As you know we are avid outdoors-type people (well, dh not quite so much).  So on Saturday it was only natural that, given the unusually warm day, we go for a walk.  We headed off to Lyme Park in Disley.

We avoided the playpark at first and headed off up to the tops of the woods (where the deer and sheep reside) and the trail paths.  Much running, jumping (falling), climbing, exploring and ditch jumping was achieved and we eventually ended up at the playpark with icecreams - mmmm!

Tuesday morning I found a small black dot behind Katie's ear.  I scratched it off and it looked suspiciously like a tick - surely not?  On bathing the children on Tuesday evening (yes, they had been bathed before, but not by me!!) I found another - larger - tick on the back of Joseph's head.  This was removed with tweezers (gently) and Daddy confirmed we could both see it's head.  I gave both children Piriton (Katie was feeling left out) and put them to bed.

On reading up on the internet, I then decided to phone the practice nurse in the morning.  I rang for advice and we got an appointment with the doctor that afternoon.  He was lovely and reassured me that we had done everything right, from making sure they had long sleeved tops and trousers to how we removed the tick.  However, due to the fact that ticks can transmit diseases - Lyme Disease (weird considering we had been at Lyme Park!) we had a prescription given for a two week course of antibiotics and instructions to start this if they develop temperature or rash in the next four weeks.

I was a bit surprised that we had not had this problem before as we do go camping and traipsing through long grass on our walks (we are not a lover of paths, but do respect signs and the environment).  We are now going to revamp our 'day out first aid kit' and include a pair of tweezers alongside our bottle of Piriton - why did I not think about this before?

Please be aware of this if you are walking where there are deer or sheep.  Make sure you wear long sleeved tops, long trousers and maybe pack a bottle of Piriton (or equivalent) just in case ...

And so, summer is creeping towards us... honest!  On Sunday we headed to the beach.  Not quite as lucky as Anthea over at Blue Bear Wood, who has her own Beach Hut!! Oh yes, the lucky thing.  We are, however, not more than 1 hr 15 mins from the sea.  

We set off on Sunday afternoon heading for Formby Beach.  It's a National Trust Beach and we had heard good reports.  Armed with our NT card, food, wetsuits and bodyboards (sausage casserole in slow cooker at home) we jumped in the car....

It was fantastic.  You enter Formby Point through a National Trust booth (a-la-Centerparcs style).  Firstly there are woodland walks to your left and right, toilets and an icecream van - yum.  We carried on driving through this and ended up in a sand dune car park.  Promising, we thought ...

A short walk over the sand dunes (literally up and over) and we were on the beach.  I won't bore you with all the ins and outs of our time there, but I will summarise with - body boarding, paddling, running, kite flying, dune climbing, dune sliding (!) and munching (obviously!).

Katie, minus her wetsuit, looked like she was wearing tan stockings ..

As I said, there was also dune climbing, which culminated in them making slides down onto our blanket!  We flew kites, though the children got fed up before we did!

As the gates closed at 5.30, we headed off home with two very tired, but happy children.  One tired husband and one very, very sandy car!

Quick question for you.  When you run, assuming you do, why?

Do you run for fitness? Weight loss? to win a race? Charity? or to save your sanity?  I started running because it's something I've always wanted to be able to do.  Now, I find if I can't get out for a run, I start getting a bit twitchy and slighly tetchy, leading me to the conclusion that I run not just for fitness, but also to save my sanity! This is why I prefer trail running.  Apparently, according to research, it takes 5 minutes in a woodland setting to get that 'feel good' factor.

We are now in the Race for Life season.  I have been asked to join some friends, but I have declined.  Mostly because they are much faster and fitter than me, but also because I still find it a bit intimidating.  Like school.  I was always last and it was a horrible feeling.  This feeling - now I am an adult - seems to still be clinging to me....

I would love to hear why you run.  Even if you don't run now, but would like to, what would be your reason?

My 'baby' turned 6 yesterday.  How did we get here? Oh yes, that's right.  I must have blinked ...


