and the Meg was spot on. I was sad not to see Pegasus on stage though! They changed Hercules weakness which didn’t feel as strong as the film. But overall it was amazing! We all loved it!

On the way back we stopped at Knoops for some birthday milkshakes. Oh they were so good. I love this place and could come here every day! This was the first time coming and not having a spill happen. We are moving up in life haha! But I am sure the next time it will happen.

We then walked over to St Mary’s of Abbott to let the boys let out some steam. They roamed the grounds as we chatted. I love having so much of Matt. It’s like a dream come true. He fills me up so much. I feel so lucky to be his. He loves me so perfectly.

After playing outside for a bit we went inside the church to the children corner. We come here at least twice a year. The boys love this spot. Soon it was dinner time so we headed home. After eating we played for a bit longer and then snuggled up into bed.

Friday 4/7

The boys were so excited to wake up this morning because they knew we were going to Chessington World of Adventure with Matt. They love coming here since it’s rides and a zoo all in one. So as soon as we arrived and they saw they animals they were in heaven.

The first area they wanted to go to was the indoor soft play. Normally they want us to tag along with them as they have fun but this time they were so happy with each other that they let us rest for once. It was fun to see the boys enjoy each other so much.

Towards the end I did join in with the boys. I can’t help it. I want to see their faces as they have fun. It fills me up to see them have so much joy. I am lucky that I am quite short which means I can fit almost every where they go. After the indoor play we went outside to the treetops.

The boys then wanted to go on the laser ride. Along the way we passed the Croc Drop. They love watching this ride as it looks like the people get eaten by a crocodile. There was no queue so I ran in to do it. It was so fun to watch the boys from up high. We then waited in the queue to do the laser ride.

It was lunch time so we got some chicken tenders to share. They are the best chicken tenders I’ve had. Once we were filled and had an ice lolly to cool us down we went to see some of the animals. James loved all the different kind of owls that they had.

We bumped into the climbing frame where James spent ages mastering each section. I love his determination. George ran back and forth doing what he could. The boys were fascinated when we passed the porcupine, who was pooping.

We saw the cutest armadillo as we walked to the monkeys. He looked at us so tenderly. We then climbed up to the treetops to see the monkeys better. Up there we saw some seagull babies. I have never seen any before. We climbed and played until the boys were ready to move on.

Next we went into the Aquarium to get a break from the sun. The boys loved walking through and finding the fish they recognise from Finding Nemo. We watched the film while we have been recovering from our sunburns and they loved it so much.

Then it was time to go back on rides. We were lucky to not run into that many queues. We did Room on Broom and then headed over to The Gruffalo ride. Sadly it was closed. So we walked around and stayed nearby in case it reopened so we could be in a short queue.

I kept my eye on the app and sure enough it opened again. We rushed in and quickly got on the ride. The boys loved walking this ride. Especially the drop where we all get wet. I loved seeing Matt enjoy the splash. We love going on this ride twice but the queue already was an hour long!

I know we come to theme parks a lot but each time it’s a different experience. The boys love the same things but also love experiencing new things. My general rule when we got to a theme park is to just follow their lead. We might go on 10 rides or we might not go on any and just enjoy the space. I am happy with whatever they choose.

We then ran over to the Elmer ride. George loves anything that makes him feel like he is flying. He didn’t want to the ride to end. James was so happy behind us pretending he was chasing us until the end of the ride.

The final ride for the day was the truck ride. The boys love this one since they both get their own steering wheel. The boys had a harder time queuing and I think it was because they were ready for some rest. So once this ride was over we headed back to the car.

When we got home we had some dinner and then straight to bed. George wanted to sleep in his own bed! He kept insisting and that is what he did. We are very impressed he stayed in their all night! James said he wasn’t ready yet and that is okay. Our motto is to follow each child. We all slept better that night.

Saturday 5/7

We woke up early because there was a ward breakfast picnic we were going too. The boys were so happy to have some pancakes. Once they were done eating they were off playing with their friends at the playground. I ate a bit slower and enjoyed sitting and chatting with my friends.

