What's On - Family Activities for the Summer Holidays

I actually can't quite believe that the school summer holidays start today.

I've pulled together some of the activities that I've come across for Glasgow and the surrounding area. Do let me know if you have an event you'd like featured...

Saturday 27th June
Pirate Day at Heads of Ayr Farm Park

Tuesday 30th June
Superhero Academy, Bricks 4 kidz at Briarlands Farm, 2-4pm
Book here.

And if like us you love Lego, you'll also be interested in the Brick built - Iconic Creations in Lego Bricks which is running from now until 15 August 2015 at North Lanarkshire Heritage Centre. There is also a Lego room, open 10am - 4pm each day where you can create your own masterpieces (small charge applies).

Wednesday 1st July
Rapunzel - A Tangled Tale at Eastwood Park Theatre, 3pm
Family ticket is £15

Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th July
Family BBQ at Eastwood Park with burgers from Snooks Steakhouse

Sunday 5th July
Fancy Dress Fun at Eastwood Park Theatre, 1pm and 3.30pm
Family ticket £40

Wednesday 15th July
Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom at King's Theatre, £14.50-£31.50

I haven't made it along yet to the Saturday Art Club at GoMA, but this is running throughout the summer every Saturday 10.30am - 12 noon and it's free. 

If like me you've got to work during the holidays, you might be interested in Glasgow's first American style day camp, Camp Indy. I took part in BUNAC when I was at university and spent a summer working at a summer camp in Connecticut - it was brilliant fun. Camp Indy is aimed at 6-14 year olds and is based in the West End at Kelvinside Academy. One or two week sessions start from 27th July and are £35 for a day (8.30am - 5pm) or £150 per week.

Camp Indy

P.S. We're yet to have a family holiday abroad, but I have the chance to win £1000 towards a villa in Portugal with the Clickstay Mummy Blogger Awards. I'd really appreciate your vote - it takes just two clicks. No need to register or anything and you can vote up to once a day. So please take a second and click here... I really do appreciate your support.

Our October Holiday - Antics in Aberdeen and a trip to A&E

The kids and I had a super busy five nights for our half of the October holidays. We 'jumped in the car and broomed to Aberdeen' to stay with Auntie Ali and then we also managed to stop by my dad & Jo's for an overnight stay on the way back to Glasgow too.

On Friday we had lunch with my aunt, uncle and gran before heading back to Ali's house. We had a quiet night as we knew that Saturday was going to be a busy one...

Auntie Ali copied a YouTube tutorial to create a fishtail braid for the littlest's hair

We did some baking, thanks to Aldi. There's a competition to win a £50 voucher and a hamper with Aldi in this earlier blog post.

We did a photo shoot in Ali's home studio. I love this giggly photo of the littlest.

Next was time to face paint, and I let me daughter go crazy...

...and ended up at the park with this on my face!

My son with his face paint eye mask

Enjoying some silliness with friends :-)

The next day after breakfast we headed to Drum Castle for their Christmas craft fair...

It was a lovely crisp autumn day. Look at all the glorious colours in the fallen leaves!

The park at Drum Castle is fab - the kids loved it.

There was a zip slide, a willow maze, climbing frames etc all in gorgeous surroundings

I caught up with Life with Munchers for a bite to eat at Mains of Drum

And then this happened....

We had arrived at the car park at Hazlehead Park and we were very excited to be meeting lots of friends and family for a play which probably contributed to what happened next... My eldest tripped (if you know the car park, then you'll know it's not a good surface... it's loads of chuckies and is very bumpy) and literally fell flat on his face. I was pushing the buggy with littlest who was tired and he wasn't holding my hand. The crack was horrific. There was tonnes of screaming and blood was gushing from his nose, mouth and head. His forehead immediately stuck out in a massive lump, about 2cm out if not more. Another family stopped to help me which was so lovely of them, giving me baby wipes and helping me get back to my car. The wee man was complaining that his right eye was sore, so the littlest went with Granddad and Nanny Jo (when they arrived) to the park to meet the others whilst the eldest and I headed off to ARI A&E. He was an absolute star. He very quickly perked up thankfully and even more so once he got some ibuprofen mixture into him. The doctor, Marcus if I remember correctly, was fantastic and the nurses too. Lots of checks were done and then the cuts were cleaned up. Thankfully all was ok and we were sent home. I found the whole experience exhausting, terrifying and generally horrible. There were lots of tears...more mine than his! I felt like such a bad mummy.

 

Poor guy has two black eyes now :-(

But despite the black eyes, you wouldn't have known anything was wrong as he was just his usual self. He was even farting (loudly) on the hospital bed and laughing his head off and making me smell his sweaty socks during a silly game of 'I spy', and again laughing hysterically. 

Relaxing once the kids were in bed!

When did she get so grown up!?

At Granddad & Nanny Jo's in the garden. You'd think it was summer, but she insisted she was warm and didn't want a coat.

Relaxing in front of the fire... perfect end to the holiday.

{#ShareAdvent - Childhood memories}

I've shared quite a lot of my own childhood memories here on the Glasgow Mummy pages... from my favourite childhood books (that I still have to this day!) to my favourite childhood toy (again, that I still have to this day!!). I've even shared pictures from my Christmas in Doha when I was 10 years old... with a funny looking Christmas 'tree'! 

So for today's #ShareAdvent prompt, Childhood memories, I thought I'd share a recent discussion I had with my ex regarding my children and their childhood memories.

Apparently the situation with Gavin, my ex boyfriend, has scarred the children (not sure that was the actual words he used, but it was something along those lines) and that they still talk about him (they've mentioned his name once in front of me since June). Gavin came on a short holiday with the kids and myself (although there were other people there, like my cousin and my sister for parts of the trip) and the ex is of the opinion that I've ruined their memories of their first holiday. I did explain that Gavin was introduced as a friend and we weren't in physical contact with each other in front of the kids. Have I really ruined their memories? I'm not sure I agree. I can't even remember any holidays I went on when I was 6 or 7, let alone what I was doing between the ages of 2-4 years old.

I gave it considerable thought before Gavin met the kids, and it didn't work out. It was my decision to end things. I'm now in a position where I'd like my new boyfriend, R (who I have been seeing for 5 months) to meet them, but the ex thinks I'm being selfish and it's not in their best interests.

I know the situation is far from ideal and I didn't see myself being a separated single mummy. But I want to move on. Obviously I don't want to do anything to jeopardise the children's wellbeing or safety etc but is it selfish that I want R to meet them? They're a massive part of me and my life.

Would appreciate any relevant comments or suggestions on this, from either point of view.

{My Holiday in Photographs}

I've already posted a little about my 'holiday' with the kids... during my week I took a load of photographs, and so I thought I'd share a few more of them here with you...

My new book, which I'm still to finish.. I think I managed just a few chapters! Baby sleeping & cup of tea in hand!!

Toast & jam for breakfast - yum!

Feet up in the sun (grey patent trainers from Boden!)

Another cuppa!

The amazing glass doors out to the garden at my aunt & uncle's holiday home!

The peacock at Hazlehead Park, Aberdeen...such beautiful colours!

...and again!

Hello! (this lama had the most disturbing teeth!) 

The park...

...and again!

My son having his bedtime milk in Auntie Ali's chair that she 'picked up' in Glasgow!

Knackered!