Away to the Sea

Well the sun may have disappeared as we travelled and the cloud descended, but our little day trip to North Wales was smashing all the same. In a way, the greyness set off the colours and textures of Llanddudno so well. The seafront is ever so elegant; lovely Georgian terraced hotels painted in subtle shades of cream, white and grey.

We wandered along the pier, me taking photos and the boys spending pocket money on toys and trinkets. The pier is truly beautiful. Everything from the bleached planks, wrought iron railings and the wooden huts filled with paintings, stained glass and tea shops were just perfect.

Afterwards we took a little boat trip around the bay and admired the view of brooding Snowdonia rising above the town. The wind was a bit keen though so we abandoned our plans for a beachy afternoon and headed a little up the coast to one of my most favourite places.

If you gave me a toothbrush I think I could actually move into Conwy Castle. Every time I visit I get tingles up my spine. Medieval history is something I find completely fascinating, ever since I became obsessed with Robin of Sherwood (classic 80s tv!) as a child. 

Conwy is a fabulous place, what one of my uni history friends calls "a climby castle" and I know exactly what she means. There are turret stairs you simply have to climb, wall walks, rooms inside the walls and great towers where you can still see enormous fireplaces where our ancestors warmed themselves, maybe alongside their king.

There are great reconstruction drawings around the site that do such a great job putting the ruins all back together for you, and a kids trail that our boys really enjoyed. We climbed the highest towers that are pretty scary but reward you with stupendous views across the bay, the walled town and the mountains. 

Back home my university books are out again and I'll be lost in medieval England for a while. Back soon :)

Summer Ritual

Our beautiful long summer stretches on. There's been a little overnight rain but mostly days have moved gently on, bathing us in sunshine, calm days and peaceful nights. It's a Bank Holiday in England today, our last until Christmas, and it's been what I can only describe as a belter!

We headed into the hills to sit with an ice cream and watch the dragonflies and housemartins dive across a beautiful pond. It was too hot to do anything else and a hot Bank Holiday is such a rare thing that it just must be savoured and every minute soaked up.

Yesterday was what we around these parts call "proper puthery". Overcast but warm as anything with the air full of thrips and gnats. And it was a day that called for blackberrying.

I've got this mad urge on me to get ready for winter during these last few weeks of balmy weather. We're having fences fixed, a new kitchen fitted (yippee!) and every cupboard in the house has been turned out. Our recycling pile is so high we're car booting to sell soon - a real novelty for us to be honest.

So after a morning turfing out broken toys and jigsaws with bits missing, my boys and me strolled over the fields to see what berry treasure we could find.

Blimey its a bountiful year for blackberries. In the pony field we walk through past the local pub, there are mounds and mounds of them, I've never seen anything like it. We were good and only took those we could reach from the path. The blackbirds, thrushes, field mice and insects must be having a banquet.

We walked on, along the tree line a field back from the canal and watched the new tank engine pull the train down the valley. This maize field is a new feature, it's too hilly for many crops around here so it was quite exciting for us to see this huge crop rolling across the fields. Pheasants and long tailed tits ran ahead of us all along the footpath.  (If any of you know Alton Towers, it's a couple of miles over that ridge on the horizon.)

Down on the canal side just typically all the best berries seemed to be on the far side of the hedge but isn't that always the way? My two helpers were so careful and luckily we don't get too badly scratched or nettled and we left lots for the wildlife too. There are tons yet to ripen as well.

As we reached the road again there was a jazz band entertaining the crowd at the pub and we treated ourselves to a well deserved ice lolly from the station café and listened a while.

It was the most perfect afternoon. My boys and me and a couple of hours of wandering and aimless chatter. Whenever I see a blackberry I will think of our special afternoon and smile.xxx

Decade



Our boy is ten! I've no idea where on earth the last decade has disappeared to if I'm honest. Somewhere along the way I'm sure we must have skipped a year or two.

He's growing into such a caring, gentle chap with a great sense of humour, smashing company and is fascinated by all manner of things (lots of computer games admittedly at the moment!) Ten seems such an enormous landmark and I'm struggling a little when I think of how much of his childhood is already behind him.

 

So to help me, and hopefully him, remember what fun he's had I put together a photo collage of his first ten years and he seems pretty pleased with it. It's a lovely reminder of places and adventures we've had since that day a bundle of dark hair and the softest skin came into our world.

Thursday was the big day and he'd asked for a cinema treat, his best friend for company and a party tea. He's not the greatest eater and not really a cake fan although lemon drizzle and jam tarts go down a treat. So hence this slightly odd birthday cake but he loved it and I loved making it for him even more.

