Weekend...

We are having a fairly lazy weekend.

Staying indoors mostly, getting things ready for going back to school and having a de-cluttering session throughout our home.

It always feels good to get little jobs done that I've simply put off because we've been trying to make the most of our summer holidays with the children.

Autumn is now upon us, the transition from warm to cold weather although here in Ireland it's often hard to tell what season we are in most of the time. Today I've noticed a chill in the air and I'm sitting here writing this post with a heavy woollen cardigan. 

I do love this time of year.

This week has been lovely, we've been making the most out of the last few days of the summer holidays. Our Teen is back at school since Wednesdays and settled in already. I love the way that she takes everything in her stride.

We had a lovely evening together Thursday night just us girls and a cinema date - something we must do more often.

Our Inbetweener starts back on Monday and we have labelled all his books, bag is packed and ready to go. He is so eager to get back that his uniform is sitting out ready to put on.

Our Little Fella is just so much fun and hard work all at the same time. We've had lots of giggles this week and he is trying really hard to stand up - he's just so eager to walk - all in good time.

Tonight we are having Chinese takeaway and a bottle of wine.

Hoping your weekend is great xxx

Summer Holiday - Part 2 Beautiful Edinburgh

Edinburgh is one of the most beautiful cities I've been to and I would love to go back and explore it in more detail.

We had a fabulous time and there was loads of things to see and do for all the family. Both myself and Mr P were delighted that we had chosen to come here because everyone got to do a bit of what they wanted and believe me that's not always easy with our Teen and Inbetweener who do not like the same things.

Steeped in history you can easily transport yourself back a few centuries when you are walking along the cobbled streets taking in the amazing architecture.

Here are some photos from our visit...

Weekend...

It's Friday and I'm looking forward to the weekend.

Weekend is one of my new regular posts here on the blog. 

A summary of what's been happening in our lives throughout the week- the good, the bad and the ugly.

It's been a busy and expensive week getting the last bits and pieces ready before the older two go back to school. I'm glad that everything is ready because there's nothing worse than having this hang over your head.

Our Teen starts back into her fourth year at secondary school next week and the week after our Inbetweener goes into third class.

It was very exciting here last night when our Little Fella stood up on his own, for about ten seconds then fell back down again. He is itching to walk and I'm sure it won't be long.

Our Little Fella has not been sleeping well this week which in turn means sleep deprivation for me and Mr P - lots of it. I think he is teething. Thankfully things have settled a bit as the week has gone on but I'm fairly sure I could pack the contents of our house into the bags that are under my eyes.

We have a busy weekend planned with a birthday party this weekend for Mr P's mum, a teenage disco and a spot of shopping before the schools re-open.

Somewhere in the middle of all this I plan to grab some time to relax and open a bottle of wine.

Last weekend we went to the Giant's Causeway and this photo is of all of us but as you can see it's virtually impossible to get everybody looking at the right time.

We took about eight shots here and none of us are looking at the camera at the same time, maybe though these make for the best photos.

I hope you have had a great week and enjoy your weekend whatever your plans xxx

Our Day Trip to Giant's Causeway and Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge

On Saturday we headed off on our monthly day trip to the Giant's Causeway in Co Antrim to walk in the footsteps of giant's.

It's been a few years since we've been here and it was great to go back again with our Little Fella in tow. The drive along the famous Coastal Route is simply stunning and luckily enough the sun was shining for us yesterday.

When your driving along taking in your surroundings there's something calming about the landscape around you and it really is a great day out.

The first stop of the day was Dunluce Castle. This medieval castle was the headquarters of the MacDonnell Clan and dates back to the 13th Century. The views here are stunning and we all enjoyed taking in the scenery and having the wind blow through our hair.

The Giant's Causeway is truly beautiful and even though it was packed with visitors you still get a sense of peace and calm here and you would be surprised to find that a few hours go by in a flash.

It is great to see so many tourists from all over the world flocking here in vast numbers to appreciate the natural beauty of the area. 

As most of us know the Causeway was formed by an ancient volcanic eruption however it's much more fun to follow the legend of the great giant Fionn MacCumhaill. You can read the legend here.

The audio guide that was provided at the entrance was really well put together and our Inbetweener had great fun spotting all the features on the walk down and enjoying the story. On the other hand I'm really a child at heart and never grow tired of hearing this story myself and who's to say it's not real?

After we had some light refreshments in the visitors centre we drove towards the famous Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge.

Now this is not for the faint hearted. Here is the link to some more information about this fantastic place.

The bridge which is about 20 metres across and 30 metres above the sea links the mainland to the island of Carrickarede. We paid our entrance fee and walked just under a mile towards the bridge.

Mr P had our Little Fella in the baby sling and he was happy to be outside having the wind blowing in his face while the rest of us deliberated whether or not we were brave enough to actually cross the bridge.

I've said before I have a fear of heights and water. It was a bit stormy and after some time and assurances from the tour guides we all apart from Mr P and our Little Fella made our way across.

