Project 365 2017 Week 44

Project 365 2017 Week 43-44

Project 365 2017 Week 43-44 Day 295 – 308.

Sunday 22nd October – Day 295

Project 365 2017 Week 43

Daddy P and Monkey headed off to a model engineering exhibition in Warwick in the morning.  I had planned to go out with my tripod and catch up on my photography homework but I had so much blog work that needed doing.

In the afternoon we’d been invited to review The Fox Inn in Boars Hill and this is Monkey’s ‘Mummy stop taking photos’ face.  Lovely meal.

Monday 23rd October – Day 296

Project 365 2017 Week 43

Two peas in a pod.

I tried to break two of my toes having a fight with a wooden storage box.  I lost, and it frigging hurt, not the best start to half term.  Daddy P has taken the week off, so I sent him and Monkey off to the swimming pool while I made sure my foot was ok. I missed seeing Monkey swim a length of the pool for the first time, gutted.

Toes very sore and a bit bruised but I can move them so hoping all ok.

Tuesday 24th October – Day 297

Project 365 2017 Week 43

Daddy P’s birthday and we spent the day in Derbyshire.  We started at Kedleston Hall, and can thoroughly recommend their sausage and egg baps – yum!  It was a really quick stop before heading off to Crich Tramway Village for the rest of the day.  We got to have limitless tram rides for the day and into the evening.  There was also a Halloween themed trail through the woodland walk.  It was nearly 10pm before we got home, but we’d all enjoyed the day.  My middle toe is still not happy but it lasted the day so I was relieved.

Wednesday 25th October – Day 298

Project 365 2017 Week 43

We were all tired after yesterday so decided on a quieter day.  I’d spotted a Lego exhibition being held at Banbury Museum, so we headed over there.  It wasn’t as good as the one Monkey and I saw in Aylesbury in the summer holidays and the lighting was awful.  The London Bridge was very good but again the lighting was just shocking.  Daddy P spent his birthday money in M&S and we visited the traditional toy shop which sadly closes on Saturday.  It was rather depressing to walk round what had once been the heart of things for children in Banbury reduced to a few empty shelves.  We did grab bargain though and Monkey now has the Slurry Tanker he’s wanted for ages, so he left a happy boy.

In the late afternoon we picked up Daddy P’s sister and her husband and went out for dinner to The Akeman Inn.  It’s somewhere we haven’t been for years and the food was very nice.

Thursday 26th October – Day 299

Project 365 2017 Week 43

My youngest Niece heads off to New Zealand on Monday on a 2 year working visa, and it was time to say our good byes. We had a cuppa with her and I’d got a couple of things to give her for her trip.  One being a book my Auntie had given me nearly 20 years ago, a book to make you smile.  It was time for this Auntie to pass it on to her Niece in the hope it will keep her company on the other side of the world.

We then headed off to Stowe so Monkey could let off steam and we could all get some fresh air.  It also gave me the opportunity to try to get my photography homework done.  I’d given up on the idea of using a tripod and filters, just not practical with a 7 year old in tow.  But I got some good shots, so hopefully I’ll be forgiven.

Friday 27th October – Day 300

Project 365 2017 Week 43

We had been invited to West Midland Safari Park and could not have asked for better weather.  We were so lucky, and Monkey got to see lots of giraffes so he was over the moon.  A highlight for all of us was taking part in feeding time for the hippos.  We happened to be standing at just the spot where the keeper came along with her wheelbarrow full of cabbages.  Monkey and some other children happily threw the cabbages over the fence for the hungry hippos.  He loved it.

We headed into Kidderminster for dinner on the way home which helped us to avoid an issue on the M42.  A long day, but more memories were made.

Saturday 28th October – Day 301

Project 365 2017 Week 43

We had a quiet day at home and I let the menfolk carve Monkey’s pumpkin while I got on with some jobs in the house.

Sunday 29th October – Day 302

Project 365 2017 Week 44

The last day of the half term holidays and we didn’t want to stray too far from home.  We hadn’t been to Waddesdon Manor for a while so we headed over there after lunch for a few hours.  We found a path we hadn’t walked along before and Monkey made his father play sword sticks while I watched on.

On the way home I asked if we could stop at Brill so I could try to finish my homework.  Full sunset was still an hour away but I managed to get some shots I’m really pleased with before we headed home for hot chocolate and dinner.

Monday 30th October – Day 303

Project 365 2017 Week 44

Back to work for Daddy P, back to school for Monkey, and off to New Zealand for my Niece.  Quite a day.

It didn’t start well, with Monkey sobbing his heart out, running back home and generally making it known that he didn’t want to go to school.  I still find it heartbreaking, and it’s certainly harder to physically pull him to school these days.  But by the time I watched him in his school swimming lesson he was smiling and laughing.  Monkey! He did really well in his lesson, and was flying from one side of the pool to the other in backstroke, just needs to work on his stroke, but it’s all there.

After school he had Beavers and he came out of that with a huge smile on his face, and another pumpkin.

As my Niece headed off on her adventure I started to track her flights and sent her a few texts so she’d have something to read as she stopped along the way.

Tuesday 31st October – Day 304

Project 365 2017 Week 44

Thankfully a happier boy went off to school this morning and I headed off for a hair appointment, before cracking on with some work.

It was all about Halloween when I picked Monkey up from school.  He couldn’t wait to get changed and head out for some trick or treating adventures.  He was a real pro this year and filled up his bucket to the brim.  There was a lovely atmosphere around the estate.  We headed home for a hot chocolate and then he decided to put his mask on.  That’s only for at home apparently.  One happy boy checked through his stash and headed off to bed.

Wednesday 1st November – Day 305

Project 365 2017 Week 44

I headed into town after I’d dropped Monkey at school to pick up some photos and the car park was eerily empty.  Got some job done and headed home.  Our boiler was due for a service and the gas man was actually early, clean bill of health for the boiler, phew.

Monkey received a lovely random act of kindness in the post from Neesie Natters, who’d seen how much he loves giraffes on my Instagram feed.  Isn’t this lovely.  One very happy boy.

Not quite so happy at bedtime as we had tears over the idea of saying goodbye to the pumpkin he’d carved at Beavers. We agreed it could move out to the garden in the morning, rather than straight to the composting bin.

Thursday 2nd November – Day 306

Project 365 2017 Week 44

We put Fiery the Pumpkin out in the garden before school, you’d have thought it was a proper funeral!

I headed off to college and we went through our homework before discussing this half terms work.  It’s all about documentary photography, which I’m not such a fan of.

After school Monkey and I settled down no the sofa to watch Despicable Me 3 on a preview DVD we’d been sent ahead of Monday’s official release.  It’s very funny.

Friday 3rd November – Day 307

Project 365 2017 Week 44

I headed into Oxford after walking Monkey to school.  I had a meeting arranged at the University Museum of Natural History to drop off some of Dad’s insects and then went on to meet friends in the newly reopened Westgate for some retail therapy.  I had some documentary homework to do along the way but I’d left my notes on the topics I had to cover at home.  Winged it and hoping this might fit one of the categories.  We had lunch in Kupp and a hot air balloon rose up right in front of our rooftop window.

Back home and school pick up, the end of what seems a very long week.

Saturday 4th November – Day 308

Project 365 2017 Week 44

We had a Facetime catch up with my Niece in New Zealand and an early lunch before we headed off for a new experience with friends.  Monkey’s first visit to a trampoline park.  I wasn’t sure how this would go at all but he was really excited and it had been his idea.  We had a lunchtime slot, walked into the building and I knew we were in trouble.  It was really busy and he got upset and didn’t want to go in at all.  We managed to persuade him to put the socks on, but after the safety briefing it was obvious he wasn’t going to go in with his friend without me.  The staff were fab, I donned some socks and headed in with him, leaving our stuff with my friend.  No catch up over a coffee for us.  I forgot my phone was in my bag so I couldn’t get any shots of him until afterwards.  After a nervous start, by the end of the hour he was jumping around without holding on to me, and was loving it.  I wasn’t allowed to leave him, but he did have fun.  Not quite ready for a trampoline party though! But a year ago he wouldn’t even have tried jumping at all.

This evening it will be all about the fireworks.  Last year I spent most of the display playing with my camera.  This year I think I might just leave the DSLR at home and just enjoy the spectacle.  Let’s hope the rain stays away now.

Project 365



5 thoughts on “Project 365 2017 Week 43-44

  1. and you say i lead a busy life, you never stop, nice to see some family time over half term. sorry but the pumpkin funeral made me laugh, we’ve had similar meltdowns in the past. we’d have just gone home at the trampoline place, there’s no way my bladder would stand a challenge like that.lol

  2. A very busy couple of weeks with lots going on at half term. H hates going back to school, but he does get on with it even if it is reluctantly. I think you did the right thing with the photos and the fireworks.

  3. What a lovely gesture passing on the book to your Niece, hope she treasures it as much as you have and gets some comfort from it if she feels homesick.
    What a shame you missed his first length, but hope the toes are ok now.
    Happy belated birthday to Daddy P. sounds like you had some lovely family time.

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