My aim for the day was to go visit the bluebells in Chaddesden woods, and since it's so near Emma and family we arranged to have a picnic and a lazy ramble and a good dose of sunshine and fresh air. We had to buy bread on the way, as my loaf was not nearly risen enough for baking, but I managed to find fresh organic pumpkin and carrot bread so that was all good. ;) If you have to buy the stuff, it is a relief to find something you actually want to eat.
Anyhow, it was just glorious, and under the trees there was just enough shade for the babies, and plenty of interesting things to eat (leaf litter, check - twigs, check - soil, check) as well as sisters running around like crazies and a whole pond FULL of black wriggling tadpoles (which the babies did NOT get their little hands on).
Rowan spent a lot of time venturing further away on her own. She never once went out of view, but seemed to be testing herself (and us) as to what she could manage. It struck me as a metaphor for so much of these days - letting her go knowing that she would come back to me when she was ready, just being there and not commenting, letting her be a separate person and experiencing all that can mean.
Filthy baby eating apple pieces! I think I may have gone a bit overboard with the baby shots, but she looked so sweet and tiny exploring on her own, toddling and crawling around in the dirt. Ah, I love seeing a muddy little free-range tiny.
At the fort again. Connor is a bit full of cold again, so he was starting to feel thoroughly fed up - but he soon perked up out of the sling and watching all the goings on. We even saw butterflies out and about sunning themselves.
And, basically, it would have been a perfect day in its own right.
Then we had the idea to go up to Bluebells farm (a slightly longer walk but totally worth it) for their own freshly made ice-cream (it's a dairy farm and they use their own milk, and have a local organic shop too). On the way we passed several huge patches of speedwell, lots of daisies, and lots of dandylions. Which reminds me that a few days ago when Morgan went into the garden to find the dandylions flowering she said, "Oh THANKYOU mummy, mine garden is BEAUtiful!"
The play area there kept all the children pretty happy. Though some big boys wouldn't let Morgan play and kept calling her a baby. Jenna was amazing. "She is NOT a baby, she is a big girl and she is MY SISTER, so she will not be spoken to like that because it is hurting her feelings!"
The only sour note was that I very nearly flew off the handle when I was trying to hurry Morgan to the toilet and she kept pulling away from me to mess about with the hand soap at the farm gates, and wet herself. But deep breathing, and we all got out of there in one piece. And I came home with spelt flour from a local windmill, our second favorite flour for bread making beaten only by their five grain. So there is one loaf in the oven right now, and another two in the big basin, and lots more flour in the cupboards. :) Yes, today has been a day full of soul-food.
Anyhow, it was just glorious, and under the trees there was just enough shade for the babies, and plenty of interesting things to eat (leaf litter, check - twigs, check - soil, check) as well as sisters running around like crazies and a whole pond FULL of black wriggling tadpoles (which the babies did NOT get their little hands on). 
Rowan spent a lot of time venturing further away on her own. She never once went out of view, but seemed to be testing herself (and us) as to what she could manage. It struck me as a metaphor for so much of these days - letting her go knowing that she would come back to me when she was ready, just being there and not commenting, letting her be a separate person and experiencing all that can mean.
Filthy baby eating apple pieces! I think I may have gone a bit overboard with the baby shots, but she looked so sweet and tiny exploring on her own, toddling and crawling around in the dirt. Ah, I love seeing a muddy little free-range tiny.
At the fort again. Connor is a bit full of cold again, so he was starting to feel thoroughly fed up - but he soon perked up out of the sling and watching all the goings on. We even saw butterflies out and about sunning themselves.
And, basically, it would have been a perfect day in its own right.
Then we had the idea to go up to Bluebells farm (a slightly longer walk but totally worth it) for their own freshly made ice-cream (it's a dairy farm and they use their own milk, and have a local organic shop too). On the way we passed several huge patches of speedwell, lots of daisies, and lots of dandylions. Which reminds me that a few days ago when Morgan went into the garden to find the dandylions flowering she said, "Oh THANKYOU mummy, mine garden is BEAUtiful!"
The play area there kept all the children pretty happy. Though some big boys wouldn't let Morgan play and kept calling her a baby. Jenna was amazing. "She is NOT a baby, she is a big girl and she is MY SISTER, so she will not be spoken to like that because it is hurting her feelings!" 
The only sour note was that I very nearly flew off the handle when I was trying to hurry Morgan to the toilet and she kept pulling away from me to mess about with the hand soap at the farm gates, and wet herself. But deep breathing, and we all got out of there in one piece. And I came home with spelt flour from a local windmill, our second favorite flour for bread making beaten only by their five grain. So there is one loaf in the oven right now, and another two in the big basin, and lots more flour in the cupboards. :) Yes, today has been a day full of soul-food.
