We did like to be beside the seaside part 2

We bought more buckets and spades and built sandcastles.  The tide washes the whole beach twice daily, so it’s always clean and fresh.  It worked rather well for us old ‘uns, tide came in during the morning and turned in the middle of the day, so we didn’t have to hurry down to the beach but had the whole afternoon and as much evening as we wanted there.  Crabbing and shrimping didn’t happen, there weren’t enough days, but the days passed happily.  They were in bed by 8, a bit later than at home, but that’s what holidays are for – and they chatted together for a good hour most nights, which we turned deaf ears to.

Meanwhile, Weeza and Phil took the opportunity for a few days away too and they went to Amsterdam.  They had a good time, they said, and were away from the children long enough – actually, I suspect it only took a few days – to miss them thoroughly.  They’ve been working very hard on their house and Phil’s father is very ill with a brain tumour, so there has been a lot of tension and anxiety in the family.  Time off from that is healing, of course, as we all know.  Phil went to spend the weekend with his mum after they returned home.

We quickly learned that the children needed food at regular intervals – so do most of us, but not necessarily hourly…  They are both tall and thin and we don’t know where they put it all.  They are no trouble to feed, plenty of prosciutto, salami, chorizo (yes, the pig looms large, I’m afraid), Marmite, vegetables, fruit, tortilla wraps with peanut butter or chocolate spread, pasta with pesto, cheese – I’d made it clear from the start that pancakes were off the menu, I was on holiday too, which was accepted with good grace.  Thank goodness, they never asked for a dish and then changed their mind once it arrived.  On the way home, we were astonishingly highly charged for soft drinks and sandwiches at a motorway Costa, but even those were eaten cheerily.

We’re already talking about next year.

2 comments on “We did like to be beside the seaside part 2

  1. Blue Witch

    You’re making wonderful memories for the young ‘uns there.

    Good to hear of sensible diets and sensible bed-times even during the holidays.

    A Year 6 teacher friend told me yesterday that recent ‘research’ in her class (in a ‘good’ area) found the average bed-time for an 11 year old was now 10.30pm, and only 3 of the 30 children regularly read before they go to sleep, while 20 are on some sort of electrical device. Scary stuff.

    Reply
    1. Z Post author

      Eloise managed to bring them up to love their beds and they never quibble about going to bed. 7 o’clock is usual for a school night though it slips during the holidays, of course. They always have bedtime stories and z in particular is a keen reader. She’s on Matilda at the moment.

      Reply

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