pie26th June posted by hannah
We made Jon an apple pie for Father's day. Unfortunately, because we've been so busy it was four days late, and he had to wait until Thursday for it.
Apple pie is very popular in our house, and Daniel has told me in the past that he would like to eat it every day. This was our conversation after swimming this afternoon, Daniel: 'Mummy, I'm hungry.' Me: 'Would you like a banana?' Daniel: 'No, I think I fancy a little pie.'
new chapter20th June posted by hannah
Mountain days have been in short supply for the past few years. Small people and big walks don't mix well, but we could be on the verge of a new chapter in that respect. This weekend we walked up Stickle Ghyll en famille, right up to the tarn, where Daniel, Boo and Jon celebrated Father's Day with a swim. There were no whinges and Daniel in particular seemed to relish the challenge of getting to the top. Everytime there was an option to climb rather than walk on the path, he took it. We were immensely proud of them both and treated them to chips in the pub on the way home. More photos here.
strawberries18th June posted by hannah
We have been in dispute over the number of strawberry plants we have and the distinct lack of anything else in our vegetable patch. Jon is keen to grow a wider range of fruit and veg - not unreasonably, but I don't think you can ever have too many strawberries. We had 64 strawberry plants at the last count, and for the next few glorious weeks, I plan to eat strawberries for breakfast, lunch and tea. We are already picking a punnet a day and the season is just begun. At tea tonight we each tucked into a huge bowlful, after which Jon uttered the memorable words; 'I never thought I'd say this, but we could do with a few more.'
paddlers13th June posted by hannah
While we were messing about with the boat yesterday Dan and Boo had fun pottering around by the water. They made up some good games, mostly involving collecting stones and plopping them in the lake. This was really absorbing for a while, until it evolved into hurling fistfuls of squelchy bottom-of-the-lake sludge at each other at which point I had to read them the riot act.
she floats!12th June posted by hannah
Today we sailed the Oinky Pig. Bethan has been making us laugh because she's misheard it's name and is insisting on calling it the Wonky Pig. We were fortunate that Ron was on hand down at Fell Foot to show us the the ropes and being a seasoned sailor, he was able to tell us a bit about the boat which was great. It is a Skipper 12, which is apparently good for novices and ideal in deep water - perfect for the lakes. With a head full of nautical terms, and an hour's instruction under his belt, Jon took to the water like a pro. He even had a couple of solo vayages while Bethan, Dan and I watched from the comfort of Rich's new powerboat. More photos here.
the oinky pig9th June posted by hannah
There were eyes-on-stalks across the south lakes last week when a sailing boat appeared on Freecycle. Various emails later and a fair bit of driving, and the Oinky Pig has come home to Windermere. We're looking forward to a summer of Swallows and Amazons adventures with Crosby's and Keekos. Jon is already calling the Oinky his Yacht (it does have a beer cooler), Daniel wants it to be the Oinky Pig Pirate Ship and my Dad says we should rename it 'The Good Grief'.
the big 5 5th June posted by hannah
Daniel is 5. Hard to believe, but true. We took him for a swim to celebrate and he wore his new football pyjamas all day. Despite receiving some lovely gifts (including an uber-light, boy-sized Thermarest mat which Jon has been drooling over for months), he declared that his favourite present was the plastic tut from the cover of a Power Ranger's magazine, which arrived today by pure coincidence from Grandpa. I have consoled myself with the fact that at least, it is a proper toy and we've passed the stage where the most interesting present is the box.
free range children 2nd June posted by hannah
Daniel has had a fabulous holiday on the river. His imagination has been fired in a way that I have never seen. The experience of being let loose for three days of largely unsupervised island exploration, dinosaur bone hunting and ant catching have been fabulous for him. We have brought home a different child to the one we took on holiday. He is sparkling with life! This is a complete contrast to the boy I picked up from school on Friday afternoon who was pale faced and hollow eyed. I know all the theory about the benefits of tree climbing and den building, but I've witnessed it for myself this week and I am more convinced than ever that these experiences are far more beneficial than learning phonics, or how to count in tens, especially for our 4-year old.
the river tay1st June posted by hannah
Having camped at Aberfeldy, today we made our way down to Grantully. The weather was glorious and floating along with the sun on my back I was reminded of happy days punting down the Cam with my Dad. However, towards Grantully the river does get a little more lively and there were times when it was more like riding the old Calamity Canyon at Chessington World of Adventures but with less control and significantly more water in the boat. More photos here.
