With Lockdown hitting in 2020, and then two further lockdowns following we saw a stop-start time over several months, so much so over a year and for like ourselves we have seen very little out of either being at home or at work, the same goes for the children as they have also been either at home or a school…sometimes.
With the months ticking by and with us doing very little other than work and home life, we start thinking about what we are looking forward to doing and places to visit once it’s all over. We are a family that due to Boo work we get to go to alot of places, and through the years we budget and plan a lot, we are big planners, so in a way the kids have had opportunities to see a few things and visit places, something that Boo and I didn’t really get many opportunities to do, so we wanted to look to plan at what the kids and us might want to do.
Of course, the hesitancy of the lockdown is there, will we be out of it? what will be fully open, as the months of lockdown ending shortly and taking small steps every month and optimism for us all that we can get back to some normality, let’s see what we are looking forward to the most
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Theme Parks
Something over the course of the year we probably do the most, we have Merlin passes and make a point of getting them because of the huge benefits compared to price and days out, the kids love theme parks so its always an essential place to visit, though they have partially been open indoor parts have been limited and it’s just not felt the same, with rightfully so extra cautions or many things, testing, social distancing, etc have taken perhaps the gloss of these days.
Normally once a year we do Alton Towers (maybe two if we lucky) this is largely because of the distance for us however Chessington, Legoland, Thorpe Park are all ones we go to at least twice a year and in the past 3 times, before lockdown all began there were some days out planned, Blackpool pleasure beach, Gullivers travels, Flamingo land were all earmarked, as well as Peppa Pig world/Paultons park a place that we have now been a few times and even though the distance is far is an excellent day out, a place with large investment recently and a big new area released.
Cinema
I love films, if you read my blog its something I love to do and is arguably one of the things in the world I can do at any time, with Cinemas im much the same, I have made a film set up at home but it still doesn’t beat a cinema experience.
I go with friends, I use to go with boo but it’s tough now with no childcare, however, the kids also love to go, so for us and especially me is really looking forward to going back to them, my local Odeon was doing a great selection and good offers, at times it was £5 at certain times and we took advantage of that.
Restaurants
I do Family Food reviews, but it felt like I haven’t done any for over a year, its a great chance for Boo and I to spend time together but also to check out some places to see if they’re suitable for our kids, we have fussy kids and I don’t like to be that parent with really loud annoying kids or even just simple playful fun in a place that perhaps isn’t fitting for it, let alone the quality of food for our fussy eaters.
some we take the kids because we have been there before and can do an, even more, kiddy friendly one, but I like spending time with Boo at the restaurant, one of the few things we’ve done together since day one, over 20 years!
Butlins
Though holidays abroad for many is probably right up there for the priority and for us holidays it would be a lovely thing to have, especially at those kid-friendly places around the world, but our kids have really enjoyed their time at Butlins in the pass.
We’ve managed to visit a couple of times at different locations but it is something they have absolutely loved, the entertainment, activities, the food experience, and the swimming is all something they still talk about every so often, it may not be mine and Boos first choice for us but for the kids they have already mentioned it a lot, and for boo and I, we would be more than happy to make sure the kids get the wish, and with all Butlins tweaks that they have had to do because of the lockdown its interesting to see how they are managing.
Overall
There are countless more things we would like to do, days out to London, Sealife Centres, Shops, etc, are all things that we will like to go back to, and hopefully, we will be able to, but it may not be the same? and certainly, for the near future, there will be steps in place and places and areas adapt to decreasing restrictions, but we all have things to look forward to.
