Apples

Today we had apple cheeks

A bit of cinnamon bread

Oh yeah, a lot of flour on the floor

Some tasty dough

And lots of fun in the garden with the apples from next door's tree (they're not ripe yet and are cooking apples but they're still fun to play with).

Isabel does a lovely a-pull.

And then Isaac told me a story about a monster who ate a whole apple tree and that meant that the people didn't have any apples to make pies with EVER again.

Bay-boo

The doll has been named Bay-boo - all other dolls and small children are bay-bee but doll is Bay-boo. For once Bay-boo is naked and the girl is dressed but the day has had fluctuations in both states.

I'd like to point out that Isabel hasn't been on my bike yet and when she does it won't be like this (and I'll be dressed).

She walked all the way to the park with the buggy this morning and was part of the way back when the need for breadsticks overtook the need to push the buggy. It took a long time for her to walk home as she keeps stopping to try to pick up the small stones that make up the tarmac.

Isaac did lots of going on ahead and then coming back again.

This afternoon we made monsters.

Well one of them's dressed

It's just that it's the doll not the child. Although the trousers do keep falling off.

She calls slings/wraps 'back' even if it's on the front so there were some frustrating conversations of trying to work out where she wanted her baby today. Plus she only ever kept it on for 3 seconds but she was so happy to have her baby on her.

She decided that baby needed milk. She did try to feed him herself but decided mummy was a better bet. Not to be fobbed off with just sticking the doll in my bra my boob had to come out and then she decided she wanted that side so baby got pushed aside.

Isaac went on a boat in Oxford today and had lots of fun on an expedition in the Pitt Rivers museum. Complete with pith helmet and torch.

Ladybirds everywhere

We played spot the ladybird in the park this morning. Isaac spun round on the witches hat counting as he went. Iz signed 'bird' a lot. And the Isaac let a couple tickle him.

As well as walking to the park this morning Iz walked up to the veg man (we have a neighbour who sells organic veg on a Friday) and took 'baby' with her. We might put some clothes on baby tomorrow.

There's no such thing as bad weather...

...just more washing. It rained today and is finally a little cooler (although was still sweaty and hot during the rain). We went to the park anyway. I could have put everyone in waterproofs but a) I'm not that organised and b) oh the sweat. So they played and got wet. I got wet. They loved it and didn't want to come home. I had to be the grown up and say it really was raining just a little too hard now and we should go. But not until after we'd all three of us gone on the zip slide together. It's a shame when they won't let a mama play on the equipment on her own but it was fun if a little chaotic with all of us involved.

Isabel went on the zip slide on her own too. Cackling with laughter she clung on and wanted to do it again and again till she got too tired to cling on and had to come on with me.

And then we went home and did some baking. I needed something cake-like after Isabel being up at 4am today.

Take 3 teaspoons of flour and put it in a bowl. Add one small child and then get on with the baking. I have learnt that this is better than letting them have free rein with the flour jar and it's less frustrating for me than having small hands in the mixing bowl (although there's always a little if that).

And clutching a few white chocolate chunks she was off. Closely followed by the dog.

Rachel Allen's peanut & white chocolate blondies (except I used almond butter as that's what I had).

The dog has a technique for getting any remaining bits out of the high chair. He sticks his nose in as far as it will go through a leg hole and the lifts the whole chair till it falls over.

Scorching

Summer has well and truly hit. Unusually for England the hot weather has coincided with the school holidays. It means the parks are all very busy but we still go anyway.

Isaac likes to hide under our friend's rosemary on the way to the park. Isabel loves shouting 'dere' when I ask 'where oh where is Isaac'.

Two hot hours in the park today was all this mama could cope with. They would happily have spent longer there but I was melting. Isabel mostly played with sticks and dirt and was convinced that a conker casing was an apple and most disappointed when she wasn't able to eat it.

Isaac loves the climbing tree and is going higher and higher. Here he was driving the Octopod but at other times the branch was his computer and he was in the attic.

It's due to rain tomorrow. It might cool down a bit too. Phew!

I think we need a climbing frame

The apple tree had one apple on it this year. One poor lonesome apple. Right on the bottom branch. It was looking pretty with a red blush on it and was shaping up to be a nice apple. You may notice it's no longer on the tree.

It must have been VERY sharp as even when ripe the apples from this tree are tart. She had a good go at it though.

I have a bike. This is big news. I don't think I've ever owned a bike before. I did ride my mum's when I was a teen but we lived a mile and half outside a village and it was all uphill on the way back (and some very steep hills at that) so biking wasn't really a very attractive option. I last got on a bike (that wasn't bolted to the ground) 19 years ago. It was a bit daunting to get back on one and it sat looking at me for a week or so after it was ready to ride but yesterday I got on it and had fun. I don't ache too badly today and my aim is to use it every day and get my confidence up before getting a seat or trailer for Isabel. It was quite satisfying in a way for Isaac to be yelling after me to slow down for once as he couldn't keep up with me on his bike (I was going up hill at the time). Going down hill he is fearless and so much quicker than me.

All was quiet this afternoon. Those with small children know that quiet = trouble. Well it was sort of helping... He was taking the washing off the line for me. Mostly by jumping and pulling till the pegs went ping (I am still finding them in the flower beds) but the ones that he couldn't reach from below he climbed up to get. I think we need to get a climbing frame or else be prepared to buy a new washing line soon.

Anything can be a hat you know. Even your dinner.