The sun has got his hat on!

Wow, what a week it has been!

The sun has shone its little socks off and we have made the most of it!

As chicken pox still lingered, biggest's family tea party, became the non-event of the century, so I had a quick re-think and we went for a family picnic with my folks, the only ones willing to mix with us 'unclean' people!

Do you know...it was absolutely perfect...good food...good company and teddies too!

This is the birthday boy who was nine yesterday....he is just about to munch a raspberry trifle cupcake (from 'Cake Days' Humming Bakery recipe book) which disappeared very quickly.... I would highly recommend them!

I have to say that picnic food is just about my favourite thing.....

After eating until we were full to the gunnels, we stretched our legs.

(I would like it to be noted, that even the biggest boy of them all had a stick to sword fight with.)

Sunday was another glorious afternoon so we took the dogs for a walk while the tide was right out.

The boys had a whale of a time getting wet and beachy.

I saw these beautiful swans (there were 17 in total) all serenely sitting in the shallows with their faces in the sunshine (can a bird have a face?)

(check out Chester's ears, he looks like hes about to take off!)

The dogs bombed about, meeting other walkers and doggy friends......the boys collected shells....as I've already said, we were all truly spoilt.

The week has been a busy one as biggest's birthday celebrations seem to have continued (rather like the queen)  we have the last birthday 'event' on Saturday night, with bowling and food all round for a handful of boys and girls....I do hope they won't actually be a handful though!

Biggest and littlest are still spot-free and I am hoping they will remain so until Saturday night is done....fingers crossed........

Hope you are having a lovely week....and enjoying the sun too!



Friday fun!

I can't believe the school hols are nearly at an end and sorry to say it, autumn is just around the corner.  The boys and I have been out with a few of our friends today for a teddy bear's picnic in the woods.  It rained heavily, there was mud-a-plenty and much fun was had by all.  It was my boys' idea of paradise as they waded through streams, slid down banks, splashed in puddles and landed in mud.  After enjoying a proper picnic sitting on wet logs, we were well and truly caught by a heavy downpour so play was called off.  We've been to the same woods before (although it has to be said, in better weather previously) and it always strikes me that times like these, with good friends are what life should be like.....simple, inexpensive, adventurous and ..........muddy(?)

This morning while nosing around a few other's blogs, I saw a brilliant idea which has had me thinking a lot today.  Over on squiggly rainbow she has had the inspired idea of a bunting swap, which I think is huuugely exciting and have immediately signed up.  Can you imagine getting bits of bunting from all over the world to make your own bespoke bunting?  As ever hubby was not 'getting' it.............but hey-ho, I am loving it!

A few days ago the very lovely Liz at yarnberry passed on the Versatile Blogger award to me, which I was really pleased about.  What a lovely surprise from someone who has such a lovely blog themselves, check out the beautiful new shawl she has just finshed today, it is absolutely gorgeous.  Thankyou very much Liz!

Anyway, with this award (as you all will already know) comes the dubious task of having to tell you all,seven things about myself......so.......hhhmmmm..........let me think.................

1. I am teaching myself to play the Uilleann pipes (Irish bagpipes, think Riverdance (also think ghastly sound when played by me!))
2. I have a Blue Peter badge for being in a book that they published many centuries ago.
3. I love sparkly things.
4. I am a little scared of birds/bats/moths actually anything that flaps and could get caught in my hair (now that makes me sound like I have massive hair!!)
5. I love christmas.......infact, I have even started dreaming about it already.
6. I would love to go on Come Dine With Me.
7. I like wearing stripes.
8. I love icecream.
9. I have the worst memory in the world.
10. I am a total foody!

Well, the last part of the giving of an award is to pass it on......in previous times the award has been passed on to 15 other bloggers, but to be honest this would be a major task, as soooo many of the clever bloggers I like to read have already been given this.  So I am going to pass this on to one other new blogger, who started blogging around the same time as me.  I pass the award on to Louise from Tea at Weasel's whos blog I am loving reading, lots of crocheting, sewing, colour....its all there and somehow this amazing lady manages to do this on top of looking after her brood of lovely boys.........I take my hat off to you Louise!

Well, that just about finshes off my post for today, apart from to say how excited I am to have started a new crochet project which is just as exciting in these early stages as I hoped it would be!  Pictures to follow on my Year of Projects post on sunday.