Tuesday, 27 September 2011

guerilla gardening



The small people and myself have spent the afternoon flower-bombing our street on a small scale - guerrilla gardening.  We've adopted the rowan tree outside our house and prettified it with lavender, heathers, violas and some spring bulbs - fritillarias, white tulips and narcissi - all chosen by Emeline and Joseph.  The squids had fabulous fun - digging is one of their favourite activities in any case.  Can't wait for the spring time to see them in bloom and I think Emmy and Joseph will get a lovely surprise -  Emmy looks so proud of her work! - she was such a smasher helping me.  We had a particularly tricky giant thistle to dig out.  Emmy had "something in her head" to help me.  I guess she meant a thought.  She often has "a good idea" - and they are nearly always corkers.  Highly developed problem solving skills for a 3 year old.


Spending the afternoon outside on the street was a really nice experience, chatting to lots of people and bumping into people who live locally, which I suppose is the whole point.  Lately I've really valued being part of the community, from the apple pressing day at Highbury Park (wet, but both fun and useful) to making a cake for the playgroup fundraiser this week.


**update 16/10/11** 


slightly less in love with my community now I've realised that my nice hand-trowel was pinched while I was wrangling the kids in and out of the house and dragging bags of compost outside.  Toerags.

Saturday, 10 September 2011

Our september holiday

We are back from our very wet and windy holiday to Brean Sands, we thought we were very clever going the first week back to school, but actually the weather was dreadful and everything was shut.  We still had a lovely time though!  We are getting quite accomplished at seeking out indoor entertainment for two small people who are full of beans and passed a pleasurable hour or two at the monkey gym at the holiday park

A gale force wind along the beach at Burnham




Drawing pictures in the sand on our deserted beach


I think the gull may have seen Joseph coming.....


Finding a picnic spot atop a cliff at Weston Woods with an amazing view over the sands and bay.  Needless to say we all risked life and limb getting there.


Sheltering from the rain inside the fortress at Weston Super Mare's playground.  Quite simply the best council playground I have ever seen in my life.


In the ice-cream parlour at the end of the pier at Weston-Super-Mare.



On our last evening of holiday, after we had scoffed down our baked potatoes for tea, we finally ventured down to the beach at Brean.   We were rewarded for our efforts with a low tide that went out for miles and an incredible sunset over the sea.  I've never seen so many tiny intact shells on a beach, Emmy had a lot of fun finding all the pink butterfly ones where the two parts of the shell are still joined together.  I've got a craft project or two in mind for all our treasures that we have brought home.





And last, but not least, we had a day out today at Vanfest in Malvern.  I wish I could show  you lots of amazing VW show-vans, but I forgot to take any pictures.  

Anyway, we lost Joseph for a few minutes and found him driving this van.