This month was a very mixed one! We did a little staycation in England and then Dann, finally, after so long of us being together, got to meet my family. I never really thought this was something that was going to be possible, so I am extremely glad we were able to do so. Kai has also made the decision to live with us – something I am very proud of him for doing. During divorces, there is so much going on, but it’s so lovely to see him understand what support is and how someone should be looking after him. Below, I have written about each of my days in the month of April, as a part of Project 365. Some people do theirs weekly, some daily, and other bloggers do their entries monthly like me. You can also see all of their posts at the bottom, if you want to check out some other blogs.
April 1st – To Cambridge
Dann and I decided we wanted to do a little away trip, just us, as it is the school break and we do not need to run kids lunches to them everyday. As Kai is looking to move in to our house full time this month too, it just felt like a good use of the time. We decided to head off to Cambridge, which is rather nearby, and pretend to be tourists. We arrived in the afternoon, hunted around the market for some snacks, then went to a Poke Bowl place for lunch. We spent a lot of time walking around the rivers and taking photographs. We went up into St. Mary’s Church, which had a brilliant view of the area. We then headed back home for the evening, picking up Amelia to take her to raid hour. She had a lot of fun! After dropping her off, we saw Ready or Not 2 with a bunch of our friends, which was pretty decent, before Dann and I headed back to Cambridge to spend the night in a hotel.
April 2nd – Gin Cocktail Class
We woke up and had hotel breakfast first thing this morning, which Dann absolutely loves, before going to the spa. We both love a good sauna and our hotel had exactly that. We also did some swimming and jacuzzi before packing up our stuff and checking out, ready for the day. We spent a good portion of today shopping for our children’s Easter baskets, as being in a new town had lots of new shops. We then went to the market square to see the different stalls, before heading to a Korean BBQ place to eat lunch. After, we went to a very fun gin cocktail making class, which both of us very much enjoyed, before walking around in the sun a bit longer and heading back home to get the house set up and shopping done.
April 3rd – Full House
We got our children quite early today, which is always lovely. They had done nothing of note for their first half of their break, so Robin and Amelia instantly wanted to know exactly what we’d be doing over all the days. We did start off with a bang, I think, as Robin’s friends and Amelia’s friends came over, so we had three extra kids in the house. After a morning and lunchtime of playing, we all went over to our local Cineworld, meeting up with some of Dann and Kai’s dnd friends, to watch The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which was very, very cute. We had a fun time eating snacks and enjoying the movie together. We then walked home with all of the kids and played some more until dinnertime, when they all went home. Our family then went out to Caine’s Pizza – a pop-up pizza restaurant that’s only open on Fridays in our town, to try it out. The pizza and desserts were delicious! We then headed home for the evening, played some video games, and headed to bed.
April 4th – Tulip Festival and Pokemon Go
Today we had a bit of a lazy morning, with everyone sort of getting up at their own pace and getting some breakfast. Then, we headed to the Tulip Festival at Hatter’s Farm, which was really a lot of fun. There were so many types of different tulips!! We all had a great time seeing the various tulips, taking photos, and hanging out together. Kai has been so well behaved lately, as he is moving in full time, and I really do think being just at our house has curved a lot of his bad behavior – it was so lovely to see him participating as a family member. We then headed home, where we had lunch. Kai then headed off to the gym and the rest of us went up town for Pokemon Go raids with our friends. After doing about an hour of that, Amelia and Robin wanted to go to the park. We stopped back home to check in with Kai, who also was interested in going to the park, so we headed there. I litter picked the park while Dann, Kai, Robin and Amelia played with a new outdoor throwing toy for a bit. We then headed home, I made and served dinner, and everyone just chilled until bed. Dann and I filled eggs once everyone was asleep and set up the Easter baskets before getting to bed ourselves.
April 5th – Easter Day
Robin was very excited for Easter Day. Yesterday, she kept asking if we’d have baskets, if they’d have treats, if there would be an egg hunt, etc. This is really funny as Dann and I had a conversation where Dann asked if we should really do baskets still or if everyone was too old. I said I would make baskets until the day I died. Anyway, Robin woke up very early and sneak peaked the hunt. We then got Amelia and Kai up at the normal weekend time, where they saw their baskets, riffled through them, and then did their egg hunt. Everyone had some candies from their baskets and checked out their various toys. Once things were put away, we played with some toys, crafts, and video games before lunch. In the afternoon, we went to the Lush Easter Egg Hunt where we made bath bombs before heading home for a roast dinner, which was absolutely delicious. We also dyed some Easter Eggs in the evening, which is a very American tradition.
