Early this year September became a very exciting month for us all as we anticipated the birth of Smith baby #3! Recently, whilst we still look forward to meeting her, it has become more of a month of anxiety and dread! Who knows what this month holds and who knows how we will feel every September from here on out. We hope it will be a good month but with everything in the mix we really cannot say – it can go either way.
I decided the best way to find joy and to focus on Ethan and Megan was through some planning and goal setting. So iv’e set a couple of educational goals I want to work on with them both and researched some groups, activities and general places we can go together. Ive then planned them into each week so that we know what we are doing and where we are going. This helps me get up each day and go for it, it means we can have some fun, learn and make memories at what can potentially may be a VERY hard month. It also gives others things to do with them to maintain consistency in their lives. Basically on a Monday I hope to have them visit a Museum followed by baking or craft. Tuesday participate in toddler groups/park etc – socializing and playing with others their age and then Weds do some active stuff (swimming or Rock climbing), educational stuff / learning at home and a class (at the mo its looking like Gymnastics).Luckily for me and my new plan, Ethan said today that he wanted to go the “Newseum”.
I’d already checked the weather and for once it was clear and sunny. It didn’t take me long to know the perfect place to make the most of the weather and also visit a “newseum”…Lotherton Hall! I haven’t been in over a year. To be honest its because i’m tight and they started charging for Adults £5 (kids under 5 are free), little did I realise thought that it includes everything and was well worth the 5er! We arrived around 10 and left about 3, we set off exploring the gardens. The kids climbed all over the park and then we visited the Avery’s – they absolutely loved it all. So much fun and I felt so happy seeing them run and squeal from enclosure to enclosure and flap around like little birds. Such fun!
After all that we sat at the picnic tables for lunch and then hit the house! Again I was pleasantly surprised as they had improved it significantly; crafts for them to do (get in Museum and craft – mission accomplished for this Monday), interactive screens and stories and their fave – a dress up room. We had a lot of fun, especially when Megan was mistaken for an Edwardian ghost child as she loitered in costume in the hall. After all the fun we just had time for an ice cream and both were asleep before i’d even left the grounds. Such a wonderful day out and so much fun together…if we can make most days like today I think we will survive!!