Open Garden

 

 

Ever hopeful of another opportunity to grab a swim, I threw everyone's bathers in the car before we left for today's outing to an Open Garden* an hour away.

 

But it rained and rained!

 

All was not lost, however, for, although I had also thrown in the umbrellas "just in case", the girls haven't quite perfected their umbrella technique yet and, surprise, surprise, they were soon wet through. Drenched!

 

They weren't getting back in the car in that state! What to do? Aha!

 

Bathers!

 

And the garden at "Tree Elle" where we had received the drenching? It is a beautiful parkland with quite established trees in what had been a paddock a mere 13 years ago. Inspiring...... as was the chocolate mud cake the owner had for sale! "Yumm," said Miss J.

 

My search for a really good chocolate mud cake recipe begins!

 

Hoping you all had a fantastic weekend!

 

 

Sam xx

 

Rainy Day

A rainy, grey day.

The twins and I have been baking raspberry muffins and pizza bread; the latter with some of the leftover flatbread dough that has been lurking in our fridge! Yummmmm.

And, in a quiet moment, there has also been a little bit of knitting taking place as I catch up on last night's Masterchef episode before I cook dinner, pick up Miss M from school and head down the hill to her ballet lesson.

It is a very short-lived quiet moment, I might add!

All this while I anxiously wait for the Computerfixit man to call regarding the Sam-inflicted computer illness.

Patience. Patience........

Sam xx

Getting Gumboots

Overnight we had the first new rains of the season and this morning the girls were itching to get out and jump in some of the puddles.

"Where are my gumboots*, Mum??"

Where, indeed. In the box by the back door. With the spiders. Hmmm. Not good. What to do?

I reached in to the Box Of Dead Boots from last year and brought out one that didn't seem too bad. That is, until I smelt it. Poo!!!!! Stinky, sweaty stale old gumboot smell! Yuk!!

At the end of last winter I did attempt to de-smell the gumboots with vinegar and bicarbonate of soda. It didn't work, obviously. I hoped that a good airing would do the trick. That didn't work, either. Our girls live in their gumboots during the winter; they are the shoes of choice for every occasion. Parties, too. Smelly boots Will Not Do. It is time to get some new boots. Off down the hill we go.

So, after a bit of colouring-in distraction supplied by a particular childrens' clothing chain (I didn't buy anything there - have you seen their prices lately?), the twins and I ventured into three large discount chain stores to check out their gumboot offerings, and we came home with....Ta-dah!

 

Miss J promptly jumped into the only puddle she could find.

 

Where did it go? Oh well, never mind. There will be plently more and much larger puddles soon enough!

(We hope!)

Happy rainy days, everyone.

Sam xx

* Gumboots aka wellies