Harry Higgins

General 

Elliott was was really good today. He has started to think more about starting secondary school and is beginning to be quite nervous. So we looked at the BBC starting secondary school website section and talked about being yourself and not taking notice of the myths.

Activities

In the morning we drove to Basingstoke where we met up with Matt and Harry HIggins. After coffee and hot chocolate we headed to the Vue Cinema to watch "Fast and Furious presents: Hobbs and Shaw": After the film we had lunch in Nandos where Elliott had a chicken burger.

After lunch we headed back to Arborfield for the Arborfield Fun Day. This was quite small with a few stalls and some music but Elliott and Harry found a stall where they could blend a smoothie on a bike:

They also went to the local park and generally had fun. After Matt and Harry left to go home we stayed at the Fun Day to listen to the music and Elliott had a hamburger for tea. After the Fun Day we headed home and Elliott had a bath, brushed his teeth and got ready for bed. Then he read more of "The Good, the Bad and the Deadly 7" by Garth Jennings before it was time to go to sleep.

New desk

General 

Elliott was was very good today.

Activities

In the morning we had a lazy time until late morning when we started putting Elliott's new desk from Ikea together. He helped by separating out the components, clearing space and helping with some of the assembly. We headed to Tescos after a few hours and got a Pepperoni Pizza for lunch.

After lunch we finished making the desk and Elliott helped by hoovering and moving his possessions about. Then we watched the first part of The Fast and Furious 8 before having cheese on toast for tea. After tea we spent time practicing tying a tie for the start of secondary school and this went well but I think more practice will be needed for him to get really confident. Then he relaxed for a while before getting ready for bed and brushing his teeth. Finally he read more of "The Good, the Bad and the Deadly 7" by Garth Jennings before going to sleep.

Dentist

General 

Elliott was was really good today.

Activities

In the morning Elliott had a bath and then we went to the Dentist and she was very complimentary about Elliott's teeth. Then we headed to Smyths Toy Superstore and went to Kentucky Fried Chicken for lunch.

After lunch we went to the Smallmead Recycling Centre to get rid of some old lamps and a hoover that had been hanging around before Elliott got his hair cut. Then we got the car washed before returing home. After we got home Elliott did some animating before having ham sandwiches for tea. After tea he had another bath (because of having had his hair cut), brushed his teeth and then he read some more of "The Good, the Bad and the Deadly 7" by Garth Jennings before going to sleep.

Dora and the Lost City of Gold

General 

Elliott was was very good today.

Activities

In the morning we went to Ikea where we bought a new desk for Elliott for secondary school homework. We also had lunch at Ikea and Elliott had Chicken Kiev.

After lunch we went to Sports Direct to buy some new black shorts for the new hockey season and then Sainsburys to buy some deoderant and school trousers and shirts. Then we dropped the shopping at home and went to Showcase to watch "Dora and the Lost City of Gold" which Elliott said he enjoyed but would rather not admit to it. After the cinema we came home and Elliott had ham sandwiches for tea before starting a new animation and then brushing his teeth and getting ready for bed (he's going to have a shower tomorrow morning). He read some more of "The Good, the Bad and the Deadly 7" by Garth Jennings before going to sleep.

Cricket highlights

General 

Elliott was was really good today.

Activities

We had a lazy day today and after breakfast Elliott played with his Rubix Cubes making videos, watching solution videos and even taking one of his cubes apart with a screwdriver to customise it. We also watched the cricket highlights of the recent Ashes Test Match win. We had sandwiches for lunch.

After lunch he carried on playing with his Rubix Cubes before helping me take the empty bottles to the bottle bank. We had spaghetti bolognese for tea and after tea he had a bath, brushed his teeth, got ready for bed and then read some of "The Good, the Bad and the Deadly 7" by Garth Jennings.

The Good, the Bad and the Deadly 7

General 

Elliott was was good today.

Activities

After our final buffet breakfast of toast and croissants we got on the coach which took us to the airport and checked in for our flight. The flight left at about 11.30am and we got back to Gatwick at about 3pm. After we had gone through passport control, collected our suitcases and gone through customs we grabbed ham and cheese sandwiches for lunch.

After lunch we drove home and then unpacked. Elliott then had macaroni cheese for tea before brushing his teeth and getting ready for bed. Before he went to sleep Elliott read some of his new book "The Good, the Bad and the Deadly 7" by Garth Jennings.

A Casa Colombo - Museu de Porto Santo

General 

Elliott was was really good today.

