Culture at a young age

She did well, and loved the new snazzy black socks we had to buy at Boots because she got a big hole in her tights. We got dinner in the train station AND got to ride in a taxi TWICE...almost makes up for the drunk singing people on the train on the way home.

Theatre experiences

We took Isla thru to Edinburgh to see the stage show of White Christmas. She liked the tap dancing most, and fake snow at the end.

Curls!

Concentation

He loves the dogs and a bag of dog treats never lasts long around our house.

Concentation

He loves the dogs and a bag of dog treats never lasts long around our house.

Never out or the fun

More silliness

Silly fun

Dancing on the table

Trees!

The 200 year old tree that fell over and we are using for a kitchen table and stuff ay our new house.

We're off to see the wizard...

Auntie Erin is here!!!

The girls have declared her 'Queen of the turkeys' (and they are the princesses), hence the dresses! She just arrived and we already drug her our to the farm to see our 200 year old tree/new kitchen table

More walks

Family Walks

We're still having a lot of dry weather. It's been cold, but crisp and clear. This was part of our family walk a few weeks ago. We had to stop at the playground in town for the kids to climb.

Mr Toad comes to visit

Mom opened the back door to put some recycling out and found a large toad. The girls were thrilled at the idea, but horrified when dad told them it was poisonous.

Dining in Style

In our great moving adventure, we realised that our enormous picnic table was also quite heavy. Rather than move it twice, while Uncle Michael was helping and had his tractor, we just took it to the site...and there it will stay!

Team work

Found some old shots of our moving adventures....Fergus wouldn't sit in the wheelbarrow alone, so we put Charlie in with him. Problem solved!

Mr moustache on Monday

Doggy Shame

Yes, she did run away for a bit...but she did come back on her own. I am letting Ali give her a bath tomorrow.

Queen of the forest

Someone was in her element playing in the mud, the water, digging for bugs and lifting up rocks.

Tree climbing and general merry-making

While isla 'rode her broom' (a partially broken tree with a section she could sit on and hang off like a monkey), Ailsa decided to make goofy faces for a picture, while raiding the Marks & Spencer lunch bag.

Family adventures

So, there is a very old oak tree that has fallen over at the farm and we have found a man to log it so we can make our dining room table at the new house from it (along with some other stuff--it is a HUGE tree. We went down today with kids in suits and wellies and mum watched the kids while dad trimmed the vines off the tree and cut it to the point it can me moved. Fergus got a little overzealous throwing rocks in a pool and went in face first....the coldness shocked him a bit but as mum was right behind him she grabbed him straight out by the back of the jacket. A handy tissue dried him off (minus his sleeves we discovered some hours later) and he was back worm hunting with the girls. The dogs were given 'free' time and they obviously found a hole to investigate.

Beautiful day of peace and rest

My new Sunday morning walking buddy

He refused to wear pink gloves and kept shaking his head saying "islas"...

Sisters

Fergus has discovered the beat place for his older sisters...the dungeon!

Digging

It was a cold but dry day on the hill today...sheep have been taken away and only the drillers were up there today.

Modern day diviners

So today the well digging began

Inservice fun

More bubbles

Inservice fun

No school because of I service days at school today and tomorrow. While mom tried to clean the floors, she kicked the kids outside, raided the recycling bin and gave them some dish soap and they amused themselves for a bit. Who needs toys when you have toilet paper rolls, plastic spoons, empty butter tubs, straws, water, soap & a bit of soap powder???

Great gifts

In an effort to get her to be more active, I bought her a scooter and got rid of the double buggy. Over the weekend she practiced and is now zipping all over town. I can't keep up with her! Her Peppa Pig bell makes sure everyone can hear her before she flies by!

Speedy

Tree climbing

Mr moustache picks apples

We'll be doing apple pies and stewed pears today me thinks....lots of dropped apples on the ground we picked up.

Pear picking

Mr moustache goes fruit picking

He likes to sample the fruit...pears and his mighty big bucket.

Movember

Someone loves his mustache motorcycle shirt so much, he thinks he is very clever with his mustache!

We have trenches!

Crazy kids

Spent some time at the site, re creating the very first visit

His dream store

Someone got a big kick out of the farmer supply store today! They have a whole section of tractor toys and miniature animals.

Junior birdwatchers

The new favourite activity at the small house is bird watching. Isla has a bird identification book and it lives on the ledge over the sink. Ailsa loves sitting and watching the birds and trying to find the matching bird in the book I the afternoons. Now that we don't have chickens, we tend to put some of our scrapfood out for the birds.

A little over the top with safety

So, I know the descriptions are crossed on these two, but I laughed at the 'wear a glove when using sparklers' line. In the UK they'd be horrified at Americans in summer clothes using fireworks! MUCH too dangerous :)

New holidays

Isla came home with this paper from school....and was very proud she had memorized the poem.

Breaking ground!