Ode to Pippi's garden

We love Pippi's garden (the kids' paternal grandmother).  It brings to mind those fairytale childhoods where kids roam amongst wildflowers, find secret hidey places and secret passages into other places all on their own whim and for as long as they like.

The first place my two like to go upon arriving at Pippi's (other than her bed if it is late) is the garden.  When he was younger Ben would also strip naked the minute he got out there and start frolicking in the water from the water butt - he no longer strips though thank goodness!  They can wander amongst the large vegetable garden picking whatever berries, fruits or herbs whose path they happen to cross, sneak into next door's garden through the little gap in the fence at the very bottom of the garden behind the wildflowers and play with the boy next door (or he comes through to play with them) amongst other things.  The morning after Ben's party they did just that, and had the added pleasure of picking that day's lunch fresh from the vegetable garden.....I decided that I'd like to actually take some pictures to try and reflect the beauty that is this garden and the pleasure the kids get from it.

picking peas and broadbeans

Shelling them

Ben finds an early blackberry

runner beans

figs

Stargazer Lillies (my favourite flower)

grapes

rhubarb

the harvest for our lunch...potatoes, globe artichokes, rhubarb and the peas and broadbeans

As well as the fruit and veg pictured above, Pippi grows; pumpkins, corn, a variety of squashes and courgettes, various lettuces (which we also had for lunch), various types of onions, garlic, swiss chard, broccoli, carrots, leeks, horseradish, fennel, a couple of types of wild strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries, blackcurrants, peppers, chillies, tomatoes, aubergines, cucumbers, pears, damsons, apples, kiwi, sloe, lovage, mint, rosemary, parsley, thyme, sage, greens, and plenty of other things that I have forgotten. And this does not even count the flowers she grows.  That's a whole other story. I am in awe.      

Pippi made us a delicious salad with the peas, broadbeans, artichokes and some parsley and mint.  I ate a lot of it.  I would have put the recipe on the food blog, but we ate it before I could get a picture.  And really, you just mix them all up together and make a vinaigrette to dress it - so no recipe needed really. 

Ben's 7th Birthday Part 2

PAAAARTYYYYY!

I felt quite guilty that for the last couple of years, I have really gone all out with putting on really fun parties for Jasmine, but not Ben.  There is a good reason for this.  Ben's birthday comes very soon after our tenancies have come to an end so things have been more hectic and money tied up in agreements and contracts/renewals etc.  I have always still tried to make his day really special and fun, and I'm sure he doesn't feel hard done by, but the mummy in me feels like I have short changed him somehow.  Yet this year, not only have we just moved house (again!) all my craft stuff is in the garage somewhere, the house is not ready for a hoarde of 6/7 year olds and being over 6 months pregnant, I haven't got the energy to deal with all the preparation and then the party itself.  So we decided to have his party at Pippi's. 

This is actually the fourth birthday party he has had there and they have all been lots of fun and much less stressy.  However, to add to the fun factor and to relieve the pressure from us parents from having to 'perform' (ie, put on lots of fun activities and games - which surprise, surprise, we actually don't enjoy that much!)  So, I pulled out the big guns and hired a bouncy castle - Ben looooves bouncy castles - see the summer party post pics.  And he had a wonderful time - as did we all.

the youngest guest - just 6 weeks old

taking a sneaky break!

the some of the grandparents

Nick has a cheeky go!

piggy back rides.....

modelling his new jacket

sampling the cake I was too shy to serve during the party.....

.....which I took a picture of anyway :-)

Awww!

I love catching sneaky peaks at the kids when they are cuddled up together.  My heart practically bursts with love for them and I feel so lucky to have two such beautiful, healthy, happy and loving children. 

This was taken the day after Ben's birthday, when we all had a wind down day.  They only finished school a couple of days before and with all the excitement of Ben's birthday, they had been completely on a hype so they were more than happy to spend the day watching TV and relaxing.    Yes, TV. All day.  We were all exhausted. Terrible mother that I am, I napped on and off and left them to it - I think they watched about a gadzillion episodes of Tracy Beaker back to back.  Not one of us even bothered to get dressed, and we ate rubbish - crisps, roasted nut tracker bars and other such yummy delights.  It was a great day :-)

Ben's 7th Birthday Part 1

In the days leading up to his birthday, Ben had a perma-grin on his face and kept saying things like 'I can't believe I'm going to be 7!"  Jasmine was feeling rather left out and kept wishing that her birthday was the same day or the next day, or whatever day she felt was close enough at the given moment.  The night before Ben's birthday she asked me, as I tucked her into bed, if Ben would be 7 as soon as he woke up.......yes of course, I answered.  To which she asked again, "what, straight away?!"

Anyway, the morning came and, unlike normal, Jasmine woke up first and I heard her creep into Ben's room and wake him up saying, "Ben, you're seven, wake up!"  Then they both came barrelling into our room to tell us the news too :-) 

Nick, unfortunately, had to go into work, but I had the rest of the week off, so after a lazy morning, we got out the giraffe decopatch kit we had bought for him as part of his present and we spen the morning cutting, glueing and sticking (Jasmine fgot a little wooden heart to decorate so she didn't feel left out).

The giraffe proved too big for Ben though and he decided he'd like to finish the rest off later.  so I have no picture of his finished product.  However, it is looking very good - even partially decorated - and will go very nicely in his room.  Which is the rest of his present.  We are decorating his room for him (as much as is possible in a rented property anyway) in a safari theme. 

At midday Nick came home and joined us for lunch - which for the kids was American style fluffy pancakes with syrup and some fruit.  Ben managed to eat 4 large ones!  We then went to the park and the kids played and rode their scooters until rain threatened.

I told Ben he could have whatever he wanted for dinner that night, fully expecting him to choose chips (his favourite!), but he surprised me and asked for a roast dinner (also a favourite I might add): roast chicken, stuffing, crispy roast potatoes, gravy, vegetables (though he has decided he no longer liks broccoli, he kindly said I could put some in a separate bowl in case anyone else wanted any!) and yorkshire pudding.  For dessert he asked for apple and rhubarb crumble with custard.  Pics and recipes here and here.

And what a feast it was.  We were all starving by the time I finished this cooking marathon and all ate more than our fair share - but it was delicious and went down a treat :-)

The next morning, Ben asked "am I still seven?"  It's funny that both of them ask this every birthday - it's like they think that because the actual birthday is a one day only affair, that maybe the getting ayear older thing is too.....

The Annual Summer party - 16th July 2010

Every year since moving to Witney we have attended the Audley Summer party.  Not every year have we taken the kids though, as it was a great and much welcom opportunity to have a night out together without having to worry about the kids.

This year though, because I am not drinking and wouldn't be staying as late as Nick anyway, we decided to take Ben and Jas.  And I'm really glad we did.  They had an absolute blast (with Ben boasting at the end of the night on the way back to the car that "I danced with two girls!")

I am also glad they came because I loved to see them run around freely, having fun and ultimately, snuggling with them by the campfire.  Priceless memories.

Nick dressed in a fat suit for 'It's a knockout!'

In case you're wondering, Nick was dressed up for his team of 'rugby players'

joining in with the band :-)

Definitely bedtime I think!