You know it's been a good weekend when there's been a little birthday celebrating. When a nine year old is happy with his gifts of a Swiss Army knife, a flint and steel fire starter and a fire bowl. When there's been skating and scooting and skateboarding and the directions to the hospital weren't needed after all. When a football match has been won and a goal has been scored and another set up. When the littlest boy fell out of a tree, and only winded himself and ripped his trousers.
We took the little people to an indoor skate park on Saturday, as a birthday treat for the middle boy. We went to Cirencester afterwards for a wander. Most of the photos are from there. The yew hedge is the biggest in Britain. Quite amazing. I love the houses there, all that beautiful Cotswold stone. A nice antidote to the indoor skate park. The biggest boy was bitten by a dog in the park though. Dog owners that don't control their dogs make me SO cross. The owner vanished without so much as an apology. It was a nasty bite. It made him feel quite rubbish, it hurt, and it was upsetting that someone didn't really care that he was hurt.
Overall a good weekend here though. What with the fire and the knives and the scooting and the skating I feel that we have the makings of a circus act. We're tired now, muddy, bruised and smelling of wood smoke. Which is how it should be I think. Wishing you all a good week. CJ xx
Glad you've had a good weekend. It sounds like a lot of fun (excluding the dog bite) I hope your son is ok now and wasn't too shaken by the experience. Do you have half term this week? If so, I hope you all have a great time. X
ReplyDeleteThey sound like brilliant boy gifts CJ. I love your photos of Cirencester and hope biggest boy heals up quickly.
ReplyDeleteA belated happy Birthday to your middle boy.
Jacquie x
I've never been to England but when I read your blog, I feel like I've had the next best thing to a chance to visit. Happy birthday to your middle boy, it sounds like a fantastic celebration. I'd say I'm concerned about all the fire and knives over there but I'm sure my son would die for the opportunity to join in. It sounds like fun to me as well, to be honest. Hopefully someday. x
ReplyDeleteOkay, what?! He was bit by someone's dog!!!!??? That is not cool at all. I'm sorry that happened to him. Those houses and buildings are so so beautiful, that entire town is. I love the stone so much. And the doors look heavy and loud, my favorite! I so wish I was near architecture like this!
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw your title I can't deny I was worried. Glad all made it through more or less in one piece. People like that should not be allowed to keep a dog.
ReplyDelete*H*A*P*P*Y* * *B*I*R*T*H*D*A*Y*!*!*!* to your middle young man! There is nothing more exciting for a boy as a Swiss Army knife! I just drooled and drooled over all those ancient stone houses and those amazing mosaics.. thanks SO much for sharing them! I'd have chased that dog owner down and made him pay for a hospital visit. Grrrr. At any rate, I'm glad you had a great weekend of adventure and celebrating. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
ReplyDeleteHAPPY BIRTHDAY to your little guy CJ!!! That skate park is quite extraordinary! And the architecture from your stroll about is inspiring!!! Those old doors are jaw dropping! And how lovely were his gifts!!! Hope your other guy is feeling better....I have been bit by a dog and it shook me to the core and I was a grown woman. Shame on the owner for not apologizing! I hope he is feeling better now! Stunning photos friend....wishing you a lovely week ahead! Nicole xo
ReplyDeleteE and I went to Cirencester last year having been inspired by one of your posts - you've just made me want to return! It sounds like a fantastic birthday and what great presents; I bet your son was thrilled. I would have been furious with the dog owner too - shame on them. Wishing you a fun half term. x
ReplyDeleteWhat wonderful photos! The buildings are so beautiful. We got our son a Swiss Army knife too. It scares me a little though :( Funny how these boys are in to the very same things!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a great weekend all except for the dog bite. Shocked that the owner didn't even stop to apologise and see if your son was OK. Those mosaics are wonderful aren't they - wonder if archaeologists of the future will find anything so beautiful which has lasted as long?!
ReplyDeleteLovely photos.
ReplyDeleteI love those houses - the architecture is beautiful. That's awful about the dog bite. Did he get a tetanus injection?
ReplyDeleteThe skin was only grazed, so I got him to scrub it with an antiseptic wipe, hopefully that was enough. I'm off to check what it looks like now though! CJ xx
DeleteSounds like the perfect time apart from the dog bite incident which is absolutely shocking! I hope your biggest one is ok now. I do agree with you over badly behaved dog owners, some have no common sense at all & it always makes me cross to see dogs off their leads & owners just chatting not giving any care & attention. Mine is always on his lead which I only extend when there is no one else around as I don't know if I could control him even though he is a mostly well behaved little dog. Anyway rant over, fire, knives & skating, nothing there that any little boy wouldn't love xx
ReplyDeleteA mostly good weekend judging by what you've written and all the pictures. Thank goodness littlest boy was okay, and I hope biggest boy is likewise. I agree that irresponsible dog owner's are a real menace when that happens.
