A busy week - the beach, zoo, meeting a blogging friend, flying kites!

We have been pretty busy since Sunday! On Sunday morning we headed off to Clacton-on-Sea for a couple of nights, a little break, unfortunately with the kids lol!!! We have hubby's 'other' daughter for a week in the summer holidays so thought we would do something. We hit the beach shortly after we got there and boy was it hot, I burnt my face, I looked like rudolph with my glowing nose and also a strip down the front of each leg lol!! We hadn't packed swim things for the girls as we hadn't banked on them getting we but as the sea was so close (we had to move twice!) they thought it was great jumping the waves and yes they got soaked! Here's Hollie with 3 buckets of water to fill the hole they had dug, the other 2 are on the left of the piccie.On Monday we went to Colchester Zoo, last time we went was 2 years ago and we had really heavy rain and thunder!! This time it was lovely and warm. We were lucky enough to feed one of the elephants, it was just like putting a bit of something in the end of the hoover nossil but with less suck, you literally put it in the trunk and you could hear it sucking, it was fab!

I think my highlight of the visit was meeting Rajang the orangutang whom I have been watching on the tv series Zoo Days. We went and saw him twice!! First time round I couldn't really get a good piccie and then he went and sat in the corner with his back to us, but 2nd time he came right up to the window opposite me and kept reaching out and stroking the window about where my belly button was!! It was amazing, he kept doing it and even when he went for a wander around his enclosure and I managed to get to the window near him again, he did exactly the same again!!! It was amazing to watch him, it was as if you could see him thinking about things, the keeper said people always thinks he looks unhappy but he isn't it's just that they don't have the facial muscles to allow them to smile!

Then we went and visited my dear blogging friend Linda (Linanna) when I mentioned to her that we were going to the zoo, she invited us round for a drink as they live quite close by. Lucky I had put the postcode in the satnav as when we went to look for the paper with the house no. and phone no. on we couldn't find it anywhere, still haven't, yet it was there in the car when we were on the zoo carpark. Anyhow we found Linda's house, it was a bit of a surprise bless her as I had said we were going to the zoo on the Tuesday and would call in then, but here we were a day early!! The girls loved playing on the WII with Linda's daughter Jasmine whilst we had a chat. It was really lovely to meet in person, although I am sooooo...... jealous of Linda's crafting area!! oh and she so kindly gave me a big bundle of stamped images which I have already used one of but yet to post it on here, if you are reading this Linda 'Thank you so much' and thanks for sending us to the Harvester our meal was fab!!Tuesday we just played it by ear, we had a wander along the pier, had a look around the market and the local craft shop (yep got a few goodies not many though), went in the arcades, until it was time to head home.

Here is my fave piccie from our time away, it's of Hollie walking along the pier it was so sweet watching her as she walked along watching the cracks!! Lillie hated it and kept crying, she didn't like being able to see the sea below!!!

Today we had to pop into town so that I could take more papers in for the police checks for my new job and I have now accepted a different job, still in the canteen but for another school in town, this time it's for more than twice the hours so more pay which will be nice!

We then headed to the playing field so that the girls could have a play and fly their kites.

Tomorrow we are off to Matthew's parents, they live near the coast so no doubt we'll go for a wander along the beach!