One week down

Ahhhhhhhhh Monday morning, and we've survived the first week of the Summer hols :: one week down and only six more to go.

Last week, as I think I mentioned, we had J at home with us. It was a week consisting of very little in the way of plans, a week of taking each day as it came and muddling through. It was easy going, relaxed, quite lazy at times and due to the very unpredictable nature of the weather we found ourselves housebound for quite a lot of it, waiting for the rain to stop, hoping for grey skies to turn to blue. Some days it happened and we saw sunshine, but for many days it did not.

Because of the weather, we  predictably ended up with a fair number of extra children in the house at any given time of the day, with the number of pairs of shoes in the hallway giving me an instant headcount of visitors. Lots of surprisingly noisy games of hide and seek went on. Lots of thundering up and down stairs (boys can never just walk up and down stairs can they?).

And while the Little People did their thing, J and I spent the first half of the week attending to some very long overdue domestic chores and took on a bit of a clear out and sort out. Some rearranged furniture, some new storage solutions, a great deal of reorganization  and an incredible amount of junk turfed out and recycled/slung. It was quite a theraputic way to spend a few wet days indoors, if a little dull and unholidayish.

We took to eating quite a few of our meals picnic-style last week, all four of us sat cross legged on the floor around the little battered wooden coffee table. The Little People just love to eat this way, and I can remember feeling the very same when I was little, there's just something intrinsically happy and carefree about picnicking, even if it's done indoors.

Our normal, sensible, bowls of school-day cereal were replaced with holidayish warm chocolate chip brioche rolls. Fresh orange juice replaced water. The Little People thoroughly approved of this holiday breakfast routine. Smiles and chocolatey fingers all round.

In amongst the predominantly grey, wet weather of last week, we did experience some wonderful little spells of sunshine. Small pockets of summertime, small moments to be savoured. And on these mornings it was a delight to sit myself on the warm front step, coffee in hand, my face upturned to the sun, listening to the sound of the Little People and assorted neighbourhood children playing up and down the street.

Ahhhhhhhhh the sounds of the summer! Shrieking, yelling, excited children doing their thing. Wheels and balls, bubbles and chalk, blankets and dolls. Some squabbling too, tears as well, but mostly good natured play.

I tried very hard last week to feel positive about the weather, to feel OK about the endless droplets of rain that fell. My garden is loving it, plants are thriving. The countryside is looking green and lush and beautiful. Plus it made it reasonably OK to stay in pyjamas all morning, which quite honestly is a real bonus for the likes of me as I love love love wearing my pyjamas. Really. I am wearing them right now in fact, just so you know.

And yes, it wasn't all grey and wet all week, like I say, there were the odd pockets of sunshine...I took the above photo late one afternoon after it had been raining most the day. I had made myself a cup of tea and looking out the kitchen window I noticed that as if by magic, all the rain clouds had been blown away by the wind and the grey skies had indeed turned blue. I took my tea out in my little back yard and really, truly enjoyed that little snippet of summer weather before it too got blown away. You have to grab it while you can. Grab it and savour it, enjoy the moment.

 

As we did the day before yesterday too :: a spontaneous little mid afternoon outing to our local reservoir, when the sun was shining and blue skies were above. We parked the car at the boathouse then walked the footpath right around the water, stopping at this spot to spread a blanket and brew a cup of tea. Chocolate biscuits. Peaceful and tranquil, well thats if we can ignore the squeals of the Little People as they hurl stones into the water and see who can make the biggest splash.

Ahhhh summer holidays, I do have to say I love em for the most part, even in variable weather.

Here's hoping I'll feel the same at the end of week seven.

Ever hopeful, thats me.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Comments

[Dawn]

Your stripey mug, with the green inside.. I have exactly the same one! And the matching teapot (large AND small) milk jug, sugar bowl and salt & pepper pots.
I love that mug, but it is heavy to hold, isn't it?
Plus, I am suffering major lifestyle envy.

[lulu]

what kind of camera do you have? you always takes such beautiful, clear, and crisp pictures..i love it..

[Michelle]

Such a lovely spot you have by the reservoir...even if it is noisy ;-)

Wishing you a joy filled summer adventure :-)
~Michelle

[alisonb2]

Memories of Granny's picking teas!! Thank you for jogging my memory especially as Mum is so poorly. You have really made me smile!!

[Steph]

Oh you are very good revelling in all this wet stuff we're getting. We've been mostly grumbling but I'll try and see the bonus' in it a little more (no allotment watering required for instance!)

Have a lovely - and hopefully drier- week.

Stephx - who too could spend almost all day in pyjamas, only getting dressed so I can get excited about changing back into pyjamas again later on!

