Bluestone Trip

Jonas is one!

Oh my goodness but doesn't time whoosh by. Seems like yesterday - well not quite - but not a blooming year ago!!!

Jonas had lots of lovely presents. A trike from us and many Thomas related toys too. Louise got him an amazing newspaper article - where he was front page news! I was in tears as soon as i saw it ... a really special present to keep forever.

So we all went to ThomasLand at Drayton Manor, thanks to our Tesco vouchers. Many people thought Jonas would be too young to enjoy it - no fear he had a ball! he rode on Thomas, met the fat controller, fought dragons on the water ride, flew in Harold, rode on a ferris wheel and watched his crazy, fearless sister go on everything at least twice!

Lola is desperately trying to look interested all she really wants to do is go to Thomasland to ride on the runaway train - Jonas' birthday is distracting from the task in hand!

SORRY!

I am a rubbish blogger - offical. However here goes: a brief overview, skip a few, ninety nine a hundred!!!

Jonas has claimed Lola's chair as his own - Lola is happy with the decision as she has claimed the whole leather sofa as hers!

Too much chocolate?

We managed to all meet up at Sudbury House, Museum of Childhood this weekend. Mum, dad and all the Davies Family. It was a lovely sunny day, the museum and play park was great fun, and the picnic suitably unhealthy laced with chocolate cake. The kids had a fantastic time as did we! Lola and Katie found toads and frogs...which I really don't like!!! We thought one might be dead, Janet gently prodding it with a stick produced no movement, Lola arriving and subsequent poking with hot grubby fingers produced the required effect and we all laughed as the toad / frog plodded off in one direction, Lola the other shouting "see, told you it wasn't dead".


Lola's favourite outdoor toys, Emily the blue tit and Seth the Robin - A bit strange looking I think but she loves them. As they are not really toys and made of resin type stuff, they don't really bounce, something Lola does all the time. Seth was dropped and split in two!!! I had to make a mercy dash to the garden centre to replace him.

CHOCOLATE...NOW!!!!!

I can walk now...let go mum...mum... mum..DON'T let go!!!! I think Jonas is going to be a real handful of stubbornness, not sure who he gets that from!

Read me another story Carl x Let's hope we get some more sun this week.

The rest of the holiday week has been spent messing around and about here. We went to Hatton with Libby and John, photos soon.

Vegetable report

We have shallots, garlic, tiny shoots of carrots, a pumpkin plant and lots of radish. Also bought and planted lots of herbs, well they were on offer - 7 plants for a tenner, thought that was pretty good. Am really enjoying it, although am completely clueless is great fun...if only my darn potatoes would chit!

A basket full of princesses..

Grandma got Lola a basket stuffed with choccies for Easter...we don't have a 'bucketful of dinosaurs' in this house but we do have a 'basketful of princesses'. Currently travelling everywhere, and dropping out more times than i care to remember, since the concept was dreamt up. :)



This Easter weather has been a real blessing. My slimfast diet has been kicked out the window...p'haps start again tomorrow. We have already managed to catch up with lots of people and looking forward to spending lots of time with friends next week. Rob is mad busy so he is away much of the coming week, me and the kids in the sunshine down the vege plot! Well me, chasing Lola before she gives Jonas the worms she loves to find...I think that she wants him to eat one, as I catch her with that mischievous glint in her eye and a spadeful of worms behind her back!



We went to an Easter egg hunt with friends. It was a lovely day, a little cold perhaps, Lola fell head long in a muddy puddle, although managed after a minor hissy to get on with the day.



Rob gave lesson to Jonas on how to win at Connect 4. Then went on to get a bit miffed that lola didn't win in the egg and spoon " well she followed the rules!!! they were cheating!?"

As Jonas is completely in love with Brum, we got him a DVD, we were all sick of the Sky Plussed episode, over and over and over again... I was washing up, as i turned round i managed to catch Lola giving Jonas a cuddle at a scary bit?!

