Gary had planned all week to move the logs from the side of the garden to the back of the garden, so we can create some flower beds. So in this quest, he spent Saturday morning laying some paving stones next to the teen nook for the log shed to sit on. The littles had a fab time helping their Daddy in the garden, moving logs, earth and generally getting very dirty:
Thomas had moved most of the logs out of the log shed during the week, and the little ones completed the job together, working as a very effective team:
He and Gary moved the shed, which was so heavy and awkward:
But they managed it and it is all ready for Thomas to move all the logs back into!
Meanwhile…..
I wouldn’t exactly take a bullet for her, but I do feel very protective of her!
This is what a very excited A8 squealed at me whilst I was in the bathroom! I wondered who on earth she was talking about. Was it one of her twin sisters? Maybe her younger sister? Granny?
No. It was Esmeralda, her pet centipede. She had found it whilst she was working in the garden, and made a home for it in a jar:
And then spent the rest of the day talking about her.
She even did a spot of fishing to catch some fish to feed her 🙂
Whilst the boys and littles worked outside, I was indoors making a stack of lasagnas whilst the older girls went through the dress up to separate historical dress up from regular dress up:
After all that hard work the troops enjoyed their weekly vegetarian lasagna with Granny, along with Monarch of the Glen:
Granny provided a fruit salad for pudding:
It is a night we all look forward to:
Gary had taken the little ones swimming after they had finished all the work in the morning and B6 was very sleepy and almost didn’t make it all the way through the episode. She was all cute and snuggly in her mermaid blanket:
We try to keep Sunday’s as a family day and we serve gammon ham, frozen veg and chips, along with left over vegetarian lasagna from the day before for those of us who prefer veggies over meat. Simple meals that requires very little out of any of us. We eat off our laps whilst watching a lovely family video. We were all looking forward to this week because I had purchased a new dvd recommended by Manna called A Perfect Chord.
Thomas began the week by learning how to cook an Irish stew, which we had for dinner:
It was very good and made the house smell delish! He also made some custard to go with the spotted dicks I had chucked in the oven. He is planning to cook those again, but this time from scratch. Everyone liked them. And no, I didn’t even have a taste. Get meeee!
Lillie tried her hand at making rings out of spoons:
She has chosen it to be her purity ring, which she will wear on her wedding finger until she gets engaged:
It is so clever and really does look lovely on. In fact Thomas liked it so much, he asked her to make him one as well. She is slightly obsessed (although frankly she is equally obsessed each time she has a new idea about something arty!). She begged to borrow one spoon, and three spoons later she practically drooling over the cutlery drawer. I have reassured her we will go to IKEA and she can drool over their cutlery instead!
These were taken during morning meeting:
It was really warm out but everyone was freezing! Not sure what that was about, but in the end I relented and put on the heater for ten or so minutes to take the chill out of the air:
Monday evening, we had some friends to visit. Tracy brought baby T, who the girls are godparents to, so there was much cuddling:
Is he not GORGEOUS?!
On Tuesday, Gary left to go to a Green Keeper’s conference (or something) in Cornwall. It was a loooong journey, but he will be receiving his brand spanking new truck, so he’s quite excited 🙂 I made sure I was a wake at 430 to say good bye. It will be the first time we will have not seen each other for three days our entire 20 year marriage.
I kept myself busy though, doing all sorts of activities with the little ones:
Grace was also round to do some art with Lillie. They ended up doing an oil pastel lesson from Create a Masterpiece of a panda:
B6 also did a bit of anime art which she was very pleased with 🙂
Lillie then needed to go to the hospital for a chat about the mole she had removed from her back a few weeks ago, and then it was off to choir for everyone.
I has been so wonderful to see Thomas step up as man of our house. He is taking on the role of Gary in his absence and I am surprised by how much I needed him to do that. It really is good to have a man about the house 🙂
By Thursday, we were all ready for Daddy to return home. There were muchos hormones rolling around the house 🙁 Charlotte had a hot bath and sweet tea, whilst Lillie taught the little ones to make polymer clay roses:
How great are they?
That night Daddy returned and all was well again in the angelicscalliwags household. Gary has today off and we have called today a holiday! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend ahead of you xx
Always impressed about the artistic talents I’m your household! Your dishes names had me hopping, looking up what they all are as they were amazinglying unfamiliar to me; lasagne being about the only one I knew. ☺.
Sounds like a truly lovely week! The kids will keep you busy until your hubby returns; it’s not easy but my husband is often sent away for work for 2-5 or even 14 days at a time. In fact I think he’s heading to Iowa next week for a couple days. I find I just work harder to keep the kids and myself busy during the day so I’m tired enough to drop at night otherwise I won’t sleep at all with him gone.
What a lovely week. I am glad you are all united again and ready for a lovely weekend. My husband is not currently in a job that takes him away. I am so thankful for that. However, I remember how hard it was when he was gone for weeks at a time in the military.
Blessings, Dawn
Yes, that is one gorgeous baby! This was a sweet post.
Those roses were quite nice.
It really does make a difference when Dad is home, versus elsewhere.