Cornish Tales

Twelve went to Cornwall and.....

:: Discovered new beaches (Sennen Cove) ::

:: Gathered Hearts ::

:: Built Towers ::

:: Teeny Tiny Sea Glass ::

:: Built Sandcastles ::

& Cornish Pasties

:: Body Boarded ::

& Wave Bobbed

:: Lunched at Charlies in Charlestown ::

:: Mooched & Purchased in Atishoo Gallery (Charlestown) ::

:: Built Dens in The Eden Project ::

:: Watched The No Fit State Circus at The Eden Project :: 

:: Ate woodfired Pizza at Polzeath ::

:: Dipped candles at the St Eval Candle Company ::

:: Photographed ::

 :: Gained a Hitch Hiker ::

:: Found a Grey Door ::

 :: Splidged in PJ's ::

::  & had the first Mummy & ..... written in the sand ::

Facing The Fear

So this weekend I drove to Northumberland on my own with the small people.

:: I drove. On my own. To Northumberland::

This is mahoosive. This was Girl Power. This was me Facing the Fear.

Anybody who knows me would tell you I am happy to pootle around country lanes, villages & our small town. I can drive on the M1 - 2 junctions, 3 roundabouts to IKEA - 3 junctions & 2 roundabouts to my bestest friends house. Ask me to drive to Sheffield, Derby or any where else & I go into meltdown. Total meltdown, even with the aid of a sat nav, I am a bag of nerves. 

:: The sort of nerves that see me drive down a tramline route. The wrong way. In Sheffield ::

So I must have been overtired, deluded or hormonal when I decided to drive to a family christening 

:: On my own. To Northumberland::

Saturday

The 11 year old reassures me that he will help me follow the route. Quite how Pokemon Battles helped, other than to keep him quiet I do not know - although there is something utterly heartwarming watching

him hug his beloved Eye-ore all the way there & back. (On reflection, it have been silent, fear induced Eye-ore holding ) He's on the threshold of teenage hormones & angst, but still young in so many ways.

In the back the 8 year old was also suitably entertained.

Just over 3 hours later we arrived. One stop at Wetherby. In one piece. No arguments or shouty mummy moments. One call to G to say I couldn't find the Holiday Inn (someone put trees in front on purpose to make it hard for me)

I then managed to get to my brothers house (4 roundabouts, 2 right, 2 left turns) for a pre-christening bonding session. Before returning to the hotel (actually I went back to his house by accident first, someone moved the roads round when I wasn't looking).

Smalls occupied. Me occupied. All in control.

Sunday.

After an interesting nights sleep (the 8 year old talks in her sleep, & pinches - rather too well as I found out). We awoke & got ready for breakfast. 40 minutes later, one Ribeana spill down the only clean blouse a certain 8 year old had, face soap, trouser press, hairdryer & borrowed iron we finally made it. 

My brother is lucky enough to live a very short drive away from the sea. 10 whole minutes away. You may feel my jealousy as I type this (in a sisterly way). 

Oh I have beach envy. Serious beach envy. The call of the sea is something I cannot resist.Especially when he is already there with his eldest little one.

Now she just rocks - as only a 2 year old can. Utterly beautiful. Enchanting with her chatter. Totally adored by the 11 year old. I even said to my brother that I couldn't believe he could make such a beautiful child (in a sisterly way)

And this hour, with the children, on the beach, in the fresh air, paddling in the water, gathering, digging, playing. 

It made Facing the Fear worthwhile. 

Precious moments, made all the greater, knowing that 

:: I drove. On my own. To Northumberland::

If I did it once, I can do it again. That my little ones may be able to grow up seeing more of their cousins than I thought they would. If I can manage this drive, and two children, an overnight stay on my own, where else could I go? that thought is empowering.

My beautiful girl gathered me jet black pebbles from the beach. They will go in a jar. To remind me

:: I drove. On my own. To Northumberland::

I swear, I'm almost. Fearless. Well a little bit less than I was.... 

Lx

(& the Christening was just Perfect)

:: It was good in Cornwall :: Part Two

Our last day & one of the best. Last days are always a mixed bag for me. I start to get antsy to get home 2-3 days before we are due to leave, yet still wish I wasn't leaving.

Rather than try & get wet suits dry overnight for packing we decided to have a 'dry' last day, and the family vote went to the Eden Project. It's a firm favourite with the 10 year old, although we've learnt to space visits out every couple of years (so overkill of the domes). For the smallest one, its still very exciting, she doesnt remember much from the last visit.

We ate lunch in the Eden Bakery, the new self serve restaurant, under my-kind-of flying critters. Food is prepared in the main section, and customers self serve a portion on a plank of wood, help themselves to a hanging cup, fill, eat & drink. At the end, and you tell the staff what you ate, & pay up - according to one of the staff  there is a 95% honesty rate.

And the food was delicious....

I so want some of thease....

And she so wanted one of these...

And there was den building for the boys...

We ran out of time, but will be back. The Eden project isnt a cheap ticket, but once registered, the tickets are valid for a year, and you can get a really good, activity packed day out of it, with no sneaky extras to pay for...

Then we headed off to Sam's on the beach at Polkeris. It is our favourite place to eat in Cornwall. The other half to Sam's at Fowey, it has been created out of a beautifully converted old Lifeboat house. Dinner looking out over the harbour. Bliss.

And waffles outside - now he really looks happy....

We squeezed every sun kissed last drop of the evening down at the tiny harbour, soaking it all up....

Precious days indeed - wonder what it'd be like at Christmas??

Lx