Brum at Bourton on the Water

We went to Bourton today. Was a perfect day. Jonas saw Brum! He Loved it.

lola got a frog that turned slowly into a prince...she loved it...everyone happy, good day x

After our visit to Bourton Water we came home and had a dance off on the Wii, a perfect way to celebrate Easter.

Last Day at School...chocolate overload.

Lola's last day at school today. All went pretty smoothly, kids up, dressed and breakfasting together ...

Both of them sit exactly the same, legs up, making a mess and giggling at some hilarious, strictly private joke.

Then off to school, Lola's turn to take snacks in. So when we went to the shops she clocked a massive box of biscuits, thankfully on offer, so was more than excited about being the helper and taking in her 'snack treasure'.

When we got home it was pouring so we stayed in the car and read stories whilst parked on the drive. The kids loved it - who needs expensive toys?

We had Barb and Lins visit today, was great to see them both, anyhow am pooped so off to house tidy, sort by hiding things in drawers and then sit and listen to the rain beating on the conservatory roof for a bit. Gosh the excitment!

Tomorrow is the 1st...

I'M PREGNANT!!!! No. not really, an early April fool. Although, you never know, never say never and all that.

Well, Lola has got her place at St.James, thank goodness, now we have to wait for goodness knows how long to confirm that she is up the hill Ebrington. Fingers firmly crossed for that!



Look at our pumpkin plants, we planted them from seeds that Lola was given in Catherine's party bag...











took these photographs this evening at 9ish, on a school night! She is currently having a growth spurt, so as a result, she is covered in cuts and bruises from clumsiness and falls asleep
in the middle of her lunch!!! She crawls into bed, shattered and then wakes to "stingy legs and a very hungry tummy". She has just munched her way through many grapes and many more cheddar biscuits.




We went to get new shoes today, although failed as they wasn't any in her size. 10 H !!!!!

Have been helping my friend with her little girls letter of appeal as she didn't make it to the school of choice, so stressful and made me even more grateful that we were successful. Lola and Jonas had a birthday party together for the first time, was lovely to see them together, passing the parcel.

They spend lots of time cuddling / wrestling on the floor at the moment...

Which is a great game until someone gets hurt, usually about ten minutes in!

We went to the Vicar's house after Sunday's service - a grand Chipping Campden stone affair. Lola had a great time eating chocolate and playing with Abbey. Whilst there we went on the usual loo trip, she is so nosey! Anyhow, today, we were sat colouring and she piped up..." Mummy?" "Hhmmmmm" I replied absently " We need a bigger house don't we?" "Whys that then Lola?"

"Well, I was thinking, we could have David's house (Vicar) as his children all live away now, and its so big and so lovely, it would be perfect for us, don't you think?"...

I agreed, when I'd finished chuckling.

School D Day

Tomorrow we find out if Lola has got the school place we want her to have. I have constantly fretted, worried, panicked and generally stressed myself into a right old tis about the whole thing. We moved to the village so I could walk the kids to school - well that didn't work out as blooming planned did it?

Anyhow a lovely weekend has past in a flurry of family activities. Went to the spring fair at Lola's school, way too much chocolate and cakes being consumed by all. Then Lola had a mini sleepover with Emily. My car windscreen wipers are busted - so praying for a fine morning or all plans blown! Did a bit of digging and pruning and now the weekend is almost over...way too quickly. Rob away in London for the next couple of nights so trying to get a little organised.

Managed to go over to Nottingham on Saturday night and was really fab to see everyone again.

Am feeling too strung out to write anymore and Lola still settled as she fell asleep in front of Scooby Doo, that and the clocks springing forward has left me right behind!

Thursday arrived, well finished almost as I sit writing this... what a week. Is potty, Rob working loads and of course as is the way, has been very busy here too. We have managed to put a row of carrots and beetroot in and Lola has planted lots of flowers...not sure where the flower seeds ended up but am sure that there'll be lovely anyhow.

We have had a new bed for Lola, like a bunk with a desk and drawers and things underneath - she loves it and as a result I am the best mummy in the world - well till the next time i say no, so probably all of 3 and a bit minutes anyway!

