One, two, three....

Check out Ruby Tuesday, Wordless Wednesday, and Shadow Shot Sunday for more fun every week.

Wordless Wednesday

See more pictures without words by clicking on Wordless Wednesday and Sunnydaytodaymama.  Shhhh!

Wordless Wednesday - Jes chillin' with my brother, man!

Visit Wordless Wednesday for more silent pictures.

Shadow Shot Sunday - A boy and his dog

James and Robbie the dog, enjoying some late winter (or early spring?) sunshine.  But - where has my grass gone?!

See more shadow play at Shadow Shot Sunday.

Two watercolours - two children

 

The Beach at Brora, Sutherland. By Karen (age 29)

Blue Campervan with Purple Seats. By James (age 3)

What talented artistic children I am blessed with :)

Quick trip

Sometimes, there is no getting away from it- we have to make a trip into our capital city.  Fortunately it is only 20 minutes away, and it is a nice town. James is ready and is taking one or two friends with him.

 

As son as the car is parked, we have to stand under this tunnel and listen to out echoed calls.

Now our errand is done, we can have a walk around. James runs on ahead, but stops to wait while we catch up.

In we go to the gardens.  I always think of the fact that we are walking along the bottom of a loch basin.

 Looking up at the castle on the rock.

Noticing things we had never noticed before - like that thistle detail on the very top of the window corbels.

Looking for Mr Squirrel's house, but we thought he was still deeply asleep in his cosy nest.

The Ross Banstand, which less than a month ago saw the likes of Madness and The Noisettes strutting across it's stage, while a spectacular firework display welcomed in the New Year, lies empty and forlorn.  Ah well, spring and summer are on their way and festivals will once again brighten it's space.

James tries to find some wind to blow his new windmill.  And it does blow!

But running down those steep banks are just the best fun.

Still here Santa?

One of the many things I love about having a 3 year old again, is being there when his imagination soars. Today - just an ordinary day around the house and garden, James was just so engrossed in his play. I was making the evening meal at this point and when I tuned round to see what he was doing he called out - I'm Santa, Mum - and so he was!   He'd put on a red play silk and found a hat left over from the holidays and it was Christmas again!  Ho ho ho :)

Teamwork!

I cut the fruit  and vegetables,while James puts it through the juicer.  Orange, beetroot, carrot and kale today - very nice.

Papa needed to go to the bank and for some shopping, but Gran is feeling the cold a lot just now, so she came here.  James kept her entertained. She is not really able to do much at all now, and she likes to keep her coat and gloves on, but she still responds to James and his chatter.

Robbie the dog had been out in the garden and had very muddy feet when he came in.  James helped his Dad dry them off.  James is reassuring Robbie, as he hates getting his feet dried.

After that James helped Dad to fix his big sister's car. She will be pleased when she comes home!

When Papa came back, he helped make the lunch for us all.

And I made these (well-fired) spelt and oatmeal loaves.

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It's OK - I've got it covered!

In the middle of the night, James woke up screaming and it took a long time to calm him down (us too!) In the morning he said that polar bears were coming to eat him.  Although we tried to reassure him, he kept mentioning it all day, so at bedtime we made up a special magic anti-bear spray and he dilligently went around the house spraying every nook and cranny.  I think I can safely say we are polar bear proof tonight!

Off for a few days to a family wedding.  Back next week xx

Time out.

Hello there! I have been sufferring from an eye infection this week, so I have not really felt like squinting at a screen.  It was my 'camera' eye too, so taking photographs was not really top of my list.  Which was a shame, actually, because my darling husband gave me a much wanted zoomier lens (55 - 200) for my camera as a birthday gift. Never mind, I am feeling much better and hopefully the weather will clear up next week, and I will amaze you all with my artful close ups.  We are heading off to a family wedding down in England later in the week, so that will give me lots of photo opportunities too.
Anyway, despite spending a lot of time with hot compresses on my eye, we managed to keep going.
Here are some of the things we got up to.

Wheel painting with trains and cars.

Watching the sparrow cafe.

Going for a very cold and dreich walk in Polkemmet Country Park.

Making coconut cupcakes for Kristine to take to work for a Children in Need fundraiser.

And a wee run to Crieff at the end of the week.  It was too rainy there to take photographs, so I snapped this one of Stirling Castle from the car on the way back.  John was driving though. 

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James is 3!!

James was 3 years old Tuesday.  We had a really lovely day.  He loved his new red tricycle with pedals!

A whole book about trucks and cars and things that go - this is his favourite page right now.

Gran and Papa gave him this wonderful digger - definitely the present of the year.

A very happy boy on his birthday.

Big sister Kristine gave him lots of crafty things and they spent a fun afternoon painting and glueing - each other as well as the paper.  Not sure really who this present was for:)

Birthday boy - still sporting his green smiley face "tattoo" gets ready for blowing out his candles.  He's waited a whole year to do that.

A wild game of jumping on the bed with Finlay was a fine end to the day.

Friday evening in November

It seemed so warm and cosy this evening, as I looked around the house. I felt very contented just being there.

A few last minute chocolate chip cookies (quite well done) cooling beside my Autumn candle, lit for dinner.



James playing a game in front of the fire. Robbie the dog sneaking in hoping to find a space on the hearth rug.


