Rats!

I guess it was bound to happen, what with chickens and an active compost bin. It seems we have some additional garden dwellers at the moment. I noticed something was digging into the bottom of the compost bin, and had in fact tunnelled all the way through it to make a sleeping quarters at the top. I guess it must be rather nice in there for a rat. The warmth of the compost, straw and food being added regularly, and away from the elements.

We were happy to just let it be for the winter, although I was removing the lid of our dalek bin with great trepidation of late, just in case our resident was snoozing! He was doing me a favour too, mixing up the compost, and shovelling out the really well rotted stuff I just coudn't get to through that piddly little hatch of a door at the base of the bin. The chickens were enjoying a bit of a treat too, rummaging through the compost for grubs etc. However, ratty has decided to explore under the hen house now too, and I don't want him (it could be a "her" I haven't investigated that closely!) to interfere with the chickens. So I'm now in search of a humane rat trap, to relocate Mr Ratty to a more suitable place. Although I'm sure he thinks here is quite suitable enough!

There was a fleeting moment where I thought this would be a good excuse to get a cat again, but I know I would be way too anxious having a cat again, where we are. My heart can't take any more losses to that road. Besides, relocating Mr Rat is a far better option, if only I can catch him!

Comfort Zones

Aaaarrrrrrggggghhhhh!

It is so easy to get on with my little life, thinking I am making such a difference. Thinking about what we do, trying to be sustainable in some aspects of our life, trying to reduce our waste, bringing up the children to be respectful of our planet, etc.

However, last night I watched a programme by David Attenborough about population growth, and how we are sitting on a time bomb. I realise the irony, a mother of 4 going on about how awful population growth is! But with a projected extra 3 billion people being added to the planet in the next 50 years, how are we going to survive? We need to get everyone to be thinking about this now. With our current level of living in the UK, we would need just over 2 planets to allow everyone to live like us. Something needs to happen, I wonder whether we will just reach crisis point and the world sorts out the problem itself, to return to some equilibrium, or whether human kind really is altruistic enough to save itself.

Depressing thoughts, sorry. If anyone has any ideas as to how an individual can make their voice more loudly heard, please give me some ideas. Emails to governments just don't seem enough.

I would love to return to my little life, but I feel the need for action right now.

Questioning minds

A normal walk to school this morning, chatting about the day ahead, when Alec pipes up "What is fire?"

Where the question came from, goodness knows, but it got us all thinking. My initial response was, when something gets hot it releases energy, and that's what fire is, the release of energy. "But why does one thing burn and one thing melt?",
"Is the sun fire?"
"Why do dome solids burn, like wood, but other things like gases burn?"

All from walking to school! Typical that these questions pop up when we have no way of finding out! I have suggested to them all that they ask their teachers, see if they have any better answers.

This one to go down with the classics I've had in the past such as "why is air invisible?" (Luke aged three!) and "if God is in everything, if I chop down a tree, am I killing God?" (Luke aged 4)

They constantly amaze me with their enquiring minds. I think I must have just taken things for granted as a child, and never questioned why. I certainly can't remember being so inquisitive!

Perfect!

Yesterday evening, we did the advent candle and book, then the boys settled down to play on the Wii for a while, whilst I made blueberry muffins and tea. The fact that all three boys were playing together was in itself lovely. No interruptions from friends calling, the darkness outside wrapping itself around our house like a blanket.

Sophie was beginning to get a little tired as she hadn't had a nap that afternoon, and once again, I was a little late with tea. I felt bad having to call on the boys to try to entertain her whilst I got the pasta bake in the oven, but they rose to the challenge. I had expected just Luke to occupy her, but all three of them decided to turn off the Wii and got the wooden blocks and the farm set out and entertained her well beyond the time I needed. In fact, Sophie decided she'd had enough and the boys carried on playing with her toys.

This is what family life is all about, time, quiet time, working together. This is just to acknowledge that it does work sometimes (not all the time by any stretch of the imagination!), and for that I am grateful!

Advent

Usually we just have some Divine Chocolate advent calendars. So this year I dutifully bought the choccie calendars. Then on the Green Parent forum there were ideas to do for advent, and I loved the idea of a Christmas book per day. So I went around the house collecting Christmas-sy books to find we had 18, so a trip to the library brought our total up to 24.

Combined with the advent candle, we can sit and read a Christmas related story whilst the candle burns. Great reading practice for the boys too!

To top it all off, my aunt turned up with the most gorgeous wooden advent calendar in the shape of a reindeer head, with 24 hooks on the antlers and little hessian sacks to hang from them. She even provided toffees to go in the sacks! 3 toffees will fit in one sack, so Sophie will have to miss out for now, even though she has discovered that she likes them!

This makes so much more of a family tradition to Christmas than your standard advent calendars. I'm hoping a tradition is in the making. So whilst this year there seems to be a bit of a sweetie overload, next year we can dispense with the chocolate and find an alternative to toffees, ie something we can get 4 of in the sacks!!

Check this out!

Gardenmama has done it again, such wonderful creations to give away.

http://gardenmama.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/11/imagine-childhood---two-part-giveaway.html#comment-6a01156f7e3eba970c012875ed456b970c

Crafting

What a wonderful weekend filled with creativity.

Saturday was my Mother-in-laws birthday. She is a wonderful mother, grandmother, mother-in-law to us all, and all she wanted was to spend time with her family. We invited her and my Father-in-law over for tea, which was local minted lamb chops with roast potatoes, and lots of veg. Followed by a homegrown raspberry pavlova (apart from the cream and the sugar!), and birthday cake. I think it went down well (especially the pavlova!)

Sunday was far more relaxed, I finished a hat for Ethan for Christmas, an added challenge being that it being pure wool, that had been stored in the conservatory for a while, some moths had found it, and had a good munch! (Note to self, get some cedar balls!)

Stuart and the boys settled down to a WarHammer painting session, the looks of intense concentration on their faces were fantastic. Although Sophie wanted to join in, so needed entertaining elsewhere. In fact her frustration at the whole thing has prompted her to learn to climb onto the dining chairs, to try and join in! However, toddlers and fine detailed painting really do not go together!

A stupid realisation has struck both Stuart and I, we spend far too long online, to the detriment of the children. It really should have hit us ages ago, 4 young children and an online life do not go hand in hand, therefore, far less time online for us, and hopefully far more creativity at home. In fact our Christmas tree this year is going to be decorated with WarHammer dwarves painted as santa! That should add a certain "something" to it!