A hot beach day

The boys’ visit had been a bit if a curate’s egg. They had a fight after bedtime probably instigated by James trying to keep Thomas awake. Mr C dealt with it very well.

This morning all they wanted to do was play on tablets which we allowed for a while then said they could go out to play. That ended in ructions to do with temper and footballs.

Thomas requested Monopoly but soon became cranky and bossy and rude then when told off started packing it up and going into a big sulk. Then I discovered he’d gone onto a device and took it off him. No rewards for rude behaviour. So bigger sulks.

I started preparations for the beach but T said he wasn’t going. He thought we could drop him off as he could walk the 20 miles home. Mr C said he was coming with us. I got a picnic sorted and all the stuff packed. Meanwhile James was sucking up enormously - for once he wasn’t the one in trouble and he was very cooperative and polite.

At Druridge Bay we carried the load of stuff over the dunes and the boys got into wetsuits and got their bodyboards out. I changed into normal swimwear, not having wetsuits etc. Mr C declined to join us. It was bliss. ( the sea, not that Mr C didn’t come in!). The water was of course cold - we’d been told the North Sea was at its warmest ever. However I soon acclimatised and Thomas loaned me his body board for a few minutes.

For the first time ever I was not cold when I got out. It was 28 with a westerly (warm) breeze. We had our picnic, the boys tried riding the boards down the dunes then we went in again. Mr C look pix of the 3 of us but I liked this I took of the horses and James best. So there you have it.

Dropped the boys at home where #2 daughter had been entertaining work colleagues for the weekend.

#3 daughter had to send her 2 to drama club in a taxi as the family car broke down at a roundabout on a19 at Boldon yesterday on her way to work.