I loved dressing the house and table too. Colourful bunting, curly straws, balloon cups and windmills. This could well be the last party tea for him I'm allowed to indulge his childhood.

Happy Birthday B. Hope the next decade is just as much fun xxx

P.S. Thanks for all the lovely kind wishes for my brother-in-law. He's doing ok, still one step forward then two steps back but he'll get there. Thank you xx

London Calling

We're all off to the Big Smoke on Saturday. Can you guess where I might be visiting?
Calling in on Cath maybe?

Having a saunter around some fabulous exhibitions? Perhaps the Quilts at the V&A or the Food Front at the Imperial War Museum?

Joining the throng at the Spring Fair?

Nope - all that has to wait until another day because we'll be off to see Dinosaurs Unleashed in Oxford Street?! The mind boggles! Excitment levels are enormously high at No 25 let me tell you.

Thankfully there've been a few distractions though (because if I'm honest there are only just about so many dinosaurs I can take!); including cosy visits to see a teeny baby and his tired mummy and daddy.

 

Discovering little heart-warming moments at home, when you very least expect them.

And some last minute panicking to put together a spring garden for the Spring Fair. Not bad for 6.45pm the night beforehand - phew! Am I the only last minute mummy about?

Fingers crossed we'll make it to London in one piece and in time - just for once!

Bounty

Well the weather might be rubbish again but our little allotment is bringing a huge amount of colour and sunshine into our house in the form of baskets and baskets of deliciousness.

Now I must own up and confess that I can't really take credit for all these lovely crops, whoever had the plot before us planted row upon row of raspberry canes which are now a sort of raspberry jungle, although an incredibly pretty and tasty jungle at that. And we can't move for strawberries either, they just keep coming! The freezer is already full to the gunnels with frozen berries so looks like we'll be handing some around the relatives and neighbours too.

These though really are all my own work - radishes, broccoli and broad beans. Never grown broad beans before but they're ridiculously easy and now are a firm favourite in our house, even with my adorable but very cautious no.1 son who to be honest baulks at pretty much anything that isn't a boiled egg & toast.

This is truly the biggest miracle of our allotment because this summer B has troughed his way through the soft fruit, broad beans are declared yummy when yanked straight off the plant as soon as we reach our plot and apparently he just can't wait to try our courgettes and the giant pumpkin!

Phew - the relief is immense let me tell you. Being the only person in our house who really is addicted to food is a bit weird. Woody is truly a food is fuel sort of chap and despite best efforts our little chaps haven't yet fallen in love with grub to be honest.

Food has definitely been my biggest challenge as a mum, which having breastfed both our boys past a year old, is a hard thing to accept. When I was pregnant I watched every morsel that went into my mouth and while I was feeding to give them a great start in life - only to see my eldest become a borderline food refuser from 2! Horrid but hopefully nearly conquered

(free roses planted on our allotment long before us)

Things are definitely getting better and we manage a pretty good variety of things over the week. There's not a lot of junk (unless you count fish fingers and spaghetti hoops!) and I'm lucky that they do seem to enjoy fruit, veg and especially eggs but we struggle to get more than minced beef (spag bol, chilli, shepherd's pie - are there any more versions?!) and the odd bit of tuna past them.

I hate the idea of mealtimes becoming traumatic so there's a definite softly, softly catchy monkey policy at work. A combination of things got us into this situation, lots of scary gagging when we weaned the boys that made me a bit over cautious with the pureeing, having to go back to work part time and with a 1 1/2 hour journey home I often wasn't back for tea, plus some bad experiences of mealtimes on Woody's part in days gone by.

Together though we've made loads of effort and employed coaxing and a bit of bribery and now most evenings we all eat together, more or less eating the same thing and mealtimes are usually the fun, happy times I remember from my childhood.

I want our kitchen table to be the real heart of our home and we're getting there. I read an article in The Times today about how to parent teenagers (a phase I'm already dreading) and a lot of the tips centred on sharing meals and conversation at tea time. Will they really be eating me out of house and home one day? We'll see. Better make sure we keep it stocked up with broad beans I think!

Jolly holly

I absolutely love holly. Every year from when I can remember dad has disappeared into the night with a big bag and visited a friend's woodland to bring in the holly. Some years the thrushes got there before him and we had about one berry in the whole house. I managed to resist ransacking the hedgerows for these, but they do look very tempting, 1-0 to the thrushes there quite rightly. I was very chuffed to see these amazing branches at the nursery in mum and dad's village where we bought our Christmas tree. There was tons and I've filled lots of jugs and even managed one for my lovely new bedroom table that I'm putting the finishing touches to, I'll pop up some photos of soon. It looks so jolly and although I have got a poinsettia I like the holly best of all.