I took a turn being with the boys as Matt had breakfast and chatted with friends. The boys were so happy to be with their best buds. They run around together and had the best time while the activity was going on. They just didn’t want it to end.

So we didn’t end it there. Even though the activity ended my friends Monica and Imma followed us to the nearby library to spend a bit more time together. The kids sat and read together. It was tender to see them so still and happy. Soon both my friends left.

Monica left me her girls since they wanted to go on our next adventure with us. The more the merrier. Matt needed to go home to get some things done so I was happy to let him do that while we had some fun. James was excited to share Tate Britain with his friends.

It was pouring rain while I cycled there. I got soaked. The earth really needs it. It hasn’t rained in ages and the grass is turning yellow everywhere. Once we were inside the gallery we were able to dry off a bit. I took the kids down to the Tate Draw to let them have a go. James drew some really cool drawings so I ordered them in T Shirts!

The kids saw the gallery room with free easels and ran in. They love having a go at drawing on easels. Rarely do they draw or take inspiration of the things in front of them. But I love to see how focused it gets them and for how long! This is James’s favourite thing to do here.

And you could see it on his face as he concentrated. George jumped easel to easel adding in his marks to each drawing he could see. Then we walked around the room. Some of my favourite pieces are together in this room. I really love Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose by John Singer Sargent. I love how he uses his cosmopolitan influences, giving in to English pre-Raphaelite impulses while holding on to the Impressionist en plein air technique he learned from his friend Monet in Paris.

Soon it was time to go to the Soft Studio and play. The kids were thrilled when they walked in. They did this soft studio at the Tate Modern last year and it was really cool but it was so crowded. Since this is a smaller art gallery it was way less busy and the kids loved it.

They ran around like crazy but then also lied down and relaxed. They loved being about to experience everything around them. There was a spinning chair which was George’s favourite thing ever. I need one of these at home!

The cutest thing to watch was the kids all sliding together. They tried it in different ways and I loved capturing there giggles as I recorded it in slow motion. They are the sweetest friends despite the age gap and differences in interests. I love that they are there for each other.

They spent nearly two hours in this room. Not once did they come up to me to tell me they were bored. I loved seeing how much fun they were having in this space. I need a space like this at home. Towards the end I could see that they were tired out so I suggested the art gallery again.

They were up for it. Except George. It was now 3pm and he still hadn’t taken a nap. So I carried him and he fell asleep in my arms. I am not as strong as I used to be but the kids were so helpful as they carried my things so we could keep walking.

We walked through the oldest art the gallery has to the newest. The kids love the modern eye. It’s so interactive and novel to them. They were amazed by the art installation with lights. They ran around that for ages. They then came over to me and told me they were ready to go.

Just as we were walking out we passed another play room for kids. So we ran inside to see what was going on. James went straight to the art table to drew while the others tried on different costumes that were there. George loved getting his own pair of wings.

The Tate Britain soon closed and we headed back to the bike. The cycled back was lovely but a bit yet. The kids had so much fun together as we cycled through London. I dropped the girls off at their place and Monica came out for a little chat. I love being with her. We then cycled home. Matt was happy to see us back. I crashed. I was feeling emotionally down. So we took the evening slow and then headed to bed.

Sunday 6/7

I woke up feeling better. This was the first fast Sunday where I was fasting in about 7 years. Between pregnancies and breastfeeding I just didn’t get a chance. And with cycling to church, I felt worried about fasting. But so far so good! And it felt so good to fast. During Sacrament we sat next to my friend Monica. The boys can’t get enough of these girls.

Then Matt taught our Sunday School class and I went up to Nursery with George. He was so happy to be there playing. He is not so happy when I try to go which is okay. I am happy to be with him still. The nursery needs the extra hands and I am happy to be there with my friend Amanda. She is such a sweetheart. After church I went to choir practice.

Once that was over we cycled home. I video called my mum. It was so good to see her. We spoke for ages. While I was on the call the boys were playing and colouring. I love to see them in the zone at home. We had finally gotten to a good place with our sunburns. I am so happy that is over. We had dinner and then Matt went to connect with family. The boys and I watched a film until he was done. Then we all snuggled up into bed. Bring on the next week!