Activities

After the holiday traditional buffet breakfast of toast and croissants we caught the shuttle bus from the hotel to the small Vila Baleira town. We went to the small Columbus Museum there where Christopher Columbus had lived which was quite interesting. Then we went souvenir shopping before walking back to the hotel along the beach:

When we got back to the hotel we had lunch at the snack bar and Elliott had his normal ham and cheese toastie from the toastie shack again.

After lunch we headed to the Coumbus Hotel pool and Elliott and I went back to the beach for some final body boarding and wave jumping. Elliott also finished reading The World Ends" by Geraldine McCaughrean on his sun bed. At the end of the day we headed back to our room and packed our suitcases before to getting ready for tea. We went to a small pizzeria opposite the hotel and Elliott had a Margarita Pizza. After the meal we had a final drink at the hotel bar before going back to our room to sleep.

Swimming pool

General 

Elliott was was good again today.

Activities

After the normal buffet breakfast of toast and croissants we went to the pool today and relaxed. Elliott read more of "Where The World Ends" by Geraldine McCaughrean (and almost finished it) and also had fun swimming in the pool and throwing a ball around with me. We had the normal lunch at the hotel snack bar as well with Elliott having a ham and cheese toastie from the toastie shack.

At about 5pm we headed to the hotel bar to watch the Liverpool verses Arsenal game and after the foobtall we went to the Coumbus Hotel for a buffet tea and Elliott had pork chops with some small roast potatoes. After tea we went back to the Pestana Hotel bar to see if the Variety Show was still going but unfortunately it had finished so we had a quick drink and then headed back to the hotel room to go to sleep.

Yacht trip

General 

Elliott was was good today.

Activities

After another buffet breakfast of toast and croissants we spent the day at the beach again with more body boarding and jumping the waves as well as Elliott reading more of "Where The World Ends" by Geraldine McCaughrean. We had lunch at the hotel snack bar again and  Elliott had another ham and cheese toastie.

After lunch we headed back to the beach for more body boarding and wave jumping. We headed back to our hotel room late afternoon as we had booked a yacht trip and so were picked up by Slivestre in a minibus from the hotel with two other families and driven to the harbour where we got on his yacht. Silvestre and his co-sailor Danny sailed us across the bay and we sat on the front of the boat which was fun but unfortunately we didn't see any dolphins or whales on our trip (apparently it's quite common to see these):

Then they salied the yacht and to a small island off the coast where we stopped in a cove to go snorkelling:

We saw some fish but unfortunately I think us looking for fish frightened them away. After half an hour in the sea we headed back to the harbour and then back to the hotel where we went to the Madeira themed restaurant for tea and Elliott had pork, beef and chicken kebab chunks with chips. After tea we went to the hotel bar where there was live music and then we went back to our room to go to sleep.

Panorama

General 

Elliott was was very good today.

Activities

After our daily buffet breakfast of toast and croissants we went to the Coumbus Hotel's pool for the morning and relaxed doing some reading (Elliott read more of "Where The World Ends" by Geraldine McCaughrean) and swimming. We had lunch at the Pestana Hotel snack bar as it was close by and Elliott had a ham and cheese toastie from the toastie shack again.

After lunch we headed back to Coumbus Hotel pool and Elliott and I headed to the beach for more body boarding and splashing around in the waves. After the day had finished we went to the hotel gym for some exercise and then we got ready for tea. We decided to eat out of the hotel for a change and went to eat at a restaurant called Panorama which was half way up a moutain and had really good views across the island:

Elliott had steak and chips to eat   the beach for more body boarding, wave jumping and Elliott also did read some of "Where The World Ends" by Geraldine McCaughrean on his sun bead. At around 6pm we headed back to our hotel room and got ready for tea which was at an Italian restaurant on the grounds of the hotel called "Luigis". Elliott had pepperoni pizza for tea. After tea we went to the bar again and this time there was a Circus show so we watched for a while before heading back to our hotel room for some sleep.

Vila Baleira

General 

Elliott was was good today.

Activities

After another buffet breakfast of toast and croissants we spent the morning at the pool in the hotel reading (Elliott read more of "Where The World Ends" by Geraldine McCaughrean) and swimming. Then we had a late lunch from the snack bar and Elliott had a ham and cheese toastie from the toastie shack again.

