Day Trip

Today my Brownies have taken a trip to the Royal Concert Hall. We went to see an introduction to an orchestra concert for kids. 

We caught the train at 10am then went to the concert.

That took us to lunchtime so a quick Happy Meal macky d's was had before we got the train home.

Arriving at the hall 30 mins early left time for toilet trips and then a game of Down On One Knee outside in the sunshine. 

Everything went well and the kids all enjoyed themselves.

Success!

Commuters

How irritating do you find it when the train arrives at your destination on time but is held outside the station for 5 mins or so?

Trains!

I am a train convert.  I love trains!

I have been getting trains to Edinburgh for school, rather than driving.  There were pros and cons for this:
Pros 
1/2 hr walk from the train station to school (good for diet).
No parking concerns.
I found a train for £9 return (so it's cheaper than the drive)
Sitting on train more relaxing than driving through heavy traffic.

Cons
1/2 hr walk from the train to school (long way in bad weather)
Longer commute (from home - 2.5hrs so 1 hr extra each way).
£9 return train requires a long wait after school as it's only on Crosscountry trains.
£9 train not ideal due to Brownies on a Tuesday - any delay on trains would make me late.

Since my cons had a few solutions:  I can get a cheap ticket on the way TO school SINGLE, and a less cheap off-peak single home - for less than the peak rate fare.  It would then cost £18.00 rather than £19.30.  Not a huge difference but I like it.

OR - I can get the cheap ticket TO school and a BUS home - £12.00.

Essentially - I am now public transporting on Tuesdays but still driving on Wednesdays.  Today I'm leaving it as late as possible because I really don't want to do the drive.

LOVE the trains!

Glasgow Rugby

Went to see the Glasgow Warriors tonight.  This is the first time I've been to see them since they moved to a proper stadium.  I liked the old rugby field.... and I have a bit of a turnstile phobia.

I decided enough was enough (possibly boosted by the 2 stone weight loss) so decided to brave the turnstiles again.

And I LOVED it.  I missed rugby.  Very much fun.

Brownies - New Game Under Development

I have had an idea for a game - we are doing a WW2 bit this term (for Remembrance Sunday mostly but trying to make it personal & fun). *note - just checked and Remembrance Sunday is meant to be about WW1 which is fine - means we do WW1 for a wk then WW2.

We are going to ask the vicar who knows a lot about how the hall we meet in survived bombing in the war. The church has a stained glass window commemorating this.

We are then going to make poppies and lay a wreath.

The following week we have a granny coming in to tell the girls about being their age during WW2.

She has ration books and a diary from the war.

I think that ration books would make a great game for the kids:

Currently in the planning stages but I think.... Set up tables of goods - they are your shops. Have a bakery, a butchers and a grocers.

Split the girls into groups. Should this be sixes, or into age groups so the older ones get to take it further than the younger ones?

Give the kids ration books & a shopping list - Perhaps they have senarios:

You are shopping for a family of 4. Buy ingredients to make one day's food for your family.

Family favourites:

Mum - Loves porridge

Sister - Loves cheese sandwiches

Brother - Loves fish

Granny - Loves cake

You are shopping for a family of 3. Buy ingredients to make one day's food for your family.

Mum - Loves potatoes

Dad - Loves beef

Big sister - Loves apples (rare)

Little sister - Loves milk

You are shopping for a family of 2. Buy ingredients to make one day's food for your family.

Mum - Loves cake

Sister - Loves carrots

Points to be awarded for teams buying ingredients for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Bonus points for buying the favourite foods.

There would be an opportunity for the girls to be inventive - family that loves cake and sandwiches could buy flour, butter, sugar, eggs, yeast... which would be cheaper than a loaf and a cake.

Bartering would be allowed - a family who had bought six cakes but only wanted 2 could sell them back perhaps if they then found they would need bread..........

I still have thinking to do on this but it looks as though it would work to me.

What do you think? Any helpful suggestions welcomed.