Week 22 - and a week at Centre Parcs

Well this is my first blog post not written at home. I'm sat in my little holiday lodge in Centre Parcs at Longleat, on the last night of our first family holiday. The boys are tucked up in bed, exhausted after a fun packed week, we're sat on the sofa, with a pot of coffee, waiting for the start of the Olympic closing ceremony, and not for the first time this week, I'm feeling a little emotional about how wonderfully lucky I am.

This week has been truly wonderful. I came here with reservations. I wasn't sure how G and I would cope with a week of the boys with all that entails - not that we didn't want to spend the time with them of course, more the fact that we are used to relaxing holidays, and this year more than ever, we needed a break. The last holiday we had was October last year (pre children!), we had got in to the habit of taking three holidays a year, and it's fair to say, that this year has been the busiest and most emotionally challenging we've ever been through, so we were both really ready to relax, and I was fairly certain that we wouldn't be given much of a chance to rest this time round. Secondly I was dubious about Centre Parcs, again, we're used to holidays in exotic locations but at the moment, we can't take the boys out of the country, so it felt like a second choice.

However, I've been proved wrong on both counts. I feel thoroughly chilled out, like I've had a great break, and I've loved Centre Parcs, it's been absolutely perfect for a family get away. G and I were chatting earlier on, about how great the week has been for the boys, and it made me smile to think once again, how our priorities have changed, life seems a bit less selfish these days, we have both got so much pleasure this week, over seeing the boys enjoying themselves! The excitement has been palpable all week, and there have been several occasions where I've just found myself grinning at the thought of how good a time Joe and Charlie have been having. 

But also, I do feel that we've had a chance to relax too, the boys have been well behaved, and we've had some time to spend with one another, either whilst the boys were busy with activities, or just sat in our lodge with a glass of wine at night time, whilst the boys were in bed. But also the time we've spent with them has been largely relaxing too, I've loved having time to spend, to not be in a rush to get somewhere, or the pressure of getting them in to bed for a set time in order to ensure I can get on with some work, or to ensure that they are up for the school run. As the week has gone by I've found myself relaxing with the boys in the way that I deal with them and how I respond to the more challenging moments. Spending more time and having no other pressures has enable to focus on children with out the normal distractions of day to day life.  I've loved that it's just been the four of us. My family. Having fun, having new experiences, having a laugh and being together.

The boys have had some great experiences, they've been on pedalo's, to wizard school, to chef's school, they've been on a teddy bears picnic, they've ridden quad bikes, been on bike rides, seen a magic show,  been to Merlin's banquet, eaten new foods at different restaurants, done archery, played mini golf and made puppets.

For much of this, G and I have sat and watched, and smiled. It feels like this week, we've started to create family memories. And I've loved every minute of it!