Easy Summer Days

Hellooooooo! We are back home again after a fulsome and very enjoyable jolly in Connievan last week, boy it was certainly fulsome! I'll be uploading my holiday snaps in the next day or two to share with you, I'm looking forward to doing that very much.

The past few days have been spent easing back into our lazy summer routine at home after all the activity and hectic-ness of last week. It feels rather wonderful and luxurious to wake and greet each day with a blank schedule. No timetable, no appointments, no arrangements. Just me and the three Littlies hanging out at home.

After a rather wet and dismal weekend, today has been super-duper here in my patch. Stunning blue skies, warm sunshine and a breezy breeze. Perfect for doing Easy Things and making the most of outdoors.

This morning I took my coffee and snook out to the back yard, bare foot and still in my jammies, tiptoeing quietly out the kitchen door away from the children. The morning sun was creeping into the yard through the gate, it was a wonderful, sneaky little bit of me-time. Those quiet sunny moments alone were very much appreciated I can tell you.

Once my coffee was warm in my tummy, I went about my daily chatter with my flowers. Oooooooo the glorious orange of the marigolds in my hanging basket really made me smile! Can't normally grow marigolds in the back yard as they are prime fodder for the sizable slug and snail population, but in their hanging garden they are safe.

And my sweet peas have finally begun to flower too, I was so excited to see them there at the weekend. I am completely over my fear of cutting them, in fact I mercilessly cut them the instant they show any sign of petal. Snipetty snip and indoors they come, I am so addicted to the smell of them, I just have to have them right there under my nose.

I'm so very proud of my little ink bottle garden posies, so proud that these delightful flowers have come from My Very Own Garden!! Every year I bring in these small but precious little handfuls of flowers and love them to bits. Like really love them in a totally over the top way. I can't get enough of them. I sniff them and admire them and want to somehow eat them up. They're just sooooooo beautiful!

I screech like a Mad Thing when Little B climbs onto the table and pulls them all out and tries to drink the water from the bottle. Uh-huh, it happened. Twice. The climbing-pulling-drinking-screeching. Followed by precious re-arranging. Twice. Gosh. Calm me down. Tell me, do you think I am a nutjob?

Breakfast on these lazy, easy summer days happens as and when. As and when the Little People realise their little tummies are empty and grumbling. I've started bringing in their brekkie things on a tray when I make my morning coffee, then leaving them to help themselves as and when they are ready. It's all a bit sloppy really, but they seem to like it this way. They like pouring their own milk and seeing how much sugar they can get away with administering. They sprinkle liberally when I'm not looking, I just know they do.

I do eat breakfast with Little B though, we eat together every meal. He is pretty good at feeding himself now, just needing a little help with scooping or stabbing, depending on whether it's a spoon or fork job. Today he had mashed banana with warm ready brek, yum yum. He opens his mouth ridiculously wide to accommodate the spoon, it makes me laugh every time.

Ahhh I just LOVE being home in the hols with my Little Peeps, I really do. I love them so much. Their simple requests, their happiness when they are granted their wishes.

Little Man says Mum, can I make myself a honey sandwich?? Yeah, sure, go right ahead I say. He punches the air with a happy Yeeeessssssssssssss, delighted at the prospect of extra food between meals. Happy happy.

Little Lady says Mum, can you paint my nails like you did last holiday, with red and blue nail varnish?? Yeah, sure, why not. Lets do it. She rushes upstairs to my bedside drawer to get the little drawstring bag which contains my modest nail varnish collection. I have five bottles :: pearly white, pink, red, peacock blue and clear with glitter. Happy happy.

All three Littlies have been treated to new wheels this week. Little B has this new plastic cart that he pulls and pushes along and it's proving to be a huge hit. It only cost a few pounds from the supermarket, it had some sand toys in it with a dinky little red spade and watering can (strewn across the back yard now I think). He doesn't like to put anything in the cart mind you, he insists on keeping it empty but he appears to love it very much.

The Little Peeps both have new scooters. High excitement. Little Lady's scooter broke last week at the caravan site so we bought her a replacement which she is very happy with. Little Man has a Birthday coming up in a few weeks so we treated him to his Hearts Desire and bought him a much longed for JDBug scooter. He has not been separated from it since, and is more than happy with it.

We head to the park almost daily now, sometimes in the morning, sometimes in the afternoon. You can see the Little People scooting down the grassy slope look, fast tracking their way to the swings. We often take other children with us from the street too, whoever's about and wants to come along really. I had 5 of them with me this afternoon, and it was fun! Once I got over the heart-in-mouth nervousness of watching the boys tackle the ramps and slopes in the skate park on their scooters, I had fun! Honestly!

In between the business of mothering my brood, I am amazingly managing to carve out little snippets of me-time. The past few months I've had no time or inclination to stroll in Magazine Wonderland, for some reason I just haven't wanted to sit and read at all. But like a parched and dehydrated addict who's not had a drink in a fair while, I've been totally indulging in recent days. I think I've read about five magazines cover to cover, one after the other. Three issues of Country Living and two of Country Homes, with one still left to go. It's been wonderful!!! So much visual lovliness and sparkling inspiration, quite overwhelming at times, but oh so good for the Creative Spirit. I remain Addicted, no question about it.

It's late in the day here now you know, eleven pm. I am riding on caffeine (tut tut) and feel like I could sit and chat with you pretty  much all night, but really I do need to sign off and go to bed. It'll be a 5-6am start in the morning and although the days are easy (ish) and lazy (ish) they are still long.

But I've had such a lovely day today. Full of sunshine and breezes, kids and friends, play and chatter. Easy summer days filled with nothing in particular. Just the way I like it.

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Edit to add :: for those not in the UK, the breakfast cereal the Little People are curently devouring is Weetabix. It was my fave brakfast as a child too.

