Sunday With The Children

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I often wonder what the children will remember from their childhood. What will form core memories for them. 

Sunday is a simple day that I enjoy. I love when we go out for the day but I also love it when we stay home and tackle a load of jobs together. 

Snowy Days

 The children are a t a lovely age where play is life. Yesterday we managed to take them sledging. Quite a walk to our chosen spot though! about a 5km round walk in total! 

Youngest Started School

 So that's it - all three of my babies are at school now! 

6 years of being a stay at home dad have come to an end! Blink and you miss it!

Children In The Flowers

I love our paddock, part of me hates all the butter cups that grow there, but they do look so beautiful at the moment!

We're very lucky to live here and I have to pinch myself at times, especially during this lock down.

Sewing Birthday Party

I know everyone says where do the years go but I really feel like that at the moment. My eldest turned 8 last month, and I know that there's a few on here that started following the blog when I started and she was just a couple of months old! 

My wife outdid herself with this cake!

She is turning into an incredible human being and is wise beyond her years at times. She very much knows her interests, what she likes and doesn't like. Last year we had a very "normal" type of party for her but I knew she didn't love it, as a few of the girls that came were quite loud and controlling. 

Children Learning Through Helping

I met the specialist for my jaw today, my wife came with me and mum came over to look after the children. He seems happy that my teeth are meeting up again and he seems hopeful that I might avoid surgery. I have another appointment next week, but it's still looking like two months of no solid food!

When I came home Grandma was with my eldest showing her how to sew on her new sewing machine. They'd picked a pattern for a toy dinosaur and were busy putting it together. It was lovely to listen and watch them working together.

Letters To Father Christmas

I've loved the children's letters to father Christmas every time they've sent them, and this year is no exception. 

Our eldest has asked for a sewing machine, she is sewing obsessed at the moment.

Our middle child has asked for a toy robot and a pirate map.

And the youngest has asked for two toy whales (to go with the one he has) and a bubble gum dinosaur (a weird toy for about a pound he saw in a shop a while ago).

To have such simple wants in life is lovely.

Wet Muddy Chicken

The rains lat week have certainly made everything pretty muddy around here. Looking at the news it's pretty obvious that we got off lightly.

Floods down the lane we live down. And people ask why I drive a 4x4...

 The worst that happened around here was that some roads were blocked by floods and the school got shut for half a day, more because I think the teachers were worried about how they'd get home than any risk to the children. It gave them a cosy afternoon watching a film - until a friend rang to say he'd run out of fuel!

On the Friday morning I went to move my 25 meat chickens and I could see instantly that I had 24 white chickens and one that was brown and crusty...

Brushing Up On Bushcraft Skills

This week I've been asked to do a bit of unusual work. 

Carrying some willow for cooking sticks

I've been asked to teach a two hour bush craft lesson to a group of exchange students.

Fill A Jar & Cutting Down On Sugar

One thing no one warns you about with having children is all the "parent taxes" that you have to pay. 

Our school is particularly bad for this. Every few weeks there seems to be a non school uniform day with a charitable donation attached. 

Cutest Fathers Day Note

My eldest daughter almost made me cry this morning with her lovely note she had written me.

It reads:

"You are the best daddy in the world.
You grow food for us to live.
You buy chickens for eggs and meat.
You helped me choose my glasses.
You help me learn lots of stuff.
If something is poisonous then you say.
You are a great Beaver Teacher.
You cook delicious food especially flapjack.
You are an amazing carpenter, you made the whole entire kitchen.
Lots and lots and lots of love..."

She is always so appreciative of everything and constantly tells us how lucky she is. We're so fortunate to have such lovely humble children.

What Age Should Children Forage For Food?

When you see the school's number flash up on the phone your heart always sinks. 

"What's happened? Are they all okay?"
 "Erm... It's one of your children, they've eaten something..."

Left Overs Pasty & A Picnic!

I love left overs. Nothing gets me hungrier than thinking about frying up some bubble and squeak to have with some cold meat and pickles on a Monday night.