Our Inbetweener almost buckled when he first set foot on the bridge but we had come too far to turn back. The people who had already crossed the bridge were brilliant encouraging everybody along.

There's nothing like fear - fear of falling, fear of dying to make you move.

My legs were like jelly when I got across and I was a sickly shade of green. Our Inbetweener threw his arms in the air and shouted 'We've done it''. It's funny now writing this but all I could think of was that we would have cross it again to get back.

Anyway we lived to tell the tale it was truly a thrilling experience, not that we were in any real danger, nobody has actually ever fallen off the bridge!

After all that we drove into Portrush to have dinner, homemade ice-cream in Morelli's which is a must if your in the town and a bag of candy floss.

So all in all we had another great day out. The Giant's Causeway is one of the most beautiful places, right on our doorstep and perfect for a family day out.

Everybody was exhausted on the way home from all the walking and with our lungs full of lovely fresh air we had a great night's sleep.

Don't forget to check back next month for our latest adventure.

Joining in with Country Kids at Coombe Mill Blog. Please take some time to click on the badge and check out some of the other great adventures.

  

11 Months New

11 months today. Wow!

This time last year everybody was so excited and waiting hard on your arrival. I was hoping that you would arrive early just like your brother but you were in no panic. Now look how far you have come along in just 11  months.

You have turned our lives upside down and right round again. We have had the best fun watching you grow and seeing your cheeky personality shine through. You are definitely spoilt by the whole family.

You have seven teeth which are extremely sharp and I love the way you have a really cheeky little smile and show off all your teeth. You are such a happy little fella and are still always smiling.

You have had your first holiday to Edinburgh and enjoyed every minute of it. 

Standing up and moving around furniture is super fun as well as crawling at high speed across the floor. Once your off there's no stopping you. The stairs have also been mastered in the last month and I'm going to have to keep careful watch over you.

You have been sleeping in your own bedroom since last month and although sometimes you don't always manage to stay there all night you are making huge progress. 

Singing and clapping hands are still one of your favourite things and now you have started to dance to the music. It's so funny to watch and I love hearing you humming to your favourite songs.

Now it's time to start planning your first birthday party, I'm so excited and can't wait.

Love you xxx

Silent Sunday

Photo of the Week

I seriously don't know where the time is going. Each week seems to pass faster than the one before it. 

Somehow though this week I feel more organised and finding the right balance between work and home. Ever since I started my part time job things have been so hectic around here and I know now in my heart and soul that leaving my full time job was most definitely the right thing for me and more importantly our family.

Summer time is drawing to a close with every evening that passes and already I can see that our evenings are not as long.

As I look back on the year so far it has been great and I have made a mental note to make the most of what is left of our evenings, even if it's just going out for a walk to unwind.

Tomorrow we plan to have our monthly day trip joined by my sister and her husband. The Giant's Causeway is on the agenda and I'm really looking forward to it because I haven't been for a good few years. 

This week I've been toying with the idea of doing a photography course in September because since I've started this blog I really enjoy having the camera out and I am interested in learning more about it. I've decided to upgrade my camera and have started a 'camera fund'. I need to find out more about the course and see of I'm up to the challenge - this is on my 'to do' list for next week.

I finally found the time and energy to go through the photos from our holiday. This is one of my favourites and my photo of the week.

Forgive me if you think this is strange but we don't have phone boxes in Ireland like these and I think they are so quirky.

I hope your weekend is great.

XXX

Summer Holidays - Part 1 Tantallon Castle

This post is a week late but better late than never! I have finally found the time to sit down and go through our holiday photos there are quite literally loads but I have scaled down as much as I can.

The blog this week is dedicated to capturing our holiday memories, our first holiday as a family of five and our Little Fella was great and enjoyed being out and about every day getting spoiled by his big sister and big brother.

One of the first places we visited on our holiday was the very beautiful Tantallon Castle just a short drive from Dunbar.

It was such a lovely drive despite the rain and I will always remember gazing out of the car window at the beautiful yellow fields full of corn thinking to myself that this really is the life.

Thankfully the rain stopped not long after we arrived at the castle grounds.

Tantallon Castle is truly in the most beautiful setting on the edge of the coast opposite what is known as The Bass Rock and the sight of this as you drive towards it is breathtaking.

The castle was built in the 14th century by William Douglas, the 1st earl of Douglas, whose family was one of the most powerful in Scotland. 

We spent ages here enjoying the views, exploring the ruins and walking around.  Our lot had a great time which is always an added bonus especially after spending way too much time travelling the previous day.

The staff here were so friendly and helpful to us and I just loved the accents - so soft and gentle.

Here are some of our pictures from Tantallon Castle and The Bass Rock.

And if you are ever in this area I would recommend a visit because it's well worth it.

Joining in with Country Kids at Coombe Mill Blog, click on the badge to check out some of the other fabulous outdoor adventures.