Monday 29 July 2013

More of Sunday

YEsterday ended up a rather full on and productive day! No idea how, DH was off doing a carving course so we were rather low on adult- child ratios.
We have watched a sciencey programme on iplayer ( I forget the name, but Dara O'Brien was hosting). Some of it was ignored, talked over or screamed through, but we did discuss how rain has usually been frozen before it falls and were interested in how blue food colouring could help highlight taste buds (some people have more than others, did you know that?). So we gave it a go. Not sure how many taste buds we saw but blue food colouring doesn't taste that great....
Physical contact. I was surprised at this one. Grumpy Flower wanted to calm down in 'her' sling, its been something she's really found helpful for calming down big strops where she'd normally run away from us all. Slight problem, Rainbow was asleep in it, on me. Princess steps in, offers her back and another sling, and hey presto, much calmer Flower. The power of the Sling is just fab (and amazingly patient Big Sister!).

Yesterday had a fair bit of unphotographed baking (sourdough loaves, raisin loaf, pizzas) but the raisin buns did get in shot. The girls really enjoy eating currant teacakes. But, like everything, bought ones have all kind of additives in. So, we have a freezer drawer full now, and I don't mind so much if Rainbow has some of these. I'm still a bit wary of the huge amounts of wheat we all could eat so easily (and the girls actively get us to buy) but homemade at least we're more aware of what goes into what we eat.

Rainbow asleep. He's so busy these days, and normally asleep on my back (major sling strop fail for back carry meant he went on my front!) and I don't often get a shot of all his lovely curls :-)
We also fit in watching ALL of the first Harry Potter film. Hagrid even uses a pouch sling right at the beginning, I had no idea slings were so mainstream! Princess struggles with any kind of mild peril, so it was a real achievement to get through the whole film (we read the book last week and struggled with scariness, but a bit of forwarning helped a little).
Playing out, playing in (though that happened more at Sue and Kevs I think!), rain, sunshine, a little bit of everything.
Anyway, we don't have days like this everyday, so when they do happen I like to have a note of it!

Sunday 28 July 2013

best job in the world.

watching Rainbow grow ( and being distracted by my phone,) but sitting on the stairs makes it harder for him to get all the way up before shouting for someone to play peekaboo.
Not impossible though.
Sunshine and showers, green things and rocks. a hug at the ready. What else could you need?!

a post from my phone

Ive not tried this before  so lets see how it goes.
This mornings quick harvest, gooseberries and salad. The boy got the raspberries and strawberries today!
Yesterdays harvest, Princess helped.I went for the gooseberries but got sidetracked...


 We've been out and about, this was Greenhead Park.
 


This was down the garden one day after work.Tea outside is a must on work days - we often head to the park. A great antidote to a day in the dark, and then when we have been getting home its been another hour down the allotment. So far its doing really well.
the typing is getting frustrating so I'll just try to add a few pics. Or not.


Thursday 4 July 2013

Lemonade

Last week I wanted to make lemonade, but couldn't find a recipe I liked.
I tried to mix a few bits of recipes I could find, or remember, but this was delicious:
2 lemons
2 limes

Zest the lemons and put that in 1 litre of water with 100 g sugar in a pan. Warm so the sugar dissolves, then cool. Seive out the lemon zest.
Juice the lemons and limes, and add to the cool syrup, and enjoy.
Now the borage is flowering, borage (aka starflower) in icecubes would be fun, or just drop a few flowers in the drink. I usually eat them in salads.

June

Its gone by in a bit of a blur really. We've been WWOOFing, been basket making, taken turns having a stomach bug thats taken ages to get rid of,discovered nits (managed to get through life without them fine until now!), foraging walk, gardening and I've gone back to work.
before

helping clean up, honest. well, eating the sponge is helping, isn't it?

foot dipping (not quite paddling) in Hebden Bridge

a nice bit of motorway services 

the ducklings were not safe


the chicks were protected from babies and predators

we had a great basketry teacher- this is what we all made



clean is a waste of time

poorly day on the farm.

how WWOOFing can work with baby- scything!
SOme photos from the girls' camera :













And the journey home was awful- with dodgy tummies we needed lots of toilet stops.
 Rainbow enjoyed the stops though.

We did a foraging walk with Chris in Marsden

Had a chat with some policemen and their horses (what a van!)

And waved lots each time we passed each other, which happened a couple of times
We've been to various parks
Sutton I think!

The yellow park, watching his sisters

He had been stretching back just before, very laid back

Fish pie flicks well




Poor Kev! 
I was having a rather grumpy time after finishing up the shopping with all three kids. I really was ready for a sit down and a drink, but I wasn't allowed in the house. I was soooo fed up, wanting to get the shopping put away, freezer stuff in the freezer, and just Had Enough. Then Flower let slip my barring involved Cake. Suddenly all became bearable, and a few minutes later my sit down involved a lovely cake mixed, baked and washed up after by the girls- the shopping included the jam for the middle. It was a very good cake!

The boy loves being outside in the dirt. He grubs about in it, and eats it.Ants aren't a favourite, and the ones in the allotment hurt. Of course, we seem to grow thousands of ants.


Doesn't the shed look lovely behind all the yummy berries-to-be?

aqualegia in the strawberry patch

Borage starting to flower

This tunnel has had so much use over the last 7 years, and still fun!