April 6th – To the Seaside
After breakfast and dropping the kids off, Dann and I went to the seaside! The day was beautiful, so we wanted to enjoy the sun. Southend had on a motorbike show, and we ran into a bunch of people we knew while we were there. We took a bunch of pictures by the sea, had ice cream, and walked around just being together. It was a really lovely, slow day. We then headed home for DnD, where I made dinner for everyone. All of Dann’s friends had a good time! We picked up our kids in the evening, and then Amelia and Robin announced they were hungry, so I made them a late dinner. We watched a movie, Kai joined DnD and then we all went to bed.
April 7th – Another Movie
Today was a bit of a lumpy, bumpy day! We woke up and headed to the cinema to see The Magic Faraway Tree, which was a lovely movie about growing up and technology. After the movie, we headed home and I made lunch for everyone – they had nachos and chicken wings. I then headed out to London to meet up with a friend, Dann went into some work calls, and our kids went into playing video games. Dann dropped them off at their other house shortly after lunch, before returning to work stuff. I went into London and ate out at a food hall, before setting up for a 3-hour long talk for the National Film and Television School. I then went out to desserts with my friend, getting a pineapple cake that was really delicious and talking the evening away.
April 8th – London then Pokemon then Movie
I woke up today and did some work on my laptop before heading out to brunch with my friend Gary. We then walked around, talked, went to a cafe, and then both headed home for the rest of the day. When I got home, I had some work and tasks to do before Pokemon Go – it was a raid hour in the sun! I got to take a bunch of cute photos, then went right to a movie. Dann and I saw The Drama with our friend Rob. It was not the best movie! I really expected more from them, as it felt like two people that should not have married to begin with. We then headed home and went to bed for the evening.
April 9th – A Work Day
Today was a bit of an odd day, as Dann and I primarily worked and got the menu sorted for this week. Robin’s birthday is coming up, so we made some plans for that! We did not get our children from their other house until a bit later in the day, and were surprised to find out they had not done anything despite the extra time – so were all quite grumpy as they had wanted to come over earlier. We had assumed they’d have had a fun day, so we did not plan any evening activities. We did hang out together, with Kai playing on his new PC, Amelia playing on her drums and Robin digging out some Christmas toys to play around with.
April 10th – Two Plays
Today we had some fun plans! I woke up and got things sorted for lunch, before we headed off to see There’s a Monster in Your Show with Robin and Amelia. This was a very fun show, at one of our favorite theatres, and we had a really fun time! We then headed home, ate lunch, and hung out at home for a bit. Kai ended up going to the gym, I did some work, Amelia played with her phone and Robin on VR. In the evening after dinner, Dann, Amelia, Robin and I headed to the Harlow Playhouse to watch the Ballet perform Cinderella. This was also a fantastic performance, filled with talented young people. Amelia’s best friend was in the show, which is always a fantastic plus. The show ended quite late and we headed home to bed.
April 11th – Another Play
We got up early today and got ready for the day, before heading to see Beauty and The Beast Pantomime at Hertfordshire Studios. This was a very community-feeling theatre, with some very talented actors. Robin even got to go on stage and do a mopping dance with one of the actors, which was so wonderful to see. I am really so proud of having raised such a bright and outgoing person! We then headed into town, played a bit of Pokemon Go (as it was a community day) before dropping everyone off to their other house. Dann and I then headed home for the evening, where we hung out and watched TV. Dann and I also went out and got loads of stuff for a charcuterie board, which is such a fun dinner. I then had work in the evening before bed.
April 12th – Sunday DnD
Dann had decided to do DnD on a Sunday, which isn’t strictly DnD and instead is his tabletop RPG. He really likes running this! We woke up early, got the house ready, and did some shopping. I watched a bunch of TV with Dann before making chopped sandwiches for his friends. They arrived in the early afternoon and played DnD until the evening. Before they left, I went out for a little walk and got some Greek takeaway for dinner. It was a lovely evening – when Dann was done with DnD, everyone went home, and we hung out a bit more.
