He pulled out a Plum

Saturday 15th September

Toes taste sooooo good

Daddy took the boys to the beach today. They were given some body boards last weekend and have been desperate to try them out unfortunately the logistics of two boys in the sea with body boards plus a baby were an impossibility, fortunately the weekend weather was agreeable to daddy taking them out for the day. We had thought of making it a family outing but decided that the house needed some attention so I stayed behind with Plum to catch up on some chores and sort through the clothing situation. I got almost nothing done!

Plum decided that today she would not let me out her down and I have (temporarily) mislaid the sling. 

Pumpkin continues to nap on and off in the afternoon, especially after a hard day at the beach but unlike Bean, this means he is up late too. I remember Bean sleeping in the afternoon regularly until he was 4 and then at least 2 times a week until he was almost 5 but he still went to bed around 7/30. It interests me how two or three or more children can come from the same genetic pool and yet be so different. Bean definitely sleeps more like me and Pumpkin more like daddy! Plum just has her own thing going on entirely!

Down by the Station

Monday 17th September

The train set makes a reappearance! And it's quite epic. Bean and Pumpkin worked long and hard together on this design and then spent most of the time racing cars around the road section. Sometimes I don't understand or make sense of what or why they choose to do things but am trusting that it is a natural part of the development process.

Checking out the coming conkers

The first time we have known Plum to be under-the-weather. She spent 6 hours crying and generally being unsettled and finally came out in a temperature. Her brothers were both very good as I spent all this time nursing and rocking and walking and cuddling her and they really didn't get a look in except when I put her in the sling to make dinner, she was most unhappy the whole time and it was generally a very upsetting and sad afternoon.

I want to ride it where I like

Tuesday 18th September

Bean playing Policeman and directing the traffic

Riding up and down the humps (or pushing up and riding down the humps in Pumpkin's case)

Pumpkin stops to look at these seed cases every time we pass this way.
We collected a pod today and sprinkled some in the garden.

A trip to the library always stimulates a little more reading than usual.
Pirates and super heroes have been an ongoing theme for over a year now.

Chocolate cake, pineapple and ice cream chosen and made by Pumpkin for dessert tonight.
Bean made the green parcel pie that he choose from watching I Can Cook last week.

A lot of painting occurred today on and off, mostly on the conservatory floor.
Bean is painting a picture of some sculptures.

Happiness

An after dinner game of Snakes and Ladders

Pumpkin built this train track.
He doesn't often have the space, time and inclination all at the same time
but Bean took some alone time and Pumpkin built this.

Summer Sun

A monumentally busy day in which we built a train track and negotiated who would use the one buffer that we have; experimented with lowering toys from the top bunk to the floor using a piece of elastic and then held a (pretend) bbq in the bedroom for the toys; visited friends and read books and rode on wheeled toys in the garden; hunted for bugs in our garden using our bug hunters kit, catching grasshoppers and drawing them, also finding spiders, ants, ladybirds, caterpillars and other unidentifable bugs; we pretended it was the height of summer and played 'beaches' in the garden.

Other highlights included:

Pumpkin helped to prepare both lunch and dinner today.

Bean asked if we could make 'green parcels' (a recipe from I can cook) so we looked it up and put the ingredients on to the shopping order. He later wanted to know how to make pasta, so we looked that up too and are planning on making our own next week.

Pumpkin has been asking if #** and ^** rhyme all day.

And Plum has had very little sleep again but I did enjoy our cuddle in bed this morning very much :)

What a difference a day makes

Not many photos of today's adventures.

A trip to Little Builders to meet friends and create our own version of the prescriptive craft ideas, followed by a last minute get together in Horsham Park including lunch.

Bean had had a particularly difficult day yesterday, mostly fuelled by tiredness, I think but he is looking a bit pink around the eyes and Plum has a streaming cold so maybe a little under the weather too. He spent most of the time that we were at home being very angry for one reason or another and this manifest itself in hurting his brother (in various ways) and throwing any nearby object at people. Quite challenging.

24 hours later he is a different boy. We've had a laughter and fun day all the way up until bedtime :) He played a beautiful game with Plum this evening as he noticed her pushing the kitchen stool around the floor so he sat opposite her and pushed it back. All three smalls then made a band Bean on air guitar, Pumpkin on drums and Plum singing. It was great to watch.

Plum's food exploration is going well and tonight she tested out corn on the cob. She is now able to demolish a banana quite happily and most fruits and vegetables as long as they are ripe/ lightly cooked. 

I want to ride my bike

Wednesday 12th September

Bean opted for a trip to Tilgate Park today. We haven't been there for almost a year but he still remembered it as the place we have been to with cousin B. We spent a happy time in the play area. Bean challenged himself to the top of the crows nest and along many of the benches and bridges but was happy to watch Pumpkin whizz repeatedly down the curly slide. He did climb the steps and platforms several times with the intention of having a go and there was lots of encouragement from his brother waiting at the bottom but he didn't make it this time. He did brave the basket swing though and even stood up in it.

The main attraction for opting for Tilgate Park today was that they could ride their bikes again. We took quite the uphill walk to get from the play area to the Nature Centre. We arrived just in time to help feed the pigs and her new piglets and enjoyed taking a lot of photos of Australian animals (mostly birds.) Although things have been quiet on the Australian front Bean insisted I took photos of them for his book. This project has been going on and off now since the Spring and I am loving that home ed allows us to do that. 

Bean and Pumpkin spent some time in the maze together and we followed our noses down paths previously untrod to pop out of the park directly opposite the car (well done us!)

Da da da

Monday 10th September

I had no intention of staying at the play area today after gymnastics but Pumpkin had other ideas. In fact it turned out to be a really good idea. The boys had the whole sand pit to themselves and Plum feel asleep so I sat and had some time to myself (have to grab it when and where I can.) 

There was lots of working together in their play. Shovelling and transporting sand and getting the round about to work constantly by taking in turns to jump of and push or jump on and add wait to the process. Really enjoying watching the boys playing together.