Rambling Games - Day 7 - Hot Chocolate!

Otherwise known as Grandmother's Footsteps, this game is a favourite with our youngest.

 There's various ways of playing - running up the garden and freezing as a statue when the leader turns round, or hiding so you can't be seen before tagging the leader. Hannah likes to fill the garden with obstacles to hide behind and tonight Poppy dog joined in too.

Now then, what should the prize be for the winner?

Rambling Games - Day 6 - Tri-what? and zipping along

Shh - don't tell anyone, but we have a secret park near us.  We like to go there when no-one else is around and all play together.  We don't know what this thing is called, but three people can sit on seats and spin round.  Of course we can come up with different variations and the girls are good at standing up, waving with both hands and even hanging upside down.  I managed to cling on for my ride but drew the line at joining in with the high speed version where two people pull the spindle round faster with the seats.

Hannah got the decided this was a little tame so opted for the zip wire for a faster thrill.  I couldn't even get up onto the seat ...

Rambling Games - Day 5 - Garden volleyball

Our home is quite a long way from the beach and we've not enough sand to look like Horseguards Parade so we couldn't match the Olympic teams today.  We ditched the skimpy costumes too, but as we couldn't find a balloon for the ball a slightly squishy football sufficed and a piece of rope strung between the trees made the net.
Teams were a little uneven at times - 2 against one and a fluffy dog handicap when the ball hit the ground - but it was fun!

Rambling Games - Day 4 - in the park and horse riding?

There's no picture of the Rambling outdoor activities today, but antics in a park near Highgate definitely took place. Frustrated by the lack of evidence, and spurred on by the riding events today, Hannah decided that horse riding was a possibility as long as Daddy would co-operate ...

Rambling Games - Day Three - Synchronised Swinging

The backyard stadium proves to be an ideal venue for a number of events this evening. Inspired by the sheer effort and determination of the synchronised swimmers doing their diving this afternoon Hannah decided that this was the event for us. We don't have a pool in our back garden and so the sport of Synchronised Swinging has been born. A short swing on the climbing frame and long swing suspended from the trees make for an interesting mix and Poppy was somewhat wary of the event. She introduced a side game of sprinting for the rope toy before running off with the prize before any of us could catch her. Rambling Beach Volleyball proved a hit - a piece of string looped across the garden and two players against one did nothing to even the score. Fortunately one member of the team got distracted by weeding the garden which led to abandonment of the game for the evening when a new sport of Bumball was invented by the remaining players using a suitable target on the errant weeder. More events tomorrow.

Rambling Games - Day Two - Tennis

Sunday may be a day of rest but after Church today the Ramblings family had signed up for Rambing Tennis. Underred by lack of tennis court or space to play we headed for Grandma's garden and the swingball game. I arrived late but got to play the winners of the previous rounds. Hannah umpired ("play properly Mummy") as I realised that left handed backhand and swingball were a difficult mix. Mr R was available for technical support and Becky clearly won the round. Having dodged the thunder showers we celebrated with a spot of gardening before the cycling keenies grabbed their bikes and headed home leaving Hannah and I to race ahead and prepare a hot meal for their return. Day three Mr Ramblings goes back to work so what can Team Rambling do next?

Let the Rambling Games commence! - Cycling

After a late night watching the opening ceremony it must have been lack of sleep that caused me to suggest we hold our own Rambling Olympics. Taking our inspiration from the sports of the day we could join in. Mr Ramblings doesn't miss a trick and before we knew it we had all signed up to being active. Ideas for events flowed thick and fast with the first being to support our cycling teams by heading

for the forest and the course around Marston Mortain. "I'm no cyclist" I announced to the bike hire staff, "but if I'm going to keep up with my family I need a bike". They happily obliged with a fine selection and I'd just picked my favourite when the girls arrived clutching Poppy. "get one with a basket, Mum". Poppy was not impressed and, after a spin round the block, we acknowledged she was an accident waiting to happen. Undeterred, the bike staff offered their dog trailer (we need more customers like you they grinned) and so I ended up with the only bike that would fit the trailer. Waving a sad farewell to my dream bike with the armchair saddle we were off with Poppy in tow. Let the Rambling Games commence!