The newest room in our house

Eldest child upon learning that our hens are the closest living relative of dinosaurs:

Tyrannosaurus Pecks!

Later, I recited a passage learnt by heart thirty years ago from one of my favourite books at that time. He finished the quote, cos it's one of his favourite books too. That feels good!

Birthday cake

Couldn't decide which colour railway carriage to omit so included all of them and to hell with accuracy.

Three years old

Found him asleep on the landing at midnight. I think he wanted to watch a video but fell asleep before he reached the machine. I put him gently back in his bed and he was fine the next day.

Apple picking

An end of afternoon in

our friends' garden. Chocolate cake was also involved.

Now we have so many apples we don't know what to do of course.

Earlier in the summer we were cherry-picking in the same garden.

As we were busy picking, eating, scolding, a man walked into the garden with a hawk on his arm.

He introduced himself as the neighbour and gave a fine falconry display for the children.

We went to his house, met his other hawks, his owls and his two large black rabbits.

He told us stories and showed pictures of hunting adventures in Scotland - said he planned to go

there to live ('too quiet round here' said he of one of the world's most populated spots).

Two weeks ago he wandered into our friends' kitchen offering the spoils of a day's shrimping.

He didn't stay to eat as he was feeling under the weather.

The next day a passing farmer noticed him in his deck chair in the sun - dead.

This happened a week before he was due to move to Scotland.

We were very lucky indeed to have met this interesting man.

This cake has the distinction of containing nearly a whole can of coca-cola.

Two uses for coca-cola!

The other being cleaning the loo of course.

Michal the bird man.

'Fallers' were also helpfully gathered up for the birds

(who would clearly starve if food were not presented in an orderly fashion).

Marching seemed necessary.

The human chain on a ladder probably wasn't strictly necessary but was very appealing!

Paralysed with guilt upon realization that I have missed my godson's birthday by nearly a week. Tried lying on sofa with fingers in ears murmuring ham sah but can't say it helped. Will send money - more than his mother (my best friend) would like. Even if she hates me briefly, he'll think I'm cool.

Busy with everyone else's crap today, literally. Cleaning out hen house (regret giving curried lentils 2 days ago, they didn't much agree with the humans either). Cleaning out human house (loos) so will be able to pee and breathe at same time. Cleaning cat's pee from car (grrr - husband left car window open overnight) so will be able to drive and breathe. The latter is important as even the school run's long enough to asphyxiate you. May actually die on way to tonight's Dutch class as it's a 15-minute drive.

Ceilings raised and bricks laid low

The children are sharing one room while M works on the ceilings. This is lots of fun but not at all restful.

Riding bikes on the brick store is quite the thing this week.

We were wondering whether and if so how to limit the children' access to screen-based entertainment. Are computers and TV plain dangerous like playing on the railway line or eating deadly nightshade? Or was this an opportunity to talk and trust the kids to work it out for themselves? I emailed a few people and asked around and then...THE COMPUTER CRASHED! This is what happens when your family PC crashes: