#CountryKids Beaver Sports Day and #Juneathon day 8

Straight after yesterday's Grasmere Gallop we headed for my son's Beaver Scouts district sports' day in Coniston. Lots of fun traditional sports with my son gaining medals in:

1. long jump
2. welly wanging (hammer)
3. sack race

His colony ended up coming 3rd overall in the competition which is their best ever result! It was fabulous watching 6 and 7 year olds trying their hardest to win each event. Even the ones that were outside in the rain they tried their best.

No wonder they all tucked into a hearty tea of bangers, mash and beans in the evening! For many of them this was their first night away from home without their parents (my son of course had me... but I tried to ignore him!). Very late that night after watching a Clutch Powers' DVD they finally attempted to sleep in their colony rooms:

Reasons to be Cheerful: Week 18 - 2014 #R2BC

Welcome back to the blog hop being hosted here. The lovely Jo at Ojos World is having a well earned rest after looking after us all in April. Thanks Jo! Welcome to everyone whether old timers or newcomers we all want to share what has made you smile this week. To kick you off here are mine:

1) Guinea Pig lawn mowers

As the weather has stayed nice our little furry friends are enjoying spending their days nibbling the grass in the garden. Its giving my daughter and I plenty of practice at catching them too! Here is Bubble playing peek a boo:

2) Running

I managed to complete my first proper 10 km race since December this Saturday. It was a bit of a struggle but I accidentally broke my 1 km and 1 mile personal bests on the course:

Reasons to be Cheerful week 9 - 2014 #R2BC

The lovely Jo at Ojosworld has been a super host this month and will be handing the reins back to me for March! I really hope lots of you will continue to join in and share your happy thoughts. For this week I am just joining in with everyone else! 

This week its a complete Proud Mummy edition as we had parents' evening at school tonight:

1) My boy

At his Beaver meeting this week he wrote at lovely prayer as part of his Faith badge:

 I love the mix of thinking of others and himself! He came home at the end of the meeting with a haul of 5 badges that he earned before half term:

He is now 2/3 of way towards Chief Scout bronze award after only 13 months as fully fledged Beaver!

As for school he is doing really well. He is a keen reader (even reading on the way into school this morning):

Reasons to be Cheerful: Week 6 - 2014 #R2BC

I've handed hosting back over to Jo at Ojo's world for February so its her badge this month! I am sure she will look after us all very well. Here are my first reasons to be cheerful for February:

1) A fun family weekend

Saturday saw my son's Beaver colony coffee morning which we all enjoyed. Lots of yummy cakes and my daughter won 2 raffle prizes! Then the children were allowed their first McDonalds of 2014...

Afterwards we went to the panto at Crosthwaite, can you tell the story from this photo:

On Sunday we went to South Lakes Animal Park and I've already blogged about our day and put up lots of photos.

2) New (to me) car

Just like Jo I've been forced to part with my old car due to prohibitive mechanics bills! Luckily I've been able to get a replacement which currently looks immaculate inside and out... how long will it look like this:

3) Proud Mummy

My daughter got a head teacher's award for writing in the style of Rudyard Kipling. Several members of staff and some of her class mates were all telling me today how fantastic it was so I was really glad to get a read. 

Her little brother was brave enough to hand feed birds at the zoo which he has never wanted to do before:

Why are you smiling this week? Please join in the hop:

Reasons to be Cheerful: Feeling Festive Edition

Feeling bit down tonight as my last book sale just about covered the costs... Shame as its been a good Christmas fair season really! So I need to cheer myself up with positive blogging:

1) District Scout Carol Concert

This is the first full year my son has been in Beavers so we all went along to the annual district carol service at our parish church. This the first time I've been inside the building since we moved here in 2010 and I was very impressed (I've put a few photos on Flickr of the wonderful Christmas tree festival). It was a lovely service with traditional carols and readings plus awards to Beavers and Cubs. 

There was also a collection of backpacks and school items to donate to Mary's Meals Backpack Project. The charity feeds over 800,000 children a day in Malawi and surrounding countries and they also send school supplies in backpacks. Great to have the children remembering that Christmas is not just about receiving but giving too.  

This is my son posing by one of the wise men in the nativity scene as he is going to be one tomorrow in the nativity:

2) School Christmas Production

The juniors at my children's school always but on a musical production every Christmas. This year it was Hansel and Gretel complete with gingerbread house:

My daughter unfortunately missed auditions as she was off sick so opted for being back stage crew. The whole thing was so well performed with all children from year 3 to year 6 taking part. I have to say that the backstage crew did an amazing job and the head even called for them to have an extra round of applause at the end:

3) New hair do

I finally found time to get my hair cut today! Loads of compliments at work from staff an students (probably shows how awful it had got!). Been challenged to use straighteners more often by 2 colleagues:

So why are you smiling this week?

#CountryKids: Beaver Colony at High Borrans

My son is lucky to be in a Beaver colony with a) an enthusiastic leader b) in such a great area. Tonight they had an outdoor adventure evening up at High Borrans. The weather was foul but wrapping them up in waterproofs and packing them off out in the rain made for a great evening. I only went along at the end as I had my daughter with me but we caught them doing a night line trail:

It was very amusing watching them follow the leader blindfolded along a rope. Being 6-8 years old they kept forgetting to let the person behind know what obstacles were ahead of them! 

Eventually they finished and went back on to the adventure playground area. This had lots of different balancing and rope type challenges:

He really showed his new found braveness with the way he tackled the course (listen to rain falling!):

At the end of the evening they all had a well earned hot chocolate back inside the centre:

I am so proud of how he is growing up fast and I'm sure that in the summer when both my children have their adventure visits to High Borrans with school they will have even more amazing fun. Just have to hope the weather is a lot better!

Reasons to be Cheerful Week 17 #R2BC

Michelle is feeling like Pollyana this week and has found reasons to smile even when things are making her feel sad. Here are the reasons I am smiling this week:

1) My big boy

He had his first St George's Day as a Beaver Scout this week:

He looks so grown up and proud of himself! Not such a little boy any more.

2) 3 years of blipping

I celebrated 3 years on the blipfoto photo sharing web site this week.

It's been such fun on their and this week got into the Spotlight for my anniversary blip.

3) My girl

After last week's Gollum my daughter did her own interpretation of the weeping angels from Dr Who:

She has such a great imagination!