April 13th – Monday Date Night
Today was a sort of back to routine day, with Dann and I getting up early. I packed Kai’s lunch and we both walked it to his school, talking photos along the way! Dann and I had a lot of work to do, so went on with that. Many people are back in office and it’s one of those weeks where we are sort of preparing to go travel the next. Dann didn’t end up running DnD today, as he had run DnD yesterday. Instead, I had mentioned I really wanted a specific type of mozzarella stick, and he found a place that had it! So we went off there, which was surprisingly a really great place to eat on a Monday night! We then headed home, watched some Better Call Saul, and had an evening together.
April 14th – Hair Day
Today was a lot like yesterday – I walked Kai’s lunch to his school, then went with Dann to drop off Robin’s as she is back now. We then went home where I got some work done before my hair appointment at midday. I got my color refreshed and my roots done ahead of travel later this month. This was very fun! I then headed back home, where I got ready for Tabletop. I made these chicken and eggplant parm sandwiches, along with a bunch of sides. Wendy and Josie brought my favorite apple cake too! We played Las Vegas Party Game which is a dice rolling game. I got a lot of writing done between the time that I made dinner and the time that everyone arrived too. We played into the night and then headed to bed when everyone left.
April 15th – Mainly Work
Today I packed lunches, dropped both of them off, and then headed home to get down to working! I have this big to-do list that I want to achieve so that I can really hang out with my family when I am visiting them. Dann’s never visited them before, so it’s going to be a lot of fun. My dad called to talk over logistics and about his general excitement. After lots and lots of working, we headed out for raid hour with Amelia. There were a handful of people out, which was fun. Then, Dann and I headed home as our friends weren’t feeling to well so didn’t want to go to the movies (and, to be honest, there was nothing new in the cinema!). Dann and I had a nice hot pot dinner and hung out for the evening. We did some re-arranging of Kai’s room as well before bed, as Kai is moving in full time at the end of the month. I cannot believe he is able to do this (and I do not think he fully believed it at first either, if I am honest), but it is going to be a bit of a big transition for us all as Dann and I sort of arranged a lot of our life around the times that our family isn’t all together. But, we are excited and happy that he is comfortable enough to decide and pick what he feels is best for him. We are so happy that he can be in a safer, more caring place for him as well.
April 16th – London Game’s Festival
Today we made quick and light work of dropping off lunchboxes, driving there and dropping them in as soon as we could before picking up two of our co-workers / friends and heading into London Game Festival’s event New Game Plus. This was on the other side of London, so was a bit of a pain to get to, but well worth it. I write for a different site than Dann, who writes for a different site then the other two, so we divided and conquered. We did have a fun food court lunch with some other games people as well. I got my hands on a LOT of games. I also had a work meeting which I did from the carpark – I love being a work from home person – before we headed to dinner with Quang and a handful of his friends. Then, we all headed home and I went right to bed.
April 17th – Busy Friday
After lunchbox drop off today I started prepping for Robin’s birthday. We are celebrating it tomorrow, but her birthday-day is actually the day after. She is having her first sleepover party so there was a lot to get done! Robin had a bit of a hard week at her other house – she had joined a special musical club, which I had paid for, but her other house didn’t let her stay after school for it for some reason so she missed the first lesson. The other parent had told Robin that they also signed Robin up (according to Robin) and the emails went to everyone at the school saying it was starting, so I really don’t get it. When it came to work, I also wanted to make sure all of my coverage from New Game Plus was done and dusted, so I didn’t have that work looming. When it was time for pickup, I went along to Robin’s school and saw that nobody had litter picked there for a while (so many bottles) so did a quick rush around before collecting her. We then headed home, she changed for her preform, then Amelia, Kai and I waited a bit before heading to The Pig’s Head Pub, where we were invited to try some burgers! After that delicious meal, Amelia and I went to our cupcake class, it was rainbow cupcakes, before I headed home to go right to bed.
April 18th – Birthday Party Day
Today I got up well early to make sure the house was sorted. Robin very much wanted a picnic lunch, so we did exactly that, packing up sushi and heading to a little greenspace nearby. She was absolutely buzzing all morning about her birthday party, especially as decorations were up! Everyone arrived after lunch and we headed over to the local Urban Limits where everyone bounced tons to get out their energy so they hopefully slept well. We then headed home, opened up gifts, had cake, and the children played outside on the trampoline and with the garden toys. After a while, we set up in the living room for them to watch a movie and sleep, before having to nag them to go to bed. Everything did go well though and they did all sleep! I always feel a lot of pressure around all of our kid’s birthdays as they only get a party at ours (and if we don’t do one, they don’t get one full stop).