The other day though we had some chicken left over from a roast and a particularly bad bank holiday weekend where my two youngest children and I were pretty ill. We had planned to go for a walk as a family but it just never happened.

So instead I thought we'd go for an after school picnic when my wife got home from work. I decided that we'd need some thing pretty portable but I knew they'd all still need a hot meal inside them! A good old pasty was my thinking!

Simple pastry with flour, salt, lard, butter and water

This is where I also have to make a confession - I haven't made pastry since I left school so well over 20 years ago. But it was surprisingly easy (once I brought some lard). I made it at lunch time and let it rest until I could have at least one helper make the pasties.

The filling was the left over chicken with added potatoes, onions and carrots.

My eldest helped me make them and was far more optimistic than I was about how they'd turn out.

They were ready just as my wife got home, so I wrapped them in foil and a tea towel, packed up some plates, cups, cake and an empty bottle we could fill at a spring.

I did make everyone walk for a good mile once we'd parked up, but the views were more than worth it.

It was a fun tea time although not perfect as these things never are. My boy refused to eat them and someone (not going to name names) needed help to do a wild wee and peed all over my hand. I wouldn't have minded so much if I had finished my cake by then! The cake was a beautiful lemon cake my wife had made with the children the day before.

A lovely evening and a great picnic!

Early May Update

As usual this is a really busy time of year. Seeds to sow, plants to put out and veg to maintain and grow.

I love this time of year, so much to remember to do but it really sets the pace for the rest of the year, hopefully ours will be full of goodies.

The kids have been a great help with all this. Not helping all the time but really entertaining themselves and letting me get on with things.

5 Tips to Enjoying Being a Stay At Home Dad

I was reading a thread on Facebook the other day where a lady was saying her husband was a Stay At Home Dad (SAHD) and often felt alienated at toddler groups and ignored on the school run and people said to her that she was heartless for going back to work and he's not a real man because he's at home with the kids.

Well my experience of it has been completely different! I've enjoyed nearly all of it (there have been some dark times as well though - mainly involving poo...).

So I thought I'd write a post to any potential Stay At Home Dad's out there on how to make the most of it.

Strawberry Beds

Although I've moved the main soft fruit garden into a new place, the area left behind is a great place for growing with full sun. 

So down there I've divided it up into 11 new beds plus a bed for the rhubarb and some herbs (sweet cicely). One thing I was keen to get into the new beds was some strawberries.

Children Imitate

Our children often imitate us, it's how they learn. 

Sometimes I worry about what they'll learn from me, it's impossible to be how you want to be around these little people all the time. When I loose my temper or shout I often wonder what they have just learnt or how I could have handled the situation better.  

Days later I might hear them use a phrase and think to myself that's not what I want them saying or thinking. 

But then there are times when I think that they see and copy something really positive.

This morning is a perfect example of that. I help run our local playgroup on a Monday, my son comes along and helps set up and pack away whilst playing with his friends. Part of the routine is we put out snack for the children and then they all sit round and whilst they're eating I read them a story that I bring along.

I love being a man in a playgroup like this, I think it's great for the kids to see a man doing this role and also I love reading children a story (I'm strict on the parents and don't allow talking either!)

But when I finished today I went to take something back to the kitchen and when I came back my son was sat on my chair, in front of all the children, with a story book that we was "reading" to them all.

I was so proud of him, my heart melted a little bit! Such a strong little character, I know he'll go far.

World Book Day

Today is world book day and there has become a tradition across schools where the children dress as their favourite character or person from a book they love. 

I think our girls saw this as a challenge. No one would be guessing who they were! They decided who they were going to be with no input from us! We might have gone with people a little more mainstream. 

Floor To Ceiling Storage

Storage is always an issue with us. We never seem to have enough. 

It's got a whole lot worse since having children. The picture above shows just their craft supplies - one of their favourite activities.

First Day At School Number 2!

So Tuesday it was time for my youngest daughter to start school.

Sisters ready for school

Like when my eldest started, I enjoy sharing milestones with people and friends that have read this blog for years and it's also something I love looking back on.

She was so excited about this and has been ready to start for well over a year now!