Autumn Brings the Fair

For me, I absolutely adore Autunm.
Autumn means: hot chocolate and marshmallows, apple and blackberry crumble and cooler weather that excuses more snuggling up in cosy jumpers and extra blankets! It means carnival, fireworks and I am also a bit of a Halloween fan too! Nature just does something wonderful with colour and change. There really is something about this season that generally makes me very happy.

Autumn also becomes more official for me with the arrival of the annual fair.

Bridgwater Fair

It comes to our town the last Wednesday to Saturday of September. I thought I had outgrown the candy floss and excitement, but it turns out that having children of our own has reignited that all over again.

So, we took the tiddlers to the fair on Thursday and again on Saturday.

OJ was quiet to start with. I don't blame him. I knelt down with him at one point to get a feel for what he was experiencing, and man, you have to be pretty tough to be a two year old with all that loud, buzzing atmosphere going on around you. All you could see were legs at his level! Mind you, it didn't take the little nipper long to get into the swing of things. He wanted to get on all the rides, (he even took mummy on the carousel!) he wanted to play hook the duck (he won a monster tube of bubbles and a a soft toy duck for his his little bro') and of course, he decided that Daddy should win him a fish...

And so, we have ended up with this little beauty:

He's kinda cute as far as goldfish go. OJ has decided to call him "Bubbles" (though the hubby wanted to call him: "Lieutenant Shiny Sides" after a Family Guy sketch... best not ask...) and though a bit of a predictable fish name, it works!
Can you believe I have never owned a goldfish before? So this addition to the family will be interesting. He is also therapeutic to watch...

I have been warned not to get attached to the little critter as being a Fair fish, his chances are slim. (Something to do with the fact they have probably been bred as "feeder"fish and are subjected to a hell of a lot of stress) but, he's been with us since Thursday and appears happy enough!

We shared some really special, family moments over the weekend. Ones that will stay with us. There is something wonderful about sharing hot doughnuts on a breezy, autumn afternoon and watching the little 'uns wonder at the world.

And our little Zman? He dealt with things in his own way...

Asleep!

What do you guys love about Autumn?!

An Extra-Ordinary Weekend

*WARNING* May be a rather long ramble, prepare by arming with favourite beverage!

Have you ever had one of those weekends where nothing amazing happens but it just feels so fantastic anyway?! One of those times when you feel so grateful that you have what you do have...


Well, on Friday it started out with a bit of false hope. I had entered a writing competition. I sent a short children's story to win a place at Swanwick in August. It's a writer's dream... Or so the reviews say. A whole week is spent going to relevant workshops and lectures of your choice.

It would be amazing to get a place on this writer's haven!

So naturally, when the phone went and the lady on the other end said she was from the competition department... (you can imagine can't you?!) My heart went into over-drive and I don't think I took a breath... until she said she had only called to tell me that my submission had been received two weeks (!) after the submission deadline... and did I want her to shred it or send it back?!!  I felt like I had sunk right into my boots. I tried to tell her that I had actually sent the submission two weeks before the deadline; but how could I argue my point with her and not come across as a sore loser?!? Rules are rules, and do acts of God count? I was absolutely defeated and felt miserable as a result.
It wasn't that I believed that I would actually win this comp; oh no, I didn't even think I would have come close, but I had worked so hard on the submission. I had stayed up to unholy hours just to get it sent off early... just in case...

Some things just aren't meant to be...

So, back to point...

THINGS GOT BETTER!
YAY!!!


Friday
So after all that, and after I told myself "Pull yourself together girl, it was a writing competition." I took my little 'uns for a walk down by the canal. I used to walk there all the time with my family. It was one of my favourite places. I used to love dad telling me what he had learnt about it; like how to spot a moorhen, or how he reckoned huge pike swam in there...
We took some bread and looked for some willing, hungry ducks. My lad was starting to get impatient as the ducks must have been chilling out somewhere else; the baby couldn't care less as he was snoozing in the pram. But just as I had given up hope and was trying to coax my son into the idea of leaving without any ducky sightings, we found...

Swans! And much to my sons delight she had her babies with her!
What was so special about this day, was that I took a walk with my children down memory lane and also made new memories a long the way.
My children's fascination, excitement and curiosity is infectious and brightens my day.

Saturday
Boring, boring, boring... Until we went out to the supermarket and decided we had time to have a break in the cafe!
All normal stuff granted, but again, it was my son's experience of the experience that made the whole thing so exciting.
He was so good mind you. He wanted to walk (ooooh, the independence) and he proved to us that he could follow all the provisos we put in place. He had to hold my hand, not touch anything and not kick and scream when it was time to go... That's high expectations of a two year old, but with gentle reassurance (and a few reminders that failure to comply meant riding in the trolley, or even worse, back to the car with no cafe experience... Mummy plays hardball...) he managed to stick to it.
I was so very proud of him. He sat beautifully whilst drinking his milk through a straw and watching the world with his big, blue eyes.

Sunday
My son was a TIGER!
Oh yeah people, we know how to spend our Sunday mornings!

The best tiger's tail

It started with my son pulling off daddy's belt from his dressing gown; which was hanging on the back of the bedroom door. He was running around and saying RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAGH with it trailing behind him. So, I tied the belt around his waist and told him it was the perfect tigers tail and why didn't he give it a swish? To which he swung his bottom to and fro as best as he could. It had me in absolute stitches!

We also had fun in the park where he son discovered the tyre swing!

Children remind us how to be children and play! It's fabulous!




I also had a baking triumph.... Check it out:

Blueberry muffins! *SCOFF!*


So there you have it, my extra-ORDINARY weekend!
Hope you had a great one too; please do share your best moment of the weekend!