The first time we've grown spuds!

The kids had such fun this evening digging through the dirt to unearth our home-grown potatoes. They have such lovely white skins! I'm thinking of turning them into a Summer potato salad, seeing as Summer is here this week.

Hidcot Manor Garden

Clare and Jen invited us all to Hidcot Manor Gardens and we had a LOVELY day.  Hidcot was designed by Major Lawrence Johnston, and is a great English garden as he combined the more formal French style with the English ‘cottage’ garden style.

Although the weather was threatening we didn’t get any rain (which was fortunate as it was St Swithian’s day (a British weather lore proverb says that if it rains on Saint Swithun's day, 15 July, it will rain for 40 days).

 Sophie needed some reminding about some of the rules when visiting gardens: ie don’t pick anything!

There was a tennis court there for anyone to use – Andrew and I lost 2 sets to Clare and Jen, even though the umpire and ball girl were meant to be on our side.

Although some people tried to pretend that they didn’t enjoy themselves, we all had a really nice day out, away from Oxford, with friends we don’t see often enough.

June 2012

William wrote this postcard to his best friend James:
I flew a kite and nearly fell over! Dear James Love William

 Sophie at the local park.

Rhossili Bay, Gower, South Wales. This first picture is William trying to wink.


 Worm's Head in the background.

First camping trip for Summer 2012

We've just returned from a lovely weekend camping in the sunshine. We were near Brill, a small country town 30 mins from Oxford. Highlights include a great walk through fields of buttercups to a pub lunch, a small, intimate feeling festival, we all have a little sunburn, and William stayed up until 11pm listening to a country folk band. Here is the view from next to our tent.

William off for a walk among the field of buttercups.

Sophie enjoying a bath with a plastic pint glass, in a bucket.

Easter holidays in Wales 2012

We spent Easter with Andrew's parents, which is always a lovely treat. Eggs were hunted in the garden, chocolate was consumed, a birthday party tea was held in Sophie's honour and many expeditions set out hunting for dragons in caves.

The second part of our Easter holidays was spent staying in a converted chapel in North Wales, near Bangor and Angelsea. Friends stayed with us and the kids all had a ball together. Sophie also got to spent more time with her Godmother Rachel.


One day we caught a steam train from Beddgelert to Porthmadog. It was fun having lunch on the train together.


Then we had a really lovely walk back to Beddgelert along side a river - the kids lead the way!



Some video footage of Sophie laughing and running.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=L2UzrqUh31c

PS For my non-Welsh family, see this link for the legend of Gelert (which every time I hear or read, I end up crying).
http://www.beddgelerttourism.com/gelert/

PPS Beddgelert is pronounced Beth-gelert. Love the Welsh alphabet!

Sophie "reading" a book

Watch out!

Occasionally we worry that Sophie is too gender stereotyped when she spends hours and hours putting her dolls (she calls them babies) to sleep, cuddling them, feeding them, patting their backs etc. But we are reassured that she also likes other pursuits when she goes to the dress up drawer, insists on this outfit (note also sword, belt and shield) and has a sword fight with William.