ReplyDeleteThanks, and you too. Flighty xx
Irresponsible dog owners make me angry too as they make life for those of us who are responsible more restricted. They don;t seem to realise that unfettered dogs can cause a lot of upset for both people and other dogs alike. Yours is the third recent blog mentioning a person or a pet dog being bitten by an uncontrolled dog. No wonder the owner made a hasty retreat.
ReplyDeleteIt's a good job you don't still use film - are your family patient with you whilst you are stopping to take photos? Good to know someone is as 'bad' as me.
the birthday sounds fantastic, but I'm really saddened by the dog bite, I hope your son is ok now, did you tell the police? I know the owner left but it may have happened before.
ReplyDeleteThis post took me back to when ours wanted nothing more than knives, fire starters and fires- absolutely lovely, just what every boy needs :o)
ReplyDeleteSO sorry to hear about the bite, that's appalling! I wonder whether they didn't realise? I apologise profusely if Pop jumps up to lick someone, can't imagine allowing a biting dog off the lead at all in a public place.
I enjoyed all the pictures of the houses immensely, such a beautiful place. I don't think I've ever actually stopped in Cirencester, even though we have family who live on the outskirts! I must remedy that.
Have a lovely half term xx
I think he realised that the dog had at least nipped at a child, as the biggest boy said that he hit the dog after it happened. I hope you manage to have a good look round Cirencester one day, it's well worth it. CJ xx
DeleteOh my goodness! I can't believe how irresponsible that dog owner was allowing his dog off the lead when it's obviously vicious, around children too. It's a shame you couldn't catch up with them, though perhaps best you didn't as I know what I'd have done if it was my child. Glad it didn't spoil the fun weekend though, but it will certainly have put a dampner on it for the biggest boy and you too. I do hope he's ok now. Happy birthday to the middle boy, it sounds like he had a wonderful time and he received some super gifts, just what most boys his age would love. Glad the littlest boy was ok too after his fall, they do worry us at times, don't they?
ReplyDeleteGlad I don't have to trim that hedge!
ReplyDeleteI don't know if you saw my link to the newspaper article in my post (behind the words "The yew hedge" - it's not very visible), but it shows the full size of the hedge and has a picture of the man who trims it, in a cherry picker.
DeleteHow horrible for your oldest son! That is amazing to think the owner did not care, how incredibly rude. I hope that the bite was able to be cleaned and he is better today. Glad you had a wonderful weekend, minus the bite of course and that middle son had a great birthday.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Meredith
That's truly awful CJ! How irresponsible that owner was and a horrible part of what looked to be such a perfect day. Happy birthday to your son (mine celebrated this weekend too) and wow, what a beautiful place Cirencester is, I never realised! I will have to see if it is reachable for me and my little trips. Are your's on half term now? Mine are and true to form... it's raining! Take care xx
ReplyDeleteI hope your son is OK...the birthday celebrations sound fab! I love the photos of the mosaics - I find them fascinating. xx
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a wonderful boys weekend! Happy Birthday Mr Nine! I hope that your oldest will recover from the bite and the shock of it. That really is terrible behaviour by the dog owner. Another great weekend for your memory bank! xx
ReplyDeleteSpeaking as someone who regularly exercises dogs in public places there really is no excuse for what you describe, if you can't be 100% sure of your dog's behaviour and its instant recall it should be on a lead or muzzled. Although we have one, a rescue, who has a tendency to go after balls, sadly only the second time he did this he missed the ball and nipped the arm of the child that had just thrown it instead, so of course he now wears a muzzle when out. The poor kid insisted he was alright at the time but must have had a bruise. I've always worried that he went back to Mum - he was with his mates not his parents - with a story of the dog that 'bit' him and forgot to tell her how concerned we'd been. I have a friend who goes into schools to teach kids canine awareness - how to read their behaviour and know what to do around them - I often think that should be a complusory part of the curriculum, given how many careless dog owners there are out there. Sorry, rambling, it's just that the people like you encountered get the rest of we dog owners a bad name.
ReplyDeleteSo glad the rest of the weekend was injury free! And fire and knives ... boyhood heaven!
I meant to say ... given the time I spent in your part of the world I play the 'guess where' game with your posts. I thought Malmesbury at first, but then realised Cirencester when I got to the mosaic pics. Lovely post CJ.
DeleteSounds like you had a great week - apart from the dog bite. That's so awful that the owner just disappeared. I hope he's ok now and isn't left too wary of them. That indoor skate park looks like fun. We've recently had one built near us and the kids love it! Hope you have a good half term. xx
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about the dog bite - I've been out with Joe before now and have had dogs hurling themselves at him, despite their owners shouting them to come back. It can be very frightening.
ReplyDeleteThat beautiful Cotswold stone! I always think of Jilly Cooper when I see that part of the world. I stayed there for a weekend once and kept recalling all those tales of horsey types romping away in the bushes! Anyway, moving swiftly on...
What wonderful presents for your birthday boy. I'm getting inspiration for when mine gets a bit bigger :)
Have a lovely week.
