Project 365 2015 Week 36

Project 365 2015 Week 35-36

I’ve been joining in with Project 365 since the start of 2014, and been inspired by The Boy and Me to make sure I take a Photo A Day, Every Day, For A Year! Project 365 2015 Week 35-36 Days 235-248.

Sunday 23rd August – Day 235

Project 365 2015 Week 35

After the nightmare that was our return to swimming lessons last week, I got Daddy P organised and the three of us went swimming together this morning.  Monkey loved it, clearly doesn’t have an issue with water or the pool.  So it’s the teacher/children issue we need to resolve.

My son never ceases to amaze me.  He was invited to a birthday party this afternoon, a girl from the Nursery part of his class was turning 4 and was having a soft play party at the local garden centre.  This filled me with dread as Monkey isn’t great in these places but he really wanted to go.  So off we set, we got there before the birthday girl and Monkey was off, he loved it.  Not once did he want me to go in with him.  I actually got to have a cuppa, ever watchful, but a cuppa sitting down.  He wasn’t so keen on sitting with everyone to eat, but we negotiated and he sat on my lap and was happier then.

Monday 24th August – Day 236

Project 365 2015 Week 35

The Traffic Gods weren’t looking favourably on us today.  We were heading down to Wiltshire to spend the day with Monkey’s godmum and her daughter.  The weather was vile and the A34 decided that we really should spend 3 hours ‘enjoying’ the view from the southbound carriageway.  It wasn’t fun, but Monkey was brilliant.  We listened to his audiobook CDs and when even they had lost their appeal, he made a puppet show with his soft toys to entertain us.

When we finally arrived we all needed to get outside, whatever the weather.  We donned our wellies and waterproofs and headed off to the woods to make a bridge over a puddle. It was just what we needed.

Tuesday 25th August – Day 237

Project 365 2015 Week 35

We were meant to be driving up to Donnington for the day to watch the Formula E cars on one of their test days.  But Monkey and I were shattered after yesterday, it was raining and I just decided we really needed a quiet day at home.  It was the ideal time to finish Monkey’s school homework project.  I even got him to do a tiny bit of writing.

Wednesday 26th August – Day 238

Project 365 2015 Week 35

We drove up the motorway to spend the day with Iona and her Redpeffer kids.  She’d kindly bought Monkey all about the history of tractors and he insisted on showing it off to Daddy P as soon as he got home, and of course it was our bedtime reading that night (and most nights since!).

Thursday 27th August – Day 239

Project 365 2015 Week 35

We started the day with a bit of CBeebies in my bed with our breakfast.  Enjoying a lazy start to the day whilst we still can.

Then an old friend came over to see us for a few hours. I haven’t seen my friend K in a few years and Monkey can’t remember her at all.  It was as if we’d had a cuppa last week, I love friendships that can just start where they left off.  Monkey was on really good form, I’d expected him to be stuck to my side, saying nothing, but he was chatting away or playing upstairs the whole time.

We had swimming in the afternoon.  Monkey got in the pool with a bit of help, I had to sit on a tiny ledge by the side of the pool all lesson and he refused to do anything on his back. But he was in the pool and enjoying it.  His teacher is lovely and so patient and understanding.  We’ll get there.

Friday 28th August – Day 240

Project 365 2015 Week 35

My able assistant and I dropped Brewster off at the cattery and then headed home for a craft session.  Monkey wanted to make a pirate ship, with loo roll cannons and kitchen roll cannonballs.  He had a great time, I love watching his imagination at work.  I got everything packed for our trip and Daddy P caught up on some sleep and really did take the night off.

Saturday 29th August – Day 241

Project 365 2015 Week 35

We’d been invited up to York to review the Novotel and were so lucky with the weather. We walked along the city walls, explored the National Railway Museum and climbed up Clifford’s Tower before collapsing on a tour bus for an hour before dinner.  We really made the most of the day and Monkey loved every single minute.

Sunday 30th August – Day 242

Project 365 2015 Week 36

We spent a truly wonderful day on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.  Monkey has been obsessed with the line since seeing Yorkshire Steam on TV, and he was thrilled when we told him where we were going.  Then I discovered that Sir Nigel Gresley – an A4 loco in the same class as Mallard would be running, it was a childhood dream come true for me, a really magical experience for all of us.  We took the train from Pickering to Whitby and after having a fish and ships lunch, we walked up to Whitby Abbey and St Mary’s Church (very unusual layout inside).  The town was absolutely heaving, which freaked Monkey out and made it difficult to enjoy.  But other than that we had a really great time as you can see written all over his face in this photo.

