Gorgeous kids

Whenever I get the chance to borrow Jared's work camera I get a bit snap-happy.

We had a lovely sunny Saturday in the garden.

So I have nothing special to write about,I just want to show off these beautiful children!!!

Football fans

Well the world cup is finally and certainly here. I have been so excited about it and have wanted to encourage this chance to feel team spirit and patriotism in the kids. I have been telling them my memories of the World Cup as I grew up and how much they mean to me. Even if I have never seen them win. :(

Nathan was a boy about the whole thing and was armed ready with his 5 year old knowledge of football and ready to shout 'ROONEY' whenever it might seem appropriate.

Elise was not at all convinced by the idea and looked at me like I was a traitor to her and our entire gender for encouraging Nathan and allowing this 'BOY STUFF!!!' in our home.

Marissa seemed happy just to learn the songs and could often be found singing "30 years of hurt, never stopped me dreaming..It's coming home, it's coming home."

We made the flags, we did the face paints and Mummy's idea of World Cup desert, foot-bowls even convinced Elise that perhaps the evening might be o.k.

J certainly enjoyed the chocolate foot -bowl while everyone was busy watching the game.

Well England didn't win, but they didn't lose. And I think I won over ALL the kids and I'm looking forward to more football/soccer fun over the next couple of weeks.

COME ON ENGLAND!!!!!

J gets caught.

After a couple of bad nights with J, I thought I should remind myself of his cute moments. These were taken on Sunday.

J has always been a climber (though STILL not a walker). He was found upstairs on his own at 6 months!!!!
This is the new trick. To climb on to the sofa and then onto the window sill.
Isn't it funny watching them get faster when they get caught. I had to put the camera down when he was actually standing on the sill and banging on the glass-I'm not brave enough to take those photos yet.
I love this picture-'What's your problem Mum?'

Love to learn.

One of the thousand things that I love about my children is that they love to learn.

Museums, nature walks, historic Cathedrals, art...everything catches their interest and (for now anyway) they will listen to Mummy intently as she waffles on with her limited knowledge and will then want to find out more in books and on the computer.

I love that my children are inquisitive, its so exciting to see a spark start, and interest grow in my little angels.

I love to watch their amazement at things I often take for granted.

I love the questions that they ask that give you a sense of how their mind really works.

I love how they see things from a different perspective and teach each other....and Mummy.

I love to show them things that are important and special to me.

I love when we all share our time together, learning together and experiencing new places and trying new things.

I love that, although it is gross, my children begged me to take a picture of the dead mole if Bruce 'the mole man', caught it while they were at school.

I love that my children are fascinated by ol' Bruce's storys as he sets his mole traps in our garden.

I love AND hate that they have no fear and are desperate to explore every new place.

I love that my children have those big eyes that try to take in EVERYTHING!

I LOVE MY CHILDREN!!!!!!

Little and Large

Here are my darlings. I love these Jareds.

This picture would have been quite difficult to take until recently as JJ has been such a Mama's boy. I mean SERIOUSLY CLINGY!!! Grandma even nicknamed him 'Velcro'. But at last J has realised what the rest of us have known for a long time. That Jared (Snr.) is the greatest Daddy in the world. x

Nathan is 5!!!!!

Well Nathan has had a very eventful birthday week. After a quiet actual birthday on Sunday, Nathan then had a visit to the hospital on Monday with a suspected head injury after falling in the playground. BOYS!!! But he was fine and jumping around on the trampoline by the afternoon. --A box of chocolates was taken in on the Tuesday for the worried teachers who looked after him so well and had to phone the dreaded neurotic Mrs. Quesne to tell her about her son's accident.

Any way, by Saturday everything was all excitement for the P. A. R. T. Y!!

Nathan invited all the boys from his class to the local sports centre for go carting and bouncy castles.

The staff were rather drippy but the kids all enjoyed themselves.

Obviously the cake had to be boy-y. So Mummy did her best with a footy cake. Mummy was also very cheeky by making cup cakes to go home with the party bags which left the big cake to go home for the family get together.
I had just enough time to sigh possibly 3 times before going on to the next part of the day. As the BIG family get together was going to be at our house.

The Ives side of the family were actually all in the same place at the same time. It was great.

We had a bar b q, played cricket and football and watched 'the eurovision song contest' till the late hours (obviously all complaining about the biased voting as usual).

It was wonderful having such a great (if a little hectic) day with all my family.

I think one of the best things for Nathan over his birthday week was getting to play boy stuff with his big cousin Kieran. Nathan is often surrounded by girls or very young boy family members and having Kieran up over the weekend meant lots of charging around, shouting, lego, trucks, football, cricket, and keeping the girls as far away as possible. A bit hard for Ellie to not be in control for once but great for Nathan.

WE LOVE THIS BOY!! Our giant baby (10 lb) is growing up. He is the smiliest most loving little boy and we adore him. He has inherited Mummy's stubborn streak (especially about getting dressed for school.) and Daddy's razor tongue at times (like asking Mummy which team she will be on when she goes on the biggest loser show!!) ....but we wouldn't change a thing about him.

We love you Nathan.