Oh wow, what a beautiful surprise: sunshine in Manchester! Yep, you heard right, and for the school holidays too, who would have thought it possible? Hope everyone’s been enjoying it as much as we have 🙂
Easter Monday, after seeing the relatives off, called for a chilled day (mostly) at home with the kids. We did pop out to a local park, so that my daughter could have a go on her new bike though. You can just about make her out, cycling off into the distance…
Tuesday was a family day out for the four of us. My vote was for Alton Towers, but I was outvoted in favour of Chester’s Crocky Trail. My son had been here earlier in the year with his cub pack and it was both nearer and cheaper I guess… Not an ideal place for a worried mum though, if only I’d had a pound for every ‘slow down’ or ‘careful’ I uttered, and that was just to my husband 😉
Wednesday was a ‘jobs’ day, which included getting my daughter her new Brownies uniform. It seems much more grown up than the Rainbows one 😦 I keep telling them both to stop growing, but they just won’t listen…
Thursday was a beautiful day here in the Northwest, perfect for our first picnic of the year at Tatton Park, a National Trust property nearby with friends. And what a change not eating it in the car makes 😉 Sorry? You mean you didn’t come here for a guide to National Trust properties in the Northwest? Whoops, sorry! (Photo shows the beautiful Japanese garden, my favourite spot).
Friday: seriously, look away now! Yep, we’re back at Dunham Massey, again catching up, but with different friends this time, our favourite destination, and another beautiful day 🙂
Saturday was time to pick up my daughter and her friends’ creative efforts from her birthday party at The Bean and Brush in Sale. And the perfect excuse for cake for the monkeys and coffees for the grown ups…
And finally, Sunday called for a last-day-of-the-holidays reading morning in bed with plenty of cups of tea. I finished the top one which is a really original novel about an American family who adopt a chimp and raise her alongside their own children. It’s incredibly and surprisingly moving. And I made a start on the second one down, which got me hooked straight away… Shame I won’t have much time once I’m back at school 😦
The one thing I didn’t manage to get to do much of over either of these weeks is sewing… I’m beginning to suffer serious withdrawal symptoms!
Hope everyone has had a lovely, Easter break too. To find out more about #sundaysevens head over to Nat’s blog threadsandbobbins.wordpress.com
navybluethreads 
It sounds like you have had another lovely and relaxing week. I completely understand about trying to make the absolute most of the last day of your holiday, that will be me this time next week. I’m impressed you’ve managed to fit in some reading too, the book choices sound great. Hope your first day back goes well 🙂
Thank you and I’m trying very (very) hard to be positive about going back. It’s always fun to catch up with colleagues and I enjoy it once I’m there, it’s just the early morning starts and the rush. Make the most of yours x
I’ve read three of your four. I found Elizabeth is Missing really depressing but I am incredibly forgetful. Looks like you’ve had a FAB break – have a good first week back.
It had good write-ups, maybe it’s good it’s on the shorter side then… I treated myself as a going-back-to-school present. Are you back tomorrow too?
Ahh my daughter is a Rainbow – much more colourful than the Brownie outfit!
The NT places are so pretty. What beautiful weather 🙂
Thanks Beth. Brighter, but my daughter has a bit of red in her hair so the bright red was always a bit much for her. The soft yellow and brown will suit her colouring much better. She looked so proud when she tried it on, she starts tomorrow, I think…
Thanks for sharing your reading pile. I read and loved the top one. Also intrigued about Elizabeth is Missing.
Wasn’t it great? I think I’ll miss it tonight when I remember I’ve finished it 😦 The Secret Place is fab already though, immerses you straight in…
You have had such nice weather! Loove your reading pile- Elizabeth is Missing is on my reading pile too. My oldest just turned 10 and I am also like “Just stop growing!”
Yes, we’ve been very lucky! Today was pretty rainy and windy, but really can’t complain. My son is almost as tall as me and only one shoe size behind me! They really do need to stop now 😉
What a lovely week! I’m sure it was always sunny in the school hols when I was a kid! It makes the days so much nicer and happier when the suns shining, and you definitely made the most of it!
A lot cheaper to entertain them too…
Heavenly to spend a day in bed, drinking tea & reading… thank you for the diary!
del
Well, an hour or so in the morning. But it makes a great start to the day 🙂
What a lovely Easter break! It’s great that you’ve some sunshine too…that normally doesn’t happen that often during the holidays does it?! The cakes look yummy!!
Thankfully my daughter didn’t manage to finish hers, so I got to sample it too 🙂
What great weather you had up North – aren’t Bank Holiday Mondays supposed to grey and rainy? Made a lovely change down South, too. Not that we’ve had a picnic yet, although I did get the flip flops out and pack the boots away for the duration:)
It really made the holiday 🙂 And we all look a lot healthier too…