A Day In Which

we prettied up our new trees,

found our first passionfruit,

and discovered that brothers are no good at tea parties.

We finished off the day with an after dinner trip to the beach to celebrate this gorgeous sunny day.

Batman and Carrots

This morning we went to a pantomime with friends, and had the world's scariest face painting done. P2's was a sweet wee butterfly on the cheek:

but L5's Batman inspired horror in all those around him all day. Only a scungy mobile phone in low light photo, but I'm sure you'll still feel the fear...

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Crikey!

So two kiddie photos to keep in theme, but really this is a garden post. We harvested the first lot of carrots today. I did learn from the lovely and v knowledgeable Sandra that carrots are hard to grow. Unfortunately she didn't teach me that until after I had already sowed my carrots. And failed to thin them.

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Still, I was pretty happy with our stash despite leaving them in too long, and creating a few Franken-root-vegies. Even better, I still have two more sowings to mature.

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Batman helped to wash them.

Tea Party

P2's favourite pastime at the moment.

I remember using that orange teapot myself as a little girl. You are my beautiful flower daughter.

After School Boy Stuff

Looking every bit the Alm-Uncle (you know - Heidi's scary but well-loved grandfather) Bunce and L5 set to work restoring the wheelbarrow. I like that when boys work together like this it can seem to us garrulous girls that they are actually living in their own separate worlds. Until you take a few more pics, and look a bit closer at the subtle eyes.






Then Dad had a turn at being role model as the boys made the biggest paper dart ever.








L5 decided to improve it with engines and a rudder.



And also to get in his undies and chuck it out the window.




And try to throw it back up to Mum.





As you do when you are a small boy.

Small girls? Well they just refuse to have pictures taken at the moment. Sigh. Still managed to nab this one just before bed....

On The Blink

Sorry. No:

so no pictures. Despite lots of chances today, I never got it together.

Should have asked L5 to whip me up a quick one of these:

Daisy

Picked by P2

for her Mutti.

Techno Play

Today I showed L5 how to use Paint on the computer. Husband worries that L5 will have no technology skills, because we pretty much give him zero pc time, ever. I have read Failure To Connect so I have no such worries, believing he is better off playing outside with a stick (and a chicken), rather than hunched over a keyboard peering at a screen. However, all things in moderation...I'm not a foolish enough mother to actually ban it outright. That'd be asking for trouble.

Not bad for his first time, given his total lack of mouse skills.

Digger.

Sunset.

There was also a wee bit of fun with a Dolphin torch at bathtime.

A Walk In The Forest

Self - portrait with P2

(the last summer she will agree to be carried, and the last summer I'll be able to carry her)

while walking in the Waitaks

with the boys insisting on leading the way.

Today My Children Charmed Me

Sweet as pie eh?

Shop flooded out the back, but luckily I had plenty of absorbent cloths around

so blah to that.

I'm sure there will be plenty of posts with me whinging, but today

rocked in the cuteness stakes.

Be warned...

I have protection.


Be very afraid.

Beans

Many, many broad beans.

If only anyone actually liked them.

And something much, much cuter than beans.

A Boy With A Plan

Today I went to L5's school to help the children make hats. L5 made a digger hat.

With a spare tyre. :)

He told me yesterday that his was going to be really easy to make, because on everyone else's plan, they just had a picture of the hat they planned to make. But his plan had step-by-step instructions. Sure enough:

In case you need a translation:

Cardboard

Aerial

Boom and bucket

Wheels and suspension

?? and elastic

(Ummm... not even a Mummy can work out that last one, even though he did tell me this morning. Any hints gratefully accepted.)