Liverpool

Last week we decided to organise a trip to Liverpool, mainly because we fancied good nosh at Etsu (our favourite Japanese restaurant in the UK).  We thought that Tom might like to go there by train, so looked up London Midland and found that there was a 50% sale on train tickets for this weekend, so we booked them tout suite.  Later in the week I phoned up Etsu to book us in for a late lunch, to find out that they didn't open until 5pm, poo - our tickets had us back on the trains then!  

Oh well, I remembered that some friends of ours went to Liverpool with there then 3 year old and had a good time in a place set up specially for that age group, so I did some hunting around and found the place - Under Water Street, so we booked in for there.  Saturday morning we got up bright and early and got the first of 8 trains to Liverpool - we chopped and changed as many times as we could to give Tom as many rides as we could.  Just as well we did as if we had waited for the through train we would have been disappointed as it was cancelled.  This also meant that Tom got his first ride on a pendolino which he loved.  In fact he was really good for the whole trip - hardly fidgeting at all and every interested in everything he could see.

We got to Liverpool in good time and then got the underground to James Street from where we walked to Under Water Street.  When we got there it was empty which was good (Tom's still not great in crowds and noise, although he is getting better).  The concept of the place was good - lots of different areas with different themes and activities, but it was a little tired and old - lots of the equipment was broken / very worn.  However, Tom didn't notice this and toddled around exploring - he enjoyed the water area, painted a mini, loved putting play bricks in a wheelbarrow and wheeling them around, and then placing them in a pulley system to get them onto a work area - in fact he made the wheelbarrow his own and got very upset if anyone else wanted a go!

Painting a Mini

Unfortunately he didn't seem to want to relax and enjoy himself fully and was whining quite a bit, so I thought we should have lunch to see if it perked him up.  Lunch was a bit of a joke - took them about 20 minutes to realise they didn't have what I ordered, I then ordered something else - they didn't have that, then something else - they didn't have that - so I just asked them to make me something they did have!  Not great!  Anyway it finally arrived, it was poor, but we ate up (all of us were hungry).  We then went for another explore - he was the weatherman on TV, went up a climbing wall and made lots of bubbles, however, he still wasn't really enjoying himself, so we gave up and decided to go for a walk along the docks instead.

Liver Boy

Wow Liverpool has changed a lot recently.  The whole of Pier Head has been transformed, next to the ferry terminal are two new museums - The Beatles Story (open) and the Museum of Liverpool (which didn't look open, but on investigating since being back, we have discovered it is open).  Anyway we didn't stop at either as we were heading to the Albert Dock to the Maritime Museum - as we had promised Tom boats.  He had a fab time there - there are loads of scale models of various boats - Titanic etc  which he enjoyed seeing - apparently I made all of them (I have been busy).  Anyway, he really perked up and enjoyed himself.  

Walking on Stilts

Half way round we were fetched by some museum staff to try out some circus skills (not sure what that has to do with Maritime History but it was fun!)  People of all ages were catered for so I had two grinning boys - both on stilts - little plastic ones for Tom and big wooden ones for Matt.  Anyway a good time was had by all - Tom really got the hang of his stilts - I was really impressed with him - he kept falling over, but laughed and got back on to try again.  He also had a go at some long swirly things that he had to swing around - but he was too short and they kept dragging along the floor, meaning that he dropped them.

After expending all that energy we had tea and a bun and then continued round the museum - very very big.   Once we started flagging again we headed back to James Street for the underground to Lime Street.  We found ourselves another Pendolino to Stafford.  We had a picnic for dinner, wow, Tom was hungry he ate everything put in front of him without a murmur - he must have been hungry.  He even ate a tupperware of raspberries meant for all 3 of us and a whole banana!

Tom was a bit fidgety on the trains home - I think he was tired - it had been a very long and exciting day.  Unfortunately he ruined it a little bit on the way home as he did a poo in his pants in Wolverhampton - but apart from that he was good and went straight to bed on our return home.

Sunday it rained, rained, rained.  So we went swimming in the morning.  We have discovered a new swimming pool in Telford at the Abraham Darby Academy which has is depth adjustable.  They have it at 0.8m for parent and toddlers, meaning that Tom can stand if he wants - giving him extra confidence (and us sore knees!).  We had a mini break through: Tom swam about 3 meters by himself - arms and legs going - but he did it for the first time which was fab, we might just be getting there - we have resolved to go as much as we can to work on his new confidence.  

After that we went to Tom's club for lunch, then he had a much needed 2 hour nap.  AND then in the afternoon he did a POO in the POTTY - hurray!!!!!!!  He got showered with praise, hugs, cuddles etc Let's hope he does another one soon.