One of my favourite views - the conservatory and kitchen all bright, glowing and inviting. Picture taken on the way back from shutting the hens up for the night.
I love November :)

Unschooling ambrosia

Today James didn't want any lunch but as John and I were eating ours, he came up to the table with one of the little pots of rice pudding that he likes. So - there we were chatting away when I noticed James looking at the pot and saying the names of all the family - Mum, Dad, Kristine etc. I asked him if he was reading the pot and he said he was. Then he began to point to each letter and ask me what it said. It took me a few seconds to realise that he really was asking me to tell him the letters! So, I did - that's a Bee - that's a mmm and that's esss. Then he made the cute sound that he always makes when chasing us with his toy snake!!
I so love this journey :)

Freedom - a view from the North

For as long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any conditions be brought under English rule. It is not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom — for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself.
From The Declaration of Arbroath 1320.

Quite a controversial quote here, especially as the majority of wonderful people who read my blog are in fact English. I mean no offence here friends. It is just that I have been reading so much about the appalling plans by the UK government to take away the freedom of English parents to home educate their children, that I find this quite apt in the circumstances. It is a frightening prospect. Everyday I find more and more to worry about. Information can be found here and here, and here.
Fortunately for me, I live in Scotland, where these measures will not apply - our SNP government have said they have no plans to implement a similar review. Hopefully Mr BrownBalls will take some notice of the huge response to their 'proposals' If, as is supsected, they do not, I look forward to welcoming any home educators and their children to this land - there is plenty room to grow here. Its a sad day for democracy though when people are forced to become refugees in their own country over doing the best for their children.
I was in the National Museum of Scotland the other day. The entrance to the ground floor exhibition contains one of my favourite items - The Monymusk Reliquary. On the walls are inscribed the names of all the Kings of Scotland, and also the above quote from the Declaration of Arbroath is highlighted in beautiful calligraphy. As I read these familiar words, my eye travelled down to the long bench below. Sitting there looking very tired and subdued was a group of children from a daycare nursery wearing their high visiility vest uniforms and all strapped together with one of these. Ironic? Poignant? Or a warning?
Well - there are still 5320 of us at least!

I did it!

No photos of this one, but yesterday morning, while I was sorting out his clothes and not quite paying attention, James put his pants on himself!!!!! Ok they were outside in and he had the holes slightly mixed up, but still.... I can't tell you how thrilled I am by this. He has quite poor function in his left hand - so things like this are really difficult for him. I managed to stifle a scream and said - "Oh,I see you've put your pants on yourself"
"Yes - I did it" he said and went back to playing car parks.
But we both knew...

Mini Beasts

In Scotland, if you attend primary school, around the age of 8 (I think) you will encounter a topic called Minibeasts. This is your introduction to entomology - the study of insects. You will probably go on a trip to a country park where a nice Ranger will show you some bugs and insects. They might set up a workshop for you where you can look at them through a magnifying glass. You may find it so fascinating that you will not hear the teacher tell you to line up in twos for the next activity, and she may shout at you to to "get over here right now" You will then do some worksheets and maybe back in the classroom, do a quiz on an internet site about "creepy crawlies!". Then you will move on to do the Egyptians.

Never mind. Just pop out into the garden, park, or even your doorstep and you can watch insects for as long as you like - then read up on them afterwards. Like this common hoverfly, for instance. It sat on the door handle, sunbathing for ages. It looks a bit like a bee or wasp - quite a good style if you don't want birds to eat you. It is very useful as it eats pollen, therefore helps pollinate plants, and it's larvae eat aphids - green and blackfly. A beautiful creature.


Or how about this 7 spotted ladybird? (sorry I didn't wash my hands there). Ladybirds are actually beetles and they eat tons of aphids, so they are a very good thing to have in the garden. At this time of year they are looking for somewhere to hibernate. Why not leave some hollow stemmed plant stalks lying in a sheltered place for them? This one was very friendly and stayed for ages, before we put him/her into some undergrowth. In the olden days people thought that eating ladybirds cured toothache - they produce a yellow oily substance thought to have painkilling properties. It might very well be true - a lot of old knowledge has been lost, but they are so useful it would be better not to try it out - just brush your teeth like the dental people tell you.




Scared of spiders? Don't be. They eat flies and mites and areperfectly harmless in this country. This is a house spider - probably a male one, because it has a narrow body and long legs. It is crawling up a rather dusty looking door post (sorry about that too!) , but it posed very obligingly for several minutes while I faffed about with my camera. You will probably see quite a few house spiders around now, as it is their mating season (don't know if you've done that topic yet - ask your teacher what it means), so please don't hit them with a magazine - catch them in your hand or in a tumbler and put them outside. Pity the poor males - once they have had their moment of paradise, the female eats them alive!

Can you see this spider? It is very tiny on the head of this beautiful dandelion. It was too small to see, but it is probably one of the money spiders. They usually live outside, but sometimes you may see one in the house. They are called money spiders because it used to be thought that if one crawled on you then you would be rich! I like that old tale better than the ladybird one.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my minibeast topic. I wont shout at you like that teacher I saw at the nature park. Come back anytime - the bugs are just out there waiting for you to meet them. Check out somewhere like Wild about Britain, if you need help in identifying them. Don't let your interest in insects and wildlife die and become like an Egyptian mummy.

Shadow Shot Sunday - Car boot bargains

James and his Dad went to the market on Friday morning - one of their favourite places. At the car boot section they saw a man selling this Bob the Builder trike - just what James needed, as he is beginning to outgrow his push along one. It was only £2! He loves it.

And a boy really needs a trailer for all those little essentials.

They also found a rather wonderful Caterpillar bulldozer (£1) to add to his huge stash. But you know - boys just can never have too many construction vehicles can they?
Go window shopping for more shadow shots at Hey Harriet - Shadow Shot Sunday.