Seven Days of the best kind of everything

1: Just this Tali person and board games at Game Knight again
2: Rowan helping her best friend at his family's allotment (picture taken by the fabulous Emma)
3: Taking Harmony to meet grandma outside her school gates
4: Alternative uses for Ashleigh's Jenga bricks
5: Trying unsucessfully to capture the bright irridescent colours of the circumhorizontal arc in the cirrus clouds overhead (just below the centre of the picture!)
6: Wet hair, post swim play area; Talia shouting, "stand here mummy!" and then ignoring me!
7: Elvaston Castle has an abundance of places to get really muddy at this time of year

A Christian book recommendation, apropos of nothing

I was in such a rush to get out of the door for our weekend away with all the children's coats and so on, I managed to leave all my books at home.

Limited to what I'd managed to download onto my phone recently, I picked up Jesus Freak. It had been on my to-read list for a long time, but I had until now almost completely stopped reading Christian authors. (They frequently say the same conventional legalistic things in slightly different ways.) I did enjoy rather a lot of time just reading in the end, with extra hands and nice outdoor spaces keeping the children happy, so it was one of two books I completed in three days.

Goodness, this book. Both irreverent and holy. Confronting and comforting. I'm in awe, and think I'll have to read it again to let some of the thoughts it contains sink in; parables illustrated by stories of broken hurting people feeding and loving each other. I have found it challenging and disturbing, in the best possible way. Joyful earthy practical gospel.

Weekending: Rosliston

We were away this weekend, a couple of days in a tiny eco cabin in the woods with friends. Children underfoot and breaking bread, woodland walks and not nearly enough sleep to be properly restful.

And it was perfect. 

I had time to plan and write and read. I made informal feasts (feeding people is one of the ways of showing love which feels most natural to me). The sun came out and we basked in it, on the last day, accidentally picnicking in the middle of a science class and watching the children climb.

What more could we wish for?

The Day We Got Run Over by a Dragon

That thing where my story sounds so made up I'm not sure where to begin? So, that. We're all uninjured, by the way. I might write about it all some time, but I don't desperately want to cause trouble for the festival organisers.

Goddamn dragons. What a day!

Weekending: Everyone Exhibition opening and other things

This weekend's shenanigans were mainly museum-based. Derby Everyone opened at Derby Museum and Art Gallery. Rowan and Morgan, Jenna, and I all have pieces in the gallery. Several of our extended family and friends also have art on display. So of course we had to be there as soon as possible once the museum opened for the day.

You might get a picture of my piece another day, because *whispers* it was accidentally hung upside down, which the museum staff were so mortified about I felt guilty for telling them (so English, in fact so English I only let them know because my children couldn't stop laughing and teasing me about it). To be fair, it's abstract, and the staff had hundreds of submissions to contend with over a two day period!

Anyhow, if you're in Derby and want to find mine it's in the hallway now correctly oriented. *subsides into another fit of giggles about it*

After museum number one, we had lunch and watched a series of excellent street performances before heading to museum number two for the all-day board games at the Silk Mill. Rowan and Connor helped operate the giant laser. The Ratman failed to eat us all in a round of Betrayal at House on the Hill. I made sleeve progress on Talia's circle coat.

Sunday was mainly about finding the missing bedroom floors to regain the children's play spaces, and baking bread again. Guests arrived to camp in our living room on their way to HECY, and their smallest one did a little happy dance when she was reminded that they are taking Jenna with them. It's going to be an odd week!

Boating

Last year we were super-lucky to be offered a free holiday with our children's honourary grandparent (the father of Jenna's friend Jeremy). We spent a week on a canal boat, and surprisingly didn't get rained on much, and more surprisingly didn't feel too cooped up together, and it was lovely.

A few weeks ago, he bought his own boat. We've helped a bit getting it ready; Morgan re-blacked the fireplace almost completely independently (she's fascinated by all things boat and has been learning how the engine and steering works now she has got the hang of operating locks). Last weekend we got to take it out on the water with them on a little adventure. :)

Weekending

When last minute adventures present themselves, we tend to not take long to decide. Impulsive or flexible? At least this time I remembered to pack water and snacks. Miraculously the generalised anxiety (and infrequent panic attacks), which have been an on-off issue since Talia was born four years ago, weren't an issue. 

All day. With four children. In London. Even when a stranger shoved Rowan, on the underground. (Another guy kindly stopped to see if we were okay and completely restored my faith in humanity.)

The Natural History Museum was as wonderful as ever, especially the Investigations lab where it was difficult to drag Rowan away from examining all of the fantastic handling artifacts. We'd have stayed longer if we hadn't run out of snacks, because everyone was ready for lunch by then (3pm)!

What a day! It's about a three hour drive to get to the best tube station for us to park at, and then at the end of the day of course the same again to get home, so as daytrips go it was an exhausting one. Nice to know we can do it now that the children are older.

Then yesterday, a change of pace. Sunshine. Park. Friends. Food. Bliss! (And early nights all round.)