Spring holidays

A finished school today, the class, alongside the kindergarten children performed a poem and a song, then a short piece on their wooden flutes. It was lovely , they really enjoyed it and afterwards we shared lunch together, with chocolate nests for afters too!

The last few days have flown by, with little rhythm, but lots of fun. We visited a manor house and had a fantastic day in the sunshine, playing by the lake and then the ten of them ran wild in the adventure playground, leaving the mums to natter the afternoon away.
running is going well, my pelvic floor is responding to exercise better now, thank god! We are going out three evenings a week and run for about fourty minutes, hopefully in time we'll run further and maybe only twice a week.

This afternoon A and I have been creating alien cutouts and are planning a spaceship too, minted lamb and lentil casserole is cooking and smells yum, and considering it's holidays the house is quite up together really, so I don't feel to guilty for our lazy colouring afternoon by the fire. It's bloody freezing outside so gardening is a no for now, clearing it will be a huge task when the sunshine returns.

birthdays

My sister, mum and I all celebrate our birthdays in early April, and today we had planned a posh picnic by a stream with all of the children and family. The weather forecast didn't look good so we changed our plans and everyone came to us for cake and tea. Typically it turned out beautiful and sunny! I made nigellas devils food cake, it was very rich but utterly delicious!

The little ball is A's latest completed project

We had a friends children for a few hours too, and hay all played very nicely in the garden for the whole time, only stopping to devour sandwiches and chips, and then the sticky chocolate cake. my sister did not stay long as they are in the middle of a house move, we have benefited from this by being given a nice wooden side unit for our dining area. The storage is useful for bulky mixing bowls and extra crookery, and L has already enjoyed relocating our nature area on to the top. It does look quite pretty though. A neighbour kindly bought me some beautiful spring flowers, picked from her garden, i love daffodils and really muct plant more for our own garden next year.

after everyone had left we went for a quick walk and back to the pub garden for a pimms, very nice it was too. Poor A has school tomorrow as his holidays don't start until Thursday.

Wednesday...and more sunshine

A quick roundup of our last few days...

The sun continues to shine and we've been making the most of it! A lovely long walk and ice-cream on Saturday, the to salcombe and hope cove on sunday. admittedly it was a long drive, for just a few hours, but so worthwhile as it was just glorious down there. We set up a little camp on the beach and it really felt like summer in Spain.
The kids played ball, and then rock pooled for ages, before a nice stroll and ice creams. salford is so stunning, I love driving in, the view down below of all the little yellow breaches and coloured houses is so pretty, we will be back in the summer, with the tent, that's for sure!
back home It was disappointing to find that the low setting on our slow cooker had not heated enough to cook tea, so a quick hunt in the freezer for meatballs and chips, al a ikea.

This morning, following a nice bubble bath together, C and i went to the music group again. she only likes the bubble time bit really, but it's nice to do something alone with her.
I picked up a lovely old enamel washing up bowl yesterday, as she loves to wash her cups and bits. She was so busy playing that potty training was far from her mind, resulting in a little accident, on the whole we are catching most wee's though, and she is trying hard.
Its so nice todat, that  i really want to get out and start clearing the old allotment area for when we get hens. The car also needs a good vacuum and I've promised A cakes after school, so no rest here today.

Morning Rhythm

Cal and I differ in that I am a night owl and late riser, whilst he prefers an earlier night and is then ready to rise with A soon after dawn. It's always worked well, especially with me breastfeeding lots through the night. I'm grumpy in the mornings if I get woken too early.

This routine has always worked for us, however I do often get up to a chaotic house, with everyone running late and not dressed. I've tried leaving clothes out for the kids but they are happy to sit with cal in their pj's until the last minute, eating breakfast in the lounge as it's warmer in there, and then last minute dash to get washed and dressed before school.
By chance, I woke up early one day last week and set the table for everyone to have breakfast together like we do at the weekends. It was great, and much calmer too. I asked everyone to bring clothes down to warm on the radiator while we enjoyed a pot of tea, juice, hot cross buns, cereal and toast. Even little c joined us. The kids like it and want me to get up for an early breakfast every day, so I'm giving it a go. So far I've yet to get the early night and C is still breastfeeding many times a night, so I feel knackered, but they love the family time and get to practise their mealtime times tables and extra time each day too....result.
We are starting with basics, the threes, as they are both good at the two's already. I've written them out on a large card that is pinned on to the wall beside the table. We ask them
three each before and then after dinner. They can look at the board for the answer but must repeat the whole sum back to us. After a week or so I will turn the card over and do them for another week without it before going on to the fours.it's working well I think.

