The last days of summer

Last week we had the last few days of school holidays, and then Robbie went back to school. Boo. But we had a good week, and it looked like this:

Monday:
It was lovely sunny warm weather all week, and on a last minute whim, I decided to take the kids for a walk up a local hill. I had run (crawled) up there once before, but there was more to explore. We see this hill every day on the drive to school, so it was about time we went up it.

It was quite steep at the bottom, but the kids were really good, and didn't moan too much!

Chalk pit

All the way up we were the only people around, and didn't see anyone. Then at the top, there were quite a few walkers around, and several dogs. I realised that there was a car park near the top of the hill! The other walkers had driven up the other side and parked at the top - we might go for that option next time!

Top of the hill

Tuesday:
Pete went to work late today, so I went for my run at 7.30am - later than usual. I did some speed intervals round the park, which was fun. Later in the morning, we went to the local play park in the morning, and the kids played with some of the friends who will be in Emma's class at school. In the afternoon, we had to go supermarket shopping...yawn...

Wednesday:
The last day of the holidays! It was another sunny day, so we headed to the coast. It was quite cool at first, and we walked along the beach and stopped at a cafe for coffee and babyccinos.

Sunshine on the water

On the way back along the beach, we found an area of the pebbley beach with a patch of sand, and Emma was desperate to make a sandcastle. They decided to help each other to build a big castle, while I relaxed in the sun with my kindle. It was wonderful.

Playing in the sand

If it hadn't been for the fact that we were hungry and thirsty, we could have stayed there all day. The kids were so content playing on the beach, and it was better than soft play - free, quiet and more fun! We had most of the beach to ourselves.

Thursday:
I ran at 6.40am, intending to take it easy, but I met a runner who recognised me from Parkrun! He started chatting, and as I ran with him, I went much faster than usual to keep up, and it ended up as a really speedy run. When I got home, it was time to get ready as Robbie went back to school. He is in Year 2 now, with a new teacher, in a new classroom in a different part of the school. I hated leaving him there, and he was a bit quiet, which I didn't know how to interpret. Emma and I drove away feeling miserable. I looked forward to picking him up all day, and when we did, we met another family and joined them on a trip to the park. So it wasn't all bed! Needless to say, he'd had a good day and enjoyed being back.

Friday:
I ran at 6.45am, and this time it was nice and slow. After taking Robbie to school, I had to tidy as we had a visit from Emma's teacher in the morning! This is something they do here for new pupils, and Emma loved telling Mrs Jones about her new shoes, favourite toys etc. After school we went to a miniature railway, where the kids had a good play again.

Saturday:
More sunny weather, and we went to a park where Pete and I played a bit of basketball together (in a loose sense!), and Robbie and Emma rode round on their bikes. We didn't stay too long as it was so hot. In the afternoon, we went swimming, and stayed in the pool for ages. It was great fun, and I conquered my fears by going down the flume! I'd been down it once before but never again, so this time I made myself go 3 or 4 times. I found it quite terrifying, but fun too, and by the 4th go, I'd just about stopped shaking, although my heart was beating like mad. Of course Robbie and Emma have been down it several times and love it - they don't seem as scared as me...

Sunday:
I started the day with my long run - 8 miles. I picked a shady route, but it was still really hot. I aimed for a slow, easy pace, but picked it up in the last few miles. While I was out, Pete and the kids made a picnic, and then we went for a walk in the woods. It was lovely, and quite cool in the shade of the trees.

Shade

View of a White Horse

Views of the countryside

We found a bench next to a tree which was perfect for climbing, and sat down for lunch. After demolishing the sandwiches, Robbie shot up the tree like a squirrel - he just loves climbing. Then the rest of us had a go.

Picnic

Tree fun

After some more walking, we stopped at a tea rooms on the way home for a cream tea. It was a very posh place, but the tea was disappointing. The scones were expensive, and not very good!

This week the weather is set to cool down, and there is rain coming. But we made the most of last week, and hopefully that won't be the last of enjoying the sun just yet. I'm happy that we did so much really fun stuff, and that I still managed to run 20.3 miles!