Raisie Bay - A Family and Lifestyle Blog

Word of the Week 25, Baby

Hello and welcome to the home of Word of the Week. A nice and simple weekly linky, with everyone welcome to pop by and share. The idea of the linky is to reflect back on your past week and share it with us. It’s great if you can sum it up in a word or phrase, hence giving us your Word of the Week. My word this week is ‘baby’ and you can read more about that below.

I’m not totally strict on using just a word or phrase. But please try to stick to the theme of summing up your week. There are not too many rules with this linky, just remember to read at least another couple of posts in the link up after adding your link. I will read and comment on all posts and tweet them out for you. I also have a Pinterest board devoted to Word of the Week and I will add posts to Mix Please add the badge below to your post so that others may find us and join in. If you comment or tweet then please use the hashtag #WotW

Word of the Week is open from 6am on Friday Morning to 12 noon on Monday. Plenty of time to join in!

If you are unfamiliar with the Word of the Week linky then please feel free to ask any questions. New linkers are always welcome, we love to hear what you have been up to in the past week.

MY WORD OF THE WEEK – Baby

It’s been quite an exciting week this week, I got to meet my niece’s little baby born just over two weeks ago. I’ll ask her if I can share a photo of him on Sunday.

Baby, text on a background with a baby mobile of hanging teddy bears

It was also my eldest brother’s birthday, a big one…he’s now 70! I got to see him on his birthday, I hope he liked his presents, and I will see him again for an outside meal on Saturday…if the weather holds out!

Back to the baby. It’s been a long time since I held a new born baby, I think the last baby was my Godson who is now four years old. I couldn’t believe how tiny he was, and so very perfect. If I had been 20 years younger I don’t think I’d have been able to contain my broodiness. It’s a real strange feeling when you are past that stage, but when you are you really do know.

My great nephew is my brother’s 6th grandchild, two years ago he had his first great grandchild. (He has two older children from a previous marriage) My niece’s new baby is my sister-in-law’s first grandchild, so she’s really thrilled.

I don’t think I will have any grandchildren and I am coming to terms with that now. I would love a new little baby in the family, but it really doesn’t look likely. It was so nice to be able to hold a little baby, they really don’t stay that small for very long.

Quick round up on the rest of the week, it’s been hot, the neighbours have been noisy, the garden is growing and the general mood in the house has been pretty good. Boo has finally sorted out her GCSE options and seems happy with them. We also have a plan to get her back to school full time, but she’s a little less anxious now. Star has finished school and keen to start spending more time with her boyfriend. At the moment their contact is mostly online, but we have promised she can have a day out with him soon. Her Prom has been cancelled, but she’s not really that bothered about it. She’s glad to see the back of her school and is looking forward to college.

The Little man is now supposedly fully healed from his arm accident, but he’s still not using his arm properly The doctor did say it could take up to a year to feel right. He’s on his final run of primary school. It will be strange having my last child finish primary school.

I’m looking forward to a thunderstorm or two, but I hope they pass over quickly.

Now it’s over to you, what word or phrase sums up your week this week?

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UK holiday Part One, The South

by Anne Sweet Leave a Comment

I love going on holiday even if the furthest I’ve been out of the UK is Ireland. I call it a holiday because it is just that, even though it’s not abroad. I get irritated by the term staycation to a UK holiday. To me a Staycation is a week off work when you stay at home. Day trips are included.

I thought it would be nice to write about some of the lovely places I’ve stayed in the UK. There are so many places I still have to visit, the UK is a beautiful country.

Devon

My aunt had a caravan in a park called Hele, which is pronounced heel, not hell 😉 It was close to Ilfracombe which is a beautiful place if very hilly. To get to the beach you have to go through tunnels which were mined (you also have to pay a fee!) The beaches are shingle but the best bit is the tidal pool. When the tide goes out you are left with a safe pool to bathe in. You can see why it was a popular place for the Victorians.

Uk holiday in Ilfracombe, an ariel photgraph of the sea and beach — *photo courtesy of visit Ilfracombe*

One of my first holidays which I had without my Mom was a trip to Torquay with my boyfriend and friends. We stayed in tents and had an awesome week. Torquay is known as the English Riviera because of it’s golden beaches and palm trees. It really is a lovely place to stay.

Our favourite place in Devon though, is Sandy Bay in Exmouth, where we stay at Devon Cliffs holiday park. We’ve been there a few times and will definitely go back.

uk holidays, a beach in south devon — *My children on the beach in Devon 2018*

Dorset

I also love Dorset and if there was ever a place I would move to it would be here. We have family who live not far from West Bay in Dorset where the Television series Broadchurch was set. There are some fabulous beaches in Dorset and we visited many during our visit to our family, you can see them all in my post in the previous link but here is a photo of the fabulous Charmouth Beach which is so good for fossil hunting.

This year we have a holiday booked in Poole, which is near Weymouth. The last holiday we had in Weymouth was 2017 and we are looking forward to going back. Again, there are so many lovely beaches around Dorset and Weymouth and Bournemouth are some of the sandiest beautiful beaches that the kids will love.

collage of beach photos in Weymouth, UK holiday — *Beach collage from 2017*

Cornwall

Move towards the western end of the UK and you have gorgeous Cornwall. I have only visited a few times as it’s a long drive for us, but it really is a beautiful place with so much to see.

You can read all about our last holiday in Cornwall, it was the last time we went away as we stayed home last year. We will have to go back to fit in all the things we wanted to do but couldn’t. We didn’t really have the best weather that week which was a shame, but the sunniest day we spent we spent at Paradise Park which was really beautiful.

Paradise Park, Cornwall, Uk Holiday — Boo holding a bird at Paradise Park

Brighton

I’ve been to Brighton but not really on holiday. I did go to the University of Sussex for while and that’s very close to Brighton. And I’ve had a couple of day trips there, one was many years ago with my Mom and younger brother. The beach is actually a pebble beach but it’s still extremely popular.

Brighton has a fantastic pier with rides and attractions, it also has a Sea Life Centre and a Royal Pavilion. I last went there when Star was a baby and we visited the Doctor Who exhibition which is no longer open 🙁

I have also visited Southampton and Portsmouth but I’ve not taken a holiday there.

I did take a holiday in East Sussex, Camber Sands. It was the first time I had taken my older children on holiday as a single Mom. It was a lovely place, the beach was beautiful, but the tide was terrifying. I allowed my daughter in the water with and inflatable and the tide turned and she was taken out so quickly. Her brother wouldn’t let go of her so they were both drifting out further and further. I’m not a good swimmer and I was out of my depth and getting into trouble myself and there was no lifeguard at the time. There was, however, a lone swimmer, a complete stranger, who came to the rescue and got us all back to shore. I still have nightmares about that day. I believe that they now have lifeguards on that beach and inflatables are banned. (I have banned inflatables in the sea for all of my children ever since!)

Do you holiday in the UK? Do you have a favourite place? I’ll be back with my favourite holidays further North and Wales later.

A Rose By Any Other Name Would Smell As Sweet

by Anne Sweet 15 Comments

I had lots of rose bushes in my old home that had been there for many years. I’ve always had trouble growing things since we moved house but this year I’m having some success. I have two willow trees and a rose bush that are doing well. I’ll take photos when I can get up the garden. In the meantime I have some new plants on the patio and one is a small rose bush which I think might actually thrive in the garden now.

pink rose — *A rose by any other name would smell as sweet*

The weather has been so lovely lately, but I still haven’t managed to get a shade for my garden. I know the weather is due to change soon, but it would be nice to have a warm summer. And maybe I can see some more things blossom in my garden.

Another new plant is this one, can you guess what it is?

strawberry plant — *What plant is this?*

I’m hoping it will give me a lovely crop of delicious strawberries very soon!

My apple tree didn’t arrive, but I’m hoping to have at least three fruit trees next year. I have also bought a clematis to climb up an ugly fence. We are removing the children’s swings and slides from the garden and creating more of a flower haven. The Little Man wants to keep his trampoline a little longer, but I’m thinking of bribing him with a tent instead. He can’t use the trampoline for long anyway as he gets back pain. We suspect he has a connective tissue disorder like his big sister but we are still waiting on test results from February. When Star had hers done it took eight months.

Anyway, I’m digressing. Tell me about all the lovely things you are growing in your garden.

Also Linking to My Sunday Photo

Last weeks Sunday Snapshot – Tamagotchi

Word of the Week 24 – Gone in a Flash

by Anne Sweet 4 Comments

Word of the Week is open from 6am on Friday Morning to 12 noon on Monday. Plenty of time to join in!

If you are unfamiliar with the Word of the Week linky then please feel free to ask any questions. New linkers are always welcome, we love to hear what you have been up to in the past week.

My Word of the Week – Flash

This week I have chosen the word flash because the week really has gone in a flash! What happened, it’s just flown by!

The weekend was good. The problems I had last week were resolved and harmony restored for now. We celebrated by actually leaving the house and going shopping. The kids came too and we had a few issues with Boo who was too afraid to get out of the car. Her anxiety is really bad at the moment. But once we were in the shops everything went really well. We only went into a couple of shops and they were really quiet.

Then we had the shopping delivered on Sunday rather than Monday which is the usual and I think that threw us off. Even with the younger children being back at school, I found it hard to keep track of the days. Then suddenly, it’s the end of the week and it has gone so quickly!

I have had that niggly feeling that I’ve not done much each day, but when I sit and think about it, I’ve done quite a lot. I’ve written a lot of blog posts, I’ve finished two crochet projects, I’ve almost finished my current book and my washing basked it looking rather empty thanks to being able to hang eveything out in this wonderful weather we’ve been having. I’ve also made a couple of phone calls and sorted some important things out.

