Watered the plants before the sun got too hot. Great weather for potty training by the way.

Warm sunshine here already this morning. Love that early morning smell. Mr Caterpillar is still asleep in the shade of the playhouse.

No car, no problem

The car was still in for repairs today, so I was at home with the lads all day. No school, no racing about.
In answer to 'what will we do noooow, Mummy?' amongst other things, we read books, tidied Our Lady's altar, made a birthday invitation (only 4 months to go), fell about laughing at different ways to pronounce 'party', baked and decorated fairy cakes (while the little Toot obligingly slept) and ran about barefoot cos of 'sticky feet' (no, I don't know what they meant either).

Meanwhile, Lee rushed around for work, trying to avoid falling asleep at the wheel whilst doing a damn fine job for people, some of whom have no intention of ever paying him.

Muddy puddy!

That's what Poonch called this little oasis of joy that he and Roo revelled in on our walk this afternoon. His vocabulary has expanded in the last few weeks and he chats away, coming out with sometimes startling sentences. He has his own little poonchy take on words, pointing out 'butty...flies', 'piders', 'catty...pillars' and 'bahdies', wishing people 'happy cwisbas' or 'happy to you' when it's their birthday.

Hello!

It's little me! On the swing.

Bye bye piddies!

Those were the words of Poonch as we visited the piggies for the last time today. Of course we hadn't told the lads that our porcine friends were going to the factory, but you'd swear they knew anyway, as Poonchie repeated the words during the day.

It is quite sad to think of the fate that awaits them, but they have had a much happier life than most of the domestic pigs of this world, and we do eat p-o-r-k and b-a-c-o-n (whisper). I was very glad once again, that the little pink fellas hadn't been growing in our back garden though. That is one lesson that our boys are a bit too young to learn just yet and how would we have explained their sudden disappearance?

A little visitor

This little chap is staying with us for a short while. He doesn't say much but obviously shops in the same places cos that hat and scarf look very familiar.

Peppa pig and the Jesse tree

While Poonch slept off last night's disturbance, Roo and I squeezed in some RE. As we were reading about Noah and the flood, we decided to make a little rainbow as today's symbol for the Jesse tree Poonch and I found on our walk yesterday.
When Poonch woke up, we watched an episode of Peppa Pig I'd Sky plussed while Roo was at nursery. As I tried to settle the littlest Toot, what should appear in the background but a rainbow, courtesy of Peppa and her family! The lads are quite fond of Peppa at the moment. (I think even our Daddy Pig has a soft spot for her since we got the DVD for watching at the Wowee house.)

Raarrh!

Not much time for blogging or anything else at the moment. My days are completely filled by just trying to keep the three lads fed, warm and clean.
Before he got sick, Roo had been learning all about dinosaurs at playschool. He's been surprising me with lots of big new words like 'extinct' and various dino names (dinosaurs aren't one of my strong points-'mummy, what's that one?' 'hmmm, not sure, diplodoccus?' 'Or an apatasaurus, maybe?' 'Clunk!' i.e. Sound of me falling over in shock and admiration).
Here's a picture of a T. rex he brought home a couple of weeks ago. Little Toot, sitting in his new Bumbo seat/throne, wasn't really bothered by him- that's his foot in the photo- mind you, compared to the attention he receives from his older brothers, the dinosaur was very tame.

Ee ee Mama... and some kiddy artwork

Building inspired by one of Robert Louis Stevenson's poems

Autumn squirrel holding a little acorn, who sings a little song to the tune of "I'm a little Teapot"

Scary!!

It's been a bit like a hospital ward here the last few weeks. Nothing serious, thank God, just chicken pox, colds, coughs, runny noses, fever, earache, out of hours visits to doctor, antibiotics and several sleepless nights. Even poor old Roo, who seemed to have escaped the worst of it, developed a high temperature and was really 'crook', lolling on the sofa with droopy cartoon eyes, very unlike him. One of the more worrying symptoms was an inability/ unwillingness to walk which really put the wind up me, as it seemed scarily similar to one of the symptoms my younger brother suffered with ALD. But our GP, who we have been seeing a lot of lately, reassured us that regular Nurofen was all the little fella needed. Thank God he is back at school now and able to make things such as you see in this post.

