Our local museum.

By Saturday afternoon we had barely left the house and I was needing to get the two little ones out. Lj loves our local museum and requested that she take us there...she knows it best having visited with school and her Grandparents. She calls it the toy museum which surprised me because although it is probably going on for 30yrs since I was last there, I don't remember any toys. So off we trotted for an explore. It turns out that the 'toys' are little crafts and a box of very nice puzzles, books and puppets which don't seem to have anything to do with the exhibition but are to happily keep the kids amused while an adult can browse, albeit in my case the browse was extremely limited owing mainly to an energetic toddler. Going to a museum or an art gallery for me is similar to going for a walk in the forest or through a pretty garden. I find them a chance to breathe and take in something new, away from the chores and daily tasks. So it brings me great delight when I visit and watch my children engage at their own speed and ability, enjoying the environment as much as I do.

Afterwards we had a quick play on The Mall before Calvin decided it was dinner time and time for home.

Autumn tidy up

From Lj to Daddy

From Lj to Daddy picking up on his current love/obsession with Cacti!

I love it when my children write me little notes...even if they come from an unpleasant experience!

I'm in the midst of an autumn tidy up. Perhaps it is because we have a large skip in the drive so it is easy to get rid of things or maybe because the start of a new school year feels like new beginnings and time to get rid of the old. Or is it just because the days are bright and fresh and I feel energised (as much as you can with a new born) to clear out. Anyway in tidying up I sorted the kids display wall, keeping rid of a lot , scanning some (like the above) and leaving some in place.

Chickens

Meet Sue, Babs, Starlight and Eva. After a rocky start of me having to chase them around at night to get them into bed they have now settled in and started laying. 

Back to school

This was not taken on the first day back as it took me a few days to get into the swing of getting them all out the door and into the car before 8.30am. Getting my camera out was the last thing on my mind! MJ has gone into P6 while Lj is now in P4.

Summer 2017 #1

It is almost two months since I last posted...two months of school holidays... two months that have gone by in a flash and rolled in a few changes.

I am currently sat in the car with my two sleeping babies in the back. Oh yes, two sleeping babies now and sitting in the car while they sleep has become a norm, my make shift office.. today I even have a cup of tea and with wonderful 3G I can catch up on all my messages and even do a little organising and planning.

Growing everyday

Photos of Calvin are few with life being full of the everyday. I'm determined to keep documenting so blog posts are going to be a tad random and probably not even in chronological order!

Calvin hanging out with his buddy, David.

Everyday Calvin gets lots of love from his big brother who is very affectionate and becoming less heavy handed too!

Big sister love.

Lj's 7th Birthday

As usual my birthday pics are very poor...the day always seems to run away from me and I don't get a chance to get clicking!

Lj had the 'best day ever' with a pottery party at Diane Harkness Ceramics. They made cute little bunny pinch pots and watched Diane on the wheel.

It doesn't feel strange for Lj to now be 7 yrs old. I think I have been treating her like a 7 yr old for a long time.

A day in the life of Mr Ez

Messy breakfast time.

A little play.

Climbing.

Morning chat with the cows.

Lots of car journeys.

Hiding in his favourite cupboard under the sink.

And lots of pulling things out of drawers, cupboards and boxes!

Last day of P5 and P3!

It's hard to get a good photo of this motely crew but I thought it appropriate to take a photo of their last day in P5 and P3 and the end of their first year in a new school. We feel so blessed with how they have settled in and become part of their new school. Now no pack lunches and 6 less journeys per day in the car for 8 whole weeks. After that the fun will really begin when God willing there will be four to get out the door in the mornings and MJ will begin studying for his transfer test...ekk!

Saturday film and art

We made it back to Millennium Court Arts centre on Saturday to watch 'Horton hear a Who!' and to create cityscapes. Meanwhile at home there was a 20 tonne digger pulling out tree stumps with its own artistry and grace.

Ezra has chicken pox!

My little niece creates a piece of art for me every time I see her. Yesterday she gave me her artists impression of Ezra with the chicken pox!

When Daddy does breakfast!

Say 'no' to screens!

This is what happens when I say 'no' to screens and endure 5mins of tantrum. I love how they play creatively with Ezra's toys! Ezra helps by emptying the box of duplo onto the floor and then crawls off to play with the hoover!

Ezra's first shoes

Ezra got his first pair of proper shoes today. 4H...they weren't sure they were going to have anything wide enough in stock, but managed to come up with one pair! Of course I took the opportunity to pick out a new pair for myself also!

He is very interested in the Velcro and less interested in actually walking in them!

Back to porridge

I was dreading the return home from Lanzarote to cooler climes, washing and cooking but the reality has been fairly pleasant. It seems being back in your own little patch isn't so bad. It helps when you have a girlie night, a nieces birthday party, an evening out with hubby and friends and a little creative work to be getting on with over the weekend. Yes, the 3 load of washing still needs ironing but there is always Monday morning for that...oh and the fridge is still fully loaded with Easter chocolate.

Art work by 'doodled by Neatee'...I am simply the image mover and paster!

Lanzarote -Easter 2017

'Ola' from Peurto del Carmen in Lanzarote, our Easter holiday destination to increase Vutamin D levels and spend some relaxing family time together. As M doesn't really do 'relaxing/lazy' holidays we hired a car on the second day and embarked on his day by day itinerary of exploring the island. To be fair, I never imagined Lanzarote had so much to offer. In my ignorance I thought it was all about lying by the pool or on the beach trying to get as good a tan as possible. But thanks to M and his planning we have seen some super sights and I'm feeling creatively inspired.

The highlights have been mainly down to one man, Mr Caeser Manrique, architect and artist -bringing the natural landscape of Lanzarote and art together in an amazing way.

Timanfaya, Fire Mountains. During the volcanic eruptions of 1730-36 and 1824, the most fertile parts of the island were buried by mass lava leading to an almost 'moon' like landscape.

Cactus Garden, Guatiza. This is the first work of Cesar Manrique which we visited. 1,400 different species of cacti grow in the black ash of the island. M is now slightly obsessed with cacti and is thinking of creating an indoor cactus garden in our hallway!!!

Jameos Del Agua. A volcanic tube formed during a volcanic eruption. Manrique made it accessible to the public and is now a restaurant and theatre.

Mirador Del Rio. A stunning viewpoint looking north over the sea where Manrique designed a restaurant and tourist spot.

Cueva de los Verdes. An underground cave system created by the volcanic eruptions and forming natural crystal clear pools.

Fundacion Cesar Manrique. Originally Manrique's house, built on five volcanic bubbles which was later converted into a museum. The kids were inspired by his wind sculptures which can be spotted all round the island.

Rancho Texas. Just 5 mins from our resort it was fun to see the dolphin, sea lion, tropical birds and birds of prey displays followed by a cool down in the aqua park.

Puerto del Carmen. Our local sea side town.

Sentido Aequora. We did spend some time in our resort, mainly eating too much and swimming in the pools. Lj mastered a variety of jumping in techniques!

Slime

Lj and I made slime! This is the recipe we used. We ordered the Kershaws laundry starch from Amazon. It is simply amazing stuff. Ezra managed to cover his new dungarees with it but thankfully it washes out.