Off on Holiday

On Saturday Locket left for a holiday.

She went away with her best friend Estelle, and Estelle's dad.

Locket has always been a shy girl.

So this is a big step for her.

Part of my parenting has been to let the children have choice and do things in their own time.

I believe when they are ready they will take the steps they need to.

Sometimes a gentle push is needed :)

 Locket had a few questions and queries about the holiday.

In the main she was excited though.

 All packed and ready to go.

They were supposed to go on the Friday.

However Estelle's dad was unwell so leaving was delayed for a day.

A wise decision.

Better than trying to drive when you are ill.

Just about to head off. 

They were going camping near Napier

Eskdale Holiday Park is where they are staying.

I've heard from Locket a few times.

Not for a couple of days.

Then tonight she text to say she had hurt her leg and arm today.

Can't be too bad as I've heard nothing from Trev, Estelle's dad.

I do know she has used her new camera underwater.

I am looking forward to seeing the shots.

Meanwhile back at the ranch.....

Well, no ranch in sight. At the house.

We have been getting on with the re-decoration.

The end of the hallway, Pinex replaced with GIB.

 First coat of plaster applied.

I know other things happened that day too.

No idea what though!

On the Saturday we were back again.

This time Absent-Minded Prof & Moneypenny came too.

They had hired a steamer for two days to get wallpaper off.

  

Brains, kneeling, and A-M Prof working away in the kitchen.

The steamer took a while to heat up the water but when it had it worked well.

They hired it from Hirepool

Meanwhile Boar was giving the hallway a 2nd coat of plaster.

The ceiling is going to need scraping, sanding and painting. 

The paint is cracked and bubbled with age.

Moneypenny did some cleaning of walls in between seeing to 8wk old Poppet's needs.

I spent time sorting some things. . .still a fair bit to do.

Little Sunshine pottered around as 22 month olds do.

Here she is negotiating the steps - all 4 of them!

Easy for her as the place they are in now has a staircase.

Note the two different colours of lino on the kitchen floor.

That is in line to be replaced too.

In a little while though.

For a while we sat in the backyard.

It was lovely and sunny.

Around 2pm we stopped for the day.

I needed to take Mr P to see Mrs P.

I also brought Moneypenny and the two girls back to our place.

A gentle reminder that Poppet was only 8wks old,

not so very long since she was born.

Driving home Moneypenny commented that she was quite tired -

now she had stopped!

We enjoyed a cuppa while waiting for the men to return.

They'd stayed to continue steaming and plastering.