I’m lying here in a hotel room bed trying to block out the sound of my partner’s boys who should have been asleep long before now. I’m not cross or frustrated (though I might be by the time I’ve finished writing this!).
Tomorrow, we are treating them to a day out at Legoland. Everyone is a little giddy… but I’m reflecting on the day so far and the journey here. The journey from home to Windsor is about two and a half hours, but as it’s the summer holidays, traffic was bound to be bad. So, we decided to book a hotel and travel down the day before and then I will drive back after we’ve finished in the resort. I didn’t book the hotel until today as I’ve been debating whether it’s the right thing to do. Now we are here, I know for absolute certain it was a good decision with no regrets. We got a bargain price in a hotel in Slough with breakfast included. The boys have never stayed in a hotel before and that has really added to the experience. Excited is an understatement. Bouncing off the walls would be more accurate. From the buffet evening meal to the safe in the room, things we wouldn’t think twice about have really caught their attention.
I’m northern and notoriously tight with my money. Refusing to pay £2.50 for a 500ml bottle of water, we headed out after tea to find a corner shop. On our way, one of the boys found a discarded scratch card and excitedly scanned it, hoping for the tossing of it onto the floor to have been done in error. It was not a winner. Just before we entered the shop, we found a penny on the floor, so quickly picked it up and said the rhyme “Find a penny, pick it up and all the day, you’ll have good luck!” We bought our water (£1 for a significantly larger bottle than in the hotel!) and some sweets to munch on before bed. I bought four scratch cards, one for each of us. On our way back, we chatted about what we would do if we won the £7,000 maximum prize. It was fascinating to hear the hopes and dreams of an 8 and a 9 year old. Unfortunately, no one won the big money, but one of us did win our pound back.
While we might not be rich in terms of money, we certainly are rich in the experiences we have had just in the past few hours. The boys are going to be making a scrapbook all about their time with their father and me during the holidays. I think it’s a wonderful idea. Money does not equal happiness. Quality family time can though.
Update: both boys are finally asleep and it’s not quite 10:30!
