Happy Birthday Aunty Dawn!

We won't say how old you are! Wishing you the best day ever!
xxxxx

Cotswolds Farm Park

Only the British would brave a cold, windy, muddy day to visit the farm. Well, what other choice do you have when 3/4 of the year is cold, with the other 1/4 being 'not-quite-as-cold-but-probably-wet' ? The drive was longer than we thought and the kids wanted to know at inceasingly regular intervals ' muuum, how long 'til we get there?' Needless to say, they didn't manage to stay awake (it was only 45mins away!)

As soon as we parked up I was all for turning around and going right back home - it was cold! And really muddy! I haven't lived in the country long enough yet to get used to all the mud (and let's not go there about the smell!). You can take the girl out of the city, but you can't take the city out of the girl....
Unfortunately the children wanted to stay and for the sake of peace on Earth, I gave in. We stayed. It actually turned out to be a lot of fun - and did I say cold? Here are some pics of the many fun things we did.....

Looking for the chickens

Feeding the kids

The Sheep maternity Ward

Feeding time at the farm (click to watch)

Tweenies Karaoke!

Here is a short video of the kids singing and dancing their little hearts out!

Ben & Jas' Performance [click to watch]

Ben is serious about it all, keeping an eye on the screen and carefully performing the actions, whereas Jasmine - well, she's being Jasmine!

Mess!

What happens when you both try to sneak a lie-in on a Saturday morning…….!

Out and about

Despite the drizzly, miserable weather, we had to take a trip into town today. First and foremost as I had a doctor’s appointment, but also to escape sheer boredom in the house and visit the library. Firstly the both insisted on bringing a toy with them, so with doll and stuffed aeroplane in arms, off we set….

ooops, camera strap - how did I not notice that!

At the library Ben and Jas lined up all the little chairs and then sat down with their ‘babies’ to listen to ‘Fix-It Duck’, complete with funny voices, sound effects and actions, but this wasn’t enough and they set off to collect all the little chairs to line up in a row and count.

Look at them - so cute and expectant!

'One, two three.....'

Ben then read me a story called ‘Where’s Crocodile’ and Jasmine disappeared. After a few minutes of searching we found her doing some ‘work’ at one of the reference computers.

I am so proud of my boy - look at all those words that he is reading! (and read them he does!)

Jasmine hard at 'work' (actually she's probably crashing the computer at that very minute!)

At the surgery Jasmine insisted on showing Dr. Morris her ‘poorly’, she had gotten a rather nasty scratch on her arm from the corner of our bedside table, and both her and Ben are starting to doubt the healing powers of mummy’s kisses – alas the loss of innocence begins already….

Start them young!

I am a firm believer in starting good habits in children whilst they are still very young - and actually want to do it and are interested! Benjamin and Jasmine even fight eachother over who gets to do the washing up, hoovering, dusting, help with cooking etc. Who am I to stand in the way of such enthusiasm!

However folding the washing doesn't hold the same appeal (can't say I blame them - it's my #1 most hated chore!)

Like my hat?!?!

Wakey, wakey sleepyhead!

Today, deciding to watch Planet Earth, we all cuddled up on Jasmine's Bed and despite my best intentions I fell asleep. About an hour or so later I awoke to find the kids tucked under me at various angles - in fact it took me a few moments to even find Ben as he had dragged his duvet over and buried himself under it and a pillow. Both me and jasmine tried to wake him, but he was really having none of it - as you can see below...

Leave me alone and let me sleep!

Later on that evening, at storytime, we read 'Mr Funny', from the Mr Men series and getting into the spirit of things we all decided to try and pull our funniest faces. Needing no further excuse ben and Jas proceeded to pull the funniest face they possibly could, and even took a picture of my funny face.

I think Jasmine win's hands down, she likes nothing better than to pull faces Here are a few of her best ones.....

Funnily enough I often find pictures on the mobile phone that the kids have taken of eachother and random parts of the house such as the TV, the carpet, the bare wall etc...A lot of the ones of Jasmine are of her pulling a face - she's such a cheeky monkey!