Quick fotie post

Well, it was back to reality today for us all as Lee headed off to work after a week looking after us. We got through it ok actually, thank God! I even got some washing dry ☼ It was a beautiful sunny day, so we had to get out and about: baby in the sling and the two busters in the buggy.

Here are some pictures from our lovely week with Lee:

Eddie Rocket's Knickerbocker Glory.... yummmee. At least I think he liked it...

Holy fish, Batman! Look closely.

A different kind of milking machine. At the milk market, of course. You bring your own bottle and fill it with creamy milk here.

Swordfish outside Rene Cusack's.

Digging the praties.

Sweetie. Lee said he was a great help. Brought back memories of his big budda 2 years ago.

daphne bholua jacqueline postill ...phew

Bit of a mouthful, but Toby on Gardener's World recommended it last night and it sounds lovely: a fragrant, semi-evergreen shrub that is in flower now, pricey though. Here's a picture from the BBC website. One of the things I am planting in my imaginary garden-in-my-head, until we have one of our own, please God.

The fabulous Alys was talking about hellebores, which will have to find a little shady well-composted spot there too. One is the beautiful pure white Christmas rose and another the more seasonally -appropriate Lenten Rose, Helleborus orientalis.

Here are some pictures of the delightful little lovelies.

Sweet flowers

The sweet peas have finally come into flower and they look sweet indeed climbing my crookeldy obelisk with the Baby Blue Eyes peeping out underneath.

Hope springs eternal

Today I planted out some Basil that Mum gave me at the weekend. I haven't had a lot of luck with Basil in the past. But if the weather is fairly warm and I can keep the slugs at bay, it may have a chance. Some good reasons to be hopeful, eh?
Roo got a new delivery of sand, but was reluctant to stay outside without me around.

Big Buzz

We were woken today by the postman for the second morning running. Yesterday he had a birthday parcel from my dear Australian friend and today it was this little lavender plant, courtesy of the Jordan's cereal bars we eat a lot of. It had managed to come all the way to our house intact and then got dropped by the postman. He always seems to be in a right tear.
Anyway, I got a chance to plant it while the two lads were asleep. Luckily, because if I'd attempted it while Roo was with me I'd have got nowhere. It was very windy, although sunny and warm, and he wasn't on for staying outside at all. To put it mildly. He just about agreed to water it for me when he got up. So here's our busy little bee helping our newest addition settle into its role as an official 'Buzz Stop'.

Last chance corn

Roo planted these pots with sweetcorn today. It's a bit late in the growing season, but it seems like a waste of Lee's hard work in clearing the veggie patch not to put plants there. And could it possibly encourage Roo to eat vegetables?

The Green-fingered one

A lovely May day here, so we've been spending time in the garden.
We planted some spinach in pots. Meanwhile... The lettuce has started to grow but you have to look v closely to make out any sign of life in the carrot tyre. Of the 4 broad beans planted, just 2 have borne shoots- one of which (pictured) was planted by Babba Roo, hence his title as the most green-fingered member of the family. ...so far this year, at any rate.
On the subject of fingers! Lou has really started using his hands- reaching out to grasp things. He is fascinated with the oven glove with the pictures of teapots and cups on it.

Broad beans: our 1st attempt

Today we planted broad beans and carrots. And definitely saw swallows. I thought I'd heard them for the first time on Thursday last, but today was my first definite sighting. It was a changeable, but overall very pleasant day, weatherwise.

Cad e?

Seo hiad mo chead silini. Sweet peas! Another variety. Hope we have better luck with these ones. This year I am using the very hi-tech, primary school teacher favourite toilet roll inserts to help their roots grow long and strong.

They were planted on Saturday last, along with some mixed lettuce and rocket seeds.

Farmer Roo digging the spuds

And here's one of the carrots: