More Camping!! :)

We went camping again this weekend, had a lovely time! We ended up going to the same place, and just pitched the tent on the other beach, because we couldn't decide where else to go instead!
The weather was forecast to be very hot and sunny, but it was actually a really strange day - it was overcast but hot, one of those days that you get sunburnt without suspecting it - which we all did! :( Poor babykin has a burnt back, bald patch and cheeks(I did put sunscreen on but I guess I didn't reapply soon enough! :( ), Alexander has sunburnt ears & face, Adam's arms & neck got it, and I have a slight sunburn on my back & face (but not too bad - and I'm the only one that didn't have sunscreen on :) I have a very different complexion to Adam!) My worst burn is actually the parting in my hair - I had bunches in, and the line right down the middle of my head is stinging!!! But anyway, it kept looking like the weather might change for the worse but the bad stuff must have bypassed us and by about 4pm the sun was shining fully again and it was lovely.



We got there just before lunchtime, put up the tent, had lunch, FINALLY managed to get Kathryn to take a nap (after a lot of screaming!)We played for AGES on the beach... built castles, played at the water's edge a bit, mostly just running away from the waves, which Alexander loves doing! :)




The boys also collected firewood for our campfire, and went rock climbing :) For dinner, we had bough a couple of steaks and cut them into cubes so we made kebabs with steak and tomatos and peppers... they were sooooo yummy. We also had the usual hot dogs & sausages & baked potatos & a tin of beans (and a tin of spaghetti o's this time too heehee)... then watermelon and toasted marshmallows for pudding. Yummmmmmmmmy! ;D



Kathryn went to bed first although it took her ages to go to sleep, she just misses her cot I think! She just sleeps in the tent next to me so nothing to resemble a bed at all really. She sleeps in her grobag but she's stopped sleeping in it at home so she probably doesn't associate it with sleep any more. Alexander was in bed before she was asleep but she did calm down around then anyway (after me sitting cuddling her for ages) and then slept like a log the rest of the night. Mind you, they weren't in bed until probably close to 9.30 or 10pm.
Adam and I ended up sitting chatting until almost midnight, it was such a lovely evening, not cold at all (we just had sweaters & jeans on) and sat by the campfire talking and drinking tea!

I woke up a few times through the night, but woke up with a start in the morning as I heard someone walk past the tent! :o We were COMPLETELY remote, and I knew it had to be early... all four of us were in the tent so I was a bit freaked out. But anyway the noise disappeared so I lay back down. I was wide awake though and just lay there listening, heard a few more noises but couldn't be sure of what I was hearing. So I just stayed there awake (we didn't have watches, so no idea what time it was other than if we turned our mobile phones on - they just stayed off otherwise while we were there cos there's no signal!) and waited. Alexander woke up a few minutes later bursting for a pee so opened the tent up, looked out and saw:




TONS of them!!! They'd made their way to the beach right past our tent early in the morning - that's what I'd heard!!!
They didn't bother with us anyway, so we just carried on and had our breakfast (sausages on bread, cooked on the camping stove!) and tried to function a little. Turned out it aws about 7am so not too bad. It was chilly but sunny. I was insanely tired though (I think I must have been awoken from the wrong stage of sleep or something - I was actually falling asleep sitting up at some points!) so by about 9.30 I had to go for a nap, so Kathryn & I both fell asleep in the tent for an hour or so, which I needed. I woke up with a start again to hear a cow chewing right by my head; I looked up and there was an outline of a cow on the side fo the tent lol, it was right behind it! Then looked out the frount and there were two more wandering around our picnic blanket (Adam & Alexander were up on the rocks watching all of this!). Anyway I dozed off and when I woke up a few minutes later, they were gone. Went out to where the boys were and they said there was one nosing right in the frount of our tent, but I must have been asleep then... and the cameras were in the tent so they couldnt' get a picture!
Anyway, after the cows left we went down to the beach but it was so covered in cow-pats that we had to go over to the other beach instead! We skimmed stones and played in the sand a bit, and Alexander played with his ferry boat in the sea :) and we just spent a few hours playing, really.




Then had lunch, got changed out of sandy clothes, and slowly packed up and came home. It was about 3.00 when we left, 3.40 when we got home... Kathryn fell asleep about 3.30 in the car, and Alexander fell asleep on the couch inside at about 4pm, then Adam fell asleep at about 4.45 :lol: so I just sat at teh computer and caught up on posts etc!! haha! Kathryn woke at about 5 and I had to wake the boys up at half past 5 hahaha!

We had a lovely time anyway!!! Hope we get to go again soon! :)

Kathryn's photos

Picked up Kathryn's photos, just wanted to share, nothing much more to say at the moment! :)
Mod went well on Saturday, was a really good day actually, the choir got a joint first, a second and joint third.... mind you it was out of four choirs but hey, first is first! lol! :)
Hopefully this week will be relatively calm and stress free! :)

It's been one of those weeks!!!

