Weddings & Slides

On Saturday, we all went to the wedding of Richard Preston at Harvington Hall Nr. Kidderminster. http://www.harvingtonhall.com

The ceremony took place at a tiny village church in Dodford, and we made it by the skin of our teeth arriving just moments before the bride. Usual M25 traffic had held up the early part of our journey, so we seemed to fly the rest of the way.

The weather kept threatening to rain but luckily we remained dry, if not always warm! Harvington Hall was an extremely old and fascinating place, and after lunch Lewis took on the role of tour guide showing others guests the amazing nooks and crannies he had been discovered.

On Sunday we purchased a new addition to the garden toys. After selling the old slide and climbing frame on e-bay Lewis chose this huge inflatable slide which takes up most of the garden. The only advantage being it deflates at the end of the day leaving an empty garden again. He can't wait for some extra warm weather so he can have water in the pool at the bottom and make the slide even faster to shoot down!

Yes - it really is 3 metres high!!!!!

Classic Cars

Today was, for a change, beautiful and sunny - perfect for an outdoor outing. Tony was photographing at a Classic Car Rally and Lewis and I enjoyed going along for the ride too. The setting was perfect for car enthusiasts as it was held at the Brooklands car museum. So whilst Tony was busy taking photos Lewis and I also managed to look around the museum at the other exhibits.

Enjoying the opportunity to sit in this MGB

One of the highlights of the afternoon was watching many of these old cars attempt the 1:4 Test Track Hill Climb.

This patriotic looking car was Lewis favourite:

The steep descent at the end of the afternoon:

Dr Blake I Presume???

For some time now Lewis has been showing a very healthy interest in the workings of the human body. He recently watched two operations being performed on tv, one was a brain tumour being removed and the other was for heart bypass surgery!! He was totally fascinated by both of these, the only disappointment being that the hole made in the skull was too small to see much of the brain itself.

After watching he confirmed what we have suspected for some time, in that he would like to be a doctor or surgeon when he grows up but wondered how he could practise in the meantime.

Always parents to give him opportunities we suggested that the butcher may have an animal heart that he could investigate. This was met with whoops of joy just at the thought. When we got to the butchers he went one better and suggested that he could get the whole deal - oesophagus, lungs, heart and liver of a lamb.

Checking out the heart:

So today we went to see and Lewis was sooooo excited and absolutely loved the whole investigative experience. We brought home the heart and the oesophagus and lungs for disection. I can confirm that the kitchen table has been totally scrubbed since.

Lung Disection

Of course as Daddy had tried pigs heart whilst on a trip to Japan (apparently a delicacy over there) Lewis felt that he should try too so I had to cook a little for them to sample. I didn't partake but was told it was very tasty!

Mmmmmmm tastes like lamb Lewis loved it :

School Summer Concert

This afternoon was Lewis' school summer concert. The theme was colours and each child had to go dressed in their own chosen colour - Lewis is on the far side in green.

There were lots of songs sung and poems read. Even a few jokes were told. Lewis' joke was:

'Q - What is bright orange and sounds like a parrot? A - A carrot".

Happy Birthday Grandma & A Long Swim

On Saturday we went to visit mum for her birthday. Before we arrived Mike had been checking out his motorbike ready for his next trip and had left it out for Lewis to see.

Later that afternoon it was time to get back home for Lewis' swimming lesson. This was a very momentous occasion as he was challenged by his teacher to see how far he could swim. They were aiming for 400m but ended doubling expectations with a fantastic 800m swim - we have decided that 1/2 mile is not bad for a 7 year old. It did take a while for his feet to stop tingling when he got out of the pool but boy was he proud of himself.

Say Cheese:

Half Term Fun

May Half Term Holidays came and went in a flash. I really must remember to start taking the camera out and about with us for more photos.

Lots of play dates, swimming, a newly discovered huge indoor play area (a must for a long rainy Wednesday), a visit from Grandma and a BBQ at friends to end the week. Wow, back to work and school for a rest.

Here is Chef Lewis preparing some very healthy, but yummy muffins - shame they didn't last too long:

Lewis' favourite pastime is still playing MarioKart Wii - even better when you can beat Grandma at a race:

The New Tank

After a Blog drought, I have finally been more organised and decided it was high time I published a few more pics of life in the Blake household. A couple more blog posts to follow in quick succession.

Lewis has wanted a pet for a long time now and so we have agreed that a goldfish is probably the best place to start (and finish).

Here are photos of the tank being set up with plenty of loving care and attention:

Admiring his handiwork:

A closer look - fish to follow: