Eisern Union!

We drew this chalk drawing on our drive yesterday in honour of Auntie Matilda's first trip to watch Union Berlin (her adopted team while she is living and working over there). The artwork obviously didn't do the trick, as they lost 4-0, but Matilda had fun anyway, and we are quite pleased with how the bear turned out!

Cheeky-chops helping Grandma & Grandad to sort out their new house (well, sort of)

The house is nearly ready to move into. The new kitchen is in.

Grandad has sorted out the patio

The garden is coming along too

Anything good on?

We all had great fun visiting Steve, Cath and Thomas in Godalming recently. Thomas & Kezia played really well together, as they always do, but the only 5 minutes that they chose to watch TV seemed to send them into a complete grump!

Grandma & Grandad bid farewell to 82 Kidmore End Road, Emmer Green, after nearly 30 years

A final spring clean for 82 Kidmore End Road before Grandma & Grandad moved house; Kezia was very thorough!

Time to freshen things up!

Kezia & Mummy decided to spruce up Kezia's bedside cabinet and bedroom chair with some new paint. After a (not very) long discussion, they plumped for bright pink!

First coat nearly done

This project is still ongoing, but it will be finished soon!

Holiday snaps from our week in Devon

Last week (early July) we had a wonderful week on holiday down in Devon (at Goodrington near Paignton) - it was brilliant, and we did oodles of fun stuff, as you can see

Let's start the photos with two cheeky monkeys at Paignton Zoo

The view from the caravan park down to the sea

Kezia outside our home from home

On the nearest beach on day 1 - we came back here lots of times

On the short walk back from the beach to the caravan park (visible behind the trees in the background)

Meeting the neighbours

Tricky balancing on the adventure playground at the caravan park

On the top bunk in the spare room in the caravan. Kezia thought it was hilarious to get 'stuck' up here on a regular basis!

Off for a stroll around the caravan park

A few times, Kezia insisted on taking Kezia-baby and Dr. Bear for a walk around the site. We must have looked hilarious.

A lovely day out at Brixham & Berry Head

Kezia & Mummy next to the Golden Hind replica in Brixham harbour - it didn't actually look that great so we didn't go on board

Peering into the water at Brixham harbour - we love this photo

Fooling around having our lunchtime picnic on the pebbles at Breakwater beach in Brixham

Rock-pooling with the pirates!

When we had finished our picnic on Brixham beach, Mummy and Kezia went to look at the rockpools just as a huge pre-school outing turned up, all dressed as pirates!

We stopped for a paddle at the open air seawater pool at Shoalstone Beach

The fort at Berry Head

After we had been on the beach at Brixham, we walked up to the headland at Berry Head. There was an old fort, a lighthouse, loads of space to run around, terrific views and most importantly of all....a cafe!

On top of the world at Berry Head

Our holiday in Devon (part 1!)

Here are the first (or last, chronologically) 25 or so photos from our week down in Devon. The rest will follow soon.

On Berry Head, above Brixham

Perched on the trig point

The world's smallest lighthouse at Berry Head - not much bigger than Kezia's buggy

Living Coasts

On the Tuesday we went to Living Coasts in Torquay. It is a sort of cross between an aquarium and a seabird sanctuary and it was really good

Beware! Mother penguin regurgitating food for its baby!

And here's the photographic evidence!

Inca terns - they are cool!

In the seal viewing-bubble at Living Coasts. This one was fascinated by Kezia twirling her pink flip-flop round and round against the glass

We liked Living Coasts - highly recommended!

Paignton Zoo

The very start of our visit to Paignton Zoo was a bit of a damp squib because the first 2 or 3 animals we tried to see were asleep or hiding, but in the end it turned out to be a terrific day out. We saw loads and loads, though this photo of a gorilla was probably the best animal picture that we managed to get. We were there well over 4 hours and we had a great time.

Mummy, (real) Kezia and Kezia-baby on the train round Paignton Zoo

The picture on the train was as close as we got to a tiger - the real ones were asleep, much to Kezia's disappointment

Messing about on the (rather run-aground) pedaloes on Goodrington Sands

On the Thursday, we caught the steam train down to Kingswear. It was great fun.

The view of 'our' beach at Goodrington from the train window as we set off

Kezia took this photo of us on the train down to Kingswear. Good effort!

The steam train sets off back to Paignton from Kingswear (we caught the bus back!)

Nice view while we were having lunch!

We had lunch at the Royal Dart pub in Kingswear. This was the view from our table. We could see across the river to Dartmouth, with all the river traffic going back and forth.

Peeping through an indoor porthole at the pub - Kezia was delighted to find this!

Kezia, in the middle of Paignton, with a life-size model of how much ice cream she ate during the holiday

Look Mummy, this is how you do it....find a good flat stone.....

On our last full day, down at Saltern Cove

....and.....throw!

Now, watch and learn! (Daddy trying to teach his little girl to skim stones)

Who needs David Attenborough?

While we were skimming stones at Saltern Cove, we were joined by a seal. He popped up every 7 or 8 minutes. He was ace! We had a brilliant holiday in Devon!