Ahoy there me challengees!

Challenge success

Home grown tomatoes

Phew. I was starting to think that the summer holidays weren’t going well in terms of challenges.

Then I sat down and looked at what I’ve actually done in the last two weeks and I discovered:

Doesn't look anything like radishes

• I have posted eight articles
• I have three new countries: Luxembourg, Mexico and Northern Mariana Islands (I tell you, if I could do a tour of the countries on my flag counter, I really would)
• I can tick off ‘Grow vegetables and eat them’ because my incredible gardening skills have provided us with: celery, apple, cucumber, tomatoes, and radish beetroot
• I have been to a crap restaurant
• Tried a new recipe
• I took the children on a boat trip on the Danube (and it was really lovely)
• I’ve added some new challenges

Rubbish restaurant

Crap restaurant

After our boat trip, we walked and walked and walked until we reached town. With one clueless optimistic person in high heels. Before walking and walking and walking back to the car, I thought I’d give the blistered one a chance to put her feet up and the unable-to-be-worn-down ones, the opportunity to refuel. After some debating, which included which restaurant had the best shade/ultimate view/comfiest seats/space for five together/least cigarette smoke blowing around – we picked the wrong restaurant. We used the facilities without having to hand over a body part. Then took a pew.

We perused the menu and I decided to have a crêpe. As did my son. Only when he ordered it, we were told that that item on their minuscule menu would not be available until September!?!

So I picked a ‘red and white’, so-called because of its mixture of red berries and white ice cream and frozen yoghurt.

I awaited my fresh and delicious dessert.

I am still waiting.

Apparently, they don’t have any berries and they’re all out of frozen yoghurt.

So I had a coffee.

And shook my head.

New challenges

I’ve been trailing through the internet and going through brochures I’ve collected from all over the place, and discussed it all with the kids and this is what we’ve come up with:

• A trip to Sensapolis
• Making soap together
• Going to the University’s Botanic Gardens (which I had actually thought were closed to the public)
• Attending a live performance of a Wild West Show (with real horses/stuntmen etc)
• Visiting a stone age/bronze age museum
• I also decided I will attempt to teach Akasha to play chess (I know she’s only four, but she keeps asking)

The boat trip

View from the boat

It only took an hour but I think we all really enjoyed it. It was informative and child friendly, but in answer to your question Perfecting Motherhood, no, there was not a loo on board. But three out of four children managed to pee on the grass. And one out of three children succeeded in urinating on her shoes. We’re high achievers in this family, you know.

Missed opportunity

The challenge that Tilly and I truly missed when writing up our initial lists must be this one:

• Form a group of 101 101ers (2/101)

Because in the last couple of weeks another 3 challengers have joined our group:

Ebony Delights
Manchester Meanders
and Manchester’s Artistic Son

And had we added that challenge, it would now look like this:

• Form a group of 101 101ers (12/101)

Perhaps we should add it anyway, Tilly?