Campfire and thunderstorms

We were woken up on Thursday night to huge booms and crashes. There was a massive thunderstorm over us that woke Isla, but not Evie. We watched some of the lightning out the window and saw some impressive fork shapes and eventually the storm passed and we all went to sleep. Then Evie woke up of course......!

Isla and Evie did some crafty art yesterday afternoon. Evie did some crayoning (first with her right hand crayon, then with her left hand crayon) and has finally stopped putting them in her mouth all the time. She seemed to enjoy it so I think we'll be getting the crayons out a bit more in future. They both like using the magic water drawing kits too. Isla made a pasta and lentil collage of a thunder cloud with lightning. She also added some gold glitter for extra lightning effect.

Evie has been investigating things a lot recently. She spent a little while checking everything in my wallet after excitedly finding it in my bag. She enjoys the kitchen cupboards, particularly carrying either a potato or the cling film roll around with her. She managed to empty out a box of lentils on the floor - this inspired the thundercloud collage, which was probably her intention of course. Evie mainly walks around now, with her hands up in the air. She gets a lot of enjoyment out of one of their Bizzy Bear books which always makes her laugh. Her other main pastimes are posting things out of the cat flap and fiddling with the washing machine buttons.

We had a brilliant time at our outdoor playgroup this week. We learnt about starting a campfire and being safe around it. Isla mixed some flour and water and then we all put it onto green sticks and cooked our damper bread over the flames. After a story, we all tapped the bread to check it was cooked and ate it with jam. It was delicious. The little ones then learnt about how to put the fire out safely and to check it was out by poking it about. I hope we'll be having lots more camp fires over the autumn as the smell of the burning wood and the warmth was really nice.

The making of Harry Potter

We had a magical day on Wednesday. We travelled to Leavesden where the Warner Bros Studios are situated and went on the 'Making of Harry Potter' tour. It was brilliant. Despite Isla and Evie not knowing the story of Harry Potter, we told them a bit about the school of magic, goblins and wands. They both liked the day as there was lots to see.

Evie reading up on death eaters before the tour:

Entering Hogwart's school of magic:

In the Great Hall:

Isla was good at spotting the golden snitches flying around the tour:

A chocolate banquet:

Ron's dress robes and the drinks from the Yule Ball:

Isla looking at chocolate banquet, unfortunately it wasn't real:

Isla and Evie looking into Dumbledore's office:

Some interesting things including the Philosopher's stone and the time-turner:

Slughorn's potions classroom with self-mixing cauldron's that Isla thought were very magical:

Evie examining some potion ingredients:

Running away from the Chamber of Secrets, there must be a basilisk coming:

Checking out the broomsticks:

Gringott's bank vault door:

Another magical room. The Weasley's kitchen where Isla made a pot wash itself and a knife chop a carrot. She's going to use her magic skills to help at home:

Looking in the Mirror of Erised:

We tried some bubbling butter beer. It tasted of vanilla and butterscotch:

Trying out the Weasley's flying car:

And Hagrid's motorbike:

On the knight bus (or the squeezey bus as Isla calls it):

Outside Number 4 Privet Drive where Harry lived under the stairs:

The Potter house in Godric's Hollow. Kept expecting either Voldemort or Nagini the snake to appear:

Taking a stroll along the bridge at Hogwart's:

A petrified Mrs Norris:

Some of the creature props and prosthetics:

Fawkes the phoenix:

The Monster Book of Monsters:

Dobby:

Isla's a bit smaller than Grawp:

Watching a mandrake wiggle:

Aaahh! A moving monster book of monsters:

Isla looking up to Hagrid:

Aragog:

One of our favourite characters, Buckbeak. He moved about and bowed to us, so we bowed back several times. It was very lifelike:

Daigon Alley:

Isla was a bit disappointed that we didn't see any goblins at Gringott's bank:

Looking through Ollivander's window at the wands:

Concept art and models:

An amazing huge model of Hogwart's that was used for filming the outside views:

Isla riding a broomstick:

Trying out the sorting hat...... Gryffindor apparently!