At the beginning of June Little Man had his first holiday away, our first holiday as a family of 5. The girls were incredibly excited as and in their own words, we were going on Skyline gang holiday. After taking the afternoon easy on site we checked in and headed over to watch Aladdin rocks.
I am going to write a separate post on the entertainment at Butlins, as I want this one to focus more on our holiday, but it goes without saying the show was fantastic. A true family show, which the girls loved.
It was then that Little Man achieved another first, his first night away from home. As Little man was born at home, he has always known his bed and his space, this was new for him and the first night he woke up every hour just to check I was still there. We had the opposite problem with the girls, they were simply so excited to be on holiday and sharing a bedroom that they would not go to sleep.
The girls had a special invitation for the morning, a practical joke academy with Dick and Dom. The prospect of learning some new tricks had my eldest grinning like a Cheshire cat
Not wanting to miss out on the fun my youngest joined in too. The practical joke academy was run by Dick and Dom themselves, the kids watched as Dick and Dom demonstrated a trick and then broke it down step by step for them to follow and try themselves. The girls managed to do some of the tricks, others not going according to plan, but each one greeted with a giggle and a huge smile.
The girls were rather excited that after the academy they got to meet Dick and Dom and even came home with one of their joke books. The girls have been practising their practical jokes at home and all I would say is do not accept a banana from them.
After the excitement of the Practical joke academy the girls needed a much calmer activity, and with that we headed over to the craft box. The girls decided to make a money box each and it was just the calm down they needed before lunch.
Scoop was not open during our last visit to Butlin's and we decided upon a treat of waffles and ice cream for lunch. Our main problem was picking which flavour ice cream.
Butlin's is all about families and their enjoyment, and this runs through the entire village. Everything from the activities to the entertainment, to the over sized deck chairs and photo opportunities.
For the girls Butlin's is known as the Skyline gang holiday, they talk about the Skyline gang almost every day and ask to go to see the Skyline gang for their holidays. Our holiday to Butlin's always involves planning our activities around the Skyline gang performances. We often get there early, a good 30-45 minutes before a performance, so the girls can have a good seat to watch the show.
One of the things we love most is the evening entertainment. Often planning our dinner first to then catch a later show. The girls see this as a real treat and we love our time together as a family. After watching Aladdin rocks on our first night, the show on our second evening was Dick Vs Dom.
In all honesty I was not sure what to expect but upon reflection am so glad we went. The girls each picked a team and we bought them the corresponding foam finger to match. As the show progressed the competitiveness appeared from each girl, as each team took part in the challenges. Although they began seated, the girls began to get out of their seats and jump up and down cheering on their teams. I don't think I have ever seen them as excited or joined in with a show so much. Dick V Dom had the girls laughing out loud and cheering at the stage, it was pure enjoyment watching them, and a very welcome surprise for a show we had known nothing about prior to attending.
One of the activities which really stood out was 'Circus skills with the Skyline gang'. Due to its popularity this is a pre bookable event, and I had done so without the girls knowing. As they sat with the other children they had no idea who was about to appear. Their faces were simply prices, the mouth opened wide and huge eye look as their idols walked out and said hello to them.
The Skyline gang made time for each and every child. Giving them all one on one attention, and treating them all like their best friends. Each child came away from circus skills simply buzzing, and you could see the joy on all of their faces.
The Skyline gang made time for each and every child. Giving them all one on one attention, and treating them all like their best friends. Each child came away from circus skills simply buzzing, and you could see the joy on all of their faces.
There is something rather magical as you walk around Butlin's. The Skyline dominated by the Pavilion, the heart of Butlin's. The girls skip along the path as the pavilion edges closer, and they begin to ask questions about our next adventure.
Our final adventure was another first for Little Man, a trip to the swimming pool.
The girls now older, taller and with much more water confidence took advantage of these facts and took their Dad down as many slides as they could. Each time coming back to see how Little Man was doing in the baby pool. He enjoyed splashing around and watching all the bright lights and colours, but after 30 minutes he got tired and hungry.
Little man had a feed and a sleep in the pool whilst the girls played with their Dad. It was a beautiful sight watching them all play together and the girls loved the time they got to spend with their Dad.
Our weekend was quickly drawing to a close, and a final dinner was fast upon us. The weekend had flown past far too quickly, and we did not want our fun to end.
Until next time Butlin's
This day I love Little Man and his first weekend away
