Castle Espie

This weekend 3/5 of our household have headed up to Bushmills to join with Grif's Stag party.  Beatrice was very keen to be part of the posse and accepted, with some degree of reluctance, that it was a "boys only" party and so she couldn't go.  Of course she was rather confused when Dilly (our girl dog) was spotted packing her lead.  We reasoned that Dilly would be too sad to stay without Beans, so she could go if she pretended to be a boy.  Grif would probably not be fooled if Mummy and Bea pretended to be male, but Dilly had the acting skills to fool convince him, so with a cuddle and a pat and a "Good Boy Dilly" we waved goodbye on Friday night.

That left us with a canine free Saturday, so we ventured to Castle Espie, with two other uninvited girls.

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Castle Espie is a bird sanctuary that would not welcome two enthusiastic chocolate doggies leaping over their fences and trying to eat the Brent geese.  It did however welcome us most warmly.

Our first adventure was at the duck ponds, where according to local legend, some of the ducks were tame enough to eat the seed from your hand.  We almost believed this tale as one particularly friendly duck began his approach to us.  Unfortunately neither of the girls was sufficiently tame to hand feed him, so we were unable to discover the truth of this myth by scientific study.

Then we began the trail to the hide, trying to spot our "I spy" ducks on the way (I spy a duck swimming....I spy a duck preening...I spy a duck sleeping)   

The website warns us that we are to be very quiet in the hides, so I shared this information with Beatrice on the approach.  With whispers we opened the door to be greeted with the shrieks of a pack of Brownies.  Thankfully we could not have made more noise than them.  In the hide we secured a bird check list (2 points for a black headed gull - 8 points for a Brent goose) and stole some binoculars from the Brownies.  We immediately put them to good use and spotted a black headed gull.  This lowest scoring bird was the highlight of our ornithological adventures.  Beatrice did however decree that we were "bird spies and must only speak in French" which made our stay in the hide most entertaining (as one of us has GCSE French and the other has watched Peppa Pig)

Then it was off to try our hand at pond dipping.  Honestly, the excitement when we found a fly with drippy wet wings as immense!

To discover the stone age secrets of the past the mini archeologists got to brush gravel off information signs.  GENIUS!

Then it was into a canoe to watch the ducklings swim past.  We spotted eight here and zero in the duckery.

I feel it is time to insert some jumping photos so that you too can admire Bea's new welly boots and her jumper.

After a lovely picnic lunch, we played for 15 minutes in the soft play "pond room" until the rain shower abated, then it was off to "Stoat town" and a "Swamp walk".  When asked what kind of animal lives in a swamp Beatrice replied "Shrek".  She was then somewhat disappointed when we saw a swamp but couldn't find an ogre.

We did however find this friendly chap, who made me think of godswoods and want to read a bit more of my Game of Thrones book.  So I'm off to do just that.

Darcey's Delicious Day

Today, Darcey had a cracking cookie party to celebrate her fifth birthday.  

We began the festivities with a little bit of cookie decoration.  As you can see it required A LOT of concentration....

....especially when it came to positioning the sprinkles JUST RIGHT!

But the fruits of that labour were finger licking good.

The birthday girl with one of her beautiful biscuits.  Anyone like minded should note Katrina's amazing forethought in  providing aprons (co-ordinated with the table cloths) to protect the party clothes.  You may also notice Bea not wearing one....we like to take risks and challenge the washing machine!   However, when the bowls of Rice Krispies and melted chocolate came out she did request a blue apron but insisted at sitting at the red table, because it was Darcey's

The party food.

The beautiful birthday girl...who also happens to be one of the most thoughtful and compassionate people I know, which is remarkable given that she is only five.  I know it looks like she is 2, but the cake is upside down.

Finally, Beatrice's buns had to be correctly displayed before....

...they were scoffed.

