Nambs, Naptops and New skills....

Once again we've had a beautiful week, weather-wise. We've spent plenty of time outdoors - bouncing on the trampoline and wandering about the village. We've also seen many of our friends and neighbours again this week.

Imogen and Cameron came over on Saturday for a play and a bounce.

Sunday at the Quaker Meeting House we made bird feeders from pine cones, peanut butter and bird seed and did some bird spotting for the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch.

We didn't meet up with the Home Ed group this week - instead we went to visit our friend Nora.
While I was making Ella's tea,she busied herself with cardboard, masking tape and scissors, and made a "naptop" (laptop) for Monkey, so he could send e-mails. It's rather clever and I'll post a picture of it soon.

Yesterday we went for a walk along the Muddy Lane with Joy and Eddie from next door.
The sheep and "nambs" have been moved back to the fields there, so we saw lots of lambs bouncing around the field. On the way back, the farm-hand's wife called us in to see the lambs she is looking after. She currently has 22 "orphans" (for various reasons, their mothers won't or can't feed them) who she's bottle feeding.

The flooring in the hallway is being laid today and tomorrow, so we'll be making ourselves scarce again. The plan is to go into Rugby on the bus tomorrow, but heavy rain is forecast, so we may revise our plan in the morning..

Tom had a big day yesterday - he's learned how to roll over from his back onto his tummy. He doesn't know what to do when he gets there though ! His first tooth is also just breaking the surface of his gum, so Ella had better watch out !

Brussels Sprouts, Bouncing and Birdwatching...

The weather here has been beautiful for the past few days, so we have spent most of our time in the village looking for the signs of spring. Today we got the bus into town to meet our friends Gillian, Imogen and Cameron and get our fruit and veg. We go to "Dave" who has a room at the church hall on a Thursday and Friday. It's quite a social affair - we see the same people each week and Dave makes us a cup of coffee while we get our vegetables. Ella had her own shopping basket today, and chose some rice cakes, a fruit bar, 2 leeks and 3 brussels sprouts. The trampoline has also been back in action this afternoon - Ella has been perfecting her star jumps today. Tom is on good form - he's recently discovered that his feet are attached to his body, so he enjoys waving them in the air when he's lying down and holding on to them when he's sat in the bath.

Monday we went to the library to meet with the home education group. Ella did some "marbling" - making marble effect pictures and book marks. We went to Imogen and Cameron's house for an hour in the afternoon before getting the bus home. We haven't seen much of Joy and Eddie next door, as they have all been hit by a nasty flu-type bug, but we're starting to see more of our other neighbours in the village now as the good weather is bringing people outside. Since our move out of London, the hum and clank of the District Line has been replaced with the sounds of lawn mowers, shot guns and (at this time of year) hunting dogs. The farm along the Muddy Lane has six lambs "on the bottle" so we're hoping to get to see them soon.

Yesterday we went to visit "Junior" and take him some apples.

This weekend is the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch, so we have our spotter sheet ready. We're going to do a bit of spotting in the garden and also make some pinecone bird feeders with peanut butter and bird seed.

Nanna and Bampa fly to Montego Bay on Saturday to start their cruise, so we look forward to seeing the pictures and hearing about the 65-course dinners with the captain. Bon Voyage !

Cup Cakes and Crummy Weather

Nan has been staying with us since last Wednesday, so Ella has been busy painting, drawing, baking and generally mooching about.

Karl went to Miami last Thursday for a Sales meeting, so we did a few video conferences with him when we could. To our annoyance he sat in front of his laptop with a view of a glorious sun-soaked sandy beach behind him while we huddled around the computer with rain lashing the windows.

We had a few days of heavy rain so our river is back.. It's amazing how quickly swans and seagulls arrive when the water appears.

We haven't spent much time outdoors because of the weather but yesterday we spent a little while in the churchyard on the way back from the vegetable van looking for wild snowdrops. We are spotting various nature events for the Nature Detective's Springwatch (http://www.naturescalendar.org.uk/).

We have also been out collecting flowers and leaves to put in Ella's flower press. It's not easy explaining to a spirited 3-year-old that conkers and pebbles don't press too well..

Nan is going home tomorrow so we are getting the bus into Rugby to get our veggies from Organic George and to stay out of the house while the new staircase is fitted.

He's Behind You !!

Firstly, Happy New Year to you all !! We had a relaxed NYE with our neighbours Rod & Joy, while Nanna and Bampa kindly Ella-sat.

As you can see, Bampa fully entered into the Christmas spirit, with a blinding impression of Widow Twanky. Or was it a bag lady from Kazakhstan ?!

Ella had a few teeth out this week, so we've had a pretty quiet one. The extraction was done at the Children's Dentistry Hospital in Birmingham and although the day was pretty traumatic, Ella has made a quick recovery and most importantly, doesn't seem to be at all emotionally troubled by the experience.

Yesterday our friends John and Giulia came to visit. We are very pleased to hear that they are considering relocating from Dublin back to the UK, so it will be lovely for us to have them on our doorstep again.

Ella has developed a worrying obsession with The Wurzels. Her favourite songs are Cider Drinker and I've Got a Brand New Combine Harvester. Here she is in her "cordy roy pants" making a Wurzel Stick with Nanna.

The house improvements are coming along well again, after stalling before Christmas. Karl has been spending time painting and the electrician came yesterday to fit some lights in Ella's room, so we're ready to paint her room now too. So hopefully she'll be in there in a few weeks, and we'll feel slightly less like the Bucket family from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Tom is in good form, despite teething. Will post a picture of him next time...