We are now home from a fabulous week away at our local Centre Parcs. It seemed abit touch and go whether we would make it there with Covid so rife at the moment but we did and it seemed perfect timing as cases were rising in Polly’s class and school. Also Polly woke Friday morning with horrible lip so ended up having antibiotics x4 a day bless her, lucky not unwell in herself but not nice to have something sore looking on here face. As we couldn’t check in until 4pm on the Monday we sent Polly to school so she only had 4 whole days off school. Obviously I wouldn’t usually take her out of school but she has missed out on so much due to Covid etc that we decided to take her and make those magical memories plus it was also Lola’s first holiday.

Day 1 Monday

We picked Polly up from school and pretty much headed straight there. I took my car which was full to the brim and Hubby took his van with our bikes in it. The last holiday here I didn’t have a bike, but mine has a seat on the back for Lola and Polly loves biking and can bike far so made sense to take our own. We could head straight to the villa when we arrived and unpacked all our bits and Bob’s. I had brought a pizza and salad to have at the villa that evening as a quick tea before then heading swimming. At Center Parcs currently you have to pre book swimming apart from 6pm onwards when you can just turn up and swim so that’s what we did. The girls had a blast and Lola especially loved it as she isn’t confident in the water and almost doesn’t like the idea of swimming. If she was my first child I’d say it was an age thing but Polly has loved it ever since she started swimming lessons at 12 weeks old. So it was lovely to see her find her feet and enjoy it. We then saw all the pretty lights around the village square before biking back to the villa. It was clearly all abit too much for Lola as she had fallen asleep on the way back to the villa.

We just booked the cheapest villa for this holiday as we knew we would be eating out lots and only using it as a base, as for us personally we love eating out on holiday and planned to eat out for breakfast’s and I had pre booked all our evening meals. I think you have always been able to book their restaurants but I hadn’t usually done it until nearer the holiday but I booked ours several weeks in advance.

Day 2 Tuesday

We all enjoyed a lovely lay in then biked to breakfast and I can’t believe how close we are to the main square. We have paid extra before to be closer and considering we aren’t in an executive villa we are super close. Always easier to find your way around in the daylight hehe. We headed to the Sports Cafe as I knew they had a soft play area so whilst waiting for breakfast to arrive Polly had a quick play in there. Then after both girls had fun in there playing. We then had a quick look at some of the pretty lights near the park but headed back to the lodge to drop off the changing bag and grab the swimming bag. Whilst we were there we had lots of wildlife come right up to the patio doors and eat out of Polly’s hand. Lola loves ducks and a muntjac even came right up close which Polly loved.

We then headed swimming and took our go pro with us this time so got some good videos. Polly ended up wearing Lola’s life jacket as she could go on all the slides alone and swim fine at the pool at the bottom. She went on the rapids with Hubby and loved them, she went on them back in 2019 so would have only just turned 3. She also went on the big white slide all by herself too. Lola loved the baby pool with all the little play areas and mini slides were her favourite ones.

After swimming we had Pottery painting booked and Lola was so shattered from swimming that she slept whilst there which actually couldn’t have been planned better because it meant Polly got some chilled time painting what she wanted to and we even did a new family handprint plate, a little tradition we have each time we go and because Lola was asleep we were able to paint her hand and put it on the plate better than if she was awake. We had fun in there and then headed to dinner which was booked at Hucks. They had a little soft play area and a climbing frame area which kept Polly entertained whilst she waited for her dinner to arrive which was actually super quick. Meanwhile we had to wake Lola as she slept for 2hours and it was then 5pm and I knew bedtime would then be a struggle. She then came too after a nice long nap and enjoyed her dinner especially desert then had some fun playing with Polly in the soft play before we headed off to explore the winter forest lights and the wishing tree. We then biked back to the villa and enjoyed some yummy free prosecco that one of the lovely school mums I’m friends with had us delivered. So lovely and kind.

Day 3 Wednesday

Mid week already and we all had a nice lay in which is always one of the best feelings of being on holiday when you have no alarms to get up too. We biked to the village square which is only like a 5minute walk from our lodge. Then went to the sport cafe for breakfast. Hubby loves a fry up for breakfast and there is soft play there too for the girls which Lola soon realised she could run along into each morning. We then headed swimming which again we took the go pro so got some fab videos of the girls on the slides and having a blast. I think it’s lovely for them to look back on when their older. After swimming Polly wanted to explore the shops and spend some of her spending money which she quite easily did. Then we popped to the local supermarket on site and grabbed few bits from the bakery to have for lunch back at the lodge. We had lunch at the lodge and put Lola down for a nap in the travel cot. She has actually been sleeping really well in it whilst away. I just forgot to pack her nightlight that plays music so Polly would usually be asleep before her most nights as she kind of relies on it to get to sleep. After another good nap for Lola we headed for dinner this time at Cafe Rouge. Again everything needs to be prebooked but it’s quite handing knowing you’ve got a table booked etc rather than just taking your chances. There is soft play here but due to the size of it only being small it was closed off. But the girls food arrived rather quickly and they were happy just being at the table with us. We then headed back to the lodge for a cosy evening by the fire, in which Polly fell asleep infront of on the sofa whilst I put Lola to bed.

Day 4 Thursday

I can’t believe it’s our last final day here. We’ve had such a blast and knew we would make the most of our final day so we headed for breakfast and then had fun at the park afterwards. Polly had woken with a rash on her cheek today and an slightly puffy eye. After a while at the park I noticed it wasn’t getting any better just worse so we visited the on site nurse who said its an allergic reaction to something so we popped to the on site supermarket and grabbed some Piriton and that seemed the do the trick. We collected our pottery and biked back to the lodge where we let Lola have a nap before heading to swimming and then we had booked Polly to climb the indoor climbing walls which she loved. She especially loved climbing up each wall and jumping down them bless her. No fear! We then had booked Foresters for dinner that evening which is the furthest restaurant away but actually didn’t take that long at all to bike too. Polly liked this restaurant as that too had an indoor play area. Lola didn’t seem herself and was super cuddly so didn’t fancy going and playing, I think all these busy full on days are catching up with her. Again service was fab and the girls food came quicker than ours. We had a lovely meal and biked back before packing up ready to leave the villa by 10am the next morning.

Friday Our 5th and final day

After grabbing the car, packing everything up and reparking it all we headed to breakfast. We had booked Cafe rouge for breakfast as I really fancied pancakes and The Pancake house had been closed all week as it has moved locations and today was their grand opening so of course it was fully booked so Cafe Rouge gave us the pancake hit. As it was especially cold today we didn’t head swimming like we had planned we went to the park then finally let the girls spend their spending money in the shop. Polly picked a doll (of course) but also a book that was all about the enchanted light area here so that was sweet. Lola got a Centre Parcs bear with the year 2022 on it as I love things like that as a little memory of her first holiday etc.

Lola fell asleep on route home and Polly almost did too as it was just such a jam packed week. Andrew drove separately as he had all our bikes in the van and once we got back home and started to unload the car, we all did a lateral flow test as whilst we were away there had been more a more cases in Polly’s class and blow me down Polly was positive! I couldn’t believe it. Even little Lola was negative and although Centre Parc was busy we wore masks and kept ourselves to ourselves etc. I was just gutted for her as she had no symptoms, maybe now looking back this rash that appeared Thursday and a poorly lip the Friday before which she needed antibiotics for were a sign but even her Winter cough she seems to get had basically gone whilst away. So yes I felt it was abit of a bang, your home, back to reality and now no school and some home schooling next week and isolating for a 5year old isn’t fun especially because she thankfully isn’t ill with it.

I’m not going to end this post as a “Debby Downer” as it is what it is and we have all gone all this time without catching it and being ill. But we hope to get back to Centre Parcs again soon. Maybe again this year or definitely next as it just completely helped with those January blues which I think most people feel after all the hype and busyness of Christmas. So until next time….

Much Love

Sophie