Bubbles

While looking for a picture of my new garden bench I found some more photos of the monkeys blowing bubbles.



Good thing that the pound shop sells six bottles of bubbles for 99p. Even better that I found an enormous bottle of bubble solution at the back of the cupboard. That should keep us going for a while. Then I can fill up the little bottles with washing up liquid to pretend they are all new. Unless the bottles get run over by scooters or tricycles, of course.

Ah, and here is the new garden bench, cleverly positioned so we can smell the sweet peas from next doors. Ours are hidden behind the vegetable batch. To benefit from their scent one needs to work or stand forlorn around.


I also moved the iron cast table from its previous home next to the sandpit to the front of the shed. The idea is to put lots of pretty ferns on top and around. To prove how good the drainage in my garden is, all those stones on where the table stands I have collected in the garden. There are still many more in buckets and of course in the ground. Hopefully there will be a point where the water does not cascade over the stones and actually seeps into the ground so we can have a proper english lawn. Or any lawn that's green.

Bags from Jeans

I made a few little bags out of old jeans recently. Just playing and trying out, I can't follow sewing instructions. I have to find it all out by myself.


A little coin purse


Details from the two bigger bags. The decorations are always the most fun to do I think.

More Summer days

My barometer is broken, for the past three days it has been predicting rain and clouds when we had wonderful summer weather. Lots of chances to splash in the paddling pool and playing with the garden hose.


Everybody is happy about the sunshine except for the cat, who is not amused. She likes to make it known that she is terribly suffering and drops theatrically in front of our feet. She also tries to drink the water from the little baby bath that functions most days as the impromptu paddling pool. Little monkey is not happy about this. So he tries to discourage her by spraying her with the garden hose. Interestingly she doesn't get angry at this, she just sits there. Poor kitty, so hot.


Sometimes I like it when little monkey adds decoration to the garden. That cheery chappy made me laugh when I went back outside in the evening to water the plants. Sadly it hasn't worked since the monkeys stuffed twigs into the arms where water should spray out.


Of course we had to watch some football. Good entertainment especially as the English team won.

Summer days

The last few days have been lovely and warm. Time to run around in the garden without clothes and jump into the paddling pool.


It's also given us a chance to prove that red strawberries taste better than green ones. Much better.

I wish we had more fruit in one go but the moment a strawberry is red all over there's nothing stopping the monkeys to pick it. We've been known to share one strawberry between three people. The only fruit that lasts to make for a decent harvest are the blackberries, they can fend for themselves. Oh and the apples as they are too high up for little monkeys to reach.

Strawberries

The first strawberries are out and they tasted lovely. The wait for them to turn red has yet again proven too long for little monkey. Like last year he doesn't want to believe that green strawberries don't taste nice.

Art to share

A few pieces of art I made for swaps recently.

Monkeys need hats

A hat with a "mon-ie" on. Little Monkey lost his hat, the special UV-protecting from Germany imported red hat. So he had to get a new one of course, this one is better, it has a Monkey on it. It's way more suitable than a boring old red hat, right. But Little Monkey didn't want to share the picture of his Monkey, he's protective...

More halft-term fun

By Thursday Big Monkey got a bit dis-heartened. Her friend could not come, she had chicken pox. So instead of the anticipated tent town and baking cup cakes we went to buy a get well card.
In the afternoon after all my suggestions to combat her boredom were deemed unsuitable I offered to get the paddling pool out. That was accepted.


She was particularly pleased that I had also blown up the highest ring so she could sit on in and pretend it was a horse. Even the freezing water didn't stop her from playing in there for hours.

Half term entertainment Day 2

It's sunny and the cat already thinks she can't stand it anymore.


Did you find her? That rosebush is currently on a mission to take over the garden. I found three more spaces where it has started to grow. One of the bushes is enormous, it might have been planted but it's on a very peculiar site. I also think it might be one that rose aficionados would turn their nose up but it's such a cheery thing so I'm happy to have it. It's also very healthy and while it has a few spotty leaves it's not taken over by black spot.
The Monkeys had a lunch at the Crocodile Cafe and somehow managed to get two ice cream lollies each during the day. One should have been mine! Then they lounged in the tent. They also managed to paint half the cloak room and part of the play room some time between getting ice cream and scooting along the Broadway.


The first flower in the baskets has come up. Surprise! I didn't know it would be stripey or a double flower. If I'd known I hadn't bought those. I prefer the single ones. But they do look sweet and smell lovely. This one is right next to the kitchen door and its scent wafts inside which feels very much like summer.

Half term entertainment

First day and it rained! Not good. So I hatched the plan to go and paint some pottery. We battled the rain on the scooters. Sorry for the blurry photos. I was worried that Little Monkey smashes the ceramics. So I tried to be extra quick.


Big Monkey painted a horse, Little Monkey a duck and I tried to get Little Monkeys hand prints on a plate. With the help from the shop assistant, this worked very well.


Once they got bored there were snacks, toys and books so I could finish the extra two coats of paint and pay.


All in all it went well, no plates broke but we left a mess behind.

World cup

In case you haven't heard there will be the Football World Cup starting soon. Apparently we're supporting Switzerland...


Big Monkey has already announced she'll be most upset should Switzerland not take the cup. This will be tricky, the team is not exactly the favourite.
It's her assignment for homework to find out about Switzerland and once the tournament starts the school will follow the progress with the child who picked the winning nation to receive a price. In the end I think Swiss chocolate will help to consolidate Big Monkey should Switzerland loose out on the World Cup.