Mudface

MUCH better day today. A success, in fact, all round. Especially if you measure success on a scale of how dirty the boys got without crying!

Little Fishes this morning, where I couldn't see Ben for dust he was off playing (yelling aargh there's a monster coming! and gathering children running behind him like a mini Pied Piper) that fast; and where Charley roamed and I actually forgot about him more than a couple of times, until he all of a sudden was overcome with tiredness ten minutes before the end and fell asleep nursing. Thankfully he stayed asleep on the transfer to my shoulder, stayed asleep as we crossed the road to go home, stayed asleep as we chatted to Steve, and stayed asleep when I laid him out on the bed! Woke up twenty minutes later but went back to sleep with a milky cuddle, for another half an hour.

Steve had a request to quote for another job this morning - so exciting!! and he's been knuckling down to some actual paid work today. It's been a revelation seeing what he actually does. Proper clever stuff!

This afternoon we (that is, the boys and I; Steve was still working) went outdoors to carry on the task of digging out the boys' digging patch. Two buckets of rubble and a huge mound of aerated soil later and I think I'm done. My back is going to pay for this tomorrow I imagine. But the boys were filthy, happy. Ben digging soil, Charley eating soil (I can't stop him - you'd think it might taste bad but apparently not. Or he thinks he's a worm. We do love worms!) and bashing it with a rake and shrieking happily. Then Charley discovered the slide again and climbed up onto the bottom of it, and started trying to climb up it. It's like a baby treadmill. His socks just kept slipping down the slide. He got a bit fed up when Ben climbed past him and climbed straight up, but then he FINALLY learnt how to get down off things (safely) by going backwards. By accident of course but you never know, he might spend tonight mulling it over. Thankfully none of the steps in the garden are especially big and he's realised he cango down them the same way as up - forwards, so he and Ben roamed all over together.

It was bathtime after I sent Charley in for a nappy change. He was filthy. Steve couldn't get the soil off his bottom so it was straight into a bath for both of them. Charley hollered until Ben appeared next to him, equally naked, ready for the bath!

Steve's gone out rugby training for (I think) the first time this year tonight. I promised him before Christmas that he could, but so many things got in the way. I'm glad he's finally made it out.

Hope the kidlets settle down ok tonight. Charley is full of a cold and I forgot to give him any paracetamol before we went up to bed, so I hope he manages to sleep. Ben's coming down with something too, but at least he's able to breathe!

While they were in the bath earlier I got a cake into the oven - an experimental white chocolate and lemon brownie cake. The batter tasted sooooo yummy and Steve got it out while it was still wobbly so hopefully by tomorrow it will have firmed up and become chewy! We couldn't resist though and had some this evening after tea and it was gorgeous!! Could very easily eat a LOT of that....

Oh and the picture. Had to capture somehow just how mucky Charley's face was. Steve came out to take him in for a nappy change, and I think pretty much just held him by the armpits! My dress (yes, I was digging in a dress) is pretty dirty now though. Thanks Charley.