Project 366 2016 Week 42-43

Project 366 2016 Week 42-43

Project 366 2016 Week 42-43 Day 290-303 Sorry – there might be some boring fireplace shots here!  You’ve been warned.  Two weeks that saw Daddy P turn 50, with a surprise trip to Bristol, a meeting with The Gruffalo’s Child and ended with a Ferris Wheel, train journey and a space rocket.  Never a dull moment here you know.

Sunday 16th October – Day 290

Project 366 2016 Week 42-43

A day spent clearing clutter as we prepared to say goodbye (and good riddance) to the fire-place.  No doubt that Monkey is a bloggers child as he had to take a few photos of his own.

Monday 17th October – Day 291

Project 366 2016 Week 42-43

D-Day and the monstrosity came down quicker and easier than expected which was a pleasant surprise. Now I just need to source some matching skirting board.

In other news my car passed its MOT – phew and Monkey had a good evening at Beavers.

Tuesday 18th October – Day 292

Project 366 2016 Week 42-43

I spent most of the day catching up with work, trying to get ahead of myself with the half term holidays approaching. We had someone round in the afternoon to recess and cat the gas pipe in the living room.  He obviously needed to turn the gas supply off to do the work.  I didn’t think anything of it until I did the washing up after dinner and had no hot water.  No central heating.  Uum, what hasn’t the man done?  Our pilot light had gone out, Daddy P came home to try and ignite it, but it was having none of it.  So no nice relaxing bath for me tonight.

Wednesday 19th October – Day 293

Project 366 2016 Week 42-43

Monkey made a birthday video message for his Auntie J before school and the gasman came to look at the boiler, thankfully he had the magic touch and everything is working again.

I popped into town to pick up my homework photos for college and grabbed some last minute things for Daddy P’s 50th next week.  Squirreled them away before he could see.

In the afternoon I was helping in school with a little group of children.  They taught me how to make loom bands.  Then the whole class got to try Nettle Soup.  Another Mum and her daughter had made it as her homework on the Stone Age project.  One of the girls I’ve been spending time with over the last half term really didn’t want to try it.  So I had a little word and suggested we try it together.  She loved it and I was so chuffed she had a go even though she was unsure.  The soup was lovely, although Monkey wasn’t so convinced.  But he did want to crack on with his homework, so it did some good.

Play time after school was all about Monkey and his Playmobil aeroplane.  Most of his toys are still stored away so it was lovely to see him concentrate on something different for a change.

Thursday 20th October – Day 294

Project 366 2016 Week 42-43

My flowers from last week are still looking lovely.

I popped down to Homebase to pick up a few DIY bits for the living room and sanded down around the edges of the plaster so we can seal it with a coat of emulsion tomorrow, once it’s totally dry.

Had our shower and bath re-sealed and then picked monkey up from school.  He’s being making Stone Age things with clay this week at school, a house and jewellery I think, and has been full of it all.  Lovely to hear what he’s doing for a change.

Friday 21st October – Day 295

Project 366 2016 Week 42-43

A manic morning.  Dropped Monkey off at school and then had to catch Brewster to take him to the Cattery for a few days.  He’s getting wise to it all now and hid under Monkey’s bed.  One cat deposited I headed straight to college.  We talked through our Aperture homework assignments and compared photos before talking through composition ideas for our new homework assignment.

Straight home to wake Daddy P up, get him packed and paint over the plaster work.  We still need to get the hole around the gas pipe sorted (hopefully next week) but it’s already looking so much better.

Picked Monkey up from school and headed off for Daddy P’s surprise weekend away.

Saturday 22nd October – Day 296

Project 366 2016 Week 42-43

We arrived in Bristol last night, had a good nights sleep and were raring to explore the city. We’d never been before, but I had a list of ideas prepared for my steam mad men.  From the SS Great Britain, to the Steam Train ride at M Shed, they were in their element.  Throw in a trip around the harbour on the oldest steam tug boat in the world and my brownie points had been well-earned.

