Boredom vs Budget: Week 1

If you didn't read my previous post, I'm doing a weekly post on B's first Big Summer Holidays: Boredom vs Budget.

WEEK ONE : Managing Expectations

If my plan was to manage B’s expectations from the get-go - about having some busy, further afield days out, but also having ‘lazy’, stay-at-home days which can be just as fun -  then I failed miserably, as he had a non-stop, full week!

A day for wellies and waterproofs

Monday we had arranged to meet up with a good friend and her two kids, aged 6 and 3, with whom B gets on really well. Despite the rain forecast to fall all day, we wanted to get out rather than being cooped up indoors. Train journeys are always a hit, and with Scotrail’s Kids Go Free scheme, no need to pay for the over 5’s, yay! We opted for a trip over the impressive Forth Rail Bridge into Fife, which was greeted with big smiles and lots of ‘whoops’, even if it is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it view from the bridge! Little tummies were beginning to rumble by the time we set off, so the well-stocked picnic was devoured on the train. Despite a walk up a steep hill to get to local park – prompting a café-stop for a drink and snack - we got to the park, wet and soggy, but with welly boots and waterproofs, the kids were raring to go. Unsurprisingly, we had the rain-soaked park all to ourselves, too...

Forth Rail Bridge on a brighter day.

A return trip back across the rail bridge, and a very wet wait for the bus home, and as we stepped off the bus, guess what, the rain finally stopped. Sod's Law.

Money spent: home-made picnic and no kids train fares, so not too bad for Day 1.

Energy spent: Lots! Jumping in big puddles is hard work!

Top Tip to remember: Kids Go Free on off-peak, 
day-return rail journeys.

I had decided to put B in holiday club for the next couple of days, partly to let me go to work (yes, I mustn’t forget I do need to go to work!) and also to give him a taster of holiday club which I’m sure I may need to use more of in the years to come. 

This week was a jungle/safari theme. Tuesday was jungle-themed games in the gym hall, making animal prints, and ‘Jungle Book’ film if wet outside “(if”?!!). I picked him up at the end of his first day, eager to hear how he got on. I was met with a large bruise and scrape on his forehead and an accident report form for me to sign. Apparently he’d only been in the door literally ten minutes and he’d fallen off a climbing log outside and conked his head on the ground. He was fine, thankfully, a bit of calpol needed that night for his sore head, but luckily no lasting damage!

Image credit: Blairdrummond.com

Wednesday was trip day, and this week was a visit to Blair Drummond Safari Park in Stirlingshire,. Once again, the rain fell, but they all had a good time, on the boat trip round monkey island, seeing the seal show, playing on the pirate ship playpark. They were due back about 5.30pm, but by 5pm as they were on their return journey home, Edinburgh and the surrounding areas were being deluged by torrential rain and flash-flooding. So their 90 minutes homeward trip turned into 2 1/2 hours as the motorway came to a virtual standstill in the downpours. Poor souls, they were tired, hungry and bored. I was glad that I'd arranged that B's dad would pick him up to deal with tea/bath/bed, as I was having a rare mid-week dinner out with friends.

Money spent: cost of holiday club for a couple of days, but no extras for day trip so good value. (Although wet socks indicated that a new pair of wellies are urgently required.)

Energy spent: Oodles on his part, none on mine, and I got a few adult-friendly hours with old friends, bonus!
No. of times "I'm bored" uttered: none! (that i heard, anyway)

Amazing tree sculpture in the park

Thursday, and no let up in the activities, we were meeting up with friend and his mum from B’s nursery days. The weather was dry (yes, it's true!) but thick haar (sea fog) was blanketing the area as it often does in these parts, and as we left the house the sun was not winning the battle in burning it off.


Undeterred, we headed off to a country park just 20 minutes away, with lots of open space, two playparks, a forest walk for exploring, and a café for re-filling the energy tanks. Thankfully, the fog did lift enough, and occasionally the sun peeked out, teasing us with its fleeting warmth. We had a great day, one of those unexpectedly successful days you wish they could all be like, with little effort or pennies spent but lots of fun had by the boys and a really good natter for the mummies. 

Money spent: Not too much, picnic made up for the boys, only toasties and cuppa bought for the grown-ups.
Energy spent: A load once again, lots of fresh air and for once without the rain, yay!

Note to self: you can never pack enough food for hungry boys.

Friday was a quiet day in comparison to the rest of the week, as B was heading to his Dad’s in the afternoon as is the routine. We did some painting in the morning, something we've not done together for ages (mostly because of the thought of clearing up...) - big pictures of police cars and fire stations (apparently).

Money spent: minimal. Lunch at home of tomato soup, tuna wraps and cucumber sticks. yum.

Energy spent: A little bit, helped by an impromptu painting-break involving indoor football and tennis in the hall (Wimbledon was underway and Andy Murray was doing well…)

Weekly Round-up:
Money Spent: could have been worse.
Energy spent: A shedload - not that it got him to sleep any earlier...
No. of times "I'm bored" heard: None! Long may that continue.
Did B have a good week?: "certainly, Mummy" Oh, bless.
Top Tip: Home-made lunches - cheaper, and picnics much more fun. And you then don't begrudge paying out for an ice-cream later.