On eleven years ago today

Family, LearnerMother, , , , , ,

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It was eleven years ago that Easter Monday fell on April Fool’s Day. Why do I know this? Because it was also the day that the Boyfriend became the Husband, nearly seven years after we started getting pissed together after work. Clearly, there should be some sort of warning on what a pint in the Betsey can lead to!

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So here we are today, via London, Cardiff and Cesky Krumlov, where we tied the knot. We’re a bit fatter, a lot greyer, and much, much tireder. Not any chuffing wiser, probably, but there you go. And somehow – somehow, we have managed to produce three amazing kids between us, and for that I don’t think either of us can believe our luck.

The thing about kids though, amazing or otherwise, is that they do take it out of you, particularly in the first few years. There have been weeks, and probably months, where our sole communication has been exhausted and terse functional exchanges about the kids or the businesses, interspersed by the odd curry being thrown across the room. Where we’ve held it together through a family day out, only to descend into competitive tiredness bitching the minute they have dropped off. Of course running two small businesses through a double dip recession has added a nice amount of stress to the mix, because there’s nothing like a few money worries to stretch the camel to breaking point. Or the straw. Whatever.

We’re still going, though. I’m not going to come over all roses and say it’s wonderful, because a)that’d make me puke and b)I know he reads this and it’d make him puke too. But, we are still going, despite some pretty hairy times these last few years. And now the kids are getting bigger, and sleep isn’t such an issue, and we’re just beginning to notice each other again it feels like we’re entering the next phase of our lives. I’m nervous – it feels like we have to get to know each other all over again – but I’m quite looking forward to it also.

We chose our first dance, Pulp’s ‘Something Changed’, because we felt it reflected on our situation perfectly – we were never expecting the other to be more than a passing fling, but something did change. And something’s changing again now. Happy anniversary, sweetheart x

On Techniquest and the best £56 you’ll spend this year

Cardiff Stuff, Family, Reviews, Wales, , , , , , ,

Techniquest in Cardiff

If you’ve not been before, Techniquest is a science and technology museum for kids in Cardiff Bay. But there is not one single exhibit to look at. Instead, there are about a hundred exhibits, that the kids can play with, get wet with, and climb all over – and maybe even learn something, who knows! There’s a wet play area, where they can build dams and sail ships, and where they can, by firing water jets into the appropriate holes, measure the difference in the amount of water needed for a bath vs a shower, or leaving the tap running while doing your teeth instead of just turning it on when you need it. There is the best marble maze in the world bar none, a man size Spirograph type exhibit and a hot air balloon. There is a colony of leaf eating ants and magnifying cameras so you can track them on screen, a mirage where it looks like your legs disappear, and a piano in the floor that you play by jumping on. Oh – and a planetarium!

The kids could easily spend the whole day in Techniquest – but (bad mother alert) there’s no way on Earth I’d want to. When you walk in, it’s like you hit a wall of sound. There are kids running in all directions and adults running after them. There’s usually an argument as the husband and I have widely differing opinions on how much our kids need to be watched. I like to know where they are at all times; he assumes they are fine unless the tannoy calls him. Actually – that last bit is not true – he assumes they are ok until the eldest one comes to find him to tell him that the tannoy has been calling his name for 5 minutes because the middle one is in some sort of scrape. And who knows what the youngest was doing in the meantime. But let’s not go over old ground, we’ll save that for when I’m really tamping for a fight, hey?

And breathe. Where was I?  Oh yes – I couldn’t spend a day in Techniquest. Two hours is pretty much my maximum, perhaps three if I’ve had a full night’s sleep the night before.  After that I start to lose the plot a bit.

So it might sound weird that we spend £56 a year on a family pass. But dropping in for a couple of hours, whenever the kids want to, is actually a brilliant way to experience Techniquest. We don’t need to feel that we have to spend a whole day there to justify the entrance fee (a day pass for a family of 5 would be £23). We (mostly) avoid sulking when it’s time to leave, because the kids know they can come back any time. There’s always different exhibits on rotation, as well as different shows and events, so we get to do or see something different each visit. And I have to say it’s been brilliant these last couple of cold, rainy, skint months, knowing there is always somewhere we can go for a couple of hours so the kids don’t get cabin fever. The family pass also gives 10% off in the shop, free Planetarium shows, and a couple of other bits and bobs, so all in all, it’s excellent value for money. And it helps me not lose the plot – what’s not to like!

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If you don’t know Techniquest – here’s my top tips:

1 If you live in Cardiff, the annual pass is definitely worth considering – but if you’re not sure, you can pay for a day’s entry, and then if you want to buy a pass, you’ll have your entry money refunded.

2 You can use Tesco Reward points to get in (but not to pay for an annual pass)

3 It’s sometimes closed on Mondays – but not every Monday – so call ahead on 029 2047 5475

4 Take dry clothes – though the waterplay isn’t the immersion type, there’s every chance their top halves will end up soaked.

5 Toddler Days take place once a month –  adults pay £4.60 and under 5s go free – check the website for the next one.

6 TQ After Hours – I haven’t checked this out yet but it’s evening opening, with none of the little critters running around, AND A BAR! I think this could persuade me to revise my 2 hour limit – I’ll let you know when I’ve been to one! Follow @TQafterhours for details of the next event.

Techniquest - Cardiff