The weather here on Saturday was completely foul so the idyllic, family, Christmas tree trip, taking an age to choose exactly the right one, stopping in the cafe for cake etc was pretty much cut short. Luckily the nursery had rigged up some shelter and we could choose the tree without getting completely drenched but it was so cold, poor A wasn't in a happy mood. We quickly chose an old fashioned spruce which I know will drop a lot of needles but it smells absolutely fantastic, reminds me of all my Christmases as a little girl. Its up and absolutely swamped with decorations. Usually we have a 6 footer but with A being rather small and very curious, this year's is a four footer on a table, just out of reach. I did try to hold some decorations back, thinking that less is more but I couldn't bear to and there was no stopping B's flow!

Just like almost every other person in the land I can feel the cry of, "why aren't there enough hours in the day!" beginning to ring in my ears. This is my last week at work before Christmas and the diary is filling up with things to do, including some festive treats -

*** office meal out tomorrow evening
*** Woody's 40th, friend for coffee and dinner out for the birthday boy Wednesday
*** Last day at work and tons of stuff to finish off on Friday
*** Farmer's market with Lucy and collect toy chest from cousin's on Saturday

Decorations to finish, baking to do, school Christmas service, food shopping to get in, carols in a cave (brilliant believe me!) ... and I love it all!

I went on the school trip on Friday with B and although it was a very long way away for 3, 4 and 5 year olds on a coach, we did enjoy it and it was all very festive. It was basically a woodland walk with nursery tale tableaux and a winter village complete with elf workshop, Father Christmas and even snow! I'd been a bit dubious but it wasn't too commercial, once you'd paid all the rides were free and it was just right for the children's age group. I remember going to the grotto in the big department store when I was little and being absolutely mesmerised. Looking at it all through the little one's eyes I saw a glimpse of how Christmas used to feel a long time. Magic!

Early start tomorrow as I'm collecting my friend Lucy ahead of our office do and the forecast is for a thick frost and a sparkling morning. Christmas is definitely coming!

The 1st of Many

(Too early for pictures mummy!)

A day early but I just know I'll be a bit too whacked tomorrow to get a chance to post. Tomorrow is the first big day in our little one's life, Archie will be 1 in the morning. On the one hand it feels like two minutes since I got a rather rude awakening at 2am, two weeks before I'd been expecting it, and on the other I can't remember what the world was like before he arrived.

(A day old and looking a bit perplexed!

Like his big brother he's a total joy and his beaming face is the highlight of my day.We're off to the farm at Chatsworth tomorrow with our friend Helen and her little ones, before a birthday treat of a teeny chocolate cake and some Quavers (?!). We'll be having a bit of a family gathering on Sunday (more cake - hurrah!) so tomorrow is the outing day and the forecast is great.

Its been birthday-tastic here recently, Barney was 4 two weeks ago and no sooner has the bunting come down than its going up again.

(Barney and the Sparklers - ignore the messy kitchen!)

So happy birthdays to my lovely birthday boys. Enjoy your day tomorrow littlest man. xx

Birthdays, Bikes and Blogging

Four years ago this little bundle of black hair and beautiful blue eyes appeared in our lives, Now a blonde, funny and adorable little boy, Barney had a brilliant birthday in Wednesday. He's thrilled with his bike and workbench, complete with working toy drill from Grandma and Grandad, and is busily setting about unscrewing all the fixtures and fittings in the house! Happy Birthday Bodger!



Had a lovely family birthday tea after a great day at the Ashover Show. No cattle, sheep, goats or pigs because of the F&M outbreak but it was a gorgeous show, really traditional and held in mown fields surrounded by hedges and oak trees. Lovely weather and plenty of huge tractors to keep the boys entertained. I got half and hour to wander around the marquees and spent most of it in the Home Produce tent drooling over the cakes and jams. I love the fruit and veg competitions, longest bean, biggest onion, best set of tomatoes and all that. Aren't these eggs just lovely! The cut flower section was pretty impressive too, there are always beautiful dahlias at these shows. Must put them on the garden-to-be-list (I like the old fashioned pom-pom varieties). I just love Agricultural Shows and would go to one very weekend if I could. Its so lovely to discover a new show that not been commercialised or gone too corporate and still felt like a real celebration of the countryside.