 

 

 

 

Comments

[maypole]

A lovely post. I used to love the "no routine feel" of the holidays

[Karin]

Oh, I remember those days. Finding little corners of spare quite time whilst my three were occupied with something. There is nothing like sitting out in the early morn, cuppa in hand, watching the world wake up and feeling the sun warm the ground. Look forward to hear about your hols :o)
Oh, I so hear you about the slugs. Why don't they eat the weeds? I love sunflowers amongst many others, and yet, this year is the first year I have more than one bloom (double sided sticky tape around the edges of pots seems to work wonders)

[Rachel Forrest]

nice to hear from you again - have missed your posts, although as i am 'new', have been happily working my way through the archives!looking forward to more and the holiday pics! :)

[Mandy M]

I also love the relaxed easiness of life when the kids are on school holidays: no routines, lazy PJ days, sleeping in til whenever you want and spending time with them....soooo special. Looking forward to seeing some snaps of your trip away on the connievan....

[Rainy Day Crafter]

Your flowers are just beautiful! I especially love your little posy in the ink bottle - so sweet and simple :) Looking forward to seeing the pics from your holiday!

[Kathy]

Lucy, just wanted you to know you have inspired me to pick up my hook again! I just love your colorful works! I am new to your blog & have been anxiously awaiting your return from vacation. In the meantime I have been catching up on years past! Glad you are back & hope you had a wonderful time with family & friends.

[pea.knits]

Lovely view at the park. I miss when I lived in Northern England. I miss the warm summer days and the rolling hills. Sigh. Instead I'm watching downpours and lightening from my balcony in Connecticut, crocheting in hand, thanking God that the colors I chose today was a bright purple - a happy contrast to the grey skies...

[Ann]

Don't know if I'm imaging it, but I think the sky has been bluer these past few weeks. As the song goes... its nice to go travelling but its oh so much nicer to come home".

[Kim Wilkes]

What a happy post,Lucy. Your flowers are so pretty and your littlies so precious. I hope you have a sweet sleep and another beautiful day tomorrow.

[Colleen]

Oh the long lazy days of summer, don't you just love them.
I was so happy when I saw you had posted again, sure have missed your colour and vibrance you always bring to my day :-)
Enjoy the summer hols with the kiddies, they go way to fast!!

[Susanne Tyree]

Love those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer when just hanging out at home or nearby brings happiness and peace of mind. Soon school will start and it will be hustle and bustle with getting back into a busy routine. Where does the time go.......

[Lisa]

I love peaking into your lovely little world! The colors, the sweet happiness and your ever present uplifting spirit are an inspiration! I love little B's toes! Too cute.

[Bethany Ann]

I sometimes sneak out onto the deck with my morning coffee and talk to the pine trees. I like how you live half a world away and do almost the same thing! We mothers aren't so very different no matter where we live.

[Teresa Kasner]

Welcome back.. I'm looking forward to your holiday photos!! I'm heading out on a week in our caravan at a high mountain lake in Oregon.. one of the 3 purest lakes on Earth! Visibility depth of 115 feet! I will put photos up upon my return.

((hugs)), Teresa :-)

[Lacey]

It sounds like you've been having an absolutely wonderful holiday! You sound very happy and it seems that the rest of the family is too :) I hope you enjoy the rest of your break. It is so refreshing to hear about people's summer vacations of rest, relaxation, and no schedules!
~Lacey

[Karen]

Love your pics, the sweet little fingers and toes, the pretty flowers, your lovely china. You have a sweet way of describing such every day events and it fills my heart with nostalgia. xx Karen

[Justine Anstiss]

Welcome home Lucy and its so nice to read about your lovely holidays away and at home! They fill my day with colour over the other side of the world :)

[sandra]

This all reminds me of how much I enjoyed the school holidays when my children were small. (Now it's grandchildren and their holidays are very different)

[Kate C]

This may sound funny, but coming from a gal in the US, I really want to know what it is that your children are eating for breakfast in that photo! :-)

[Jeanne]

It sounds like you are having a lovely time! Thank you for sharing it with us! I can't wait to see your holiday photos!

[Lulu]

I just love looking at those row houses and all the pretty flowers...Love all the pics..

[heidi]

ahhh... there you are!
good to see you´re all back safe and sound. from what you are saying it seems you really had a nice week with your connie. can´t wait to see the photos of the trip! :D
(lovin the photo of the pipes on the smoke stacks! they remind me of chess figures)
my sweetpeas didn´t make it this year. we have been having a really strange summer... first much too warm and no rain whatsoever and once it finally did rain it hasnt stopped since or at least it seems so and much too cool most of the time. guess the seeds just took a peek and decided that was all just too much for them.
we have a pick-yourself field of all sorts of buds nearby where i go nuts about once a week and get myself a collection of pretties for home pleasure. i really do share your crave for garden jewels (... and not leaving comfy jammies as well!)
such precious time with the children... you are so blessed!
Xs and Os heidi

[Valentina]

Hi Lucy, it's always great to hear from you!
Your posts on the beauty of the simple things of life make me happy and brighten my day! Thank you!!!

[karen]

What a sweet post, thats my life at the mo also, with the exception of having older teenage & quite grown up offspring, really do miss that age, apart from my lil lady Ella who's 8 & thankfully still v much a princess Mmmmmm!
My eldest arrived yesterday with nails on her mind as well, 'mom can i do your nails', a pack of falsies in hand, today i take the plunge :S
Have another sweet day
Karen XX

[Sherpa]

You make it sound so lovely (as well as visually appealing) that I want to come and join you!
Looking forward to your Connievan pics, all my childhood holidays were spent in a 4-berth Globetrotter, in a field, 'somewhere' in Blighty. Fun times.