Thursday 31 May 2012

Playing

Its impossible to get them both in focus at the same time - they move around a lot!

Just because

Some photos for no particular reason:

Monday 28 May 2012

Camping

As the weather suddenly realised that it should be summer, we decided to go camping and make the most of it. we spent some time finding a new campsite in the hope of not having to camp in a field with hedges round it that feels like someone's garden. We thought that we had ht the jackpot with Willow Garth which looked like it was in a wood, but when we got there we discovered that the wood was in fact Dagobahian!




However, our camping spot in the orchard was pretty ace:




We set up camp and got everyone acclimatised to their new sleeping quarters. Dorothea was highly pleased!




Supper was taken amongst the daisies and Dorothea had her first taste of melon which she was incredibly impressed with.



She ate and ate and ate and ate, and I had pretty much got Nathaniel ready for bed when we decided that she had got too tired to wrestle with it any more and declared supper over.

Everyone slept well and after waking up at 7:30, everyone was jolly!




We decided to spend the morning at a stream on the moors just outside Hutton-le-Hole and due to an early start, we had the place to ourselves for playing the the stream (Nathaniel), climbing hills (everyone), reading books (Tassy) and napping (Dorothea).






Then to Helmsley for a tasty lunch of fish and chips from the second best fish and chip shop in the country in a deserted and sunny church yard. Everyone was then rather sleepy so we headed back to the campsite and hung out there for the rest of the afternoon. It was hot with very little breeze so we were very thankful for the cool bell tent!










 


Next day, Nathaniel sucessfully negotiated a return to the stream, but actually spent the whole time scooty biking through the heather. I discovered a fine swimming hole (to be returned to when everyone is a bit bigger) and we had a very tasty lunch in a purpose built tent.




Roll on some more good weather!

Thursday 24 May 2012

The park

Its been a beautiful day. Perfect for a trip to the park. We joined the other children for the Very Young Friends of West Bank Park to paint old cardboard boxes and decorate them with flowers (and grass and dead leaves!) before using them as tunnels. Well I did. Thea slept. Nathaniel and his friend J spent the whole time running around and comparing their bikes the way that 18 year olds compare cars; J: "Mine has 'tab-lizers" N: "I don't have little wheels - I've got a big boy's pedal bike. I have two brakes" J: "Can I have a go on your brakes?" Everyone else went home and Thea woke up and watched Nathaniel and I climb trees.
Then we went to the playground and Nathaniel rode his bike:
And Dorothea had her first swing.
I imagine we'll be doing more of that!

Sunday 20 May 2012

More food

Food was so the right decision!
Here is Thea after her first proper meal of slightly stewed apple:
And here is the apple!
There is a surprising amount missing, and it wasn't on the floor! I've never met a baby who gets the injestion thing so quickly! And since then she has been enthusiastically tucking into everything: Steak and potato wedges:
Bread, cheese, cucumber and orange:
Muesli?

Saturday 19 May 2012

Spelling

Nathaniel has two favourite things at the minute, sounding out the letters of words and singing the months of the year song endlessly. So I taught him a new song. He likes it!
For those who haven't heard the months song, here it is:
NB This video was from a while ago. He remembers November now! And the wierd hand movements at the end relate to the You Tube video that we learnt the song from (http://youtu.be/5enDRrWyXaw). At the end of the song all the words file on to the screen to leave a static shot of all the months of the year. He is showing how they glide on!