It's just been SO busy! :(

We went camping on the weekend, which was LOADS of fun, but it means we don't have the 'normal' weekend to tidy up the house, relax, catch up on laundry etc!
Then Monday was spent doing birthday preparations for Kathryn, and then Adam informed me at about 2pm that we were having a barbeque with his parents & brother & sister at about 6pm for dinner, which was lots of fun, but it meant I had even less time to do birthday prep! Was up until 1am doing presents, preparing food, making the cake, tidying up. Tuesday morning we gave Kathryn her presents and then I spent the rest of the morning party-prepping and house-tidying (when I wasn't procrastinating on here that is) then playgroup ended half an hour early on Tuesday as there was a funeral in the afternoon and the playgroup uses the church hall so they had to get out by 12.15... picked Alexander up and home again just before guests started arriving... the party went from 12.45ish until about 2.30pm... one of the party guests stayed until about 3ish to catch up with me and let her daughter play with Alexander a bit more, then at 3.30, rather than clean up the party mess I walked down the street for something for dinner, ended up getting home at 5 just before Adam had a lazy dinner and Adam thankfully tidied up some of the party mess and did the dishes while I put the kids to bed. Sat half-zombied on the computer for a few hours then went to bed.
This morning I had toddler group but since it was a sunny day I walked ALexander to playgroup then down the hill for toddler group, then back up the hill after toddlers to pick him up at 12.40 then back down :lol: to go to the co-op to get fruit to make a fruit salad for a bbq that Adam informed me this morning we'd be going to at a friend of his' house (we are NEVER sociable, I think I'm on people over-load!) to see friends visiting from Australia! So anyway, got the fruit for the fruit salad and then walked back UP the hill (pushing Kathryn all this time although I made Adam push her up the last time as he was finished work!)
Helped Alexander build a lego digger this afternoon and then did some laundry, tidied the kitchen and spent about an HOUR making the fruit salad with Alexander's help. :)
Went to the bbq at 6.30, socialized awkwardly with people I hardly know (although the visiting friends from Australia had a 6 month old baby girl with them so I got lots of cute baby cuddles and snuggles!) and excused myself at 8.30 with two sleepy children, leaving Adam to walk home when he's done!
Put the kids to bed without a bath and really should be enjoying my solo evening at home (they dont' happen often!) but I'm just SO sleepy. Tried to make a siggy but I'm just so tired I have no creativity in me! Think I might need an early night!
My house is a complete tip.... I just haven't had a chance to do ANYTHING it seems. Tomorrow morning I have Kathryn's jabs at noon, might be visiting a friend before that (more socializing!) then I've promised to go visit the aforementioned friend that showed up at Kathryn's party if the weather is still nice to let the kids play in the paddling pool! :P Can't be bothered at all but it's only cos I'm lazy and exhausted :lol: and they live about 30-40 minutes drive away... which seems a lot, but in island terms it's not too bad. I know we'll all have a lovely time anyway if we do go! :lol: And she is going away on Saturday as she is pregnant and due later this month so is going to stay in Edinburgh with her mum 'til baby is born. So anyway, weather permitting I'll be doing that tomorrow afternoon.
Then I have choir tomorrow evening (in Salen, which is 20 minutes away!) then on Friday I have to take both kids to Oban (half hour drive then 45 minute ferry!) to go view Kathryn's photographs... and while I'm over there I did think I might take the kids swimming in the Oban pool... something to do that isn't shopping!
THEN on Saturday I have to go BACK to Oban ::) with Choir for the Oban Mod, which means I will be away all day again from noonish until about 7.30pm!!! :o

I think I might sleep all day Sunday!

Happy 1st Birthday Kathryn! :)

Today was Kathryn's 1st Birthday! I can't believe she's already one, although I can hardly remember her not being here. She's turned into such a wee monster, full of mischief but of the cutest kind! She just grins at you with such a twinkle in her eye when she knows she's doing something wrong... but when you say 'no' the big bottom lip pouts out and the tears start!! She's definately going to keep me on my toes over the next year... or twenty!

She had a lovely day today - we had a party at lunchtime and she had 3 little baby friends and their brothers & sisters (who played with Alexander) come over for a couple of hours. She had lots of fun flirting with everyone, and enjoyed the constant flow of food!!

Presents were a tea set, ladybug rainjacket & umbrella, swimsuit, shape sorter, emptying dolly's bottle and book from us, a pram from Alexander for her dolly, a new doll from Gran & Grandad, some bath toys, a toy purse full of soft phone/wallet/keys/compact!, two dresses and a set of puzzles for when she's a bit bigger. :)

We've all had a great day and are now all completely exhausted! Kathryn didn't even have a nap this afternoon despite a walk in her pram after the party! Guess she was just too excited about it all! Hope they both sleep late tomorrow though! :)

Off to bed myself now, here are a few more pictures!