We’re now half way through the second week of our summer holidays and I’m actually quite relieved that it’s been a bit cooler since the weekend! We really didn’t do much last week – mostly stayed at home, playing in the garden or trying to keep cool inside.

On Saturday Gabe went to a trampoline park birthday party – it was the first indoor party we’ve been to since before the pandemic and it felt a bit strange but it was relatively quiet and he had a brilliant time. He had so much fun that he wants to go back and take Toby next time so I think we might take them on Gabe’s birthday in a few weeks.

Sunday was Street Monkeys as usual – there were only two other children in their class this week so they got loads of time to practice different skills. They were working on their balance this week and because Toby is much bigger, and older than the other children in the group he got to go onto a higher bar for his balancing.

Here he is climbing up to the higher bar – the younger ones just used the lower beam he’s about to pass. The group the boys are in at the moment is actually for 5 to 7 year olds so with Toby turning 8 a few weeks ago he’ll be moving up into the 8 -11 group in September. It will mean us being at Street Monkeys for two and a half hours on a Sunday but I think it will be much better for him to be pushed a bit more with the older kids.

I took Gabe’s picture when we got home from Street Monkeys – I was trying to get a mid-air shot of him jumping but this was the best I managed!

We’re going away next week – two nights in a hotel and a day at Legoland (which we still haven’t told the boys about!) and then four nights camping in Dorset. We’ve got a few things on this week but we mostly just on the countdown to our holiday now!

I asked on Instagram the other day if anyone had any tips for first time visitors to Legoland and got lots of good ideas but if anyone has any more then I’d love to hear them. The boys have never been to any sort of theme park before so I’m hoping they (and we!) have an amazing time!

This is my ninth year taking part in this linky celebrating childhood, based on a poem by Kahlil Gibran, “You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth” .

If you’d like to see the rest of my Living Arrows posts you can find them all here.