Tuesday 29 September 2020

All at School - A New Era

It has been 9 years and 2 months since Dylan was born and made me a mother and ever since, I have had a baby or toddler at home.  They all did 2 days at nursery from the term after they turned 3 but they were still at home more than in any other setting.  Last week Cora started full time school and it feels like the beginning of a new era, one where I have free time, one where I can work, clean, shop, read and even nap in peace.  It feels like even more of a big thing after six months of having the children at home and I thought I would be more emotional about it all than I am.  The reality is, that I was just so tired that it was a welcome change and I spent the first week doing very little!

Cora seems so small starting school, she is shorter than her peers and a summer born baby but in other ways she is so ready and she has run in happily after a cuddle and a kiss since the first day.  She has friends there and she is ready to learn.  She wants to be able to read and write like her brothers and I think she is going to thrive. 


I have plans for this time, a mixture of working during the days rather than trying to fit everything in during the evenings and spending some time looking after me, going for walks and reading.  I am so ready for this new chapter though.  The start of having them all at school means the school holidays being more special than ever, it means watching their personalities develop even more, watching them learn independently and hopefully having more energy to enjoy them after a little time out during the day.

Every step forward that we take at the moment makes me more sure in our decision that four children is the right number for us.  I am looking forward to the future and watching these four grow up, the things we can do, the places we can go.  There is nothing very profound in this blog post, just an acknowledgement that this is a new chapter and whilst it is bittersweet letting go a little bit, watching them leaving the baby and toddler years behind, it is wonderful watching them becoming themselves.


Now to count down to October half term when I get some special time with these babies of mine!
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Monday 28 September 2020

Days Out in Devon - Canonteign Falls

When we were looking for days out near our yurt in Cullompton, we came across Canonteign falls, a National Trust site that we thought the kids would enjoy. It was our intention to go there for the morning before heading somewhere else after lunch but we ended up spending the entire day there as the kids were so content and happy exploring that it seemed a shame to drag them away!

Canonteign falls, Days out in devon

Canonteign Falls is England's tallest waterfall and none of the children had seen one before so they were pretty excited, as was Ed who had also not seen one! We checked out the website and were reassured that all dogs had to be on leads (something that is important for us with a child afraid of them).  It was easy to find and parking was simple and at the entrance we were given maps and told about the Covid measures including masks when ordering food and a one way system.  

We found the playground first which had a couple of large trampolines in as well as the usual equipment so we had a play first.  Everything was well maintained and as we were visiting on a day where the weather wasn't the best, it wasn't very busy.  We had bought food for the ducks on the way in so next up was feeding the ducks in the huge pond at the centre of the site.

Canonteign falls, Days out in devon

Canonteign falls, Days out in devon

When it came to the waterfall, the first step was the bottom of it and we noticed regular visitors had brought wellie boots with them as you could play in the water.  My children decided to step in the water anyway with their shoes on so I would strongly advise bringing spares or coming better prepared! They could have spent much longer scaling the rocks and splashing in the shallow water but we managed to pull them away to begin the climb.

Canonteign falls, Days out in devon

Canonteign falls, Days out in devon

The path up to the top of the falls was well signposted and easy to follow.  There was a mixture of trail, steps, muddy walkways and boards and it wouldn't be accessible with a wheelchair or buggy. We took our time climbing up, stopping to spot all the fairies hanging in the trees, to explore the dinosaur made out of sticks, to sit on benches and eat snacks and to learn about the plants that grew around us.  There was so much to see and discover.  At the top there is a viewing platform where you can look down over the top of the fall and see for miles.  There were covid rules that meant only 2 groups could be up there at once and everyone followed the social distancing guidelines.  The views were spectacular and the children were amazed at how high we had climbed and how far they could see.  

Canonteign falls, Days out in devon

Canonteign falls, Days out in devon

Canonteign falls, Days out in devon

The walk down didn't take nearly so long and at the bottom we discovered a wooden obstacle course with a zip line which entertained the kids for a long time too.  Again, there was not many other children and so it was easy to keep away.  We found more constructed animals and there was also a bee garden which we decided not to explore.

We had such a fantastic day out at Canonteign Falls and it is somewhere we would highly recommend and also hope to revisit in the future. Next time we will wear old clothes and welly boots though!

Canonteign falls, Days out in devon

Canonteign falls, Days out in devon

Canonteign falls, Days out in devon

Canonteign falls, Days out in devon

Canonteign falls, Days out in devon

Canonteign falls, Days out in devon

Canonteign falls, Days out in devon

Canonteign falls, Days out in devon

Canonteign falls, Days out in devon

Canonteign falls, Days out in devon

Canonteign falls, Days out in devon

Canonteign falls, Days out in devon

Canonteign falls, Days out in devon

Canonteign falls, Days out in devon

Canonteign falls, Days out in devon

Canonteign falls, Days out in devon

Canonteign falls, Days out in devon

Canonteign falls, Days out in devon

Canonteign falls, Days out in devon
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Wednesday 9 September 2020

Days out in Devon // Haldon Forest

When we were looking for days out in Devon, Haldon Forest popped out at us as it had all the wildlife and woodlands of a forest with the amenities of toilets, a cafe and a playground so we loaded up the car and headed there in the morning.  Entry is free but you pay for the carpark which was about £7 for the whole day and less for a shorter time, quite reasonable for a day out.  In non-Covid times there is a Julia Donaldson trail and we were a bit upset that it was closed during our visit as the children would have loved it.  The office was closed too but there was a map of the trails on the wall and a sign encouraging you to take a photo on your phone to use instead.