April 19th – Lazy Sunday
Everyone was very tired when we got up today, but the guests were also up very early. We got the living room sorted and cleaned, they played outside, and soon everyone was picked up! Robin headed over to her other house on her own, so the rest of us hung out at home. Amelia did some pottery from a kit she had gotten for Christmas, which was lovely. Dann organised Robin’s room and Kai did Kai things like video games and the gym. When Robin came back just after lunch, we all headed out swimming (which Robin and Amelia picked to do). This was a lot of fun as it had been a while since we visited. Then, we all went to Wing Stop as it opened up on Friday in our town. It wasn’t so busy when we got there and we had a good time eating wings! When we got home, we all did our getting ready routine, including baths and showers. Between swimming and baths, we used all the towels in the house! So Dann did a load of just towel laundry – I cannot remember when that last happened. In the evening we sent everyone to bed early and then Dann and I hung out. I cannot believe Robin is officially 10 today. I see so much of myself in her – from the way that she talks, to the way that she carries herself, to the things she is interested in. It’s been so amazing seeing her grow.
April 20th – Normal Monday
Monday was the normal rumble of getting ready for the morning, getting lunches packed and everyone heading off to school. Dann and I had some prep to do before leaving tomorrow, so we got the house ready and went for our final shop. We started eating the random foods in our fridge as well. I had some tasks for work I needed to sign off on before heading away from my desktop PC for so long, so it became a thing! Dann is only visiting America for a week, but I am staying a bit longer to see my family more, as I don’t visit often, due to the travel time to get there and all of the fuss around it, so I like to stay for a block and see my whole extended family for some time. After school, I picked up Robin, Dann picked up Kai and Amelia, then we headed to Geek Retreat where Robin, Amelia, Dann and I played SpongeBob SquarePants Labyrinth. This was very fun! We got shakes and Kai headed to the gym. Then, Robin, Amelia and I stayed out for Max Monday where Robin and Amelia’s friends are. Two of their friends came back to ours for dinner and to watch a movie, though they primarily watched Youtube videos. It was fun! Kai and Dann had DnD, and then we did dishes and cleaned up before heading to bed.
April 21st – Travel Day
Now today we still had a normal morning of getting everyone up, dressed, and ready for the day. We had explained to our children that they would be at their other parents for a week and two days, as that’s when Dann is coming back, and they really were upset at how long the time was away. So, we tried to arrange it to just be a week, but this was blocked. To be honest, it is such a long travel day that the dates seem to get muddled. We left right after the school run and didn’t arrive in Upstate New York until 4 AM UK time, which is SO very long. The first plane had very good food, but it was mainly just sitting around talking and waiting. We had a couple of hours at a layover, where we got some food and hung out, before heading on to upstate New York. My dad and brother picked us up, with some subs for us to eat, which was delicious! We then went right to bed when we got in.
April 22nd – Sleepy Day
We woke up FAR TOO EARLY due to the time zones and were just awake, in America, in a very small town. Dann and I walked around for a bit, and I showed him lots of places from my stories. We then went to get a sandwich at a local eatery, and remembered that I needed to get my cards to be active, so we went and grabbed some cash. We then headed home and when my dad got up, we went to a bunch of super markets and spent ages walking around buying everything that looked fun. I picked out some gummy jelly ice pops, which sounded SO fun, along with tons of favorites that I liked. We then headed home, had some dinner, and watched movies in the evening. My aunt and grandfather visited for a while, and we all went to bed.
April 23rd – Off to the Lake
Today we still woke up far too early, but we headed out for a walk once again. This time, we went a different route, before heading home and having a bit of food. My dad got up in the late morning, so we all headed to a lake nearby. Not a lot was open, due to the time of year, but it was still a lot of fun walking around and seeing all of these places that I use to hang out at. We also walked along the lake, which was very lovely. My dad then took us to a soft serve ice cream place that was nearby, where we got twist ice cream with cherry dip. Dann had never had twist or cherry dip! It was fun eating it in the sun. We then went home and I heated up some soup my grandmother made for dinner, did a bit of work, and Dann headed to bed early. My sister and her partner came over in the evening and we chatted a bit before I headed to bed.
