I miss my babies!!!

As it is half term, benjamin and Jasmine have been packed off to Leicester to stay with my aunt Dawn. I was really looking forward to having this break, as it has been a long time since me and Nick had any time to ourselves - since we lived in Leicester in fact. Sadly my family is no longer just around the corner, so 'time off' has become a rarity these days. I guess I'm just spoiled. Not everyone has so much family around willing to take the children off their hands now and again.

Anyway, since we've lived in Witney the kids have been with us and only us, so it was with a mixture of anticipation at having time to myself, and sadness at not having them nearby that I gave my children up for the half term. I miss them so much - sure I'm enjoying not having to arbitrate fights every 10 mins and I'm enjoying all the simming I've been doing, but the truth is I don't really know what to do with myself! Last night I went to bed around midnight and I took the mobile phone to bed with me so that I could look at all the pictures of them and I felt actual pangs :-( Meanwhile, they are having lots of fun at Beacon Hill and Bradgate Park. My mum is visiting her family in Leicester too so she has spent some time with them aswell, taking them to MacDonalds and to visit her sister. To cheer me up Dawn sent me this picture....

Foxbury Farm: 1, Sainsbury's: Nil

Today we decided to go to a farm Shop that i'd heard lots about in the nearby village of Brize Norton (famous for it's RAF airbase, which is responsible for the often quite noisy planes and fighter jets that sometimes fly overhead near our house). Not sure if we were supposed to stop and take pictures of the base, but as the kids were so fascinated to see an aeroplane up close (well close-ish anyway), I decided to take the risk. If this post disappears then it's probably because I have been politely asked to take it down, so check it out whilst you still can!

Anyway, off we went on what was a really glorious sunny day. As it is currently lambing season, we got to see some really cute and tiny new born lambs - they were sooo cute! Unfortunately the mummy sheep were making less of a baaa sound and more of a rude belching explosion that startled and alarmed the kids (and myself I must admit!) We also got to visit Mickey the donkey and the pigs and chickens, and we bought some yummy sausages and bacon and lamb, as well as some lovely fresh produce. The biggest surprise of the day? we saw Ruby Wax looking for tomato sauce! And as I was far too shy to ask for a picture or autograph, you'll have to make do with this picture I found on the net...

The kids really enjoyed being outside in the sunshine, meeting the animals and especially eating all the carrots from the lady who was doing cookware demonstrations in the shop. So all in all, I'd say that it definately beat a day being bumped and bashed, fighting my way through Sainsbury's with the kids in tow. Though we still did have to stop by for some things that unfortunately are not available in lovely Farm Shops.

Aaahhh! How cute!

Jasmine helps mummy weigh the potatoes

Farmer Ben

I think we have a footballer in the making...Pity women's football doesn't pay anywhere near as much as men's....

Nick meets mickey

Our local park - a lifesaver!

Thank God for our local park. Not being initiated into the wonderful world of driving yet, being able to step outside your door and have somewhere to entertain the kids for a couple of hours whilst also meeting new peopl is a real Godsend. Even better, Ben and Jasmine are local celebrities! All the kids want to play with them, and they more than enjoy their elevated status.

They love going down the slide like this - with one as the 'bridge'

Look at my boy all grown up on the big swing!

Playing 'tag'

Harry looks on

Today we had the extra treat of having my friend Claire and her son Harry over and they joined us at the park for some energy release. Harry isn't as adventurous as Ben and Jasmine yet - he looked on timidly as they bolted around the park and on the apparatus. I'm sure he'll soon pluck up the courage to join in the fun, then there'll be no stopping him!

Ahhh!

Botswana, Nick's on his way....

Nick is going on Safari. Yes, that's right he is going to Botswana on a 'fam trip' courtesy of our company. 'Fam trips' or 'educationals' as they are otherwise known, are a perk of the travel industry. They are a way of getting employees to experience the 'product'. In our case we work for a luxury tour operator, so when your name comes up you are sent off on a trip of a lifetime all expenses paid so that you can experience the kind of holidays/tours we sell. Luck devil that he is, Nick is going on a 5 night Safari through Botswana that includes early morning and night-time game walks and treks, light aircraft transfers to and from each lodge, and accommodation that is described as 'Opulent. Amongst the world's most unashamedly luxurious accommodation'. Not forgetting the wildlife....lions, pink hippos, zebras, egrets, elephants, giraffes, rare wild dogs... I am more than a little jealous! My time will come though, and I am hoping for the far east, e.g Japan, or the South Pacific. Here's hoping eh?!?

Here's a link to amazing pics of one of the lodges that Nick will be staying at and a few pics to whet the appetite!...

Tailor Made The Jao Concession - Jao Camp Audley

Pancake Day!

Yum!

Minster Lovell to Crawley and back. An epic journey....

I chose todays walk. It looked easy enough on paper, and sounded really beautiful. Well beautiful it certainly was, but easy it definately wasn't. It probably wasn't a good sign that we couldn't tell where we were supposed to start from - the map was really confusing and even asking a couple out walking with their children didn't help much. But we managed to figure it out and off we went. It was quite windy and although not cold, there was a bit of a chill with the wind, and as Jasmine started complaining, Nick let her get on his shoulders, but this was a baaad idea. Heended up carrying her almost the entire walk, and when he wasn't, she cried and she sobbed! Ben on the other hand was my little soldier. He practically ran the whole time, and even after almost 1 1/2 of walking accross fields and meadows, up hills and along hedgerows, he still exclaimed 'wow, a big open field let's run around!' as we entered a rather beautiful copse.
The view during this walk more than made up for the muddy, and sometimes waterlogged, fields. The countryside was all rolling hills, sheep grazing lazily in meadows and chocolate box cottages - on the rare occasion we spotted one that is. Unfortunately only I had wellies (Ben and Jas had left theirs at school and Nick doesn't have any - although we have to remedy that quickly if we want to continue on these walks before summer) so Nick's trainers kept coming off as they stuck fast in the mud and I don't think we can salvage Ben's shoes. Jasmine just cried more the more the muddier it got and refused to be put down anymore. So Nick carried her and his jumper ended up smeared with mud - and I wouldn't want to know what else! - from her boots ! Anyway, we followed these printed instructions and seemed to be making good way, that is until we realised that about a half hour prior, we had taken a wrong turn and were now on the wrong side of the river Windrush, with no way accross. The only way forwards was through a dark forest (the day was fast fading by this time). So off we set and entered the forest through the kissing gate (with the obligatory kiss of course!). I like kissing gates - the kids love them too. We make a big show of taking it in turns to pass through and kiss the next one in line, and we must have gone through 10 or more on this walk alone. Right, where was I? Oh, yeah, we went into the woods and suddenly all was still and quiet in an eerie, but rather peaceful way. We could smell the strong scent of pine and the silence was only broken by the odd burst of birds taking flight....and us as we decided to break into yet another rendition of 'we're going on a bear hunt'...all in the name of rallying the troops. We'd been walking some pretty rough terrain for almost two hours by this point and I was beginning to think we were well and truly lost. Then, salvation! I saw a path snaking off to the right and decided to see if it would lead to a way across the river and out of the woods. It was starting to get darker and I must admit I was a little worried. Luckily the path took us across the river on a very narrow, muddy bridge and through another, even muddier and more waterlogged Kissing Gate than ever before. But there they were - the ruins of Minster Lovell Hall that signalled the last leg of our Journey. Unfortunately this last meadow was ankle deep in water and marshes. Nevertheless, we made it through, then on through the ruins and back through the gorgeous hamlet that is Minster Lovell. Unfortunately I counldn't take many pictures of this great journey as the camera batteries died before we even left Minster Lovell! But I am determined to do it all again in the summer when I'm sure it will be even more beautiful....
Meanwhile Ben, Nick and Jasmine's shoes are still in the garage waiting to be salvaged....

Growing up fast

I have been really amazed of late just how much the kids have grown and developed - Ben is reading lots of everyday words and even some more unusual ones such as 'aubergine', and his writing and drawing are also very advanced for his 4 yrs. Jasmine is starting to recognise her letters and is attempting to write more than before. They are both excellent at riding their scooters, and are getting really good at riding their bikes (with stabilisers of course!) But one of the things that has amazed me the most is the way they have begun to play together. I have heard it said that children don't really learn to play together until they are 3yrs and upwards. Before this time they often play side by side and can appear to be playing the same game, but in reality will actuallly be lost in their own individual play. Well all that has certainly changed in our house. I guess it had to wait until Jasmine was ready too, and she definately is now. Both of them have such vivid imaginations and they make up endless games that entertain them for hours sometimes - although admittedly they still have the odd argument, but that's siblings for you! One sunday they watched Powerangers on the telly and then spent the rest of the afternoon whizzing around the living room pretending to save the world and eachother! Another favourite is 'mum's and kids' or 'mum's and pets'!!! This is where Jasmine plays the mummy, and then either Ben is the pet dog and the dolls are the babies, or Ben is the baby. This gets a little confusing when he cries for 'mummy' and I answer. I am then met with an exasperated 'not you mummy, Jasmine mummy'! Sunday morning whilst me and Nick were trying to have a sneaky lie-in, Ben wanted to put his stereo on to listen to his songs, but he couldn't plug it in because the plug (purposefully) is behind Jasmine's headboard. Between the two of them, they moved the toyboxes from the foot of Jasmine's bed and pulled the bed away from the wall - I could see them from my bed and it really warmed my heart to see them interacting like that and working together to achieve something. Needless to say I stepped in at the last minute to stop them from getting to the plug.

Also, today on the park they were playing on the slide which has a kind of turret at the top. As it was rather damp Jasmine was having difficulty climbing up the slide - she prefers to climb the slide rather than the cargo net at the back. So Ben waited at the top of the slide and when she got close he hauled her up to the top. This then became a game with Ben hauling Jasmine upwards and then both of them slipping down the slide - Jasmine backwards and Ben face first laughing all the way, even when they bumped heads at the bottom! It was so cute to watch :-)