Four in a Row

We started this week with a trip to town, visited the library and Bean, 9, ordered some Pokemon books, we searched for a gift for Grandma's birthday and the smalls were all great and finding items that matched the criteria (Pumpkin, 8, found an exact match), we bought a few party supplies for Bean's up and coming birthday party, had our feet measured (eek! Pippin had gone up three and half sizes), bought Pippin a pair of crocks, searched for polysterene balls and came home all in two and half hours. We were stopped by market researchers to ask if we'd like to test a juice drink product in exchange for cash. Bean, being motivated by money, said yes so we are booked in on Saturday.

Tuesday we met friends at Nyman's woods. I have never been into the wood area before and we all loved it. We had a small hic cup leavig as Bean is/was very tired and refused to go. Not a situation that i handled well but i apologised when we arrived and things were instantly better. He was then the one who wanted to stay and play longer than the others. We met with one family and the children made a bridge by pulling fallen tree trunks to one space and laying them out together to form a walkway across the stream. The climbed rocky slopes and caves and sand banks and tree roots and paddled in the water. Bean and i sang 'when the road is rough and steep' on the way back up the rocky hill and dicussed what it means to keep our eyes on Jesus.

We had a home day on Wednesday. Pumpkin and i played a lot of Terreria and roblox together. The big three played roblox together a over an hour. There was lots of drawing going on and playing dollies. I had a phonecall to say my great uncle had passed away and they couldn't get hold of my parents (who were away for a few days) and could i go and sit with my aunt. I spent a long time trying everyone i knew to try and find someone to have the smalls but no one was available. My mum returned my call late afternoon. In the meantime, Pippin and i had dusted and hoovered the living room and Bean, Plum and Pippin had drawn and coloured a mountain of Pokeballs and Pikachu in preparation for Bean's party.

Thursday we were up early, the same time as those on the school run, we were off to Drusilla's with an organised HE trip and daddy came too. Dispite having to wake all the children up they did really well and we had a great day out, as always. Bean is still insistant that we follow the planned and mapped zoo route, plum is a little more keen to go off piste and do the things she loves only. Penguins are still a firm favourite with Bean and we discussed doing the special feed an animal or zoo keeper for a day. Pumpkin especially liked the owls and the new giant anteater which eats 30,000 ants a day (who counted them?) We played for hours in the play areas, indoors and out, rode the safari train (Thomas has been moved on) and rode endlessly on the hello kitty cars with Pippin whilst the other rode the tea cups and then the cars. Lastly, they strupped down and played in the water area, it was about 8°C today. We bought twisted slush puppies for the journey home.

That's no moon

Friday became our second enforced day at home with mummy's bad back.

Bean, 9, and Pumpkin, 8, and i watched Satr Wars 4, Plum, 5, watched Youtube and played in the garden and with the kitchen set.

Bean has taken over the morning feed of the animals this week and fed and watered them every day, often without reminder too.

Plum and Pippin and mummy painted their nails together and braided two plaits in Plum's hair.

Saturday we took a familt trip to plant flowers on nana and grandad's grave. Bean and Plum made a wreath together from willow and plants and flowers from the hedgrow and field.
We spent the day at FA#3 and mostly played in the garden with cousin C and H.

Sunday was church day, our friends renewed their marriage vows and mutual friends came to celebrate too. Plum and daddy took archie for a walk in the afternoon. Pumpkin played the head/ body/leg/feet drawing game with me and bean and pumpkin and i played mastermind together for a while. We watched the original Charlie and the chocolate factory together in the evening.

My Favourite Things

Hours of play with Pippin, 2, in the morning as the big three slept long. We drew pictures and face painted and watched Winnie the Pooh as we buttered toast together and played Charlie and Lola Snakes and Ladders.

The Big Three woke up several hours later. Plum, 5, spent most of the day lying on the bed or sofa and watching on her tablet. This was interspersed with playing in the garden and playing with the kitchen set with Pippin. They picked the tulips and Pumpkin put them in a vase for us.

Pumpkin, 8, played Roblox and we tried to load The Amazing Frog but there is an issue that, dispite my best efforts and following all the suggestions, we cannot access the game. He has also been helpful as i hurt my back and suggested that i think about something else instead of the pain so we sang Raindrops on Roses.

Bean, 9, dictated the Fifth chapter of his minecraft story to me which was trickier than the previous four as it involved a flashback and he wasn't sure how to make sure the reader knew that it was a flashback. We got there in the end. He also made me a flower vase from lego.

That snail is fast

Sometimes our days are slow and steady, some days are all go. Today we all busy, all day.

Plum, 5, was up 3 hours earlier than normal as she had a birthday party to attend today. So at 6am this morning we were making cards and wrapping presents because we didn't want to forget to do it.

Bean, 9, has been building mechanisms with lego and elastic bands and turning them and timing them and ading more elastic bands and working out which combination of elastic bands and number of turns gives him a mechanism that turns the slowest and how long this takes. This led to us trying to make our own kitchen timer with a kit we had but we were stumped by not having a soldering tool. We have since sourced two that we could borrow but for now he moved onto his electronics kit and mostly tried things out with the magnet and reed switch today.

Meanwhile, Pumpkin, 8, got out a range of pots and pans and spoons and created a junk drum kit. Plum, 5, joined in and Pippin, 2, too. He made some music, deliberate, repeatitious, purposeful music. Plum tried out all the different sounds that she could make and we watched some Stomp clips on YouTube together.

Plum and Pippin played on the see saw and washed plates and cups in the garden and played on hoppers.

After lunch, which today was ice cream, we went and met friends and played in the church garden. I took a picnic with us too. Bean took his remote control monster truck which worked well on the paved car park area. Pumpkin took hulabaloo which everyone enjoyed. They played It and Stuck in the Mud, hide and seek, and Grandma's footsteps. Pippin played catch with Bea and then Bean and Pumpkin went to our friend's house whilst i took Plum and Pippin to V's party.

We played searching for dinosaurs and on the swing and the trampoline mostly before party tea and birthday cake. Then we collected the boys who had had an amazing time and thanks to our friends we managed a win:win for the afternoon and avoided a sticky situation.

Quick stir fry cooked by daddy to celebrate our 14th Wedding Anniversary and then off out to friends for the evening.

Welly boots

Bean, 9, Plum, 5, and Pippin, 2, filled welly boots with stones and compost today and planted violets in them. We did six pairs altogether and then potted the remainder of the plants in one large pot. We put the large pot and four pairs of boots out the front of the house and Plum placed the other two on the back door step.

Pumpkin, 8, watched YouTube and played Roblox.

Bean and I read an Usbourne puzzle book that we got from the library and then we went to the park across the road. Plum and Pippin rode their bikes and Bean took his remote control truck with him. Mostly they played with the truck but there was a little swinging and going on the round a bout.

Plum and Pippin played in the garden on the see saw and Plum went woodlouse hunting, she collected three but found lots more.

Pumpkin played haulabaloo in the evening and told me all about mosquitos.

And Pippin drew pictures and pictures and pictures.

Daddy's home

For Bean, 9, he's had a walking Archie (the dog), watching films (Star Wars, War of the Worlds, The Italian Job, Madagascar 3) bbq at friends, trampolining, easter egg hunting, Sims4, Roblox playing, four day weekend.

Pumpkin, 8, has had a Roblox extraveganza, minecraft card gaming, project ideas, rediscovering our hoppers, bbq at friends, easter egg hunting, trampolining, bank holiday weekend.

Plum, 5, has been helping daddy replace fence panels and clear some of the garden, she has swept the patio and washed chairs inbetween playing picnics and chalk drawing, there was the bbq at friend's house, trampolining, swinging, climbing, easter egg hunting, going to the park with daddy, loving daddy weekend.

Pumpkin, 2, has coloured and drawn and chalked, washed furniture and helped daddy load the car for the tip, wearing Topsy hair, watching Toy Story 2 cuddled on the sofa, book reading, easter egg hunting, bbq at friends, trampoling, going to the park with daddy, weekend.

We had a fire in the pit and all the children toasted marshmallows with daddy.

All by myself

The Sims4. Six plus hours of playing the Sims4. Bean, 9, predominantly with Pumpkin, 8, looking on and advising or contributing ideas.

Pumpkin also squeezed in a few goes on Roblox and had an hour to himself to play in the evening.

