a few warm days

finally we seem to be being blessed with a few warm, sunny days. I am so pleased, not least because it means I can wash all my clothes and have them back in cases for this weekends camping trip.

We have had a nice day today, not on the beach (I am using photos from earlier in the month, and longing for a new camera, the 2mp cameraphone is no longer exciting me!) but relaxing in the garden. The children turned the playhouse into a shop/cafe, they have been gradually heading towards it for a few weeks, but today we made silver coins for shopping, and raided the kitchen cupboards for any empty or nearly empty packaging as items in the shop, along with some old plastic playfood. I am being mean and not letting them take the wooden playfood into the garden, as I know it will get lost or trashed and I like it too much! They didnt seem to mind though, and real packaging is better anyhow. They played for ages, opening and shutting the shop, and serving each other various weird and wonderful meals 'would you like some face cream with your soup?' And I was able to sit and enjoy the sun for a bit. mmmm

been camping

oops, forgot to mention I was going camping!! We camp a lot with various groups/festivals etc in August, such fun, and we are here, there and everywhere. back now for a few days, just long enough to wash everything and repack it all. it would be nice to make something this week too, it has been so long. oh well, we will see!

horse parade

above, my favourite bit of the best horse at the parade we went to see on sunday, look at his lovely flowing ankles!!

we also watched a driving duck display, which was fantastic, a sheepdog herding running ducks, round various obstacles, including ornamental bridges, play tunnels and at one point a whole load of children including my Laurie! unfortunately my photos are all rather full of lots of other peoples kids so i dont feel i can share them online, but it was great!

making me smile

My friend Julia made me this sweet little jar of lavender flowers while my husband gave her daughter her Ukulele lesson this week. Isn't it lovely, you can see more of it here. And she sent me eggs from her Bantam hens, as she often does when she has enough, she is so nice - thanks Julia!!!

Today I took the children to the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff. After terrifying the two littlest ones with the dinosaur section, we took an animal prints workshop, where we learnt lots about animal tracks and got to make our own, designing our own stamps and using lots of glue and black paint!



ps - note I am trying to post more - 6 posts in July, surely my worst month for blogging since I began! (so now you may get to know even the most mundane stuff in my life, brace yourselves!)

was that it for summer?

Well, haven't been blogging as we have been enjoying a few sunny days. the rain is back today though, unfortunately.

The other day the children enjoyed a spot of water painting, They had a pail of water, a variety of brushes, big and small, and painted the paving slabs outside. good cheap entertainment, though I guess it wouldnt work too well if you lived somewhere really hot as the water would dry up frustratingly quickly. fine for british summer days though, the ones when the slabs arent already soaking that is!