Tonight I went for the run, it was a gentle start and we are going again in a few days.I look forward to getting fit and eating freely!

Right now..

:: A is at beavers, the others have gone to take him there and I'm running a bubbly bath to enjoy 10 mins peace and quiet in, with a small chunk of crunchy!!

:: we had a lovely day with my sister and niece, then collected A from his school and went to a wonderful playground nearby, for a good run with his friends.

:: we had an early dinner of butchers lamb pie with mustard mash, red cabbage and carrots. Not low gl at all, but I'm starting running again with a friend tomorrow, so i'll be better for the rest if the week.

:: Lwent to the hairdressers after school and requested a short bob, she looks very grown up indeed, I hope she washes her hair more often now and complains less about brushing!

:: C managed to sleep through dinner and has woken up grumpy. Getting her to eat solids is hard. At over two now she is still very much a booby monster. She has been calling Ava, Ada all day, it was very cute. She loves running around with her girly cousin.

:: A got absolutely soaked on his school walk today, they take a longer hike on Wednesdays, he loves it, but ultimately it involves water and mud, mud ,mud!

:: Im looking forward to a quiet day tomorrow. We have been too busy this week and need rhythm and harmony in the mornings. I hope to rest and play with C tomorrow, with a little music and stories maybe.

:: I also need to finish knitting my squares for the blanket project and get them sent off.
Urgently! The pretty flowers that I hoped to add may not happen now unfortunately. I really want to learn to crochet too.....

Sunshine and soup

The sun shine woke me early this morning, thus allowing some quiet time to prepare the table for breakfast and enjoy a fruity brew. I really should go to bed earlier and enjoy this time in the morning more.
 After the school drop we headed in to the local wood for a walk with C snug on my back (in the ellivill dark green zara wrap.) The light was beautiful, but as usual I forgot the camera. The dog decided to charge off after a pheasant towards the end, and eventually made his own way home, wet from a cow trough. he can dry off outside for the morning!

 Morning chores are done and the windows are now open to clear the air. little C is happy playing outside in the mud kitchen with a ladybird. we have also made soup for lunch, on sunny days we love sunshine soup, and this is a spring version that I've thrown together today, we'll have it with honey wholegrain spelt loaf, yum.

1/2 onion
Fat parsnip
Handful of green lentils
4 mushrooms
Stick of celery
2 sweet potatoes
Half a leek
Teaspoon of cumin
Clove or garlic, chopped
Black pepper
Chicken or veg stock to cover

Sweat onions, leek and cumin in a knob of butter, add everything else and simmer for 30 mins or so. I blend it for the children, but it is lovely left chunky, a little water can be added if it's too thick, or cream, or a sprinkle of Parmesan.

We are having chicken and veg curry for tea, I'll split it and make the children's milder, and serve it with basmati and organic pappadoms that I found in the health food shop. I could do a post about the foodie shops around here, we are very lucky, I just wish I could afford to shop exclusively in them! I'll take my camera to the market next weekend and write a bit about our nearby towns. Better go, bookie to be read now!

Mothers Day

We've had a lovely day here. Cal got up and did breakfast for A, he was awake at six, excited and ready to make more cards for me. Tea and white toast in bed, i gave up both last year and it wasn't really a treat as i don't miss tea now, but the kids had fun getting it ready. Roses from cal, pink and yellow, and a lovely surprise.
We then took a picnic over to a farm park about half an hour away. it was cold but lovely. Baby chicks to hold and piglets, bunnies and lambs. How my ovaries ached! We had a great time. I am really spurred on to get hens now, and great grandad has been telling the kids lots of chicken related tales recently, so they are really excited too. We just need to find a reasonable but large coop.
We called in with cupcakes to nannies on the way home then had bangers and mash with cauliflower cheese and veg for tea, a slice of delicious herman friendship cake, and orange henries!
 Now that everyone is asleep, I'm indulging in a my weekly graze box, this time i have bbq pistachios, oriental cracker mix, chilli olives and a lemon cake with a fruity tea bag too for tomorrow. scrummy. I also have a flake, that's a real mothers day treat!!

        The tortoise also woke up to say hello briefly, Tasman and tahuna, the smaller one.

                                                                    Herman

 In all a lovely day, washing is up together and packed lunches made for tomorrow. C and I will be at the library and then soup making and baking tomorrow.