Last Saturday we celebrated Oli and Lulu's summer birthdays with a garden party.  Nothing to grand just a few friends and their mums and dads but I prayed all week for the rain to hold off!  We put up a party gazebo in the garden just incase it did shower or to keep the sun off little shoulders should it shine!

We filled the garden with toys, dressing up and opened up the clubhouse so they could get up to no good in private!!  Luckily it was a really warm day, the sun came out in spurts and we (the adults) were able to laze around on picnic blankets while the children played.

It's really hard when you're preparing party food for outside as I've found children like to graze at party food and if it's warm you end up with curled sandwiches and fighting to keep flies away; so this year I decided to keep it simple and it removed all of the stress...

Birthday time is upon us Lulu turned 2 yesterday and Oli will follow shortly with his 5th birthday next week.  Time is flying by and the days are as hectic as ever, having a toddler at home is lovely but also hard work everything is 'mine' and everyone is 'naaauty' (except Lulu of course!).  I was rudely awaken the other morning with her throwing pennies at my head (from her brothers money box) as if I was some kind of wishing well, whilst shouting 'goodmorning wakeup'! I tried to explain to her it would be much nicer to sneak into bed and try to wake me by stroking my head or bringing me coffee but she just smiled, nodded and continued her attack!

So with birthdays being so close we decided to throw a joint party and I've been busy creating lots of little bits including some lovely crochet heart bunting...

If you read my last post you will know I have recently been learning how to crochet.  A friend and I loved the idea of being able to create our own blankets for our children and set off on a quest that at times has been both hilarious and frustrating but hugely rewarding...

The weather has been all over the place recently, true to British form, and I've found it really frustrating.  I've got loads of little projects that I want to get started on (or finish) in the garden but the rain hardly holds off to do anything.  The children and I will snuggle up on a Sunday afternoon with a Harry Potter film (oli's favourite but only ones with Dobby in!) tucked into throws and blankets when the sun will decide to shine at full pelt making us feel the need to be outside again; on go shoes, out goes the washing and within half an hour we are all back in again!

So you would think that the minute the sun made a good appearance that looked as if she may linger for the day I would be out there like a shot with all my good intentions but instead I did the unthinkable...

We are starting to reap the rewards of our labour of love in the garden.  The children have delighted in picking radishes and lettuce from the raised beds and have been keen to try everything.  Oli was bewitched by the bright red radishes but has since discovered they are not to his taste!  Granted, we are far from 'the good life'; no man, woman and 3 children can live off the scent of roses, a few radish and lettuce alone but...