I have had more energy in the daytime and I’m sure it’s because of the nicer weather. But, I get really tired at night and I’ve been going to bed early every night. Most nights I’ve slept well, I’ve not had a problem with the heat because my constantly cold feet keep me cool. It’s like sitting with your feet in an ice bucket. They usually drive me insane, but when it’s hot they can be quite pleasant. (I’m still wearing fluffy socks and thick furry slippers!)

So this week has gone by quickly, like a flash. Sometimes I don’t like it when time flies, but I guess I should be looking forward to our holiday which is steaming towards us. (We are holidaying in the UK as usual although we are looking into going further afield next year…maybe the Isle of Wight.)

Now it’s over to you, what word or phrase sums up your week this week.

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Courses for Kids at the Centre of Excellence

by Anne Sweet 1 Comment

I am already studying with the Centre of Excellence and I’m finding it really rewarding. I love learning something new. It’s a bit harder trying to get my kids to learn at home, but the Centre of Excellence have some great courses for kids that I’m sure children will enjoy.

I am an affiliate for Centre of Excellence so if you do decide to take a course through one of my links, I may earn a little money at no extra cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting my blog.

Nutrition For Kids

Aimed at children aged 7-14 years, the Nutrition for Kids course will teach your child everything they need to know about food. Rather than focusing on weight the course will teach children about portion control and how food is used for fuel.

Kids will learn about micronutrients and macronutrients and how they work in the body giving us the energy to play, learn and grow. They will also learn how to meal plan and keep a food journal.

The course also has a practical element which encourages the children to cook meals with the appropriate assistance from adults. All recipes are child friendly.

At the end of the course the child will be given a certificate to reward them for their work.

Currently the course is just £29 for 10 modules with lifetime access. You also get access to 20 videos.

courses for kids, nutrition for kids, centre of excellence

Courses for Kids, Beginners French

Want your child to learn a new language? How about a beginner’s course for French aimed at children aged six and over.

As well as learning the language the children will also learn about the Country and it’s culture. The course gives a basic introduction to French including learning numbers, animals, how to talk about family, food and restaurants.

You get 12 modules which are downloadable and you have lifetime access. You also get 14 audio files. At the end of the course the child is presented with a certificate.

Year 3 English Course for kids

Want to give your child a little help with their English. This course will provide your child with the tools they need to improve their confidence and capabilities in reading, writing, grammar and spelling. The course is based on the school curriculum but is fun and engaging.

By studying this course your child will learn to improve their reading ability, learn about the structure of non fiction texts, develop their grammatical understanding of nouns and plurals, improve their use of nouns, build on punctuation, consider how different types of text are written, become familiar with punctuation and discover interesting topics around history, geography, science, history and fiction.

The course includes 10 modules with lifetime access. You also get 11 videos and multiple choice assessments.

Year 3 Maths Courses for Kids

Also available is the year 3 course for Maths. The aim of the Year 3 Maths Course is to help your child develop a mathematical mind that they can use to break down problems and seek solutions.

This course will teach your child:

Count in multiples of 4, 8, 50, 100, recognising place value along with ordering numbers up to 1000.
Estimate numbers using representations, read and write numbers in numerals and words while solving practical problems.
Add and subtract numbers with three digits, inverse operations and estimate answers.
Use 3, 4 and 8 multiplication tables to complete multiplication and division using mental and formal methods, while solving practical problems.
Count in tenths, using unit and non-unit fractions, showing equivalent fractions, while completing addition and subtraction of fractions.
Measure lengths, mass, volume, perimeter, and how to use money.
Read the time, using roman numerals and a digital clock, while gaining knowledge of time in the calendar.
Draw 2D and 3D shapes and be able to identify angles.
Recognise right angles, horizontal and vertical lines, and pairs of perpendicular and parallel lines.
Present data in bar charts, pictograms and tables.

The course includes 10 modules with lifetime access and multiple choice assessments.

Exploring Outer Space and Dinosaurs Courses for Kids

Maybe you want to steer away a little from the conventional topics and teach your child something different and focused on their interests.

The Centre of Excellence also offers these two courses, Exploring Outer Space and Dinosaurs.

Exploring Outer Space

This course will teach your child all about what it’s like to travel in space and all the things a space traveller may encounter, such as asteroids, comets, meteors, stars and much more. They will learn about the history of space travel as well as what they are looking at when looking up at the sky at night. With 10 modules, 11 videos and assessments all with lifetime access.

Dinosaurs

Suitable for kids aged six and over this dinosaur course will introduce your child to the life of dinosaurs, types of dinosaurs, their habitats and how we find out more about them. It’s full of interesting facts and quizzes and the course has the usual modules, videos and assessments with lifetime access.

Do you know a child that needs a little help with their school work or would enjoy a course about their specific interests? These courses are all on special offer of only £29 at the time of publishing this post.

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