After lunch we headed to the beach and walked along the beach to visit the local town Vila Beleira:

It took about 40 minutes to walk to the town and when we got there we had a wander around and then a drink in a cafe there. It was a small town with some cobbled streets, bars and shops and a museum for Christopher Columbus who had lived in a the house where the museum was at one point in his travel. After we'd explored we got a taxi back to the hotel and spent some more time at the pool before going back to the room and getting ready for tea. We went to the next door sister Coumbus Hotel for our tea (a buffet again with Elliott having steak and chips) and after we'd eaten there was a Fire Show with the Entertainment Team jiuggling flaming batons and pretend fighting with flaming swords. After the show we went back to our room and went to sleep.

Porto Santo beach

General 

Elliott was was very good today.

Activities

After a buffet breakfast of toast and croissants we bought a body board from the hotel shop and then headed to the nearby beach. We had a lot of fun body boarding in the waves and jumping the waves. We also played with a ball in the sea and with a tennis set on the beach. We walked back to the hotel snack bar for lunch as it was close by and Elliott had a ham and cheese toastie from the toastie shack again.

After lunch we headed back to the beach for more body boarding, wave jumping and Elliott also did read some of "Where The World Ends" by Geraldine McCaughrean on his sun bead. At around 6pm we headed back to our hotel room and got ready for tea which was at an Italian restaurant on the grounds of the hotel called "Luigis". Elliott had pepperoni pizza for tea. After tea we went to the bar again and this time there was a Circus show so we watched for a while before heading back to our hotel room for some sleep.

Hotel Pestana in Porto Santo

General 

Elliott was was very good today.

Activities

We got up really early at 4am today to get our flight to Porto Santo. The flight was good and Elliott watched his iPad and read. He did have popping ears at the end of the flight but soon seemed better after landing. After we'd gone through passport control and collected our luggage we got on a bus for the short journey to Hotel Pestana. Once we got there we got changed and headed to on of the pools for the day.We went to the snack bar for lunch and Elliott had a ham and cheese toastie from the toastie shack..

After lunch we went back to the pool and Elliott had fun flip jumping in to the pool and swimming:

When it got to early evening we went back to the our room and unpacked our cases before showering and going for tea at the buffet restaurant where Elliott had Roast Beef and chips. After the meal we had a drink at the Sunset Bar where there was live music from Diogo Lestre (a multi-instrumentalist) before we went back to the room and went to sleep.

Gatwick Airport Premier Inn

General 

Elliott was really good after I picked him up.

Activities

After I collected Elliott we drove home and he packed his bag for holiday. Then we drove to Gatwick and checked in to the Premier Inn there before having a burger and chips for tea. Then we headed up for an early night as we had an early start planned the next morning for our flight.

Winterton-On-Sea

General 

Elliott was was good today.

Activities

After everybody had got dressed and had breakfast we went to a local park near the Dawson's house to walk Max and play cricket, football and badminton. Then we headed back to the Dawson's house and had ham and cheese sandwiches for lunch.

After lunch we headed to the beach at Winterton-On-Sea and Elliott and Lucas had fun jumping the waves in the sea and jumping around in the sand dunes:

After a few hours we drove back to the Dawsons and had burgers and chips with some peas for tea. After tea the Elliott and Lucas played FIFA again before having a bath, brushing teeth and going to bed.

Norwich

General 

Elliott was was very good today.

Activities

We had a lazy morning again with Elliott playing with his Rubix Cubes while watching You Tube videos. We had pasta with Dolmio stir in bacon and tomato sauce for an early lunch.

After lunch we left to visit the Dawsons in Norwich on a long car journey and Elliott was really well behaved for the whole journey. When we arrived we had pasta for tea and then Elliott and Lucas Dawson played FIFA and generally had fun together with Lucas's little brother George Dawson joining in. We also met Max the beagle who was very gentle and after being a bit cautious Elliott didn't take long to get comfortable around him. At about 8.30pm Elliott had a shower and brushed his teeth and then had more fun with Lucas before they went to sleep.

Yesterday

General 

Elliott was was really good today.

Activities

We had another lazy morning and Elliott perfected solving his four by four Rubix Cube as well as watching some Pokemon Go You Tube videos. Then we went shopping to Sainsburys (again) before having ham and cheese sandwiches for lunch.

After lunch we went to the Showcase Cinema to watch Yesterday which Elliott described as "not completely terrible" (we'd decided to go and see a film for Andrea for a change). I think he enjoyed quite a bit of it. Then, after we got home, he had pasta with Dolmio bacon and tomato stir in sauce and fig folls for tea before having his bath and brushing his teeth. Before going to sleep he read more of his Forest School book "Where The World Ends" by Geraldine McCaughrean again. I asked him how it was gonig and what it was about and he said it's about some children who get stuck on a sea stack and he also said he's finding it a bit boring so I talked about how some books take a while to get in to.