our life outdoors.

We went to a fab open farm in the Yorkshire Dales, I'm not keen on big open farms where animals are there just for children to 'pet' but this place was different. There was much more of a calm atmosphere, the animals seemed very well cared for and we even had a tractor ride with the actual farmer himself who told us all about 'his' farm. The one thing that really surprised me was when charlie went of to help collect eggs, he got upset and asked to go home, when we asked him why he said ''because I don't want to collect the eggs, I want them to hatch instead''. I had no idea that he would be troubled by this and it made me realise just how he is growing and developing his own ideas on the world around him.

The little boat that daddy made!

We love this photo of charlie as his face just says it all, one adventure boy being happy outdoors.

Making little sailing boats out of reeds and leaves. Warrens dad taught warren how to make these boats and now this is being passed on to charlie.

Toddler wearing....A tired charlie enjoying being carried next to mummy on our lovely but long walk.

wonderful words!

Last night whilst settling charlie down to sleep he started jumping around and being a little energetic, so I asked him to try and not be so silly at bedtime, to wich he replied ''Mummy, I'm not a silly boy, I'm just a happy boy!!''

book sharing monday.

OK, I'm cheating here, it's not actually a book but the most wonderful, inspiring, enlightening, magazine I have ever read! Yes, I know it's not exactly a children's book either but in a way I feel it is as the mama's(and daddy's) who read it hold a gentle and peaceful way to parent, therefore surely it is also a 'book' for our children.
So, sorry I'm a day late and I haven't actually posted about a book, but I'm living a little and sharing something I just love to read.

A lovely present!!

I forgot to post that a couple of weeks ago my very wonderful fiance bought me something I've always wanted.....a beautiful piano (bargain of e bay lol).

I can't actually play the piano and to be honest I've never been taught to read music but I'm determined to learn, I just love tinkering away on it anyway, as do all the children, who commented that I was bonkers for wanting one but they're always in there having a go. I just thought it would be so nice to have a piano in our home and maybe charlie would one day love to play, erm he's pretty good at making his own music already.

Feeling low.

Well after lots of wonderful time spent together camping and little trips warren is working away again, sometimes I really wish he could leave his job and we could all go of and live our dream life, being self sufficient and having no need for that silly stuff called money, ho hum....I'm just low today and need to remind myself to be thankfull for our lovely life!
Weather....dark, drizzly.
House.....messy
energy......nil!
ok, time to take a moment out and just be.

our hotel suite!

The perks of warren working away!! Our hotel suite.

The zoo.

Charlie asked me why baboon wasn't happy....how do you give a 2 year old an answer to that one?

A beautiful but very tired leopard.

Charlie's new friend ''baboon''.

Our trip to Edinburgh...

Mummy and Charlie having fun on the merry go round.

The Forth Road Bridge.

Edinburgh Castle.

Charlie on duty!

The Forth Bridge and an excited boy watching a train cross!

Daddy and charlie on the merry go round in the park in Edinburgh.

book sharing monday.

Charlie and I have picked ''How Big Is The World'' by Britta Teckentrup. This is a lovely story about a little mole who goes of on a journey to find out just how big the world is.

One morning little mole woke up with a big question for his dad. ''How big is the world?'' asked little mole.

''Why dont you go and find out?'' replied. So little mole popped out of his little molehill in the middle of a big field.

Little mole goes of and meets many creatures on his travels..a spider, a mouse, a horse, a seagull and then an enormous whale takes little mole on a wonderful journey......

wild jungles...colourful creatures....and thick forests.

''How big is the world?''whispered dad. ''As big as you want it to be,''said little mole quietly and he went to sleep.

On our travels again.

Warren had to work away for a couple of days last week in Edinburgh and he always tries to persuade me to go with him but to be honest the very long 4 hour journey always puts me of, but this time i suddenly thought.....no, I'm going!


Oh my, I'm so glad we did, Scotland is just so beautiful. Charlie slept half of the journey and the the remaining half he was wonderful, he looked out of the window and chatted away about everything he could see, I was so proud of him as he can be a little car sick.


It was great to be together instead of us missing warren so much and we ended up staying an extra night and spent the day in a gorgeous park overlooked by the castle....perfect:)


Yes I was a bit concerned about the mischief the older ones might be getting up to but they seemed to manage quite fine when we'd been camping so I thought, well life's to short to worry and as long as they were OK and we still had a house standing when we got back, I made the most of a lovely break.

Whilst Warren was working on the first day Charlie and I went to the zoo, it was a very hot day and unfortunately I didn't realise that the zoo was on an enormous hill, anyway we had a lovely time, mainly with charlie making friends with a baboon whom seemed to also really like charlie! He also made friends with a beautiful king penguin who showed of his fabulous swimming skills much to charlies delight. To be honest I'm not a fan of watching wild animals being couped up in cages just to be stared at by another bunch of animals (humans lol) but conservation is very much at the forefront so hopefully this makes it all worthwhile.

We then spent the second day wondering round the beautiful city centre and walked up through the old town to the castle (we didn't actually go inside as the entrance fee was very expensive and the queue gigantic) alas we also didn't realise it was the same weekend as the Edinburgh tattoo and fringe festival!!

more from our camping trip.

Our beautiful boy at Whitby Abbey. (we did cheat and tell charlie it was a castle lol).

pirate ships ahoy....

Real knights having a battle!!!!

Daddy and charlie on the steam train from Pickering to Whitby.

Steam trains.....beautiful big and much loved by our boy.

We've been camping in the forest.

Well here I am back blogging again! We've been away for a few days holiday camping in beautiful north Yorkshire, we had a wondeful time just exploring and spending time together under canvas (well except for the incredibly wriggly boy who spent most of the night tossing himself out of the very large and expensive sleeping bag, only to freeze on the floor next to our bed, I'd then have to reach down pull him back under the covers and snuggle him warm until his next wriggly trip lol). Even though warren and I were quite tired in the mornings it was great to wake up in the forest listening to birds singing, children laughing and playing and just being free. We spent some days on the very lovely beach at Robin Hoods Bay, explored castles and an abbey in Whitby, walked through forests and of course had a little ride on the seaside roundabouts!