Rochester Ruckus

It's been a very trying few weeks for me, with the kids taking turns to fall sick, a lack of additional help with my Mum being away/unwell, and DD being completely swamped in the office and coming home late everyday.

I can barely keep up with essential tasks, much less blog. But I keep returning, because this is my happy space. Which is also why I get very annoyed when someone messes with my blog or with me here. Just DON'T. This is my blog and I will say what I like. If you don't like it, just stop reading and GO AWAY.

Anyway!

This is a bit of an old one which has been sitting in my drafts folder for quite a while.

I am always on the lookout for kid-friendly places to visit. Even better when the have food. Totally a win when the food is good.

Some weeks back, a couple of old friends and I decided to meet on a weekday afternoon at Rochester House. With 6 kids between us, the main draw was The Playhouse. I've been meaning to check it out for quite a while now, but just never got round to it. Unlike an indoor gym, The Playhouse is more like... a big toy room I guess, with different activity centres in different parts of the room. It isn't free, but the good thing about going on a weekday is that there was a "$10 for 2 hours of play" promo.

The boys made a beeline for the train table. Always a hit with Noey.

Huge track with bridges. Score!

Cars can join in the fun on Sodor too, no?

There were also bouncy animals, a dress-up corner, a single small ball pit and slide, a toy piano, a swing set, and quite a big kitchen area, complete with lots of fake food, utensils and equipment.

YY is having fun. He really is.

Zoom! Basically only one person can really play on this at any one time since most other occupants of the ball pit will get hit by the child whizzing his way down. That was a bit of a tricky situation to navigate.

The brothers two cooking up a storm in the kitchen area, which I really quite liked. It was well-stocked and bright and cheery.
(See, DD, boys like cooking toys too what...)

Almost everyone! YK had better things to do than take a picture. That was some mock feast we were having!

The real food was almost as good. As long as they have fish & chips, Noey is happy! The food was mostly French, though they did have pastas too, to keep everyone happy.

Little Anya enjoying the ice-cream that came with the kids set. Surprisingly, only my son wanted chocolate. Everyone else went for vanilla.

A cake for Nish, for her almost-birthday. We got the date wrong, but hey, the thought counts when you've been friends for more than 15 years! Errr, right?

It was a lovely morning that overran, as usual. Would I go back on my own? Maybe, if I was in the area. It probably isn't somewhere I would make the extra effort to go to. Noey did have fun, as evidenced by the fact that he kept asking to go back in while we were eating. However, like I said, it felt like a big toy house, and I think my over-active boy would probably have preferred the rough and tumble of an indoor gym better. If it was free I probably would be going all the time! But since you have to pay to play, I would think twice. It might have been better if the outdoor play area -- with sand, which Noey loves -- was open, but it was barricaded on the day we were there.

At least the Mummies certainly had a great time.