I’ve got a bit behind again (so what’s new?!) so I’m going to write a double post this week. I said in my last post that the summer holidays were flying by and they really are – I can’t believe we’re half way through already! We’ve had another busy few weeks with a camping trip last weekend, a visit to see my brother, a night at Cub camp for me and Toby and a trip to the opticians for all of us.

Last weekend we went camping with another family, back to the campsite in Bolton-Le-Sands that we went to at the start of May. Camping always seems like a lot of effort when we’re only staying for two nights but we all had a really good weekend with our friends. It’s always easier when the boys have got other people to play with!

While we were away we went to the Lakeland Wildlife Oasis – a little zoo about 15 minutes from our campsite. If you’re ever in the area I would recommend a visit. It’s not very big but big enough to spend a couple of hours there without the kids getting to tired or bored! I took these photos of Toby and Gabe while we were there with a rather appropriate sign in the background!

Toby decided though that he would make a little change to the sign…

After our camping weekend, and a day at home to recover, we took my mum for a day out in Hebden Bridge with my brother. It was another chance to put our new car to the test – the boys were very excited to sit in the ‘back back’ third row of seats so we could all fit in.

On Wednesday I took the boys to get their eyes tested. Toby’s vision is fine, but it turns out Gabe needs glasses. They’d told us last year he was a little bit long-sighted, and that hasn’t really changed but the glasses are to correct his astigmatism and help when he’s focussing on something. Thankfully he was really excited to get glasses and so far seems happy to wear them so it looks like that’s one battle I won’t have to fight! I think he really suits them as well…

On Thursday Toby and I spent the day and night at a big Scout camp up in Cumbria. There were 3000 Scouts and leaders on site who had been there all week but the Cubs just got to go up for a day and one night of camping. We learned all about Vikings and Toby made a cool Viking sword and shield. It was a lot of fun but very very hot during the day but really cold overnight so we didn’t get a huge amount of sleep, not that I ever do on Cub camp anyway!

To round off our week we spent the day with my friends Claire and Dave and their twins at their house down in Wales. The boys all kept cool in the paddling pool while we stayed in the shade and tried not to move too much while having a much needed catch up.

So, it’s been quite a busy couple of weeks. We’ve got a few things on this week, not least Gabe’s birthday on Wednesday, and then on Friday we’re off to France for a week! It’s no bad thing but it feels like these holidays are just non-stop!

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.