With a couple of hours to spare this morning before Peter, Kirsty, Bea and Imogen had to catch the train back to London, we had Louis teaching Bea how to ride the balance bike. We set up a wee slalom course with bean cans, and they both coped admirably.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Return To The Arty Planet
As part of Peter, Kirsty, Bea and Imogen's weekend visit, we went back to Jupiter Artland for another wander around. It rained again, but was still excellent, and it was nice to introduce someone new to the delights.
Wheelie Good Riding
We had Peter, Kirsty, Bea and Imogen staying this weekend, and highly jolly it was too. As part of the social whirl, Keith, Leila and Ella dropped by for brunch on Saturday. Louis has been a bit wheelie-obsessed lately, and was intrigued to find that Keith is, as Daddy Pig would say, a bit of an expert at these things.
Hippo Birdie Two Ewes Too
Mum's birthday on Wednesday; after making her day "special" by dumping the kids on her as usual, we had her and dad and Niall over for fish suppers from the Corbie and a nice Victoria sponge.
Monday, June 20, 2011
A Day At The Races
Sunday was father's day - Helen was in Sheffield doing phase 2 of her birthday with the girls from '71, and so Holly was in charge. Louis was up early but - as planned - went up to Holly's room to read and give me a wee lie-in. They came down bearing gifts and cards and we all had a wee sweetie and a snuggle before breakfast. Then they disappeared into the kitchen, and returned bearing a glass with freshly-picked flowers from the garden, balanced on a plate with toast and ramekins with jam and butter in. It was lovely. I returned the favour, then hoovered the bed out. Later on, we went to see Anna and Amy run the Race For Life, which inspired me (temporarily) to do a bit more running. Maybe tomorrow. We had lunch chez Evans (during which time Andrew tried to persuade me to do Strathpuffer with him) and then went home to make a "welcome home" cake for Helen. It turned out quite well, and we were all - for different reasons - glad to see mummy home again.
Gala Performance
Saturday was the Davidson's Mains Childrens' Gala. It seems like a jolly enough affair, a parade through the "village" followed by jollifications in the grounds of Lauriston "Castle", but there's this strange and slightly creepy "Gala Court" attached to it which smacks of either a simpler, bygone age or an arcane ritual from the minds of the League of Gentlemen. Anyway, we missed the parade (Holly was at ballet) but joined in the fun after swimming, just as the heavens opened for the 23rd time. Photo ops were limited, but here are a few snaps from the phone. Much more interesting were the displays by The Clan - which predictably transfixed Louis - and Mr Falconry, who had a kestrel and Haggis the buzzard swooping inches over our heads. Holly, desperate for some candy floss, was dismayed to find I only had £1 left in my wallet, and the confection in question was (somewhat ambitiously) priced at £2. Undaunted, Holly took the cash and haggled with the hapless vendor, returning with a grin and a huge pink cushion of spun sugar.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Return to Glentress
On the first half-sunny day in what feels like weeks, today we were off to Glentress to meet the Earnshaws. Louis and Olly are of one mind when it comes to bikes and going downhill, and they had a great time with each other, jostling to be at the front and overtaking each other on the bumps and berms. Holly rose to the occasion too, dancing on the pedals to get up the hills, and flying through the berms on the way down. At the bottom of the Green loop, we paused for a snack and Holly led the way on a free climb up a quarry wall. She's a natural climber, and will be heading off to the EICA during the summer. Back at Glentress, the Green loop is no longer enough for these guys, today we graduated to the Blue, with a long uphill drag to get there. Blue Velvet and Berm Baby Berm were a delight to ride, and a delight to watch the kids on. So much so that I didn't get any pictures of that part. We ended the day with a well-deserved flapjack and hot chocolate in the Hub Café, sadly soon to be no more once the Peel opens. Shame, it'll be the end of an era at Glentress.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Look Mum, No Hands!
A spot of shoulder-balancing before ballet this morning. Plus a few snaps from Helen's phone, including a visit from Orla last weekend.
Monday, June 06, 2011
Skatepark
On a chilly Monday morning in June, Louis and I rode the four miles to the skatepark for the first time in months. We met Grandma & Papa there too. The absence hasn't dented Louis' enthusiasm or confidence, and indeed he hurtled both up and down things he hadn't tried before. One narrow down-ramp was a little too steep for him, he fell off and slid down it, but came to a halt with the words "daddy, I didn't cry". Wee soldier. It was chilly though, so he rode home in the trailer.
When I'm Cleaning Windows
A few snaps from last weekend, when I took advantage of a rare sunny day to wash the bird-splat marks from our windows, or at least the south-facing ones. No sooner had I completed the job and taken a step back to admire my excellent squeegee technique, than Holly and Louis announced that they'd like a go too. And so it was that the patio doors were washed for the second time.
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