Some quick piccies, will add some words in a bit...

Monday Monday

Monday rolls round again. I was on baby duty, as is fair on school nights. So night feeds done when the baby woke up this morning, i glanced over at time, jabbed rob in the ribs and said "only 15 minutes till get up, you're in charge". I later came down at 7a.m, which I thought was 15 minutes later, to make the coffees and begin the day. It was only this evening that Rob told me it was in actual fact 5.45a.m, not 6.45a.m that the boy had got up, and he thought it was unlike me to be so harsh!! Whoops, sorry Rob.



Anyhow the day was lovely, Lola went off to school this morning and Jonas and I hit the shops. Sounds exciting but mostly consisted of baby stuff alongside toddler stuff. Jobs done went for a quick coffee at the garden centre. No sooner had I entered the building when Jonas was whisked off and the usual "ahs" echoed around the cafe. He is a total flirt and has learned how to wave and high five people - a real crowd pleaser!



12 o'clock rolls around quickly and time to pick up the girl, who was very pleased with a sparkly sleeping beauty nightie and a grow your own runner bean set. Home for a quick crumpet then back off to the garden centre to paint a tile with Jonas' handprint. We did the same for Lola and I was keen that it be at the same age- 10 months, strictly speaking he is 11 months today, so only just within the limits. Auntie Jo, possibly Jonas' favourite person, was unable to help due to work commitments, so I brought in the big guns - CHOCOLATE. He'll do just about anything for the stuff, so two tiles later, one for the shop to display and one for us; we headed to the playground and back to the delights of Mickleton.

One of my favourite sayings is " look at this pickle" normally at the state of the house. As my usual pickle saying accompanied by the rolling of eyes always makes Lola giggle, upon entering our toy strewned room I retorted ..." look at this pickle" Lola when giggle subsided say " we have lots of picklers living here and only one pickle sorting mummy, that's not fair is it Mummy? Me and daddy and Jonas and Blue are always making pickles for you and you still love us, aren't we lucky?" When I'd finished laughing at her grown up, serious face and stoppped cuddling her, I replied simply "I'm the lucy one".

Park Life Continued

A lovely afternoon in the park with our friends, Sally, Mark and Daniel and Tamsin. Was great, kids played happily, grown ups played happily. All back to ours for a barbie. Too pooped to do anything but post some piccies.

Jumble

A wet and sunny day - the heavy showers, occurring both times I walked the dog! hmmm?! Refreshing though! Jonas did better last night and has really begun the finger food in earnest, so hopefully with be gaining a full tummy and hence will then be SLEEPING really soon. His favourite food remains the pink wafer biscuits, closely followed by strawberries.

Lola and I went to help at the pre-school jumble, well help set up the pre-school jumble, I am on the committee, but often miss meetings as Rob is away so much. It turned out to be good fun, not many turned up to help but those that did all had a good giggle. Lola had great fun on the village hall stage with Harrison. Meanwhile Rob and Jonas played at home - well apparently the baby slept whilst Rob visited the butcher and cleaned the playhouse of all the mudpies Lola and Seth have been cooking out there. I got loads of toys for Jonas at the jumble sale at massively bargain prices. As you can see he loves them.

So once we'd had the usual battles over lunch over with we headed out to the bottom of the garden. Lola's pumpkin seeds have all grown so job one was to transplant the three baby plants into a pot of their own.

Then we raked over the soil and planted two rows of carrots and a row of beetroot. Not holding out much hope of many of the seeds hitting the soil though as Lola liked making the seeds fly through the air!

We took some photos of the kids grubby hands, oh and Jonas eating sand in the sandpit, as well as Princess Lola in her weekend finery.

We have friend and her family coming over tomorrow, so have spent the evening preparing food and making an apple crumble to pop in the oven...after a day of trying to tackle the mounting washing situtaion and an evening ignoring the now critical mass ironing situation I am headed for a sitdown and a vodka and tonic.