On the move...

Melissa and Jessica.

Did our final babysitting duties for Melissa and Jessica last Thursday and Friday.  They have been great fun all through the school summer holidays and we can honestly say that ninety percent of the time they were angels.  As with all kids when they are tired they can get a little fratchety.  They have now jetted off on their annual holiday to the USA and with a 24 hour travelling day on Monday I would imagine there was tired people at the end of it.  I'm sure they'll have a great time.

Adam and Libby

For the last week we have been packing up things in the caravan and preparing to move to our new home in the semi metropolis of Gilberdyke where we are house/animal sitting.  It's slightly strange being in a house, we really are not at all used to it any more to the extent that I'm up half the night not that I was ever a late in bed person anyway.

We moved on Monday but still have the caravan awning to wash and pack away and the van to wash and wrap up in it's winter cover, Most of these things can be done whilst we are looking after Finley and Mason.  Although I may go and wash them this afternoon so it's well dried out for the weekend.

I also need to get the car top box out of the workshop roof in preparation for our return to Greece.  We have decided to have it there to use as a shed for storing stuff in which we don't need when we are out sailing, the stuff you only use in the marina.  Also will give us more space when we have guests.

Joe Weighing up the scores

Yesterday we took the bigger kids out for the day for their treat.  After Libby had been to the orthodontist to have her braces tightened and adjusted we went off to York for some ten pin bowling.  None of the kids had played it before but they all showed an aptitude for it.  I'm sure it must be better for them then constantly looking at a screen of one type or another.

Grandma "photo bombing"

Me doing a bit of bombing.

After the bowling we went around all the restaurants in the area to inspect the menu's and see if we could find any consensus on food choice for our meal.  Some chance of that with Libby, (I'm  going to become a vegetarian, I'm not eating pork anymore!  (Chicken and Beef don't count!)) Anyway we ended up at Frankie and Benny's.  It came as a great surprise to us, it was actually good food mind you , it was pricey too by the time the five of us had eaten and drunk our fill.  We had great fun with you guys yesterday and hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

Our home until September.

GCSE's and all that...

John (#3 son)

It's been a another week of grand offspring minding again this week and we have had some very cold and wet weather as well.  No pictures taken so in Lieu of that I have included some of my wonderful sons when they were truly wonderful sons.

Last night we were treated to a meal out with John, Fi, Jess and 'lissa, which we really enjoyed, great and entertaining company and no bill at the end of it - can't be bad.  They said it was to show how much they valued the help we have been with the kids over the last couple of months but I think it's just that they are finally having some sympathy with us whinging pensioners.  Either way thank you very much and it makes up for all the birthdays etc. were we have awaited the presents and never got em!

Gary (#1 son)

 We still have to have a proper day out with the older kids,

Chris (#2 son)

Joe, Libby and Adam but that will be next week.  We are rapidly running out of time before we set off back to some warmth and sunshine with less than three weeks remaining here. Next week we will be vacating the paddock life for a couple of weeks in bricks and mortar.  House sitting for John and Fi whilst they are in America, the house is on the market so someone needs to be here for viewing purposes.

 Today I took Jo and Libby to get their exam results form school They are year 10 so GCSEs are next year.  Neither really got the grades they were hoping for but that will just serve to reinforce their efforts for the next year at school and the important exams at the end of the next school year.  They were both very disappointed though as witnessed by the near silent trip back home.  Never mind kids just use it as a wake up call and re double your efforts from here on in.

Doing the Grandparent thing...

Mason and Finley show off their football medals.

 Last Friday was our 39th Wedding anniversary so we are now into our 40th year of marriage, it doesn't seem to be a quarter of that but that's maybe because I'm the one on the receiving end of all the pampering.  I'm sure San would say that she could have done 3 life sentences  and still be out now if she'd done the right thing back in the seventies.  Hopefully we'll be around to celebrate many more anniversaries in the future.

And of course Darcy has to be involved.

Fin darting down the right wing.

The terrible twosome, Mason and Finley were involved in a football tournament at the weekend.  They both reached their respective finals but both the under eight and the under ten teams lost the final but still got their runner up silver medals.  As you would expect they were over the moon with that although Finley still seems to think he's Ronaldho hence the Barcelona shirt later on and no the team shirt.

On Tuesday we took the boys to York for them to be able to experience the famous Jorvik museum.  They loved it although I think Mason would have spent much more time taking it all in but Fin has the attention span of a goldfish and it's always the next thing that he's going to do rather than the thing he is currently doing.  Oh well we'll maybe try again when he older, perhaps thirty five or thirty six might just about do it.

No way through Mason's defence.

Both the boys were in very good form for the day and despite our worst fears it ended up being a great out out and a pub lunch to boot.

No time to rest in between so next it was taking Jessica and Melissa up to Pickering to go on the historic North Yorkshire Moors Railway.  A great day out for all the family with lots of sights  many people will recognise from the TV or films such as  Heart Beat and Harry Potter.

North Yorks moors railway for the day.

'Lissa (butter wouldn't melt!) going to Whitby.

We went directly to Whitby which is about an hour and forty minutes on the steam train.  For those who don't know Whitby it's very much still an unspoilt fishing port / seaside resort.  The birthplace of Captain Cook and fictional (hopefully) UK residence of Dracula.  With it's ancient abbey and quaint streets it's all in all a very pretty place.  The girls loved the street shows and buskers especially the minion and a living statue which frightened the daylights out of Jess when he suddenly moved and started blowing a horn.

Grandma, nearly asleep, not a chance!

 Fish and Chips at Trenchers and then the ride back to Pickering on the NYMR completed the day out.

Change of loco's at Grosmont.

 We have also had the ninety first Birthday of Sandra's Pa this weekend, he has enjoyed that but think he was a little sad that it wasn't quite up to last years standard of celebrating with the flower festival and the constant stream of people coming to see the flowers and also talking to him whilst they were there.
I don't think he quite realises how much work was needed especially by Sandra to organise that, and of course ninety one is not really the same as ninety.

Whitby abbey, neither Capt. Cook nor count Dracula at home.

Sorry I never got the chance to write the blog last week and in fact that I'm a day late this week also but it has been full on.  We are child minding again this morning but should have the weekend to recover - OR.....

Jess with a minion cuddle.