Hectic

Gymnastics day and bean, 10, asked if we could go to Tilgate Park afterwards, so we did. They collected sticks and played pirate ships on a fallen tree trunk. Bean, pumpkin, 8, and plum, 5, played on the large twirly slide together. Pippin, 3, enjoyed the rope swing, swings and smaller slide.

That was topped and tailed with watching Plum watching Elf, bean continuing The Matrix 2 with daddy, bean making a daily calender for himself using coloured paper, a hole punch, the paper slicer, and string. Plum drawing pictures and making cards. Pumpkin organising a nerf war for us all to play and pippin co tinuing to enjoy colouring, play dough and baths with her anna doll and repunzel barbie.

We had a quiet relaxed day at the beginning of the week, now i have overwhelmed with requests to play or help or for food. Sometimes it's quiet, sometimes it's just plain hectic.

Questions, questions, questions.

Bean, 10, is on a crafing role. Today he began his day by makin a snowglobe for Plum. After alt of years of harbouring and collecting crafting items, they are now being used. Bean was notinterested in making using paint or glue when he was younger but recently asked if we could have a desigated crafting table.

Pumpkin, 8, was in a question asking mood. Do fish close their eyes when they sleep? What is nitroglycerin? What doyou call itwhen the moon is moretan half amoon but not a fullmoon?

Plum, 5, played doll's house and dollies with pippin, 3.

In the afternoon our friends came to play. A, J, H and their mummy. The big four played upstairs making traps and hideouts and playing roblox and sims4. H, plum and pippin played play dough pizza making and ice cream sets they also played momentarily in the garden with the small world.
We took themall to the park. Bean took the boomerang and they played a real life version of a roblox game similar to winking murder. This continued when we got home.

Saturday, daddy took all four smalls to bedgebury pinetum and meet FA#3 with cousins C and H. They had a good day exploring and climbing and doing a gruffalo trail. We watched Men In Black in the evening together.

It takes two

It turns out that we needed two days to recover and regroup after bean's, 10, weekend away. Tuesday was a designated Home Day. Bean spent a lot of time lying on the sofa, watching Bakukan and playing on his tablet. He also put on Harry Potter. Pumpkin, 8, sat with him for most of the time. Plum, 5, and Pippin, 2, played role play games all day. The made a picnic in the conservatory, played cooking, mummy and daddy, schools, dogs. And bean, Plum and Pippin had baths in the evening.

Wednesday we attempted to go to the library. We took the bikes and scooters. It was an unsuccesful trip and we didn't make it. We were out for an hour and a half and travelled probably five minutes away. About a third of the time was spent sitting on a green area. Fortunately the weather was beautiful and i had packed drinks and snacks. As soon as we got home everyone was composed and had decided on a movie to watch together, scoobydoo, we ate food and snuggled.

Pippin had a long afternoon nap, plum watched on her tablet and played doll's house in her room. I took the girls to the play park around the corner when Pippin woke up and then made more food whilst the smalls all set up dens for a nerf war. We played for about half an hour. Plum and Pippin played in the garden, tying their feet together with a fabric belt and laughing hysterically.

Bean downloaded a fun fair world on minecraft and bean and pumpkin played together whilst watching the Simpsons.

Bank Holiday

Saturday

Bean, 10, and dad headed off to Roothill Christian camp for three days. Pumpkin, 8, planned our day of roblox and cake making. Plum, 5, chose to make the chocolate cake with white butter icng and the she and Pippin, 2, decorated it with chocolate chips. Plum placed hers in a perfect ring on the edge of the cake.
Pumpkin and I played roblox. We played Natural Disasters, Zombie Rush and cake baking.

Sunday

I took Pumpkin, Plum and Pippin to church. They all went to Sunday School without me, things have changed and i now attended the adult bit. Situations changing all the time. We came home and had soup and then we cut Pumpkin's hair. He last had it cut April 2016, 13 months ago.
This was followed by everyone making giant chocolate chip cookies together ready to take to the play park, except it rained a lot so we stayed home instead.
We also watched a hedgehog in our garden today, weeding the herb garden and making a nest in the store.

Monday

Pumpkin up and dressed himself, even though i hadn't asked him and we had no plans to be out and i usually have to dress him. We made a spontaneous trip to the play park for an hour and took the cookies we had made yesterday. The smalls pushed 3ach other on the swings and the roundabout and played hide and seek together.
Back home Pippin slept long, Plum got out her horses and combed their hair, Pumpkin put on The Simpsons to watch.
Then we went to collect Bean and daddy, had a picnic tea and played on all the equipment. I was completely stumped when a child asked me why my children don't go to school. Pumpkin stepped in and told him how we like to be together and you don't get to see your family much if you go to school and everyone tells you what to do all.the.time and that is boring.
We headed home and all collapsed on the sofa/bed.

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.

Let the sunshine

Thursday is gymnastics day for Bean, 9, and Plum, 5. The smalls spent the morning playing. Plum and Pippin, 2, played a mummy and baby game which largely involved Pippin sitting in the laundry basket and being pushed around by Plum. Bean and Pumpkin, 8, played Doughnut games, Terreria and minecraft together. Bean also worked on a growing lego creation.

Daddy made it to gymnastics today in his lunch break. Bean was doing forward somersaults into the pit and jumps off the spring board. Plum was doing piroettes and then jumping into the pit.

Back home the big three played the role play pirate game again and then we took our bikes to the park for a couple of hours. Plum's chain came off her bike so we fixed that when we got home.

The big three then played the Prison Game together (based on The Escapist) until food was ready and then Plum put on The Mr Men dvd being inspired by finding a Mr Men book at the park.

Both boys took a bath, Pippin, Plum and Bean all had stories before bed.

Joy in our heart

Things that make my heart happy:

Bean, 9, asking how to spell things and reading every sign and advert and leaflet we pass. And getting excited about things we have planned or are planning, setting up a game with his siblings and playing together for hours, wanting to tell me about the things he is watching and sharing things that he finds funny and making us laugh, plans to make a bigger origami display for the next showcase event.

Pumpkin, 8, swinging his arm as he runs, finding giant sticks that he has ideas to whittle so it looks like Gandalf's staff, helping his brother up out of the stream, being excited at the Butcher's and choosing something to eat, riding the roundabout with his siblings and letting Pippin push him on the swing.

Plum, 5, making friends with a dog and being so pleased with herself, playing IT with Bean and Pippin, forward rolls at hyperspeed across our bed, playing hide and seek toys with Pippin, waiting up for me before she goes to bed, holding hands as she falls asleep.

Pippin, 2, singing twinkle twinkle as we drive in the car, swinging and swinging and swinging at the park trying to make it go by herself, throwing a ball to the dog and eventually getting out of the buggy and loving the dog, reciting We're going on a Besr Hunt, running to the window to wave at our neighbour in the morning.

Our day was a mixture of Cartoon Network, minecraft, Terreria, a trip to the Butcher's, over an hour at the play park, walking Archie for two hours in the woods, playing The Battle of the Pirates role playing game, hide and seek toys, watching The Pink Panther cartoon, Gobblet, buying Harry Potter collectors stickers and chocolate ice cream.

Day Eight

On the eighth day of chicken pox, we went out, hurray. I took Plum, 5, and Pippin, 2, to the little play park near our house. We were out for an hour and they were exhausted! We played on everything at almost hyperspeed and then we did it all again. We had a extra long go on the swings when an inquisitive cat arrived and was loitering for a stroke. We played hide and seek and then one more go on everything before heading home.

Bean, 9, and Pumpkin, 8, opted to stay home and played lego together. When we got home from the park all the smalls went into the garden. Plum had plans to eat lunch out there. She got the playdough out, Bean got out the bug hunting kit and he and Pumpkin set to finding insects, Pippin had the bubbles out.

After lunch, grandma and pops came to visit. Plum showed them her new bedroom and Bean finished off the natural coaster he was making them so that they could take it home with them. Grandma played online games with Plum and Pops played with Pippin.

Once they had left Pippin promptly fell asleep on the sofa and Plum lay on the sofa watching on her tablet. The boys were watching Cartoon Network.

We watched We're Going on a Bear Hunt and Scooby Doo movies in the evening. Pippin, Plum and Bean had stories with daddy before bed.

Come a long way

A day without the car usually enforces a well needed At Home Day however the sun was shining and Bean, Plum and Pippin were keen to go the play park around the corner. Pumpkin was persuaded with the idea of playing PokemonGo and simultaneously not wanting to stay at home on his own.

It had been Pumpkin's, 7, idea to bake biscuits in the morning to take with us to the play park. Plum, 4, and Pippin, 2, rolled and cut the dough with me. Pumpkin spent the morning watching Dan TDM (trying not to laugh) and You've been Framed amongst other things.

Bean, 9, has been playing a lot of minecraft again. He found and downloaded an app to record his game play on PE and then spent most of the morning recording in his bedroom.

Plum, 4, played doll's house and babies and watched on her tablet on her bed.

We went to the play park for an hour or so. We swung on the swings, span fast on the roundabout, raced down the slides, rode the see saw, played hide and seek, and played hide Peppa pig, and ate biscuits. Pippin fell asleep on the way home with Bean and Plum singing made up lullabies to her.

When we were home Bean went and watched on his tablet in his bed, Pippin watched on the computer and Plum sat on the sofa with headphones on. I sat in the reltive quiet and drank tea, uninterrupted.

I was reminded today how things have changed for us as a family, how the passing of time, children growing older and me not being pregnant and feeling a little more rested and having more time (because i'm not breast feeding every few hours day and night) allows us to manage things differently and more satisfactorily. The passing of time has also enabled us to see that all the worrying we did about qhether we were doing the right thing and were the boys doing enough was wasted. They are fine, happy, engaged, motivated, enquisitive, all the things we would hope them to be.

Three in One

 Saturday, Sunday and Monday

• A trip to the Capitol Theatre to watch Charlie and Lola (a birthday present for Bean) Bean sat on daddy's lap and laughed and laughed. Pumpkin sat in between daddy and mummy and put his head on his knees when the ogre came and covered his ears, he out right refused to have a cuddle or sit on anyone's lap.
  
• Daddy was busy in the afternoon clearing the old fence panels from our garden so we took a trip to the local park. They were probably a little too tired for this, as was I but Bean enjoyed sunbathing and Pumpkin took to the swings as always. Plum slept.

 

• A trip to church on Sunday morning where some new friends joined us. I went up to Sunday school with the boys taking Plum with me. For some reason Pumpkin was being very clingy this morning so I thought it best, also SGG was taking the group and had an obviously sore throat plus the addition of our friends,the arrangement worked out well all round.  Followed by the BBQ and then thanksgiving service for Gerald. The boys largely enjoyed the freedom to play with their church friends.
  
• A nap for me when we got home and then back to church for the evening service with Plum.
  
• Bean requested the photo above so he could rebuild the next day as it had to be put away over night.

• And lastly the request of hot chocolate on returning from our Monday outings to Little Verse and Gymnastics. The first sunny and warm day we've had in two months , Bean took his t-shirt off at the park. We also had time to play in the park and met with new mum H and baby F.
  
• Secretly wishing Plum would sleep just a few hours more at night but also knowing that it won't last forever. 

Through the Looking Glass

Pumpkin's bed consists of two mattresses (one longer, one shorter - it is an extendible bed) two sheets, one towel, two waterproof squares, one duvet, one pillow. In the past week this collection of material has been used to build a camp, a beach, a mountain, a house, a shop and a castle. To the untrained eye they all look much the same but to the boys they are all very different. Today's effort was a castle and also included two bean bags.

We have a very busy week this week and so today we ditched our normal Tuesday routine and headed into town. A few weeks ago my glasses fell apart and today I had an opticians appointment to test my eyes and buy some new ones. I had warned them that I would be bringing three smalls with me and they were amazing. Bean choose to sit outside the room and draw, Pumpkin choose to come in with me and Plum very dutifully slept for the whole appointment. The optician explained everything to Pumpkin, answered all his questions and even let him press a few buttons to move me up and down in the chair. They calmly let the boys try on different glasses and play with the mirrors. It was generally a really positive experience except for the man who wanted the boys to show him how they could 'sit nicely' which I found slightly amusing after my post yesterday. 
We had totally the opposite experience in Argos. Totally unhelpful and unwilling to accommodate my request at all.

This was followed by a library trip, mainly so I could feed Plum and the boys routed through more books, we read about five and they played on the computer. It amazes me how confident and able Pumpkin has become in just the last few weeks. And as it was dry and warm enough for us we picniced in the nearby play area.

We had to go and buy Grandma a birthday present and then we went to Horsham Museum to look in the art gallery. As Bean and Pumpkin have been churning out art work recently I thought it would be nice for them to see how artists display their collections. Pumpkin was a bit tired by this point and mostly moaned but Bean loved it. The display was a photography one taken by a professional pilot whilst in flight, so various views from above, sky lines, sun rises/sets and cloud formations. Bean was really interested in what each of the photos was called and was very articulate about the ones he liked and why.

This morning Bean had asked how do we make jam tarts so we ended our day by making some...actually we ended our day by eating some, yum, yum.