Sleepover

I helped on the Sunday school sleep over. It was good fun.

Toasting marshmallows on the bonfire.

Eating lots of sugary snacks.

Seeing deer in the site we were at's grounds.

The children got to bed quite late and I went to sleep soon after. I woke refreshed in the morning to find that my co-leaders had been up a few times in the night but that I had been oblivious to them. We let the guy who stayed up the most have an extra our in bed. I'm not sure it helped.

Sports Day

Dropping the children off early at school means they often have the play ground for themselves. Here they are playing with the Police car that our youngest brought for show and tell.

Here are both our children waiting for school.

Today was sports day. I managed to go for an hour and see them both participate. Our youngest came first in the potato and spoon race - but only because he held on the the spoon. Unforntunately he was disqualified for this but I don't think he realised!

Pepper the one eyed cat.

We stayed at my wife's sister's family's house to feed Pepper the one eyed cat - a car hit him when they lived in their old house.

Independence day of Fun

Our children's school has an annual fun day. This year it was on the 4th July. And good fun it was too...

Looking at the model train set.

Eating pop corn and candy floss.

Shooting water bombs at our eldest's teacher.

Eating MacDonalds on the way home. (We were house sitting for my brother and sister in law.)

Didn't we have a lovely time...

I volunteer to help on my eldest's school visit to Brighton to see the sea and the Aquarium. A great time was had by all.

Passing the time on the train.

Poking unsuspecting sea anemones.

A turtle (not crossed with a hamster)

Ice cream. The highlight of an otherwise educational trip.

New house

Following on from the removal of the purpose built climbing frame house that was rarely used our children have decided to create a temporary one. Here it is decked out with provisions to survive an impending storm.

What was wrong with the proper one!

Birthday Treat

As part of the celebrations for the birthday or our neighbour we went to the zoo and had a picnic, saw the sea lions, watched the elephants and wandered about.

As good as a shop cake.

We celebrated our neighbour's birthday with a cake my wife had made. A friend was heard to remark that the cake was as nice as a shop one - high praise indeed!

Hmmm.

We have had a climbing frame in the garden for ages. We bought a little tent for it that made the top into a den. The children liked it but didn't climb in it much. (The climbing was the reason we bought the climbing frame). We removed the house and left it bare an our youngest has started climbing with a new found vigour - I suppose he just didn't like spiders...

Competition Winner

Our eldest won a pet invention competition at our local waterstones book shop. She came up with the idea of a Hamstle - half hamster, half turtle. (I thought it should be called a Hurtle but she preferred Hamstle)

Here she is collecting her prize. An original painting of a comic strip featuring her character.

Co-incidentally you can just see her god father's book on the shelf behind her.

In a pickle

Emily the hamster gets in a jam.

Hard come, easy go

Well the money we earned at the car boot sale has already been spent on a lovely meal at the Boxwood Cafe celebrating an old friends 40th birthday with a surprise lunch.

Car boot sale

In order to make a bit of pocket money we decided to go to a car boot sale. I think getting a minimum wage job and just taking everything to the tip would have been easier.

Trip to the Beach

We went for a trip to my parents and to the beach.

My youngest in the back with big ted.

The day started of a bit gloomy.

But after a walk and a coffee the sun arrived!

Swans

We visited my wife's sister and popped out to see the swans and ride bikes.

Mr Bump Does Coffee

Teddies

My youngest with the teddy I've had since I was a baby - perhaps it should have stayed in the loft.

More teddies enjoying breakfast.

A flying visit to the zoo

Our local zoo has spectacular views and steep hills. We put them to good use:

Future delinquents

Perhaps we should have paid more attention at that parenting course.

More Beautiful Bluebells

We went for a family walk in the Ashridge with some friends and saw lots more beutiful bluebells:

Birthday Tea

We went to see my Wife's sister and her husband for their children's birthday tea.

Our youngest off to see the geese.

An over familiar swan.

Our youngest "sharing" his cousin's toys.

 Trees and mud - what a perfect combination.

Bluebell Wood

I took the afternoon off and we went for a picnic in the woods near my children's school.

Can you spot them?