We have had a relatively calm couple of days. The fact that spring seems to have arrived has cheered me. Even though I love certain things about winter, I’m ready to see it come to a close. We set out to the park yesterday morning and the girls made some friends there. They played “chasies” and hide and seek for a long time. I was beckoned to follow my daughter while she sought out the kids that had hidden 🙂 It was such a bright and promising morning and we noticed that the snowdrops and (what I have since been informed are) crocuses had opened up more since our last visit 🙂 We had some tea and cookies and took our time there, soaking up the sunlight.
When we got home, I decided to make a DIY cut-out dolls activity for the girls. I just used an old catalogue and cut clothes out of it. One of the girls chose to draw her own people to dress and the other decided to assemble outfits on a page for a “fashion show.” They enjoyed matching the outfits and accessories up themselves and it kept them calm for a long time 🙂 I have bought dress up doll books before and they can be expensive, but this version was free 🙂
The girls decided to make their own hot chocolate. They are mastering how to use the microwave and oven for simple tasks at the minute, so I let them do the heating, mixing and marshmallow topping 🙂 I’m convinced one of my kids only asks for hot chocolate so she can eat the marshmallows off the top and leave the rest 🙂 I made myself a mocha with my little percolator, milk frother and some hot chocolate powder 🙂
This morning, we went for a walk on the Greenway and the girls got very excited about a blackbird and got me to take photos of it 🙂 I was happy that they could identify it and that they get so excited about simple things in nature 🙂 They went to explore the bank beside the rainbow fence. Every time we pass it, they have to stop there. I can see the appeal – it’s a bit like a den for kids 🙂 I love when you get photos that capture the rays of the sun. It just makes me think of those naive sun drawings kids do and simple joys 🙂
When we got home, the girls combined our homemade play doh with some colourful play doh they had left. They used trays, pans, etc to make their own pizzas and pastries. They are obsessed with the Junior Bake-Off, which has expanded their understanding of cooking and presentation, but it leads them to critique my cooking more often 🙂 I was impressed by their multicoloured pastry fillings and pizza toppings.
This afternoon, we spent some time in the garden for the first time in months 🙂 The girls filled up the bird feeder we have and we hung it up, hoping to attract some bird visitors to the garden. I got to drink chai tea and catch up on magazines I never have time to look at outside. There’s something about reading outside that really lifts my spirits, even if there are multiple interruptions from the girls while I do it 🙂
The Funky Thrifter 