I will never ever not ever get tired of pictures of these two out walking in the hills

Saltaire Youth Theatre

Over the summer Marisca surprised us by choosing to spend a week at Saltaire Youth Theatre.  We had a lovely time attending the show at the end of the week, with a routine from Matilda the highlight.  A bit too dark for action shots to not come out blurry, but here are a few of the performance.

Dalby Forest

Another camping weekend, this time over to Dalby Forest.  The weather was occasionally sunny and occasionally rainy and rarely much of either.  We had fun in the forest doing the Gruffalo trail...

Some orienteering - after an inauspicious start where the first post was missing... 

And climbing to the top of the adderstone.

The next day we went to the National Centre for Birds of Prey, which Marisca in particular aboslutely loved.

And then to Scarborough, for a castle, the seaside, and knickerbocker glories.

Look, learn, laugh, love

A little bit late, the end of Marisca's Rainbows journey, which started here. She has looked, learned, laughed, and loved being there, and of course has had lots of fun along the way.

Half term camping

It's been half term.  We've got a new tent, so we went camping.  We got to Wales late on Friday night as the sun was going down, and it looked like the start of a lovely long weekend by the seaside.

The next day we went out early for me to do Penrhyn parkrun (you start and finish through arches in the castle walls, very cool), and we had fun exploring both Penrhyn and Caernarfon castles.

And then we went back to the campsite.  I'd say we went back to the tent, but we didn't really, because one of the poles had snapped in the stiff winds and it was just a soggy pile really.  So we grumbled a lot, packed up and headed home.

After a lovely day out at Malham on Sunday as compensation, we decided we could squeeze another weekend camping, this time more sheltered and closer to home up by Bolton Abbey.  It was sunny and fun, good views and well behaved neighbours at the campsite with Thomas kind of riding his pedal bike for the first time and Marisca flying a kite for the first time.  And we were close enough to walk down to Bolton abbey and do the stepping stones and the welly walk.  No high winds, only one rain shower, and the tent and family survived.

Early April in various weather

A couple more photos found on my camera from the start of April - a happy girl chilling in the garden on a warm day, and the two troublemakers plotting as they wander through Hardcastle Crags.

Marisca's birthday

Here's my lovely 7 year old girl/  My camera has been gathering dust recently but I did get a few photos of her birthday.  She had a happy birthday including pizza tea (of course) and showing off her hula hooping (she's brilliant).  We had a party at Salt's Pots and the concentration on the girls' faces (and Thomas') was a thing to behold.

Happy 7 Marisca.  Ages now until the next prime birthday x