Goodbye Summer

I think this is my last summery post. We are firmly now into Autumn and I can allow myself to get excited about soft socks, hot water bottles and pumpkins. But before I get into that, how adorable does Molly look with the wind in her hair!?? I feel like the weather really shows off every time we go up there. Although the landscape looks perfect in any weather. We've really made the most of Britain this summer, with long walks and beach days. It's definitely helped make me more enthusiastic about the long wet nights ahead. 

Also; Molly's new boots arrived while we were in Dolgellau! We let her choose the colour this time..

More at Cregennan 2012 2013

September in Meirionnydd

We lucked out on the weather again when we went to Dolgellau in early September. We spent all three days at the beach. I was still refusing to allow myself to contemplate autumn and thought another getaway was what Molly and I needed. We are desperate to bring Klaus but with mine and Jamie's schedules being so busy we just haven't managed to have the time off together for a while. Next time, K-man will be coming too. Anyhow we took Grandma for a picnic and enjoyed some rock pools before having the biggest meal. I'm still thinking about that cheesecake.

Teeny tiny feet.

Mr Gull eyeing up our picnic.

Lulworth Cove

On the last day of the holiday we popped to Lulworth Cove (I know I know this is the last Camp Bestival Post), it was only 4 miles away from the Campsite and a nice break before an afternoon of driving. Jamie slept in the car while Molly and I crammed as much as we could into that hour! We paddled, threw stones, queued for aaages for a wee, had an incredible icecream with a proper waffle cone, ordered lunch from a little cafe and smiled for photos by strangers. Molly's obsessed with the seaside, so we just couldn't drive all the way down to the Dorset coast and not have a paddle. THEN it was a proper holiday. Speaking of the sea we are off to Wales tomorrow- whoo! Hopefully it will be warm enough to spend some afternoons on the sand :)

Camp Bestival pt. 2

Part two of our mini-break. Some are from my disposable camera (I'm obsessed with them now I've discovered that Timsons develop and give you a camera for £7!!) I think they're my favourite.

^^ Another to add to the collection of awful family photos I love haha!

^^ This bubble machine from Samsam The Bubble man (below) was the biggest hit. I've never seen anyone happier about any gift. She went through two bottles of mixture before the end of the trip.

Molly's art creations in the Art Town. We have a 'take-away box circus'. Some colouring in, a card made with glitter and watercolour pens and Molly's fabric painting contribution to a large tablecloth mural. So fun! We didn't manage to get a spot at the tattoo table though. I was gutted ha. 

^^ There was this moment, it was the end of a hot day so it was suddenly feeling a little crisp, and my muscles felt deliciously achey and ready for a warm jumper and everything was just faultless. Sinead O' Connor was on stage, which was a stones throw away from where we were in the woodland area, and she was singing Nothing Compares 2U. Jamie and I were either side of a tree trunk bridge holding Molly's hand while she walked across listening to it. It was as though we had our own soundtrack, that song is really special to me and I was just so happy I could have burst.   

^Such a magical place at night

^^ On the last night Jamie fell asleep about 10pm, and Molly decided she needed another bed time wee. So we went on a last 'adventure'. She made a teenage friend in the toilet while we were brushing our teeth (I don't think I can ever not do boutique camping again, it was SO CLEAN!!). I love how she'll chat to anyone she meets. When we got back to the tent I thought I probably needed to take some pictures of the cosy fairylights our tipi was laced with. Molly asked that I take her picture, she's pretty into posing. Going for another wee when I knew she was just avoiding bedtime can be pretty annoying, but if you embrace it and take it as another opportunity to chat and connect all the while be out in a field late at night, well it's just so worth it. Parenting is so rad.    

A little girl and her Fox Tail.

Camp Bestival pt.1

Last week Jamie and I took Molly to Camp Bestival. It's like the childrens version of the Isle Of White festival Bestival. So imagine the best place on earth for a child.. a big castle, a wagon to pull you around in, ice-cream vans at every corner, story telling in the woods, play grounds, toys everywhere to pick up and play with, puppet shows, bubbles, a childrens catwalk and fairground. THAT is Camp Bestival, and so much more! I took like a million photos, and so did Jamie on his phone so I've split this into two posts, more for my own sanity ha.

So this 'bus'. Basically,, it was these two wagons/trucks connected by this crazy structure made from wood/bikes/kettles/fairylights/amazing junk that all the children (especially me) wanted to hang out on/in. I only got a picture of it as a whole (mostly) at night. But below are the pictures I forced Jamie to take of Molly and I on our bus/truck/structure adventure. Also I'll add here that every time we left the tent or any area of Camp Bestival to move on to another we named 'an adventure'. We weren't going for a wee that holiday.. we were going on an adventure. 

^^ Wouldn't this be the perfect picture if the glass wasn't so glare-y!?

My little safety girl. Also, I'm going to add here, Molly was amazing at taking turns. She had a go on the steering wheel after waiting patiently from some little oiks that had been in the front since Molly and I went on the truck, and after a short go at the wheel allowed another child to play 'driver'. We're almost worried she's too thoughtful.. 

So this little part of the woods had a special part in my heart. As a lover of all things old and junk-like, it was basically a woodland full of activities made with junk. A 'Mud Kitchen' decked out with brass and copper kitchen utensils/cookery junk, a well stocked dressing up den, fairies houses made from glitter and junk, stick people making, a 'theatre' with a wooden stage and toadstools to sit on, small baskets full of little woodland animals and so so much more. I wanted to live there. In my dreams I have a little woodland at the back of my house (nearly happened with that property I saw in Newtown Linford last year but I won't dwell) full of essentially this for Molly and I to spend our days in. It was a forestey junkey dream come true. 

While I was busy being ill (I'll discuss that in the other post) Jamie took Molly on an adventure without me. Broke my heart BUT he did photograph it all for me so I didn't miss out- awwwhhh! Made me well up that did ha. There was another one of those structures that I didn't get a chance to go on, Molly said it was very high. She also made her catwalk debut! 

On the way back to the tent after our first night Molly asked me to take a picture of the 'happy moon'. And you know what Molly I think this was the happiest moon I'd ever seen.