Our last week or so

This was found on outside of the the younger childrens' bedroom window as they were getting dressed yesterday morning. Please ignore the filthy window you can also see a little too well!



It's probably the same as the one in the last post that they found on the sandpit. We were wondering how it had managed to jump so high, as it was on the 1st floor (2nd floor for Americans I think?), but we think it may be a Katydid. It seems as well as jumping, that they also have wings and will fly away from danger. That would make it more possible I would think.

There are a lot of these around too - MOSTLY in the garden.



Hannah was annoyed by a big one yesterday a little too close to the house for comfort, and splashed its web while watering the plants. Later in the day we watched it repair its web. It was wonderful to watch! It first made an absolutely perfect framework, then worked around it, quite fast, a piece at a time, pulling out more strands with its back legs and hooking them onto the framework as it went around. The spacing of all of the new strands was perfect too - just beautiful work!

Here are some blocks Michael cut from a plank of wood and we all sanded down. Then the children stained them a rainbow of colours. They had red, yellow, green and blue stain to work with. I'd like to have us rub them with beeswax or something sometime soon before we start playing with them.



We have been doing a lot of sorting things out with the aim of simplifying. It is an exhausting but joyful thing. We took an outdoor break earlier last week when we weren't getting on with things so easily. A bit of time and space to play catch (mostly Michael and me!), fly a kite (if look closely you can see how high Hannah is flying that kite, and three of the other children in the background running up the hill),



run,



play horses,



climb,



and (a favourite past-time for Peter) eat fruit.



Peter has been enjoying experimenting with various things lately. Wheat scattered over the kitchen, a carton of oat milk poured into Michael cheese sauce that was ready to eat, and smearing Savlon (antiseptic cream) on the piano, wood floor, skin and trousers. Rebekah enjoyed helping him out with that one last night during family home evening! They were sat quietly behind my legs as I sat on the piano stool. I thought they were playing with white paper, not white cream! Their hands and feet were covered with it, and all around them too. There have been some other things too, but I forget what they were now (my post-baby memory still in action)! These are in the last few days. Isn't it fun being 3 and wanting to learn? :o) Here he is having a little less messy 'messy play'- with water in the sink. :o)



I got out a new size of pyjamas for Peter and Samuel on the same day, and they enjoyed a very happy cuddle in them. They both look so comfy now their clothes fit again!





Samuel is getting well into 6-9 month clothes now. He added in a squeal to his happy communications a week or so ago, typically when he is giggling, but also just talking. One evening he was in a lot of discomfort though - trapped wind we think - and that squeal came in very handy in a screaming type of way too!

This little outfit was given to us by a kind member of our ward here. It is 6-9 months and fits him perfectly. He is 3 1/2 months old now. He felt so soft and lovely in it though - so baby-like!



That might sound funny to say, as he is a baby, but most of his clothes are just little clothes, not baby clothes, and he just seemed like a proper baby again for that day. So soft and cuddly, and comfortable for him. :o) I'd love more baby clothes to be like that.




Samuel is getting good at lifting his head to look around. It seems so much more enjoyable than looking up.



He also had a little go in the baby bouncer in the last week, which the children thought was very funny, and he seemed to enjoy too. He had been SO wriggly, and seemed to just want to move, so I thought I'd let him have a bit more freedom to move on his own. I think that walking reflex probably kept his feet going. The children certainly thought it was funny as he kept pivoting around on one leg. Samuel calmed right down too.

The every day lives of our children

I was looking through our photos and found all sorts of other ones of the children from the last couple of weeks, some that Michael or I have taken and some that they very clearly have taken themselves. It would be a shame not to take a look at some of them here. So here's a little selection. Hope you enjoy seeing them 'in action'.

Here's the friendly bug that the children found on the sand pit in our back garden. They were fascinated.



Peter running races - round and round and round. He's pretty fast now. Michael and I have to run to keep up when he runs, which we didn't used to have to do. I suppose he is three now though.



Peter covering up the newest potato plants as they grew. He was always first to spot that they needed covering, and off to get his "digging thing" from the shed - not quite got the name of that one down yet. :o)




Michael sat Samuel down on the car mat while everyone else was playing together for a while. He seemed especially fascinated by what Peter was doing, as he often is.





Ceri and Samuel.



Michael having some time with Samuel.



"What are they doing over there?"



Rachel and Peter were having a beanbag fight! Peter throws hard and fast, and Rachel wasn't going to let him get away with it - she was having too much fun - so he hid!




Talking together.



Giggles. :o)



Time to rest now.




Not of the children, but grown by them - I like the flowers.



A sand wedding cake.



Putting on their latest theatrical performance.




Samuel at 12 weeks old,



and with his big sister Sarah.



Taking a look at some playmates,




and laughing at the best one of all - Daddy.



Eating a very yummy bee!



Seems to be a pony jumping competition.



Samuel listening to Daddy singing



while his sisters play a game of magic horses and unicorns,



all from a very comfy seat.

Samuel is 3 months old today

Samuel is exactly 3 months old today. Isn't he beautiful?! Here are some photos from through the day - the camera came out again! Oh, and yes, he still has those beautiful blue eyes that I am still TOTALLY enjoying. :o)

Sucking his fingers - a favourite current past-time.



Rebekah wanted to hold Samuel several times today.



Beeautiful big blue eyes.



Playing with Hannah.



Kisses from Mummy.



Happy giggles.



I spent today sorting through more people's clothes, and pulling a lot of them out to pass on. Rebekah has grown out of this jumper now, and it was in the 'to go' pile. Next thing I saw was Peter struggling to try it on. So I gave him a little hand, and he loved it - kept it on for the rest of the day. He very happily said to Hannah, who has a bigger jumper just like it, that he looks like her. No wonder he was pleased with it. :o) He's a really lovely boy. Here he is with the jumper, and Rachel's bear having a ride in his pushchair.



More time with Rebekah,



... and Daddy.



Music time with Daddy.



For only the second time in my memory (of this home at least but I think a while longer than that), we had a lovely happy little bit of altogether time after eating tea and before everyone went off to bed. This time Michael wanted to share with us the song he's been having fun singing to Samuel. Rebekah is the echo after Michael sings. :o)



Playing with Sarah, and more finger sucking.



Cuddles before going to bed along with everyone else.