So far this year...

... we've been very busy with all the usual kinds of craziness.


These beans decided to stay up "all night" on New Year's eve. Roo made it to nine, Tilly to ten past nine, and the bigger two made it to half past midnight! Talia was kindly decorated by Jenna at midnight...



We all wanted to make the most of Martin's day off yesterday, and planned to go for a walk with my mum. With one pair of shoes down and me getting increasingly cross and stressed with nobody else so much as putting on their own coats, I shouted at the world in general that I didn't want to be the responsible adult any more and I QUIT! *sigh* So much for doing so well at not shouting these days... I guess it was the typical trigger, feeling overwhelmed with trying to get everything right. :/





Not so much of a walk, in the end, as by the time everyone had picked up their coats and the missing shoes were located, it was raining. But we fed the ducks, had some fresh air, paddled in the gravel pit lakes. And I had apologies to make.



Then a couple of friends came over for a play date (Jenna loves the schools being on holiday, because her friends are suddenly free!) and on impulse decided to take them to the cinema with us as the girls so wanted to see Frozen again. It involved me walking there (and back) so that they would all fit in the car. I took five of them (minus Talia, who had a date with Daddy while we were there) and they squealed and giggled and were so so thrilled. I'm enjoying Disney's streak of self-rescuing princesses! :) I could probably do without hearing the soundtrack *all day every day* though...

While we had friends round we also had to break out more science experiments. We've done baking soda and vinegar several times over the years, but this time measured and used Jenna's new proper equipment. There was some speculation amongst the children as to what *else* they could try from the cupboards, and we also mixed lemon juice and bicarb, lemonade and bicarb, and fizzy water and bicarb. Each time they made their predictions (and revised them based on what the others were saying). I have to say, I didn't really expect the new chemistry set to be used as a group playdate activity, but then I didn't really plan to head to the cinema yesterday either.



After one set of friends went home, Jenna headed of for a sleepover with another. As Martin was working again today it was really rather quiet to "only" have three children here. Two, for a while, because Morgan went for another walk with grandma. Just as much mess and chaos, though. And more Minecraft. Morgan started her first survival mode world, and died twice within the first five minutes!



Now Jenna's off to sleep at my mum's house, and we're tidying up around the little ones to make space for more play and mayhem tomorrow (with yet another friend). I think the children are keen to compensate for last week the six of us barely being apart and staying at home a lot!

If we carry on like this, either Talia will have to start sleeping longer in the mornings or I will need to learn to like coffee...