Sunday 23rd October – Day 297

Project 366 2016 Week 43

We’d had a really full on day yesterday, so we slowed the pace down with a later breakfast and an open-topped bus tour of the city.  It stopped right outside our hotel which was an added bonus. After lunch we got in the car and headed to the Clifton Suspension Bridge.  Daddy P is mad about Brunel, so no visit to Bristol would have been complete with a drive over the bridge.  I’d also discovered that free tours of the bridge were running til the end of the month, so we joined that too.  Monkey loved it all as much as Daddy P, but he was glad of a few minutes to just sit and admire the view.

Monday 24th October – Day 298

Project 366 2016 Week 42-43

Daddy P’s 50th birthday.  We checked out of the Novotel Bristol Centre and decided to drive over to Bath. We had a wander around the city before heading on to Westonbirt Arboretum.  We’d wanted to try out their treetop walk for months and thought it would be perfect timing to see the autumn colours.  I also got a reminder that no matter how much Monkey is growing up, he’s still a little boy at heart.  He was so thrilled to see The Gruffalo’s Child as we’d missed him on our last visit.

Tuesday 25th October – Day 299

Project 366 2016 Week 43

We’d had such a busy few days that today was all about recharging the batteries.  Daddy P was back at work, I had a mountain of washing to catch up on and Monkey got to play with his toys.  I think he got the better end of the deal.

Wednesday 26th October – Day 300

Project 366 2016 Week 43

One of those days that just evolves.  We’d planned to spend the day with my friend L and her son C, when I heard about a dinosaur event in Blackwells in Oxford.  We headed into the city earlier in the day, and made a beeline (no pun intended) for the Natural History Museum.  Monkey was so excited to show his friend where Gramps’s bugs are on display.

We then headed over to Blackwells to listen to Nicky Dee telling us all about her series of Dinosaur books.  We may well have come home with a couple.  You can never have too many dinosaur books, right?

We had a late lunch at Turtle Bay, I had a delicious Goat Curry, which took me right back to Jamaica.  There was just time for a quick whizz around the Ashmolean Museum before catching our bus home.  A lovely, full day out with friends.

Thursday 27th October – Day 301

Project 366 2016 Week 42-43

Monkey and I headed over to Stowe for a couple of hours.  We found a few stray conkers and just enjoyed walking around one of our favourite places.  I love how much he enjoys just going for a walk.  Of course sticks are always involved, and the walk is always turned into an adventure.  Simple pleasures.

Friday 28th October – Day 302

Project 366 2016 Week 42-43

We spent the day with my ex-MIL which involved lots of laughter, a large amount of pizza eating and a trip to the park.  Monkey was over the moon that the swing rope was back. Some hooligans had set fire to and destroyed the old one, and we all thought it wouldn’t be replaced.  Biff had to go for a ride with him of course.

Saturday 29th October – Day 303

Project 366 2016 Week 42-43

Look at that face.  Monkey has lusted after the K’Nex Ferris Wheel for so long.  It’s the main display in our local toy shop and we always have to stop and admire it.  Imagine his delight when we received a surprise delivery from K’Nex yesterday and this set was included.

After we’d finished building the Ferris Wheel Monkey and I caught the train to Banbury to watch Alfie White: Space Explorer at The Mill Arts Centre.  It’s a very clever 2 man production.



5 thoughts on “Project 366 2016 Week 42-43

  1. I love Bristol and would like to explore it more – great place for steam lovers! I’m inspired to do something wit my awful fireplace too – hoping for a woodburner 11 years after moving in!

  2. Happy belated 50th birthday to Daddy P. Sounds like you planned well and they both enjoyed the time away.
    Well done on building the ferris wheel. Every right to look proud.
    Never understand why people need to vandalise things.

  3. looks like your husband had a fab 50th and was enjoyed by you all when you visited Bristol. We had the knex ferris wheel set for our kids, they loved it and it sat on our landing for a long time, with them constantly playing with it

  4. A busy couple of weeks for you. We needed to source matching skirting for a very similar job at our old house. We removed a fireplace of about the same era as yours, but sadly ours extended much beyond the actual fireplace.

  5. It looks like you had a lovely trip for Daddy P’s birthday. We always enjoy a trip to Bristol. Your trip to Oxford sounded pretty full-on too. Good work with the ferris wheel! My younger son is a whizz with K’Nex, but I can’t do it myself!

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