Monday 31st August – Day 243

Project 365 2015 Week 36

We had planned to visiting Bollsover Castle on our way home from York, but it was pouring down so we decided to stay at the hotel a bit longer and have some fun in their swimming pool instead.

When we did start to head home Monkey kept himself occupied drawing Daddy P a picture, this is a new area for Monkey so I’m hoping it continues.  We were all shattered by the time we got home – early to bed all round.

Tuesday 1st September – Day 244

Project 365 2015 Week 36

Daddy P went back to work and Monkey and I headed off to pick Brewster up from the cattery.  Cue a day of said cat sulking and playing the ‘ I want to go out, I want to come in, I want to go out’ game – a post cattery favourite. Monkey and I had a day playing with trains, reliving our weekend experiences and just chilling out.

Wednesday 2nd September – Day 245

Project 365 2015 Week 36

The last day of the summer holidays and Monkey decided that he was going to wear his pj’s all day.  We did some craft things together and he got to grips with his new Aquabeads set. We’d had a lovely day together, although he spent a lot of it telling me he didn’t want to go to school and would be hitting the teachers when he got there.  Needless to say I didn’t sleep too well.

Thursday 3rd September – Day 246

Project 365 2015 Week 36

Yes, the first day of Year One, and if you’ve read my post, it wasn’t a total success but he was smiling at the end of the day, and we  made cakes to celebrate.  I decided to give his swimming lesson a miss (that may come back to bite me on the bum next week) so he could just chill out and tell me about his day in his own time with no added pressures.  He spoke to children he didn’t know (year 2’s in his class), you have no idea how huge this is, when he barely talks to my brother and sister-in-law.  We both went to bed happier.

Friday 4th September – Day 247

Project 365 2015 Week 35-36

With a bit of teacher assistance Monkey went into school without me for the first time ever – phew.  He had another good day, but still isn’t drinking from his water bottle all day. Came home and grumpy chops reappeared, really haven’t missed him over the holidays. Once he’d calmed down I set up a new train track we’d been sent to review and that cheered him up no end.  Getting a photo today was tricky, hence the rather shaky quality of this shot!

Saturday 5th September – Day 248

Project 365 2015 Week 35-36

We spent the day with my ex MIL, someone Monkey and I both have a special relationship with.  This is one of those photos where you really had to be there but we were all in fits of giggles.  A lovely day with lots of chat.

365

13 thoughts on “Project 365 2015 Week 35-36

  1. Ha ha, the last photo made me chuckle! What a monkey! Wow, you’ve been all over, no wonder you and monkey ahve been tired. So glad settling back into school is going well for him.

  2. Ahh it sounds like Monkey is enjoying going into school a little bit more each day. The car puppet show sounds fantastic, so good when they are entertained on long journeys else they can be a bit perilous can’t they?

  3. I love the expression on Monkey’s face on the train. It looks like you’ve had a busy and fun couple of weeks. It’s good to hear that he made it into school without you and was brave enough to speak to the children he didn’t know. You must be very proud.

  4. glad your son enjoyed his soft play and you got to have a cuppa. I’m in the UK next week and I’m looking forward to some of this wet weather and cooler temps. I’ve also got quite a few friends who I only see once a year or even less and it’s just like you describe, picking up where we left off

  5. Looks like school might be ok. I’m sure gradually he’ll get used to the swimming lessons again. We start next week – I’ve only taken him twice to a pool (both not really swimming, just fun stuff) so will be interesting to see what he does in the first lesson

  6. Hope Monkey settles in to school. Sounds like it went OK with him going in with his teacher. Lots of lovely photos!

  7. I love the patience of club teachers – the boys swimming teacher sounds ace. My boy has just started rugby and his coaches have been fab boosting his confidence. So great you got time for a drink at soft play – result!

  8. What a great end to the summer holidays – we love the NYMR. Sounds like Monkey had a good start to the school year, I hope it is continuing this week x

  9. Sounds like Monkey is doing really well – the swimming and the party sound like they went well, and there are definitely some good things about his return to school – talking to others in his class and going in without you – excellent 🙂

  10. he he he love the last picture with the tape over his mouth- brilliant idea!!
    Glad he enjoys swimming with you and daddy, proves you are right in persevering with the lessons.
    Oh no at 3 hrs stuck on the motorway, my idea of hell even with no children in the car, glad he was able to amuse not only himself but you as well. This is one of the occasions when an only child is a godsend – nobody to argue with when they get bored.

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