Biker Boy

We went to a lovely new play park with many pieces of equipment to play on. Of course our youngest played in the mud.

Who'd have thought that a Thomas the Tank Engine Scooter could do bmx style jumps.

Cheap childcare

Finally, an answer to wandering children.

Green Envy

Our children and us love visiting my brother and his wife. As well as seeing them we love the countryside that surrounds their house. They shared some of it with us on a short stroll around their village.

Horse petting.

Lamb filming.

Baa.

Dock leaves - they'll come in handy.

Owl house at local school.

Football.

Eeeeek. Mouse.

You can tell my brother live in the country side. They have wildlife in their garden...

Afternoon tea and Birthday Beer

We made it safely to the village my Brother and his wife live in. After leaving our house shrouded in rain and mist it was lovely to be able to sit in their garden for afternoon tea and a celebratory birthday beer. It was an extra specially nice beer as it was the first one since before shrove Tuesday!

Mmmmmmmm. More cake!

On the way to not quite Wales

For Easter and my birthday we went to see my Brother and his wife. On the way we missed the turning and ended up at a service station near Telford with a big metal A thing. Apparently it is a steam hammer.

Can you spot the children? They have been sent out for a nausea prevention walk.

Pre Birthday Cake

My wife likes to celebrate birthdays for as long as possible and so here is a photo of my first cake on the day before my birthday with a rare photo of me. It was very nice. The cake that is, not me.

The THE HAMSTER

My elest is a fan of the THE DOG collection. Here is her take on it using our hamster Emily.

Butterfly

We found a butterfly asleep under our rabbit hutch. When it woke up it turned out to be a peacock butterfly.

ZOO!

We have decided to buy an annual pass for the local zoo. We have had these before and it's always been great value. It's like investing in family time. In two years a lot has changed but much is familiar. We went on the zebra bus, stroked a pig and had hot chocolate near the sloth bears.

Which way now?
Hello.
Stalking wobbilys.
Elephant fun.
Boa!
Funny turtle thing.

Easter already

Our youngest is made a lovey spring basket with chocolate eggs. They were very nice. (Not sure if we were supposed to keep them until Easter).

The Chronicles Of The Youngest

Our youngest has these groovy sun glasses. I always think he looks a bit like a jolly version of Riddick from the sci-fi films.

Mothers' Day

Yesterday was mothers' day. A day where we can remember all our Mothers do for us. My wife is a lovey mother and our children love her dearly. Also both my wife's and my mothers have been instrumental in making us the people we are today. So thank you Mum(s).

Our youngest and a mothers' day flower.

New House

We went to visit my wife's sister and family in the new house they moved into yesterday. It's a lovely house. But they haven't unpacked yet.

Our eldest checking out the lawn.

Their middle one scooting.

The house. (I think theirs is pink.)

Our eldest and Pepper - the one eyed cat.

Tree Climbing

It's spring and an ideal day to climb trees. Here are our eldest and youngest up the silver birch tree in our garden - it's a bit overloaded but good fun.

New Employee

One of the employees at my work was replaced by a temporary stand in as he was in later than he promised.

Recycling

It's amazing what you can recycle nowadays.

International

Our children's school had a week to celebrate different cultures. Today they had to come dressed in the national dress of a country of their choice. Our youngest wanted to be a cowboy. But in the end he went as chinese. (Or as a ninja as he saw it.)

Cowboy

Our youngest wanted to dress up as a cowboy and didn't want to take the hat off. Ever. Even in his sleep.

Dud der, Du de du de du de Dud der...

Country Side Walk

We went for a nice walk in the countryside as a family with my wife's sister and her youngest two children. It was nice to get out.

First Equestrian Lesson

My eldest has had her first horse riding lesson. She really enjoyed it and seemed to do very well. (Well she didn't fall off) I don't really know very much about the whole horse riding thing but she was doing figure's of eights by the end of the 1/2 hour. (I thought that was ice skating but never mind).

Round and Round

Another boring hamster picture

As we won't have the babies for much longer I am trying to get them photographed. But they don't pose too well.

Please let me out...

Oi! Thats my wheel.

New Camera

I have succumbed and bought a new camera to replace the lost one. Bizarrely I had to use the money I was saving for a new camera to buy the replacement. Here are some of the first photo's with the new camera. (Not that this camera is any different to the one I lost except it is black and less mega pixels)

The grey hamster on holiday.

Emily on holiday.

My youngest starting an addiction for computer games.

Dorset Trip

We have gone to see my parents in Dorset. A nice break. Still no camera so using eldest's again. Must get a new one.

Rodent Reunited

Our eldest is reunited with her beloved rodents.

Camera Misery

It seems that I have lost the camera in the snow. It is nowhere to be seen.

I have searched high and low, in the snow, in the house, at work and even asked the police if it's been handed in. All to no avail. I am again cameraless. I am in a state of cameralessness.

The non-prodigal returns.

Our eldest returned to us alive and well - if a bit tired after a great week (less one day because of plumbing and snow). She seems to have had a great time. Though I expect it will take a while to get what she got up to out of her. Indeed, there will be things that she did that we will never know about. The weird thing is that these will get more and more frequent as she matures. Eventually to become completely independent of us - an exciting and yet daunting thought. Will we be able to provide her and train her in all the things she will need as she grows up? No. But we will be there for her (and our youngest) and will have to trust her and God with the rest.

Snow Photo

Here's a photo of the snow from my eldest's camera.

Snow joke

Well unfortunately it snowed more. Which is great for sledging but not so great for school. Add to this a plumbing disaster at school and transport chaos - this meant our eldest couldn't start her week away as planned - here's hoping for tomorrow.

Also in all the snow and multiple coats I have lost my camera - arrrrrgh! So no photo's until I find it.