Wednesday 27 August 2014

Harbour Day 2014

This is the biggest fundraising day of the year for the RNLI in Amble, the town I grew up in and the town where my parents still live. 

This year it was extra special as Amble is trying to raise £200,000 for a new Shannon Class lifeboat to come on station in 2017 just as our current all weather boat is coming to the end of its service life.


This year the event was opened by crime writer Ann Cleaves, Who was also launching the paperback version of one of her books, which features Cliff House in Amble on its front cover.


There was loads happening on the day from the normal Sunday market to stalls around the lifeboat station and in the Harbor quayside car park to raise money for the Shannon appeal. These included tombolas, raffles, Motorbike rides, cake stalls and much more with all the money raised going towards the appeal.



In the afternoon there was due to be a mock rescue done with our two boats and the RAF Sea king helicopter which sadly couldn't make it due to a diver going missing that morning and sadly had not been found by the afternoon.


The lifeboat crews though still brought out both the boats and did stunts in the water to show the crowds what they do. They even did a "push the lifeboat man in the water" on the dock side by the lifeboat station which actually raised £45 all on its own.


The grand total for the 2014 day was £10,000 which is brilliant. Watch out for more news coming on the blog as fundraising takes hold for the new boat!


My little baby is two.

If you follow me on twitter you will know my gorgeous little boy turned two yesterday (26/08).

What a day we had. It started pretty early as we were going out for the day with my parents and we wanted to give James his presents before we went off for the day.



We got him a children's Henry Hoover as he is totally obsessed with our Henry or as he says daddies Henry. Hen there was a peppa pig noisy book, a new Thomas backpack, some building blocks and a trunki snoozy head for when he's in the car or on the bus. We also took him to see milkshake live party party the day before (25/08).

 

So for James actual big day we decided to take him to York as he is mad on trains and Andy has never been there so we thought a nice wander round the streets trip to the Minster then up to railway museum before heading back up home for tea and cake.

First off the park and ride system York has is amazing. We parked at Poppelton Bar which is a new site for 2014 and what a site it is. Beautiful waiting room with toilets and baby changing, a massive car park and even electric buses. It runs every ten minutes into the city centre and drops off by Clifford's Tower, round the corner from the Hilton hotel and next to old fire station. From there is was a short walk into the city centre past Jorvik. We took James to change his bum and by time we got out of Marks and Spencer's he was so tired he asked for his dummy and blankie and swiftly passed out.

So onto York Minster. Now I haven't been to York for about six years and neither have my parents and what a change, they now charge £10 per person to get in, which means it would have cost our family £40 to visit. Needless to say we swiftly left and paid a quick visit to the shop but again didn't actually buy anything.



James had been given £10 from a neighbour of mum and dad for his birthday so we brought this along for him. James woke up literally just after we arrived at the railway museum which he absolutely loved. We did have a few tantrums when he had to get off certain things or couldn't touch things but mostly he was a really good boy. He got a new teddy with his birthday money.




We then took a nice walk back into the city centre and went and got frozen yoghurt at yogi which was so nice. I had strawberry and mum had mango and yes James sampled and loved both. 

The day was rounded off by stopping at tesco to grab a small birthday cake and a number two candle.


 The birthday boy was bathed and fast asleep on mummies shoulder by half past seven.

Wednesday 20 August 2014

Sunderland Air Show 2014

So seeing as James is 23 months old and totally obsessed with planes. We decided to go down to Sunderland air show. We were planning on staying all afternoon but it was just too hot and after being crammed so tight on the metro that we couldn't even drink a bottle of water, we were feeling a bit ill, we ended up leaving after a couple of hours and didn't see the red arrows :( But what we did see was absolutely amazing. 

First up we saw the RAF Falcons Parachute display team and oh my god they were amazing! The way they controlled the parachutes in the movements was amazing.







We then saw some of the older aircrafts I think they were called Brettlings n they were flying in brilliant formations. Even though by this point I was feeling really hot n bothered I still managed to take some ace photos of them.




We then saw an RAF Typhoon do its stunts. This one was so loud it literally made me jump and made my ears hurt. The noise didn't seem to bother James which I found really odd. You could see the orange from its engines when he fired them up!


After the Typhoon we saw the Blades display team. This was one of my favorite things we saw at the airshow. The way they were flying the planes and stunts they were doing were brilliant! Since watching them at Sunderland I have started following them on twitter and looking at videos of them on you tube.





There was then a helicopter display which I didn't get any photos of as by this point I was feeling really ill and we left the seafront and walked back to the metro.

If we go next year I will take lots more water and be more prepared hopefully the weather won't be as hot as this year!! 

The Banardos Big Toddle

Wow I can't believe its taken me this long to write about the Big Toddle that James did with Toddler group last month!! We decided as it was a nice day we would walk to Toddlers and James would go on his trike.




Normally when James is outside you cannot stop him running around and generally causing mischief, but this day James well he did not want to toddle. He wanted daddy to carry him round the course which of course we couldn't do so Andy basically had to drag the poor boy around.

Eventually on the last few hundred yards we decided to do the whole one two three swing and he loved it. He even got a medal at the end. 

We will find out in the next few weeks how much money our group raised. 






Saturday 16 August 2014

Terrible Twos

Soit's official my sweet innocent son has become a little devil!

James turns two a week on Tuesday and he is well into full on tantrum mode. He has a tantrum about virtually everything and he thinks if he flashes his little smile he will win us all over.

Today's tantrums started before we even left the house. He didn't want a nappy change, then he didn't want his clothes on. But as soon as he knew he was going to see nana and gaga he soon forgot and let us dress him and get him into his buggy.

Tantrum two was leaving Burger King as he needed a nappy change and didn't want to go back into the buggy, he wanted nana to carry him which on this occasion she did. He was as good as gold as he got his own way.

Tantrum three again he didn't want to get back in his buggy after his nappy change, again he wanted nana to carry him but this time she said walk or buggy and James kept going I walk I walk then suddenly wanted a carry again. We eventually got out Fenwick in one piece after mummy purchased part of a birthday present, then as we got out the lift James decided to hit the alarm button argh que cross mummy! Finally we bribed him back into buggy with his drink. 

Tantrum four oh that was a biggie. My dad's just got a new car and well James being James is totally obsessed with it. As soon as he knew he was going into the car he was a happy boy but once we got to tesco and he had to get out the car and go back into his buggy to go home ohh boy tantrum Central! He was screaming his head off shouting I stay here I stay here. Took both me and my dad to get him into buggy and strapped in. He then screamed the whole way through car park and onto metro. He only stopped when he realised he was nearly home and he would see daddy.

He crashed out not long after five but has been waking up every so often for a cuddle as the high winds we are having here tonight keep waking him up.

This is James right now crashed out next to me in the big bed!!!


Haven't blogged in ages

Yikes I kinda lost my blogging way. 

I have a number of posts in draft ready to post but finding time with a toddler in terrible twos has really taken up my time.

James is about to turn two and we are taking him to milkshake live party party! I think mummy is more excited though!!