Friday 28 February 2014

How did Tom do? (Part two)


Posted by Rosie

Last week I started to go through the National Trust's list of "50 things to do before you are 11¾" because Tom has now reached the great age of 12.  Here's the next set to see whether he can better his score so far of 9/13. Link to Part One here.

Mud, glorious mud!
13.  Make a mud pie - Oh yes and all too often with an ensuing mud fight as happened with these friends who were in the gite!  You really did NOT want o see the bath after these 4 horrors had been in it!

14. Dam a stream - we have a little local stream and the boys regularly dam it.  All I can say is thank goodness it's not a big enough stream to then flood the farmer's fields!

15.  Go sledging - yes although not this winter as to date we have had no snow. However, the boys and Simon are heading to the The Alps next week for their annual ski trip and I am sure there will be sledging as well as skiing down the odd black run.  Please Ben, just be extra careful going off piste this time.  I really don't want THAT telephone call from Dad again to say you have fractured your spine (SHOCK).

16. Bury someone in the sand - I think poor old Simon has been buried more times than he cares to remember!

17.  Set up a snail race - Despite have some large snails here called escagot de Bourgogne (known as Roman snails in the UK) I don't think he has ever done this so we have our first NOPE.

A very young Tom balancing on a fallen tree
18.  Balance on a fallen tree - yes and fallen off a few as well.  I think he was just 4 having fun on this fallen tree at Camer Country Park in Kent (and I loved that coat!).

19. Swing on a rope swing - We have a small rope swing in our play area but before they moved, friends had a massive one in a tree which the boys loved playing on ... although I usually looked away when they went really high!

Mud, mud and even more mud!
20.  Make a mud slide - Both boys have played around in the mud and slipped loads and come home covered in mud from head to toe but I am not sure Tom has actually made a proper mud slide.  So another NOPE here.

21.  Eat blackberries growing in the wild - yes - and wild garlic and hazelnuts and chestnuts and discovered that sloes are far too sour to eat and make your mouth feel like it has turned inside out!

22. Take a look inside a tree - there is a hollowed out tree on our front drive!

23. Visit an island - Does Jersey count?  I think so don't you although I doubt the boys would remember as they were very young.

24. Feel like you're flying in the wind - many a time especially up on the top of the rocks at Clécy where people para-glide from and boys rock climb when it's dry.

So - that that gives a sub total of 10/12 and a total to date of 19/24.  I'm pretty pleased with that :)

Linking up with Let Kids be Kids Linky and Country Kids.  Both links celebrate childhood fun away from technology for a while - something I am very passionate about (she says sitting in front of a computer writing this blog!)






24 comments :

  1. You're getting there with the list. I think I will struggle with the mud slide too. That mud fight looks like so much fun, but not sure I'd want to be cleaning the bath out after?!
    Thanks for sharing #LetKidsBeKids

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    1. I have a photo of what the bath looked like - it took A LONG time to clean but to be honest the fun they had far outweighed the cleaning!

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  2. What a joyful post! This is exactly the kind of life I want my boys to have. We are doing well so far, one of Boy1's first words was MUD. I hope there is a photo like your muddy boys picture in my photo album in 10 years time! So nice to see! #letkidsbekids #countrykids

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    1. Love the fact one of Boy1's first words was mud! Let me know in 10 years how many muddy pictures you have snapped - I bet there will be loads!

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  3. I do love the idea of this list, and it looks like you're making great progress!

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    1. It is a brilliant list isn't it? I never actually referred to the list until now that he is officially too old - it is just packed full of the things we tend to get up to anyway.

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  4. What a great list of 'Yes' ticks! I love this sort of stuff - thank you for linking me to the 'Let Kids Be Kid's Linky too, I'd never heard of that before :D
    You'd have no issues with a mudslide here in Manchester :D

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    1. I'm very new to all these linkies ... and loving them! Silent Sunday picture taken and ready to go!

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  5. I keep meaning to link up with the Let Kids be kids linky too! We've ticked off a fair few of our 50 things-I think we only have about 8 left now! This year I'm determined to make the canoe trip :)

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    1. Come over to France and canoe here :) - that's where the boys did their canoeing and they loved it.

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  6. Well done - doing well with the list! Although that phone call from the last ski trip sounds terrifying! X

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    1. It was the sort of phone call that in the time Simon had said "Ben may have fractured his back" I was already working out who could look after the animals and whether it was better to fly, drive or train down to the Alps! As it was I did none and despite having 2 hairline fractures he was allowed to come home and my adrenalin fuelled action plan wasn't needed.

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  7. We've still got a lot of the list left to complete - but mine are a bit younger so we've got more time. They were both born in Jersey though, so I can cross the "visit an island" off my list!

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  8. Not a bad score - they are doing well! Love the photo of the muddy boys, they obviously had a wonderful time. Thanks for linking up and sharing their fun with Country Kids.

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    1. It would be fair to say that mud has played quite a large role in the lives of the boys!

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  9. I *love* the photo of Mud, even more mud! I find the 50 Things a really good challenge and when I'm lacking inspiration I find they're a really good starting point.

    Nipping over from Country Kids.

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    1. So do I :) They had ben for a walk in the fields behind us when we lived in the UK and true to form they had fallen over, lost wellies and generally had a great muddy time!

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  10. Brilliant photos! Looks like they had great fun. :-)

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    1. Thank you Gina - if there is mud involved they usually do have fun!

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  11. Sounds idyllic! My happiest childhood memories are of being outdoors and I still love the outdoors today, so it bodes well for Tom x

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    1. Mine too Annie. Both Tom and Ben love being outside ... and muddy!

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  12. Firmly agree that kids should be kids, let them get dirty, allow them to explore. As a child my brothers and sister and I were always out and about getting mucky and exploring.

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    1. Exactly - mud is great and you are only a child once so make the most of it and exploring!

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