Silent Sunday

Planes, trains and automobiles

Well, the trains and automobiles bit anyway. I haven't even seen a plane today.

Today has been a day of ups and downs. Despite feeling rough I have been dragged out of the house by my husband a children. We headed towards the beach in the biggest rain shower I have ever seen but thankfully when we got there the sun was shining. Then came the downs. We realised that we didn't have any money for a car park ticket and it was about half a mile walk back into town to the cashpoint (we didn't want to drive back as we'd found a car parking space and it was really busy). So I decided to walk, leaving hubby with the boys. The baby was fast asleep in the car so not a problem, right? Wrong. I'd just got to the cashpoint when I had a phone call from a very irate husband. The baby had woken up and started crying, and I had locked the car and had the car keys in my bag. I ran back to the car (not an easy feat as I am so unfit), in a state of panic. Hubby kept phoning and shouting at me for being so stupid, as if I could possibly feel any more worse than I already did. I eventually got there to find my gorgeous boy in a bath of sweat, screaming at the top of his lungs. It took lots of cuddles to console him but he did finally calm down. I feel like the worst mother in the world.

So, what to do to make it up to him? Ice-cream! Works every time. All four boys (hubby included) enjoyed an ice-cream on the promenade and things were looking up. The boys were happy, the sun was shining and there was a land train. The baby was so excited. He is obsessed with trains at the moment so we promised him a ride on it before we went home.

First it was time for the beach, as what's the point in a trip to the seaside if you don't actually get to play on the sand? The tide was out so the boys took full advantage of playing and getting soaking wet in the rock pools. The baby on the other hand dragged me back to the promenade to look for the train. I tried to take him to the park but he wasn't having any of it. He just wanted that train. And what my boy wants my boy gets (well, after I've locked him in a car anyway).

The train arrived and we all got on. And what did the little one do? He cried. Typical. I think he realised that it wasn't actually Thomas the Tank Engine. He did settle after a while and enjoyed the rest of the ride.

I didn't take half as many photos as I should have. I still haven't quite got the knack of doing that while trying to stop three excited boys running straight off the promenade. I did manage a few though.

A castle and a dragon hunt

We took the boys to Castell Coch today (Welsh for Red Castle)  Even though it's not far from where we live, I haven't been there since I was a little girl and every time I pass it I want to go inside.  Especially at night as it's all lit up so it actually looks red (the link I've included shows a picture of this).  It's not a real castle, though it is built on the foundations of one, but it is the most magical, fairytale building I have ever seen.  Another reason I wanted to take the boys there was to take them on a 'dragon hunt'.  I'd read about an amazing sculpture trail for children which includes a treasure chest, a fairy tree house and a scary dragon.  The boys were so excited.  Here's our day in pictures.....

Interior

Castell Coch

                           









The inside of the castle is just as amazing as the outside, with walls and ceilings painted with intricate drawings of animals and birds.  I'd forgotten how pretty it was.  The boys were amazed to find a bedroom at the top of a turret, with all the furniture completely intact.

Even the baby loved it

They can't wait to explore

After we'd examined every inch of the castle, with me having palpitations every time they walked down a steep, stone staircase without holding on, we went out into the grounds for a picnic.  It was bliss just lying on the grass on a beautiful Spring day.  

When everyone had eaten their fill we went off to find the dragon.  Now, this was something I hadn't done before so I had no idea where to look.  I had to send hubby to look at the map (my map reading skills are non-existent) and then off we went on our walk.  It was quite a way, and being quite warm plus having to carry the baby most of the way, it wasn't that easy.  But I'm so glad we did it.  Ethan was reciting verses from "We're Going On a Bear Hunt" (not exactly accurate we we understood the general idea!)  It was great fun.

Ollie having a walk
 

After walking up steep hills and along seemingly never ending paths (can you tell I'm not used to walking?!), we eventually came across the start of the sculpture trail.

Firstly, we discovered a spider.........

The boys were a bit scared as they thought it might come to life!  I blame Harry Potter for giving them a fear of wicked things in forests ;)

Next was a witches cauldron full of toads and creepy crawlies............

We were still on our dragon hunt and Ethan had his mighty sword ready to slay him.

And then we found him....... complete with a giants foot in his mouth.  What was he protecting I wonder?

We found carvings in the trees right by a fantastic treasure chest full of gold (I wish)

We'd found the treasure at last!  We'd hunted high and low, crept past defeated a spider, and slayed a dragon.  Hooray!  The boys were happy but exhausted and demanding ice-cream (erm, not a chance in the middle of the woods).  It was time to go home.

Zac is already looking forward to the next adventure

We're already planning where to go next weekend.  We're thinking dinosaurs....................

If you go down to the woods today....

You might meet a very sleepy tiger on your way home....

The Teddy Bears Picnic wore my little tiger out.