In the early hours of Sunday morning, I was lay in bed with Joseph 'draped' over me, in his usual fashion, and my memory took me back 6 years ....

The midwife coming in to check on us.  Looking first in the 'fish tank', then around the room she asked "Oh, where's baby?", I pulled open my nursing nightie "down here" I pointed.  He was fast asleep, skin-to-skin!  He wailed if I put him down.  That, really, should have rung alarm bells for me.

Here we are, 6 years on, and he still prefers to snuggle up to me in bed, rather than be in his own bed, cuddling up to my back and sighing contendedly.  He starts off in his own bed, then migrates to ours anytime between 11pm and 5 am.  

We have had a mad busy weekend.  As Sunday food was already sorted (birthday tea at my Mum and Dad's) he chose Mc-vomit-Donalds for tea on Saturday.  DH took them both off and I went for a run.  Then Sunday am was croissants and Shreddies, followed by Sausages, beans and toast.  Set up for the morning, we then ventured to Alderley Edge, Cheshire.  

The Engine Vein Mine was open this weekend and The Derbyshire Caving club were taking down groups of people and giving tours.  This was Joseph's choice and he had been looking forward to it for a couple of weeks.  I will share some pictures you now.

Hope you enjoy them, I am going off to cry into a tissue .... my baby is growing up!

Right.  So, you may remember that I started running in March and bought some trail shoes soon after.  Well following illness (bleurgh) I have started running again. 

I was, however, extremely  disappointed in the drop in my stamina from those weeks of illness.  I honestly thought that I would be able to just pick up where I left off.  Gutted!

To build myself back up I decided to add a bit of structure to my runs.  I downloaded a whizzy app on my phone called Run Double.  It has two weeks free training and then you have to pay 99p for the following weeks.  The music is turned down and a nice lady tells me whether I need to run or walk.  This workout is for around 30 minutes and I cover about 2.9 k.  This involves a 5 minute warm up and 5 minute cool down.

I thoroughly enjoyed it.  You have three workouts per week and I have just completed week 1 day 2.  Very proud of myself, but due to love of 'off roading' my trousers were full of mud half way up the calf!!  I am now searching for some cropped jogging pants.  Tights scare me and I'm not quite ready for shorts just yet (or maybe I should say, the public are not ready for me in shorts yet!)

I did notice today, however, that I have to put my credit card details in to purchase the app, unlocking weeks 3-9.. I am a bit wary about this.  If anyone knows of any other apps, for android phones, that they can recommend where you can purchase via paypal I would be very grateful!

Okaaaay, following my weight loss post yesterday (here) I was very pleased to see via Instagram that Frankee, over at Mush for Brains, is reviving Weigh in Wednesday!

Couldn't have come at a better time for me.  After being abused by my Wii Fit, I'm running, cutting down on food and need to lose at least another stone, if not stone and a half!

Pop over to Frankee's page and join in, if you are so inclined .....

I know some of my friends are aware that I have been trying to lose weight.  I have taken up running (kind of, when I'm not busy being ill) and am watching what I eat.

I am not a great lover of a huge breakfast, but obviously am aware that eating something is better than nothing.  So, unless I am running (in which case a banana is in order) I have been grabbing a  Slimfast shake lately.

Okay, okay, so it's not the most nutritious of starts, blah blah ... But hang on! Don't forget it's packed with vitamins and minerals and, since I've stopped eating bread, my appetite has decreased and I am happy with this milkshake to start my day.

Anyway, on Saturday I was making my shake and Katie asked me what it was.  Joseph beat me to it by saying "oh that, that's to make Mummy thin", shrugged his shoulders and walked away!   

I sat down to finish it and he asked me what it tasted like. "Try it, there's a bit left.." I said.  This was met by a very fast shaking of the head "Noooo" he replied "I don't want to get thin!"

If only it did  work that fast, Slimfast would be taking over the world, and we would be a nation of stick insects!!

Oh, and that's salad underneath by the way ...