An early Hallowe'en Treat

Where did the month go? My weeks disappeared quickly after my return from my Spa treat at Peebles Hydro. In fact 3 weeks were taken up with me recovering from a hellish 'flu that was put down to a dose of Covid.  Lucky white heather as they say!

Fortunately I recovered in time to take Murphy and Rosie through to Edinburgh for the school's October holiday week. We stayed with my good friend Grainne Crawford, known to the kiddies as Auntie G. She is adored by my grand kiddies ...

and I quite like her myself!

We visited Grainne's place of work at Central Libraries, after a trip on the tram and a run for a bus!  Both thrilling to we three and then we saw an exhibition of art in a part of Central Libraries that Grainne was thrilled to share. They are pictures and stories from the children of Kiev from their point of view ... and the result is both moving and inspirational.

National flower of Ukraine

I was intending to go through this weekend to see the exhibition but we just brought my visit forward and it meant that Murphy and Rosie had a special week in Edinburgh and we kick started it with a cultural and educational slant.

We received a tour of the Library including a visit to the music room where they hire out instruments, the children's library full of fun and laughter with no shhhhs and a peek in at a couple of secret passages!

Self explanatory

a child's point of view of war.

We were able to reflect on what we are privileged to experience while others are still in the midst of war. 

This was not my original intention, however Murphy and Rosie saw the pictures, read the stories and admired the crafts that were included in the display and their insight was that Ukranian children were still able to participate in school despite their circumstances. 

Always good to get a child's perspective.

Not sure what the crocodile thinks but I know that there is trouble in store...

An exciting day at the trampoline park followed, 90 minutes of fun and not a little sweat. 

When I say trampoline, there was dodge ball, football court and scary twisty slides. Yes they slept well that night, although the next day's treat was the Camera Obscura! Complete with 100 steps to the top...

Where the kiddies had a ball with what could be thought of as magic but was science and fun...

I know, spooky eh! I can reassure you that the children came home with heads firmly on... however not until they had a visit to Glasgow for Uncle Kenny's birthday, which included a visit to the Japanese pancake place on Friday and an interactive Egyptian history lesson on Saturday at Glasgow's SECC, The Tutankhamun exhibition.

There was so much to take in from the cinematic experience surrounding us with life as it was in ancient Egypt to all the virtual reality of being Tutankhamun rising from his tomb and experiencing the afterlife.

Rosie as Cleopatra

Murphy as himself

Thank you so much Grainne, Kenneth and Natalie and an special thank you to Tutankhamun!