We made it out the house!!

After fighting bugs last week, we eventually managed to get down the allotment to get the potatoes in the ground, well, first and second earlies anyway!  Sophie and Ethan did some much needed watering, the ground is getting so dry already, it is one thing I am going to try to keep on top of this year, as the potatoes and onions suffered last year for not enough water.

 The boys all had a go at planting the potatoes.  You might just be able to see some green in the potato trench.  We line the trench with comfrey leaves which will break down and add nutrients directly to the growing potato plants, and comfrey is one thing we are not short of, especially as we are a little late getting them in the ground!

 We did more weeding (I wish I could find a use for docks, we seem to be so good at growing them!), and also some harvesting of purple sprouting, spinach and rhubarb.

 That was Monday.  Tuesday we ventured to our local park which was suprisingly not as busy as I thought it would have been. 

 The purpose of the visit was to see if Ethan could master riding his bike without stabilisers.  He has mastered balancing, it is just confidence he needs now.  So there was lots of bike swapping going on, and I ended up pushing Sophie all the way home on Ethan's bike, whilst Ethan road home in her trike!

 We didn't quite master the riding with confidence, we need to be able to build the speed up a bit, but that takes alot of trust and bit of courage.

A beautiful crab apple tree reminded us of the bounties this park provides us later in the year, it is my source of apples, damsons, sloes, hazlenuts come the late summer.

 Once home we had the playdough out, and Alec, Ethan and Sophie enjoyed making various things.  Isn't is great having younger siblings which allow you to carry on playing with things like this without any embarrasment!

 Later in the evening Stuart started reading a role playing book with Alec.  You have a story that you have to make choices with, and some dice rolling as well to determine the outcome of some battles.  It attracted all the children, and was lovely to see them all entranced.  They had to stop after about an hour, as Stuart's voice was about to give up!

These Easter holidays seem to be going so quick, but I am enjoying capturing all these precious moments.