We are me; Mummy, otherwise known as Michelle, Big chickpea; Daddy, otherwise known as Tristan, Medium chickpea; Rowan and Baby chickpea Reuben. This blog was started as I thought I was starting to loose track of all the amazing day to day things my children learn and how we grow as a family. It is also here to keep family and friends up to date with our adventure of moving our life from the UK to Australia.



Monday, 28 February 2011

Shoe skating dinosaurs

Rowan came back from our holiday with a tummy bug, which then got passed onto everyone else one by one, so for the last couple of weeks we have been avoiding other people and staying close to the bathroom! :(  Anyway we are all better now, just a bit out of sorts, trying to find the flow from before holidays and illnesses.  But we are getting there!

Last week was half term, as neither Rowan nor Reuben attends school this shouldn't make much difference but there was so much stuff going on, but being washed out from being poorly we decided to only go out to one activity, and that was at the Eden Project....

It was the last week of them having the ice rink there, so we went along to join an under 5's session, where they have no skates and there are loads of sledges etc.  it was great fun, the boys loved it, although Reuben did complain that it was too cold to start with (the boy really doesn't like the cold, he is so his fathers son!). Then we headed off to the rainforest biome to see the main half term attraction - a moving, roaring baby T-Rex.  Rowan got a bit side tracked on the way leading us off all over the place to cries of, "Mum, look theres loads of stuff up here" and  "I just need to read that sign".

We eventualy made it to the biome and after a very slow amble around all the different exhibits and things to do, we dashed through the last bit, just in time to catch the dinosaur.  It was pretty full on, there were lots of very scared children.  It walked up the path and bashed Rowan in the face with his hind leg, which Rowan thought was the coolest thing ever, then we had to chase him to get another look.  Reuben was bit unsure at first, but after seeing the mans legs and understanding that it was only a puppet he was fine.  the second look at it, the dinosaur stopped and sniffed Rowan, to which he hesitantly stroked it, then it sniffed Reuben, he stroked it then it nuzzled him!  They were both so chuffed!  I didn't get any photos though as it was all a bit a rush.

The rest of the day we spent watching storytellers (which was a bit too panto for Rowans liking!), making rainforest charms and wandering around. Then just before leaving we went into the Core which is the sciency bit of the project.  Rowan was absoultey fascinated, machines, inventions, buttons, wheels, allsorts of things to do.  He could have spent hours in there alone!

We left after that, a very very long day, but much fun had.

Reuben on the ice bike

Rowan loved the diggers

Rowan pulling Reuben on the sledge



Stroking a giants wasps bottom

Rowan trying to pull the metal man


These willow tunnels were great fun, I would like to try to recreate one in the garden

Rowan loved all the interactive displays, pulling and pushing anything and everything.  Note Rowans hair, very grown up hair cutting has happened!

Rainforest charm making, unfortunately Rowan has lost his

The Core - Rowans favourite bit

Especailly this one


Two cheeky monkeys i found on the bridge!




 This weekend bought an end to the horrible drizzle we have had for the last week or so, cold winds but blue skies we had all weekend.  On Saturday we headed off to Lands End, to see the end of the country.  there is a horrible theme park thing there now, but that was not half as much fun as having a picnic surrounded by a flock of starlings, they were so tame, they came right up to us to get crumbs, it was quite amazing.

Captain Reuben steering the lifeboat

The beautiful sky

Happy boy!
Oh yeah, other big news.... Rowan has had all his lovely locks cut off.  He looks about 2 years older now!  I have just realised though that most photos of him since have been with his hat on, must put one up of his new hair! 

Thursday, 17 February 2011

I just had a heart melting moment!

Whilst walking past the living room door I heard Rowan reading out loud, I peeked in through the crack in the door and Reuben was sat on Rowans lap listening to his big brother read to him.  Then after the story they role played the characters, then Reuben said, "Another one please Rowan."

It is so sweet to see them enjoying something that has always been reserved for a grown up, and Reuben was so proud of his big bro!