April 24th – Hibachi and Waterfalls
I do feel like the town I grew up in is a very small, slow town. Everyone here tends to get up whenever, go to work whenever, and there isn’t really anything to do. It is such a different pace to how I live my life! We had some family issues to take care of at the start of the day, which was really just annoying for no reason, but once it was resolved we decided to get up and figure out what to do with our morning. So, Dann and I headed out on our morning walk. We went to the local store and grabbed a few things (primarily drinks) before heading back home. The altitude makes your mouth so dry here – which I didn’t really realize was a thing until Dann pointed it out. I always just thought I was a very thirsty person as a kid and just grew out of it. We then came back home and ran into my sister who was heading out in a bit, so we all talked in the living room. She asked where I wanted to go for the day and I said we wanted to try hibachi – and she knew a place. Later in the day, she picked us up and took us on a nature walk to some beautiful waterfalls that her partner new of, before heading to hibachi. Hibachi was SO much fun!! I wrote a full post about it, so you can read about that in the future. We then headed home and Dann and Dad watched movies while I slept on the couch cuddling Dann until he woke me up for bed.
April 25th – Hot Air Balloon Ride
Today, Dann and I got up, did our normal walk around the town, and then we did a bit of work with me doing a few meetings. For lunch, Dann and I went to Battle Hill Brewing Company where we had some fantastic food that all felt very American! It was so much fun. Everyone is so friendly in this town. We then headed to see my cousin who owns a hot air balloon and took us for a ride. This was such a unique, fun experience – we felt so lucky to have done it! My cousin then dropped us off at the mall, where we saw the movie Normal, which was a fun action movie – eating plenty of buttered popcorn, before we walked to Olive Garden when my dad finished his shift. He picked up some Chinese food, so Dann and I tried an egg roll, before we all headed home and went to bed.
April 26th – Family Dinner
We woke up early, did our little walk and some shopping, before my sister took Dann and I to this gaming place. It’s sort of a big shop filled with used items that are all video-gaming. I’m talking consoles, old games, plug and play devices. It was neat! She then dropped us off in the town my grandmother lives in, where I got to walk around and show Dann more of the area. Then we headed to my grandmother’s for my sister’s birthday dinner. My cousins, aunt and uncle, Dad, whole family were there for dinner and they were all excited to see Dann too of course. It was such a lovely time. Everyone ate and hung out and just got to know each other. It was just lovely, then we headed home to bed and slept.
April 27th – Mini Golf
Dann and I took a big walk around this morning, before finding ourselves a little bored. So, my grandfather picked us up and took us for ice cream! While there, we played a few rounds of mini-golf at Hillbilly Fun, which was just a lovely experience. I really loved seeing Dann interact with my family after so long of me knowing him. After we played, we headed to my aunts house to see her for a bit, before Tyde took us to the mall to drop us off. We walked around the (mainly dead) mall for a bit, and spied a closed pinball place! This was devastating! When we were done with the mall, we met my sister and her partner at Olive Garden to have dinner, where my dad came out and was very excited to see us all there. It was lovely, lots of good food (they serve so much!) before my sister took us home and we settled into bed.
April 28th – Pinball with Friends
After seeing the pinball place yesterday, I had messaged to see if they’d open for us as Dann was going back home soon. I am staying in America to spend more time with my family, as I really don’t get over here to visit much and Dann cannot. Arcade Archeology agreed to open at midday, so Dann and I did our normal walk around, then headed there with our cousins, my dad, and my aunt. We all had such a fun time playing on the machines and they had some rare ones too! My aunt then took us out to ice cream, where we had soft serve, and then we headed home. My cousins stayed, my aunt made wontons and wings, and we all played board games until it was time to go to sleep.
April 29th – Dann’s Away
Today was a bit of a nothing day! Dann and I got up, he packed, and I had some meetings as work was back to starting. In the afternoon we got a ride to my grandmothers, where she made us lunch and we hung out. Then Dann had to go! So we got all packed up into the car and off we went to the airport. It’s a bit of a drive, we said goodbyes, and then I went to a big shop to get a bunch of stuff for the week for me to eat. I eat quite differently to my family who don’t eat much at all, if that makes sense. Then, I was given a ride home. I felt quite tired but did a bit of work and headed to bed.
April 30th – Back to Work
Today was a very work focused day! I got up, checked in with Dann who had landed shortly before, and then got ready for the day. It was a rare rainy day where I am, which is a whole thing. I had a bunch of work to do, so spent the day writing and in meetings. I did go out when the rain stopped to pick up some stuff from the local shop and take pictures of the flowers full of water. In the evening, my dad came home from work and we hung out for a bit before I went to bed.