The Summer so far… (plus free downloadable calendar)

Wow can you believe it’s August already! We’re three weeks into the Summer holidays and time is racing headlong towards Curly Girl’s first day at big school on 3 September *gulp*.

So far we’ve had a busy few weeks with beach trips, birthdays, school uniform fittings and days out here and there. Oh and it’s been hot here in the East of England. Yeah, I know it’s been hot everywhere but 30 degrees in the baby’s room…seriously? I know I shouldn’t be complaining but that’s just a teensy bit too hot. Thankfully it’s cooled down a bit now (I know I’m tempting the wrath of the weather gods here), still shorts and t-shirts weather but without the gasping for breath.

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Every holiday I put together a paper calendar for Curly Girl and stick it on the wall in the kitchen so that she can see what we’re up to from day to day. It helps her to see what’s coming up and helps me to see at a glance which days are home days and which days we’re going to be out and about. It’s a simple table divided into three columns – the day and date are in the first one, then a morning and afternoon column where I can cut and stick on pictures that Curly Girl will recognise as swimming, holiday, zoo, drama club etc. I’ve had quite a lot of interest in the calendar so I’ve made a special one just for you lot – you can download it for free here, print it off and use it as you want. You can write the date underneath the days, use words or pictures for your activities or get the kids involved and let them chose how it looks. Your call.

At the moment Little Man is suffering from a summer cold and not a very happy chappy; full of snot with no way to get it out. He’s also taken to puking when he coughs which is fairly often and not the most pleasant of experiences. This all started when he realised, rather craftily, that he could attract my attention by coughing. Unfortunately on one occasion he coughed a bit too much and made himself sick. Of course this garnered him no end of attention as much running around ensued at his expense. ‘What fun!’ he thought. And so now when he thinks I’m not paying enough attention he coughs. Learning cause and effect at eight months old. Who knew?

My favourite purchase of the summer so far is this cool travel highchair – the Concord Lima. We weren’t sent this to review I hasten to add, I bought it because it looked like exactly what we needed to pop the baby in when we’re on picnics or out and about and it folds flat. You can use it on the floor (like the pic of Little Man on the left) or attach it to any chair. It’s super light and very sturdy, has a lap strap to keep baby secure, a removable tray and best of all the cover comes off completely so you can sponge it or pop it in the washing machine. Which, considering the ahem… ‘coughing’ that’s been going on around here has been more of a necessity than a bonus. Ho hum. It’s a bit pricey at around £60 but I thoroughly recommend it.

Following our failed holiday in Spain a couple of months ago where we had to drive home a week early through the night when the antibiotics I was taking for a rather nasty infection stopped working, we’ve decided to have a staycation rather than going away again. So we’re off to Scotland! I’m super excited as I spent many a holiday there as a child and thoroughly enjoyed every minute. At least that’s how I remember it. There were some midges I seem to recall. And lots of hill walking. But most of all, I remember the breakfasts we had in our farm cottage B&B. Freshly baked oatcakes… is there a more comforting smell in the whole world? This time we’re staying in a rather lovely log cabin with a hot tub. Yep if we were camping we’d be glamping. I’m too old for roughing it and besides, it’s our ten year wedding anniversary so I think we deserve it. Not for us the weekend away sans children – nope we’re all in it together and WE WILL HAVE FUN. There, if it’s in capital letters it must be true.

With all this going on there hasn’t been much time for blogging but it’s Curly Girl’s last Summer before school so forgive me but I’m making the most of it. I am planning a few more giveaways over the coming weeks (there’s still time for you to enter my to win one of two copies of ‘The Day The Crayons Quit’ by Drew Daywalt) plus a round up of fab Back To School products for the end of August. In the meantime have a wonderful Summer!