Plum, 5, and Pippin, 2, played with the farm set and playmobile together. Plum tidied her bedside shelf whilst Pippin played with the bears. Plum and i also made chocolate cupcakes together and did some puzzles whilst sat in the garden. Pippin read The Little Princess to herself "no, i want to do it by myself" (that is the repeated phrase in the book that she read to herself)

Daddy made a den with them all in the living room in the evening following a roarcus game of hiding and chasing throughout the house and garden.

Indoors and Outdoors

Monday
A whole day of cleaning down, sanding and painting the wood items in the garden, the pickett fence, the children's picnic bench and the loveseat. It also involved three baths for the girls and a mega hair wash but we completed the experience with using the hairdryer and spraying detangler in and the result was salon looking hair!

Bean, 9, and Pumpkin, 8, have finally got their computer back in working order so a day of roblox and playing on the wii ensued alongside lego. Bean did come and have a go at ysing the electric sander for a while too.

Tuesday
We took a trip to do Pond Dipping at Pulborough Brooks, i think it's the third or fourth year in a row we have done it. Pumpkin especially loves it. Bean, Plum, 5, and Pippin, 2, all had a dip. They loved finding the creatures in the water and Bean and Pumpkin were finding out what things were by using the identification sheet.

We ate our picnic in the playarea in the sunshine and then tree climbing in the surrounding woods. Plum amd Pippin bought an ice cream each in the shop, Bean bought a bee pin badge and Pumpkin bought a swallowtail butterfly badge.

Pumpkin played roblox back at home, bean watched the loud house with Plum and Pippin had a long nap. Bean and i played Poker together whilst Pippin drew pictures and we downloaded Sims4 for Pumpkin.

One boy and his dog

Archie, the dog, came to play for three hours on Friday. We took him over to the green to play ball for half an hour. We took turns to throw the ball using the flinging stick and had competitions to see who could get it the furthest. Then we took him home where we played with his soft toy and finally settled down to cuddle on the sofa.

Plum and I made biscuits in the shape of flowers and decorated them with petals and a bee, she counted and made exactly two each for our trip out tomorrow. I then made choclate chip cookies for everyone else.

Saturday was a mummy and daughter day for Plum, 5, and I. We drove to FA#3 house and played with cousins C and H until it was time to go see My First Ballet:Cinderella. We all loved it. Plum is already planning our next ballet outing. We then went back to FA#3 house for more play and pizza and climbing piles of woodchips which led to a shared bath and hairwash too.

Sunday Bean, 9, and Pumpkin, 8, stayed at home for Church as Bean is full of cold. We bbq'd our sausages and garlic bread for lunch and spent the afternoon sitting in the garden. Bean got out his remote control monster truck and Plum played with our neighnour across the fence. Pumpkin was playing on his tablet and Pippin slept.

I took Bean, Pumpkin, Plum and our neighbour to t@4 at church for the story of the cruxifixion and an egg hunt. We then came home and i spent time loading the boys games onto our newly refurbished computer. Daddy then lit the firepit and the smalls all toasted marshmallows into the evening.  Pumpkin ser himself down to play roblox now that the computer was all set to go.

The Puzzler

Pippin, 2, is diving into puzzles. We did the floor puzzle again repeatedly today and found the insert puzzles which were received well. She also spent a long time colouring whilst Bean, 9, and Plum, 5, were in gymnastics. We read and looked at a lot of books together together and watched Topsy and Tim and Bing.

Plum, 5, enjoyed her gymnastics class today although as it was the last of term they played games together and she said she prefered the classes to playing games. We played in the garden in the afternoon, penalty shot out and shut the box. We played Charlie and Lola snakes and Ladders this morning too and have definitely covered ordinal numbers, 1:1 counting and written numerals today. We then made a den behind the sofa and she played with Bean and Pippin and Pumpkin in it.

Pumpkin, 8, organised running races whilst we were at gymnastics today. The big three raced each other many times. He gave Plum a head start and he and Bean played at tying on races by matching their running and placing their first foot across the line in exactly the same place. He played on the wii with Bean when they got home and watched Fairly Odd Parents in the evening.

Bean watched Hugo today for the second time. He has plans to make his birthday invitations and began by taking a picture of himself and placing Pokemon all over it using an app that he has.

Seemlessly

An At Home Day today, much needed although we did end up popping out to collect the car which included a trip to the shop for apple supplies.

Bean, 9, has been a whirlwind of activity. He began with making a projector using a tutorial he had seen on YouTube. He needed a little help with the craft knife but it was a really simple idea. The image came out upside down and he fiddled with it on and off all day until he had worked out how to get it to project the correct way up.

I had made moonsand for Plum, 5, and her friend J who was coming to play. Bean immediately began construction on The Great Wall of China and a whole heap of questions ensued about who built the wall and why and can you climb over it.

Bean showed me a riddle he had heard on The ANT Farm about Antoni and Cleopatra and Ceaser, we worked it out together and then Bean was asking questions about who they were so we pulled the Egyptian book off the shelf and looked them up.

Next we searched for the Usbourne book on castles as Bean wanted to build a castle in minecraft. This was followed by 5 card draw which Pumpkin, 8, joined in and we used pennies to bet with.

I played Top Trumps (superheroes) and Plop Trumps with Pumpkin and we tried to all hook up via multiplayer on Terreria and Minecraft but for some reason we couldn't.

Our friends A and J came to play. Plum and J played together for hours, Pippin, 2, joined in too. They played moonsand and in the rabbit hutch and then doll's house and Grosseries.

Pippin put on Peppa Pig and we watched The Angry Birds movie. Pippin got a giant floor puzzle out and we put it together and then took it apart more than a few times.

It was an unexpectedly active day.

An apple a day

Monday: Gaston Farm
Our annual trip to the lambing was met with mixed results. Bean, 9, Absolutely loved it, mostly the animal handling, we even discussed getting our own chicken eggs to incubate and hatch. Pumpkin, 8, and Plum, 5, enjoyed the trip and liked stroking the animals, Pumpkin did hold the chicks and ducklings and walking across the board through the sheep shed. Pippin, 2, was terrified of all the animals and clung to me like a limpit saying 'scared scared' all day. We did all enjoy the tractor ride and the play park. Bean tried an apple and liked it. He ate two more in the evening.

We were squeezed into a corsa today as our viano is at the garage again, this time replacing a coroded water tank. The good Lord must have known that i'd need a tiny car for our trip to Guildford.

Tuesday: Airhop
We went to Airhop today with friend T only to find that the group booking we were attending had been cancelled two weeks ago because it's the school holidays in Surrey. It was 11am and they had room for us at 1pm. Plum had already declared this to be the most exciting day because she has never been to Airhop before so we booked in for later. We drove to Stoke Park but ended up playing on the large grass areas in the Spectrum. Bean was most upset that our plans had changed, coupled with us having been out everyday for four days and it being a while since breakfast, he got exceedingly angry with Pumpkin over a toy they had in the car. There was no reasoning with him and it led to Pumpkin being really upset too. Bean wanted to go home, we cuddled lots. On the way back to Airhop Pumpkin apologised to Bean which prompted Bean to apologise too and then they worked out who could have the toy.
Plum bounced with T's mum for the hour and i sat in the cafe with Pippin being visited by the others for drink breaks. The boys enjoyed the dodge ball and doing tricks in the main area, jumping up onto the wall. An excellent time was had by all.
Exhausted back home everyone sat and watched their own thing, Fungus the Bogeyman was on again and Bean asked to learn how to play Poker which we did.

Apple eating also continued.

What do you see?

I wonder what people see when they look at our family? The first thing most people comment on is the number of children that we have or that they don't have the patience to be with their children all the time. There are lots of things different in our family from most but day to day we don't notice because this is our norm and this is how we roll.

Thursday was gymnastics day. Friday we took a repeat trip to Legomania primarily to see how the big build was progressing. On our previous visit it was only boxes of bricks, this time the scale model was visible and a large proportion if the big build.

Bean, 9, has watched The Deathly Hallows part 1 and 2, Pumpkin, 8, continues to plough through ballisticsquid on youtube. Plum, 5, and Pippin, 2, have been chalking hopscotch on the patio and playing on the slide in the garden. We have eaten breakfast lunch and dinner outside over the past week, played with the rabbits indoors, bean has made a stop frame animation, plum made a mucky mixture, pippin has coloured and sung and sung and coloured.

Saturday we took Archie the dog for a walk in the woods and he came back to our house for the first time. Plum is reading 'Brown Bear, Brown Bear' to me every night, bean is reading the chronicles of narnia with daddy, and Pippin is doing voices for her toys now.