I’m so late with my Living Arrows post this week. The time just seems to have got away from me somehow. And the boys are going to bed a bit later with it being the holidays, which is fine but leaves me even less time to do anything in the evenings!

We had another busy week last week. Toby was at Forest School all day on Monday while Gabe and I had a quiet day just the two of us. Tuesday was mostly spent at home – I managed to get out to my yoga class while Barry watched the boys for an hour and we had a quick trip to the park.

On Wednesday we went to an event the beach organised by Fylde Sand Dunes Project and Living Seas North West. They were running events all week as part of National Marine Week. We went to their Seashore Detectives event – we were given a list of things to try and find on the strand line (where everything ends up after the tide has gone out). We found lots of seaweed, some shells (including a full razor clam shell), whelk egg cases, some samphire, and unfortunately lots of rubbish!

I didn’t really get any pictures as it was very windy and I spent most of the time trying not to let all our finds blow away! After we’d done the seashore hunt we filled a bag with rubbish too. This wasn’t litter that had been left on the beach, just all the stuff that had been washed up from the sea.

We filled a bag in about 10 or 15 minutes from a small section of beach. It really makes it hit home why we’re doing our best to reduce our plastic use at home. If I’m honest Toby and Gabe weren’t that enthusiastic about picking up rubbish but I think Toby at least understood why I wanted us to do it.

Anyway, back to our week… On Thursday we went to soft play again, and then on Friday we had a day out with my friend Claire and her twins. We went to Apple Jacks Adventure Farm in Warrington. If you’re in the area it was a really good day out with loads to do. It had been really wet the night before but luckily the rain stayed away until early afternoon so we managed to fit in most of the activities the boys wanted to do.

On Saturday I finally managed to convince one of the boys to come and see Toy Story 4 with me – surprisingly it was Gabe not Toby but we had a lovely time and he really enjoyed it.

Sunday we spent the day at home (and I had a lovely lie in), and I finally got round to cutting Toby’s hair. I only usually do it every school holiday so it hadn’t been cut since May half term and it was well overdue a cut!

On Monday we went up to Rheged in the Lake District for their Brick Science Lego event with my brother. We spent just over an hour there which, for £4 each wasn’t too bad. There was plenty to do but it was a bit busy and overwhelming for the boys, well for Gabe at least, but they did enjoy it for the most part.

Before we came home my brother took us to look at a standing stone, called Mayburgh Henge just off the M6 near Penrith. Standing stones, stone circles, burial mounds and the like have been a big part of his life since he was a teenager so it was nice to introduce the boys to a bit of that too. I think Toby was pretty impressed that he could touch a stone that people out there 5000 years ago!

Yesteday Toby was at forest school again while Gabe and I did a bit of holiday shopping and celebrated his ‘pretend’ birthday. He’s actually four on Saturday when we’ll be travelling to France, so he had some presents and cake yesterday instead.

So there you have it, a busy week or so! The boys have still been squabbling but not quite as much as they were last week, so I’m hoping we’ve turned a corner and their behaviour is going to be better while we’re away and for the last week of the holidays when we get back. I can only hope right?!

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.