Wednesday, 16 February 2011

14 years


15 years ago I was 18 years old and I met Tristan at a party in a friends field.  We were both into the ‘rave scene’ and became good friends.  A year later we decided to take our relationship a stage further.  We were already living in shared house together amongst other friends, who were all into the same things.  We used to party hard, we had lots of fun but soon realised there was more to life, so we moved on together.

Last New Years Eve, I went out for the first time in 3 years to a party/rave, beforehand we met up with some old friends.  One of these friends has a 2 year old daughter, who lives in another part of the country.  He was talking of his split with her mum, when he said that they realised, when out of the stupor they had been in whilst they met and got together, that they had nothing in common and didn’t actually get on.  This really struck me, so many of our friends have all got into relationships under the same circumstances and we were no different, but so few of them come right through that and settle into ‘normal’ life together enjoying each others company.

So I feel blessed that even though life was a haze back then I managed to find my soul mate, my lover, my husband and father of my children and still 14 years later we still enjoy each others company as much as we did then.

Happy Anniversary Tristan xx

Monday, 7 February 2011

Spring is coming!


The air is warmer and I feel like we are finally coming out of our hibernation.  Inspiration is coming back, we are outside more, getting things done, everyone is having ideas; I want to do this, I want to do that.  It’s great!

Rowan and I spent the whole afternoon in the garden yesterday, clearing weeds and old dead plants making way for this years crop.  It felt so good to be working outside in the fresh air and it was even warm enough to take off our coats!
Feeding the ducks and swans, but the swans were a bit agro that day, so we left them to it!

The squirrels in our local woods are so overfed on peanuts and white bread that they are now obese!  Reuben still fancies his chances of catching one!

A new addition to the woods - Canadian Goose



We went for a day trip to a local theme park, but being winter only 5 things were open, one of which was a sand pit with diggers, need I say more!

Chinese New Year crafts - Reuben wanted to be a rabbit

Rowan is really into learning to read at th moment.  He is now putting sentences together and spelling words out.  He loves his workbooks too!

Reuben doing some pouring and scooping, which he got totally absorbed into.

Rowan painting his rocket

Chinese laterns

Rowan wanted to be a chinese lion/dragon

Skate ramps for mushroom skateboarding men!

Happy chickpeas!

Daddy has finally made a start on the boys playhouse down the bottom of our garden.  With Rowans help they have cleared the area to be built upon.  


It is so nice to feel the inspiration running through our veins again, I really do feel like I have been in hibernation these last few months.  

We are off on holiday tomorrow for a week to Morrocco, for a quick blast of warmth and relaxation, camels, cous cous and dates!  Rowan is so excited he even told a shop assistant this morning!

bits and bobs

Reuben and Daddy on a wintery trip to the beach (New Years Day)

Rowan digging


Bike rides in the woods


More wintery beaches



Spaceship making

Daddy made the boys a toilet seat which has now been personalised

Spaceships

Sunday, 23 January 2011

Yummy Sunday


Rowan has had an ear infection this week and the doctors wanted to give him antibiotics again.  So we got them, but they have sat in fridge untouched.  Instead it gave me the well needed kick to get us back to feeling in tip top condition. 

So its been healthy food all week, fresh juices and not so much wheat and dairy.

This morning we had some lovely spelt pancakes and kiwi and pear juice, mmmmm!

Rowan helping with the flipping

Breakfast 

I decided I had to sort out the kitchen cupboards, which proved to be hours of fun for the boys!


Inspirational sunshine

This week we have seen some lovely fresh sunshine, which has lightened all our spirits.  It is very cold, a lovely layer of frost every morning, but fresh and sunny nonetheless.

I have managed to find some inspiration from somewhere and am feeling myself being pulled out of the house into the garden to give it the much needed attention it deserves.

Unfortunately, Reuben really does not like the cold weather and he only lasts about 10 minutes before he is too painfully cold to move, then he freezes even more as he just stands there!  But we are getting some stuff done, albeit in small bursts!

My garden helpers clearing the area for the long awaited spring chooks!


A well earned snack

Jack Frost has been most days this week

Rowan was so happy to have been the first to spot the new shoots of rhubarb

Swinging pixie


Digger and dinosuar land!