S x
Happy birthday to the middle boy! I hope the biggest boy is ok after the dog bite, what an awful thing to happen. I think you may have the makings of a circus act, just brush up your juggling whilst riding a unicycle, put your hamster into a tutu and you could be onto a winner :-) That yew hedge is immense, isn't it? Have a good week xx
ReplyDeleteYou are the bestest mum ever, a fire pit for the middle boy's Birthday is just fab. Dogs that bite are not acceptable. It is difficult to train a pup but not impossible. I always keep Jack on a short lead when around children because even a tiny dog can be scary if you are only three feet tall. Have a lovely week CJ. x
ReplyDeleteWhat a great day, full of great memories to cherish. It reminded me of days spent when my children were younger. I'm now building strong and lovely memories with the grandchildren......... it is good how life, love evolves.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed looking at your pictures, I particularly love the different colours in the brickwork.
Have a good week
All the best Jan
All that lovely stone ... and those glorious mosaics! Can you imagine treading on something like that every day? I wonder if the people whose floor it was even paid attention to it. Perhaps it was just the old familiar tilework to them ... something to trap the dirt.
ReplyDeleteSo glad middle had a happy birthday. His gifts sound perfect. :)
Glad you all had a good weekend dear C.J. apart from the dog bite. The images of the stone houses and St.Michael's Field are fabulous and the yew hedge is beautiful and amazing,
ReplyDeletexoxoxo ♡
What a lovely weekend, except for the dog bite. I'm glad your middle boy had a good birthday ..and such great sounding presents!
ReplyDeleteIts sounds like a perfect weekend CJ - such cool Birthday presents. Outraged at the dog bite - I would have had to give chase and shouted , I hope the bite heals quickly and doesn't alter your boys love of outdoor adventures, Kate xx
ReplyDeleteI have spent many a Sunday morning at Rush with Master Clicky, it's only 5 mins away from us. He still loves at 15 to use his fire steel to get fires going. He also got bitten by a dog (getting spooky now!) and the woman didn't say anything. I hope you all recover soon. CN x
ReplyDeleteLove those birthday presents!! My 3 at their more advanced years would still love them! I'm with you on dog owners, the number of times I have been harassed while out running and yet I keep myself to myself. Have to say I probably would have run after the owners too and shouted. Hope your son is ok. I have never visited Cirencester - it is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteHave a good week
Caz xx
Phew! sounds like a very boyish weekend, but just the sort that I love. I've also earmarked a fire starter kit for my godson as he's got a Swiss army knife. I checked first with his mum and she approved so I hope it ends well! Antonia x
ReplyDeleteHere's to a great birthday weekend and good times with your boys. I'm really irritated about the eldest getting bitten. Lovely photos. I'm sure my son would find the three marshmallows on the fork tines impressive :)
ReplyDeleteThose first photos look like boy heaven. What a fantastic place, and not too crowded. Perfect! Love the cotswold photos, especially the picture of that beautiful old door with the heart on it. How awful about the dog bite though, I am shocked that it would happen and that the owners did not care. Terrible behaviour. I hope your son is ok.
ReplyDeleteAwww - that sounds like the best kind of presents (and birthday) to me. Happy belated to your young man...or not so young now.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great birthday!! We have some good friends in Cirencester, I was scrolling down thinking 'I'm sure that's Ciren'!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great boys weekend! The dog bite must have been so upsetting for all of you. Irresponsible dog owners make me quite mad. I can't get over all the history on your doorstep. I'm sure that sounds kinda dumb , but it's so different here. Hmm let me look at another tree or rock! Our house is 40 years old and it's considered older. Many older homes in our city, we are talking homes built in the 1940's get knocked down for large luxury homes or more higher density ones. Too bad, there gets to be a lot less diversity in architecture and demography.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a cracking weekend! Happy belated birthday to your boy. Love the photos of Cirencester, that mosaic is really something.
ReplyDeleteMy nephew is petrified of dogs, absolutely bloody terrified. One large dog came bounding up to him, tale wagging, for a sniff at the beach on Sunday and he was actually a little bit hysterical with fear, bless him. The dog owner, yards away, called over "She's very friendly!" which means not a jot to a frightened six year old who sees a huge animal come hurtling towards him. But then I don't think dogs need to be on a lead on a beach. But in a park? Yes. Shame on that dog owner, and I do hope the bite healed quickly. xx
Happy belated to the middle boy! The skatepark looks fun, although, you're right, not quite as picturesque as the stone and the greenery. I'm hoping the eldest and youngest are feeling better after their incidents. I wish I couldn't believe the story about the dog and the owners. You'd think people with pets who are aggressive like that would at least leash them. I hope your week is wrapping up well, CJ.
ReplyDeleteHi CJ I have "seen" you several times on Teresa , Meredith and several other blog friends. Decided to come n visit you and I love yr blog. Happy belated birthday to your son. It sounds like he had a good one ( apart from the dog bite of course).
ReplyDelete