[wonderwoman]

i love the thought of staying in pjs all day - i wish!

x

[Liz]

Sounds like fun having the change of breakfast to 'holiday' food. We do that too!! Muffins, crumpets or brioche and that's just me and my fella!!!

I finally made my first crocheted bag (feel free to pop over to check it out and laugh at what I did!)and I'm on my 2nd one now!! Love it!!

[Giselle]

Wish that we had some rain here in the very sunny and hot Crown City (ie Pasadena). I can't recall the last wet day we had around here. These are the "dog days" of summer and we've not entered August yet! I hope you get some time to yourself. But having the Little People around can be so fun sometimes, can't it?

[Heather]

When the skies have been blue this week, there have been some beautiful clouds. I love it when they are all "proper" cloud shapes and just carry on and on and on into the horizon.

Did you manage to buy more Pier yarn?

Heather xxxxxxxxxxxx

ps - <3 your spotty plates

[Naomi Rainford]

feels good to have a clear out i have been doing loads of that since i have been of work since my lil man was born, nice pics thanks for sharing.

tah dah! (hint! hint!)

[Carol]

Lovely positive post and beautiful, beautiful pictures. Brightened my day.
I really must follow your example and do more "de-cluttering".

[Kari of Writing Up A Storm]

Thank you for this lovely peek into your at-home summer holiday life ~ you make even the everyday seem like a storybook!

[Anne Bebbington]

Week 7? You're lucky - down here in Somerset we've gone onto the 6 term year - the only "benefit" of which being the summer break has been reduced from almost 7 weeks to 5 weeks and 4 days (and I ended up going into work one of those at the start and will have to go in a day early at the end) - For the life of me I can't work out where they've moved the extra days to either. If it's any consolation the weather has been absolutely pants down here too since the beginning of July - yesterday was a complete heavy drizzle out! (I won't say it too loudly to tempt providence but after exceptionally heavy showers first thing there has been an appearance of a big bright circle in a blue sky - long may it continue!)

[Lucy]

Love how the clouds cheer up through your pictures x

[Fancy Elastic]

beautifully said. well done for remaining positive in all this gloomy weather.

fingers crossed for some proper sunshine!

[Alison Hutchison]

Sat in my pj's reading your post. Same here on all counts, weather changeable, plants thriving, lots of tidying and thundering feet charging around the house as I type. Have a great week xx

[Emily Valli]

Greetings from beautiful Pennsylvania USA...Dear Sweet Lucy...it is about 6:30 A.M. here and very damp and humid. It rained during the night...I live in a valley and we get very loud and unruly thunderstorms...I enjoy our dramatic weather, but my 3 large dogs get very panic stricken. Imagine how loud the thunder seems to them! Enjoy hearing about your summer days...so wonderful when school schedules can be forgotten for a while.
I, like you, love to stay in my pajamas...drives my husband crazy. He's in the shower as soon as he pops out of bed. I have never ever popped out of bed! Nothing better than a sunny window, a cup of decaf, my Lab at my feet, and a crochet hook in my hand...while still in my pajamas. Bliss!
Please do tell us what is going on with BB. Have you been able to get any yarn??...Emily V.

[The Coffee Lady]

Oh I love a good declutter! We're trying to do a holiday breakfast thing this summer, since breakfast was getting so stressful towards the end of term.

[Carole]

Thanks for you blog and pictures. About boys running up & down stairs being noisey, WELL my son is 29 and i`m sorry to say that nothing changes!! I`m going to make some of your choc chip cookies this afternoon mmmm. Hope your week is enjoyable with the children, and the weather is kind.
Lv Carole for Rossendale

[The Curious Cat]

Sounds like you are having a wonderful time - wish I was still in my pjs! xxx

[PengPeng]

Love your posts and love your pictures.

It makes this awfully crappy Summer at present less gloomy :)

[Kristina]

I hope that the rest of your holidays are sunny and filled with interesting expierences. It must be great spending time with children as we can learn a lot from them :) Enjoy your free time and pack in as mush as you can.

[Jane]

What a lovely post - it's good to hear from someone positive in the face of summer hols and wet weather combined! Like you we too have had variable weather with the odd patch of sunshine to be enjoyed in between the rain.

[Jude]

So good to hear that your neighbourhood is safe. I think we get a very distorted view on crime and children not being allowed outside on their own from the radio. Lovely to see some greenery. Aren't you glad you planted up all yourpots....
6 weeks will fly by with so many memories..

[Anna-Karin, Sweden]

It seems like if we had the same weather here. The last two weeks I think it have been raining every day. But, we have planned to go "camping" in our (my dad's actually) boat, by the sea, the next few days, so the kids will probably get their summerfeeling there. And I can always sit there with my crochet if the rain comes :)
Anna-Karinxxxxxxxxxxxxx