You can watch the who shebang here

Dora Day

As she had demanded requested, Beatrice had a princess party for her third birthday.  At the time however, she was also a huge "Dora the Explorer" fan.  So, on her actual birthday, when the Dalchoolies and Grandparents came, we had a Dora table cloth, party plates, napkins and cups.  I also made an orange and pink cake with a Dora top (go me!)

The unused party things have lain dormant in the drawer for some months now, so we had a tiny celebration Dora Day yesterday.

Evie, Beth and Max joined us and we found Dora's backpack, with a map pointing us to Echo Tunnel, past the bowling green to the Easter Meadow.  Off we set (with Miss Molly in tow)

This outing was sponsored by a certain American clothing company...but I forget which one.

The girls thought it would be a good idea if they all wore pink hoodies...Max was allowed to make an alternative colour choice.

Echo Tunnel required some shouting...But Max seemed to know exactly what some unsavoury sorts do in an underpass.  Don't panic....he was carrying a recorder!

The Easter Meadow could have been tricky to find, especially as the map blew away while we crossed the busy road, but thankfully there were some signs to help show the way and one or two bunny footprints.

Obviously, a brisk walk in the bracing, sub zero air (obviously I exaggerate for literary effect) had to be rewarded with some treasure.  It was there to be found, hidden about the Easter Meadow (or for those of you familiar with Hazlebank, the clump of trees behind the bowling green)

All of Dora's apprentices were given an imitation backpack (aka a little tin bucket for collecting eggs in)

Then it was off to the park for a slide a swing or a climb.

We were refuelled by scoffing one or two little eggs.

The we set off...heading back home

Only stopping to blow a few dandelion clocks.

Finally back in the warmth of the house, 

we were able to indulge in a little face painting.  We also managed to apply some very tasteful Dora tattoos and colour in some of the Dora Easter Activity printables downloaded FREE from Nick Jr.

Then it was time that mummys, daddys, and Josies joined us for some tea.  Of course you must also have Dora buns (the plastic topped ones contain very elegant rings) which you eat the icing off and feed the rest of the bun to Dilly and Beanz.  That's how we roll here.

To complete the evening, I too had my face painted.

Dora, done and dusted.

To see the adventure...

http://youtu.be/6bgLrpSG5DM

The Apple Tree Pixies

The fairies are everywhere.  There is a small collection that have emigrated from Pixie Hollow and moved into our house, including one rather glamorous and sparkly Tinkerbell that Bea got for Valentine's day.  Sometimes she even follows Beatrice on adventures.

In our back garden we also have a magical apple tree.  Looking down on it this morning, I can see Mr Blackbird perched on the uppermost  branches and two little blue tits shoving around the peanuts.  The apple tree catches the sunlight and the leaves are use beginning to bud (unlike the Willow tree that is almost fully dressed)  At the base of the tree is a magical little door (it opens to no where - we know, we have tried it - and I'm not sure why that surprises me as it was me who purchased it from ebay).  The pixies have hung a sign on the door that says "Shhhh, Pixies sleeping"

This is obviously NOT a blackbird

 Anyhow, Beatrice and I decided that the Pixies garden needed a little bit of landscaping.  This decision was precipitated by the spring induced weeding that took place in the vegetable* patch.  (* by "vegetable patch" please substitute two lavender bushes, clump of parsley, chives, some of last year's strawberry plants and a newly planted gooseberry bush) 

With the help of some glass beads, sand and bubble mixture, we were able to spend an hour happily gardening in the warm sunshine.

Getting carried away, we also made a flag (stick and tissue) a fence, a small seat and a campfire.

Then the Pollys arrived for a visit.  In the picture you can see Polly Blue Eyes, Polly Vanilla and Polly Zoe Violet.  Polly Ponytail and Polly Shiny Girl  were picnicking on the other side of the pixie garden and Polly Posey has mysteriously disappeared.  Obviously the Pollys belong to a doll culture that begin their names with their surname.  I suspect that when Bea is a little older she will indulge in a period of participant observation producing some anthropological field notes to explain why.