A Day Out in Barrybados

Barrybados
You can see why we call it Barrrybados!

So yesterday school was closed for the strike, giving the kids and me a bonus day off. At their request we’d planned for a loom-band-and-lego-fest, and the playroom floor had even been cleared of the usual clutter all ready to go.

This all changed when my little girl came twirling up to be in her new (to her) teeshirt. ‘Look Mum! It says Beach Break! That’s what we should do today – go to the beach! Let’s all go to Barry Island for the day!’

Naturally my first thought was ‘The beach? On my own with the three of them? That’s bound to be a disaster’. Followed by ‘Beach? That means I’ll have to drive. And I’m still being a wimp about that. No way, Jose’.

So I mumbled something about we’d go to the beach another time, when I’d had a chance to get things organised. Only to be met with the rejoinder ‘MUM! What do we need to organise! It’s the BEACH! And the sun is shining! And we have a day off! And we’ll be really good, promise!’

So that’s how we came to be at the bus stop, with an enormous Clas Ohlson bag filled with a blanket, towels, swimmers, sun cream, balls, hats, drinks, buckets, spades and fishing nets. There’s something about kids on a trip to the beach that seems to make everyone smile – even the bus driver didn’t grumble when he had to stop the bus and wrestle one of our fishing nets out of the door mechanism because it had slipped out of the luggage space. Whoops!

That set the tone for the day really. The kids were brilliant on the bus and the train to Barry Island (I’d forgotten that this is part of the adventure for them) and we all had such a lovely day together. It was a proper beach day, with rock pooling, football, digging to Australia, Crazy Golf (more like Crazy Hockey the way we played, but still!), a fish and chip lunch and of course an ice cream at Marco’s.

Barrybados
Crazy Hockey
BarryBados
Digging to Australia
Barrybados
Looking for Pirates

We all had such a wonderful day together, and I learnt a couple of lessons – firstly that though I haven’t really noticed it happening, everything is easier! Even last year I wouldn’t have taken the three of them to a crowded beach on my own – I just wouldn’t have felt that I could manage them all safely. And secondly, that everything does not have to be organised to the nth degree – sometimes the best days are completely random and *twitches slightly* not planned at all!

I’m linking up for the first time in far too long with the brilliant Country Kids at Coombe Mill – why not go and check out some more adventures in the great outdoors, planned and unplanned!
Country Kids from Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays Cornwall

Like this? You might also like these:

  • On giving a dog a bad nameOn giving a dog a bad name So I found one of the kids in tears yesterday. When I asked them what was wrong, they said it was because they hadn't been invited to someone's party. Now I tend to be quite unsympathetic […]
  • Blogging and kidsBlogging and kids I had a message from someone the other day in response to a post on my blog; it was a private message, because as she said, ‘my elder two don’t need to see their mother’s issues on social […]
  • Three and a half daysThree and a half days So something a bit weird is happening on Friday afternoon. In fact, a lot weird. At around 3pm the Husband and I will be leaving for three and a half days away, without the kids. Three and […]

8 thoughts on “A Day Out in Barrybados

  1. Last time I went to ‘Barrybados’ was when I was 16! (now that was a very long time ago) I loved the way you just packed up and went though, I don’t think I could be so impulsive. Glad the kids were so well behaved for you too, looks like you’ll be going back again sometime soon 🙂 #countrykids
    Anne recently posted…Barbecue!My Profile

  2. We love Barry Island. So easy living in Cardiff for us to jump in car and visit. Looks like you had a lovely time! Did you get the homemade freshly cooked doughnuts! Its our favourite when we go there.
    WildFamilyFun recently posted…My Sunday PhotoMy Profile

Leave a Reply to Anne Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *