We had mixed weather for the half term week, but on the whole, I come away feeling it was good and helped us in our motivation to get out and about. As I have such young children, I often decided to leave the camera at home and concentrate on getting us all doing stuff together. That meant there are no pictures of Granny’s visit, nor of the trip to the circus, which was great fun and the acts only topped perhaps by Barnaby’s comedic fall in the mud just before a show started. The initial bravado and jovial reaction soon gave way to upset and tears, and it was only by buying (and borrowing) new clothes, that I persuaded him to stay for the performance rather than go home immediately!

We also had a short visit to Auntie Camilla’s house, as she had had an operation recently and we wanted to catch up. But her immobility, combined with my trying to control my 4 excitable youngsters, meant that just one short walk was managed . The rest of the time was spent trying not to ruin her newly planted garden, and watching tv/playing x-box. Even Willow now seems hooked!

Throughout the week at home, taking advantage of the aforementioned good weather, I decided to get my gardening gloves on and do a bit of planting. Wow, the beans are shooting up quickly!

The rest of the garden I think I will leave in its ‘natural’ state, as it is better than any attempt to garden I make!

And whilst we were outside, Alexei cajoled me into helping him make a bird feeder. He was so happy.

Unfortunately, our dog wasn’t as happy when she threw up the next day and the vomit was suspiciously full of nuts!!! I did wonder what would stop the lard from melting and all the contents slipping out, but Alexei thinks we fed the birds and so is happy, and we earned a ‘wildlife action award’ too! ???

The holidays also saw some lego action, with each of the boys getting stuck into their sets! I was a bit surprised to find Felix perched on the kitchen table doing his, but whatever gets his creativity going is good, I guess, and I left him to it.

My little girl Willow turned 11 months too, and I fear she is not so little, judging by the way my wrists hurt from holding her, the squeezed clothes, and the fact that her feet seem to poke out of the car seat! Aunt Elizabeth still managed to hold her for a cuddle though,

as did daddy,

but then she busied herself upon her escape.

before indulging me in a perhaps new monthly task 

That’s quite enough of that now!