Haldon Forest, Exploring Devon, Forestry England

Everything was well sign posted and the queues for food and the toilets were socially distancing well/  We decided to do the mid length walk as the children have a tendency to go off path exploring regularly and so any walk takes us a long time.  There were separate trails for cycling and running, everything colour marked along the way and some paths were available for either.

Haldon Forest, Exploring Devon, Forestry England

Our path led us through the woodlands and there was so much to explore as we went.  The forest was full of man made dens of varying sizes and we loved discovering them as we walked through.  You could go quite far off the tracks but there were boundaries in place to make sure you didn't get completely lost.  Along the way we found plenty to play with including a huge wooden xylophone which the boys couldn't get enough of.  The day we chose was overcast and misty with light rain at times but it didn't bother them one bit.

Haldon Forest, Exploring Devon, Forestry England

At one point we found signs explaining everything in front of us including a beautiful white tower but the fog was so low we couldn't see any of it!  I imagine the views are beautiful on a clear day though!  There was plenty of insects to observe along the way and spots of colourful flowers amongst the trees.  In the main area all the dogs were on leads but as we went into the forest we realised that dogs were allowed to roam free which did cause a few issues for us as some super friendly dogs bounded over and two of the boys are very afraid. I would say the forest isn't the best place for dog-fearing children as the most friendly dogs usually didn't have an owner in sight.  For most of our walk this wasn't a problem as despite the main area being quite busy, the walks were not, possibly due to the number of choices.

The forest is really well looked after and some areas were cordoned off as the new trees are growing and need to be protected from humans and animals.  There was also lots of information about how sustainable the forest was and how much timber is produced which was fascinating.  

Haldon Forest, Exploring Devon, Forestry England

Haldon Forest is a beautiful and well looked after area with plenty of trails for walking, running and cycling. The kids loved exploring the dens and getting off the track and I would love to visit the Gruffalo trail when it is back up and running although I think two of the boys need to stick to places with dogs on lead policies for now.  You can find out more about visiting Haldon Forest here. 

Haldon Forest, Exploring Devon, Forestry England

Haldon Forest, Exploring Devon, Forestry England

Haldon Forest, Exploring Devon, Forestry England

Haldon Forest, Exploring Devon, Forestry England

Haldon Forest, Exploring Devon, Forestry England

Haldon Forest, Exploring Devon, Forestry England

Haldon Forest, Exploring Devon, Forestry England

Haldon Forest, Exploring Devon, Forestry England

Haldon Forest, Exploring Devon, Forestry England

Haldon Forest, Exploring Devon, Forestry England

Haldon Forest, Exploring Devon, Forestry England

Haldon Forest, Exploring Devon, Forestry England

Haldon Forest, Exploring Devon, Forestry England

Haldon Forest, Exploring Devon, Forestry England

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Monday 7 September 2020

Days out in Kent - Bearsted Woods

This summer has seen us discovering more of the county we live in and one of the places we have visited recently and enjoyed is Bearsted Woods near Maidstone.  Also known as the People's wood, the area is a good size for exploring with small people as the walks are all a shorter length and there is a lovely play area too.  We took a picnic and found a great choice of tables to sit at and during the hours we spent there, I think we only saw one other family!Bearsted Woods, the peoples woods, maidstone
We crossed over a lake and saw a field of friendly goats and there were signs around the area telling us about insects and nature we could spot on the trails.  We found a maze mown into the ground and although it wasn't tall enough to get lost in, the kids loved finding their way through it.  One of their favourite features was a line of painted rocks that extended for many metres and we wished we had brought one with us to add to the snake of them along the side of the path.  The paths were wide and well maintained and the kids loved going off route to explore their own short cuts (which were usually much longer).
Bearsted Woods, the peoples woods, maidstone
Bearsted Woods, the peoples woods, maidstone
Bearsted Woods, the peoples woods, maidstone
Bearsted Woods, the peoples woods, maidstone
Bearsted Woods, the peoples woods, maidstone
Bearsted Woods, the peoples woods, maidstone
We planned our day so that the playground was at the end of our walk.  All through the woods there are 'trim trails' which are stations with instructions for specific exercises, like the monkey bars, balance beams and spots to do star jumps.  The main playground was great though and there was something for all ages.  If you live locally, it is a lovely place to spend an afternoon but there are no amenities in the woods so you do need to bring enough water and use the toilet before you arrive.  There is a small shop not far from the playground if you need to stock up on anything (we went on a very hot day and ran out of drinks before the end of it).  For any Pokemon Go enthusiasts, there are also lots of Pokestops and two gyms within the woods!
Bearsted Woods, the peoples woods, maidstone
Bearsted Woods, the peoples woods, maidstone
Bearsted Woods, the peoples woods, maidstone
Bearsted Woods, the peoples woods, maidstone
Bearsted Woods, the peoples woods, maidstone
Bearsted Woods, the peoples woods, maidstone
Bearsted Woods, the peoples woods, maidstone
Bearsted Woods, the peoples woods, maidstone
Bearsted Woods, the peoples woods, maidstone
Bearsted Woods, the peoples woods, maidstone
Bearsted Woods, the peoples woods, maidstone
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