Random Things

Annie-Joy LOVES to wash up & play with water & bubbles!

The children LOVE to watch Kerwhizz on cBeebies together when they get home from school.

Bowling at Hollywood Bowl is only 1p per person per game if you book in advance on line during school holidays! Jordan used 2p to pay for himself & his Daddy to play a game! He couldn't believe it!!

The boys are rather prone to slips, trips, falls & bangs on the head at the moment. You should see the number of accident report forms I have from just one week! I have had to bring both twins home early from school on separate occasions because they banged their heads badly!

I went upstairs one Sunday before church and sneaked a photo of Jordan & Luke the Ladybird reading quietly in our bed. Cute!

Annie-Joy loves to play with my little jars of buttons (which are sorted into colour groups!). she will spend ages taking them out of the jar & putting them back again! What fun!

I've been making lots of cards & things lately. This one was for my friend Kerry at her surprise birthday breakfast at another friend's house on the morning of her birthday.

Annie-Joy enjoyed playing the piano at afore mentioned birthday breakfast!

Timmy discovered that he does indeed like butter! What a handsome chap!

Luke still loves dressing up as Superman & often asks us to call him by his REAL name- Clark Kent! He's a character isn't he? :o)

Southport

Aaaaah! Sitting on Southport beach with a nice cup of tea in Grandma Green's old flask! Lovely! :o) (Does that make me very old &/or middle class I wonder??)
At the end of May we took a trip to Southport for the day. It was SO hot! The sea is a long long way out & there are vast areas of the beach covered with white shells. Luke spent a long time collecting a great many shells in his bucket. He was very pleased with them & has taken some of them into school to put on 'the interest table'.

After we had our picnic on the sand the children enjoyed all the usual beach stuff- digging, filling buckets & pouring water, splashing & playing football. Annie-Joy & Timmy were really happy in the water together. Timmy filled his green bucket up with rather muddy water & presented it to me saying 'I've brought you a drink Mummy!' Nice!!

After a good long play on the beach Jordan & I went to play a round of golf (pitch & put). We weren't that good really... we both had moments of brilliance but mostly I think we fumbled along. We had a lot of fun together!

While we were golfing Lee & the other three kids went to visit the model railway village. We joined them after our golf. It was a roaring success! We stayed there for over 3 hours & only left because the place was closing & they asked us to go (very nicely- they are a lovely couple who run the place).

Jordan enjoyed racing the trains round the tracks & working out which signal lights were going to change & which train would go next. The boys were delighted that the signal lights really worked!

We had a little break to eat an ice cream part way through our visit. Jordan's cornetto top fell off so we put it in the flask cup. He couldn't manage it all so Timmy & Luke polished the left overs off! Lee fed them. Look Mum! They're like little baby birds in the nest aren't they? ;o)

Beware though as you walk round the model village- there are GIANT Moor hens terrorising the streets!! Hee hee!!

After the model railway we took a trip on the pier tram & found the funny sculpture at the end of the pier (see here for another peek at it!). We then walked back along the pier to Pizza Hut & enjoyed a very lovely meal altogether. The waiter was really great with the kids & understood their humour which always helps matters!

After our meal it was nearly 8pm so we headed home all rather hot & pooped but having had a wonderful day out (with no tantrums!! Yippeeeeee!!). We stopped to buy after sun lotion on the way home & made mental note not to forget sun screen again!! It's a good job the children have black African blood in them so they don't burn really but go a lovely brown almost straight away. By the way, do click on the piccies to see them bigger if you like!

Well, I really will try not to leave my blog unattended for so long again! Hope all who read are well & enjoying the start of the weekend. That's all for now folks! :o)

Family Reunited

Lee has been away for the past 7 days working in Bournemouth. He came home at tea time today & we all went to pick him up from the train station.
Lee's train was delayed so we sat on the platform & watched a few trains coming & going (something which is always enjoyed by the children especially Luke!).

When Lee arrived the boys rushed to hug him & Annie Joy waved in her own sweet way from her pram.

Lee bought presents back for everyone. Jordan got the last 2 books in the Dinosaur Cove series which he LOVES. He'll probably have finished both books by tomorrow! Luke got a grown ups train magazine which he didn't stop reading from the moment he was given it. He even sat down in the lift to read it! Annie Joy & Timmy also got books. Timmy's book also included an animated DVD of his book 'We're going on a bear hunt'. Aren't they lucky children?

The trip to use the public loo was rather something too. It was what I call an 'all singing all dancing self cleaning loo'!! It's name 'healthmatic' makes me think that it was invented by Wallace & Gromit! We had to wait AGES for it to clean & all the time it gives you a running commentary of what is happening & what to do in case of emergency!!

This is Jordan running out of the loo afterwards because he didn't want to get wet in the shower!! Never a dull moment in our lives eh? Well, time to catch up with Lee now that he has woken up after his little nap on the sofa! It's SO good to have Lee home again. It's been a good week for me & the kids but long & tiring. I am so grateful for the prayers & support of family & friends. Thankyou everyone!

Hope you're all well. Have a great weekend! :o)

Bombs & Bubbles!!

The boys first water bomb fight happened one hot Sunday afternoon in our back garden. It took me quite some time to fill 150 of these little cuties but it was worth it!

The boys could hardly contain their excitement waiting until all the balloons were filled with water!
But at last they were ready to.....

... throw at Daddy!!!

Last one! Isn't it lovely? (Imagine Luke squeaking excitedly here! Timmy thought the bombs were really cute like little babies!)

30 minutes later this is what we were left with. The boys even enjoyed going around the garden picking up the burst balloons! A water bomb fight is something that I would consider quite wasteful but it channelled some wild energy & made a hot, sticky afternoon a lot of fun! :o)

When Annie-Joy woke up from her nap after the fight was over the first thing she said was 'bubbles!' so I asked her if she would like to blow bubbles in the garden & she said 'Yes!' As you can see she is very good at blowing bubbles herself. It was the perfect end to some lovely summery garden fun!

Tim & Jerries

Jerries is what Timmy calls cherries! I bought some cherries from Aldi the other day for 49p a punnet! I also got a fresh pineapple, a punnet of peaches & a punnet of plums all for 49p each! WOW!
The jerries went down extremely well especially with Annie Joy (her first taste of them too!) & Jordan who tried one having already decided he did NOT like them only to realise upon tasting them that they are 'MORE than delicious!!'
Lee bought me a bunch of roses this week- just because. The boys loved watching me arrange them in the vase & mix up the rose food. Luke asked if he could give his teacher a red rose so today the boys all took little bouquets of 3 red sweetheart roses into school for their teachers. The 3 teachers were delighted!
While we were at the park on Wednesday Timmy picked me a tiny bunch of daisies. I love them! Lee asked me which flowers I liked best..... How could I decide between roses & daisies??!
Timmy loves his Annie Joy & she loves him. They have a special bond. This photo was taken at the model railway village in Southport last week. Timmy was pointing out things to her & chatting away in a very sweet way! Timmy is a thinker. Every now & then he comes out with some gems & I thought I'd share some of his latest ones with you now.

Almost the first thing he said to me yesterday when he came out of school was this; 'Heaven is just above the sun isn't is Mummy?'

The other day out of the blue he said 'There are 3 ways to get to heaven- in a plane, on an escalator or by climbing a ladder.' (You know he's not far wrong with the ladder! In the Bible in Genesis 28: 12 it says Jacob had a dream & saw 'a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.')

Another time, just after school Timmy said 'God lives on a cloud.' (And, he's almost right! Jesus said in Mark 14:62 "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.")

Perhaps he'll be a theologian when he grows up? Well, time to go! Lee's just nipped home on his way back from a work meeting in St Helen's & said to me 'Are you blogging AGAIN??' Yep! Once I start you can't stop me!! :o)

Rufford Old Hall

On Bank Holiday Monday we went to Rufford Old Hall. We set out from home intending to go to Formby beach but the queues of traffic going there were ridiculous so we turned around & headed for Rufford.
We had a lovely time exploring the house & gardens.
We loved this squirrel topiary! Behind it you can see a glass tower/window which is above the Great Hall. William Shakespeare performed in there when he was young (apparently!). The boys (just Timmy & Jordan as Luke was away at Grandma & Grandad's house) loved the peep hole in the drawing room which looks down onto the Great Hall. Timmy said 'It feels like you're right up in the roof! When you're down on the ground the roof looks a long way away but up here it's really close!' It certainly does feel as though you are in the rafters peeking down on everyone!
Annie Joy enjoyed a good explore about the grounds....

...

.... she is in her element in the great outdoors & loves looking for 'wow wers' (flowers. Her name for anything plant or tree related including sticks & dead leaves!)

Annie Joy made a little friend while we were walking in the gardens too. A little boy about her age saw her looking at these ferns & they stood & stared at each other for ages! An old couple walking past were tickled pink by the two of them & said 'Oh! It's love at first sight!' :o)

Timmy found a stick that looked like reindeer antlers so he had to try it for size!

The boys played hide & seek. This is where Jordan hid. It was VERY effective!!

Timmy loved the row of round bushes leading up to the main door. He said they were like snowballs & could I take a picture of him as a snowman head please? Hee hee!

I took some lovely group photos of the three children too. Photographically speaking I think this one is better.....

.... but this one captures the feel & emotion of the kids better! (Wish I hadn't chopped AJ's feet off though!). All in all it was indeed a Grand Day Out! :o) Hope you're all well. See you back here soon I hope! :o)

PS Kirstin spotted the BIG news on the previous post! Check the comments to see what it is if you like or wait until I manage to post a proper piccie later on. TTFN!