Watching the days go by.....

This week, Phoebe's Russian Godmother visited from France and we had proper tea!
And we took our friends to the garden centre.

We went to the library
My little Jackson Pollacks
We went to Energizers
And to Blenheim Palace
And tried not to get too carried away!

A short poem:
I eat my peas with honey
I have done all my life
It makes the peas taste funny
But it keeps them on the knife

Anon.

The things your children learn from you!

My ability to clean while wearing pyjamas and heels has always been a source of great pride. And I am pleased to see this particular skill has been passed on to one of my children.
Sadly, it may have been the wrong one!





Then again, in years to come his housemates may thank me!

Zoo visit in the snow!

Although the snow is starting to melt, much of Oxfordshire still looks like this:-


However, despite this we headed off to the zoo....























At the end of the day

Sickness, cabin fever, and invention potential!

I have sick children today!

Actually, I have one sick child, and one healthy, happy full-of-beans child. But sadly, no Daddy or Grandma to sit with one while I take the other one to nursery this morning. So, predictably, he is bored to tears and so antagonises his sister.

And the garden still looks like this:-


On the bright side, Phoebe made a lovely Peanut Butter, Banana, Chocolate cake for the Greek Orthodox (yes, we're Russian Orthodox, but we like to help out!)Food Fair on Saturday.


The cats are very funny in the snow. They do this thing which is called either prinking, or stotting, I'm not sure which. But it's when they jump around with all four legs straight.
My advice for when you're feeling low is; watch black (and white) cats prinking in the snow!
Very funny!


So, having had to wash lots of bed linen last night, my idea is (drum roll) disposable sheets! Waddaya think? We could make them out of cornstarch and bamboo like Mother Nature nappies. Then when kiddies throw up all over them, roll them up, chuck them away, lay out another one!
Anyway, if the disposable sheets earn me my first million, the first thing I'll get are these babies

Merrell Spirit High Boots! I love them, but I know that the day I buy them, the snow will disappear and it will suddenly become unseasonably warm!

No business like snow business!

This is the path we normally take to school.

We bowl along on the bike. Guy on the front, Phoebe on the back, Mummy huffing and puffing in the middle doing the pedaling.
We like to say hello to the horses as we pass. And on the way home we sometimes stop and feed them any carrot sticks or apple slices left over from Phoebe's lunch box.
But not today!
This is our street.
Even I am not hardy enough to go out cycling in the snow.
Small amounts of snow, yes. But snow none the less.
Apologies for our snowman's crooked teeth - a bit of British dentistry for you!

The games people play!

So, this is the game I (Guy) and my friend Maria play after we're good and excited by having an hour of Energizers (toddler gym) and a snack to boost blood sugar levels.

You start by each standing on one of the drains in the ladies showers.
Then run towards each other, laughing hysterically, find the other drain and jump on that one.
Anyone not standing on a drain can then be chased.
And run off, giggling, and hide behind the shower curtain!
What makes this game particularly fun, is that the showers are operated by a movement sensor which is above our heads, but means that if either of the mummy's come in after us, they get wet. Which makes us laugh even more!

Lady Marmalade!

We don't have many traditions in my family, but February marmalade making is one of them!

You start by scrubbing juicing and slicing your Seville oranges.
You put it all in your jam pans with some water.

You leave it bubbling away for a couple of hours....

It helps if you have reliable adults to help with the child care!


Don't forget to feed children at some point!

Have enough saucers available for endless testing....

You sterilize your jars in the oven.

And enjoy the fruit of your labour!

Repeat year after year after year!