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St. Austell Cornwall
Everyday Adventures, Travels

Everyday Moments: Water

Our Everyday Moments group has taken a bit of a break over the summer as we’ve all enjoyed holiday time with family. We’re back this month with the theme water and I didn’t struggle to find some suitable snaps as we had plenty of summer splash time.

The little man has been in a pool almost weekly since he was about 3 months old and he’s now growing into a confident swimmer. And while on holiday in Cornwall I couldn’t tear the little man away from the pool.

St. Austell Cornwall

Cornwall Pool

St. Austell Cornwall

Arms and legs splashing like mad but he's loving the swimming.

A video posted by Katherine Lightner (@katherinelightner) on

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Please check out my friend Laura’s post to see where she’s been in the water this summer.

Oxfordshire Poppies
Everyday Adventures, Travels

The Snake and the Poppies

Summertime in England means poppy fields blooming across the countryside, one of my favorite scenes to photograph.  As always, they’re never in the same place each summer so finding them takes a keen observant eye as you travel around the area. (And a friend with an equally keen observant eye.)

This year, I arranged to meet my friend for a photo shoot in the field she’d spied.  We met in the afternoon after the little man and I attended a friend’s birthday party.  Which had face painting.  And you can’t tell your child that no, he can’t get his face painted because mummy wants to take some pretty pictures.  Or I can’t and didn’t.

So here he is, my little snake in the grass.

Oxfordshire Poppies Oxfordshire Poppies Oxfordshire PoppiesOxfordshire Poppies Oxfordshire PoppiesOxfordshire Poppies Oxfordshire Poppies

Cornwall 2014
Travels

Lately: Our Holiday Trip to Cornwall

This is my first summer figuring out how to juggle the summer holiday school break and a full-time job.  Thankfully, we’ve been able to manage the two month break by combining family support, summer camps, and holiday time.  And one of the things we’ve quickly learned is that sometimes we’ll need to split the holidays up, each of us taking holiday with the little man on our own instead of all together as a family.  It’s the only way the math works out.

So this summer, I took a week off and the little man and I went on a road trip to Cornwall, taking advantage of what has so far been a warm and sunny English summer.

No comment on why the little man sports a Brasil shirt during the World Cup instead of England.  But he said the yellow and green team was his favorite.

Cornwall 2014

The first thing he wanted to do when we arrived was jump in the pool.  Which we did.  And then I had a hard time getting him out again.

Cornwall 2014

This East Coast girl is still fascinated by the long steep walks down to the beach from the top of the cliffs in England.  I think about all the coolers and beach chairs that I would lug across the Virginia sand and there is just no freaking way.  Getting to these beaches is all about travelling light.

Cornwall 2014

And then my dinner date wore his napkin as a crown.

Cornwall 2014

I’d long wanted to visit the Minack Theatre set into the cliffs at the southern edge of Cornwall.  It’s a stunning place to see and I suspect one of the most unique places in the world to watch live theatre.

Cornwall 2014

Cornwall 2014

We drove down first thing in the morning to catch the Squashbox Theatre show.  A morning spent laughing at dinosaurs, giants, and volcanos as we looked out across the sea was brilliant.  And the BBC was there filming a series about the Minack so keep an eye out for us in the audience when it airs.

Cornwall 2014

We spent the rest of the afternoon at nearby Porthcurno Beach digging in the sand and playing at the edge of the water.  I’m not going to lie, the water is beautiful but it’s cold and I was a coward without a wetsuit.

Cornwall 2014

Cornwall 2014

We enjoyed lots of sunshine and time by the pool and I’m grateful to have been able to spend a week enjoying the company of my favorite little person.

Cornwall 2014

Badbury Clump Bluebells
Travels

Beautiful Badbury Bluebells

Badbury Clump is a magical place when the bluebells are in full bloom.  I want to stay for hours meditating and taking photos, soaking in the beauty around me.

The little man, he just wants to run around collecting sticks, filling my pockets with random vegetation, and making funny faces.

Badbury Clump BluebellsBadbury Clump BluebellsBadbury Clump Bluebells

The Bubble
Travels

American Adventures

If you saw my 12 of 12 post, you’ll know that the little man and I just journeyed across the pond for an Easter visit to America.  The week was a whirlwind, filled with family visits and catching up with friends I hadn’t seen in over two years. And, there were plenty of everyday adventures. Like…

Collecting the eggs.

Children's Museum

Milking the cows.

Children's Museum

Crawling through tunnels.

Children's Museum

Watching the trains go by.

Children's Museum

Playing with Lego.

Lego Time

Flying an airplane.

NASA Visitor Center

Pigging out on strawberry milkshakes.

Strawberry Milkshake

Admiring mountain lion skulls.

Virginia Living Museum

Learning to draw in the style of Charley Harper.

Virginia Living Museum

Feeding an alligator.

Virginia Living Museum

Watching the fish swim by.

Virginia Living Museum

Recreating one of the last scenes in Jurassic Park.

Virginia Living Museum

Finding out that bald eagles have three toes.

Virginia Living Museum

Spending quality time at the playground.

Playground

And, getting a visit from the Easter Bunny.

The Easter Bunny