Into the breech!

It was cold again sitting out this morning. #2 daughter and co stayed in the van so the boys were up and out to play early. They couldn’t settle as they were desperate for the cousins to arrive. I took them to see Jenny’s Zwartble lambs and Mr C took them to the woods.

Eventually #3 daughter and co arrived after Nathaniel’s rugby, so all the children disappeared to play in the woods. I made Jamie big burgers for lunch which went down well then we had the Easter cake. They decorated the hard boiled eggs while the Easter bunny hid the chocolate eggs in the garden. They had fun finding them.

To wear it all off we went up through the woods and out to the moor where I took this picture of them dashing off into the heather on some secret adventure, James, the youngest, in the lead.

We then headed over the moor to the iron age fort where they rolled their eggs. Ella’s cracked first and she peeled and ate it. Next it was James’s but it didn’t just crack, it broke so there was a stomping off in a sulk with some tears. The same happened to Nathaniel’s - he didn’t cry but ran off up the hill by himself in a mood. Thomas didn’t know what he’d do to crack his. He rolled and rolled, then threw it down again and again. Nothing doing. So his Mum said how about he threw it in the air and she tried to hit it with my walking pole. He tossed it up. At the last minute he shouted NO but too late - she wellyed it and it smashed to bits. So now Thomas ran off in tears. Of course all the chocolate intake was blamed by the mothers. They recovered and we walked home happily enough.

Nathaniel and James created some strange wooden puzzle with logs related to minecraft. Ella got out the old Batmobile which she is miles too tall for and she and Thomas raced downhill on that while the sons-in-law kept an eye out for cars.

Now they have all gone and I’ve got tidied up and Mr C had cleaned up the van. We’ll find a film and have a G&T.

It was lovely to have them but everything is twice as hard work with them not allowed in the house as I’m having to fetch and carry in and out with food, drinks, blankets, toys etc etc. And it was just too cold.