We have been mainly ............

alternating between revelling in the sunshine and hiding in the shade to cool down this week. It has been wonderful to finally feel some sun on our skin, but a bit of shock as the temperature rose by about 20 degrees in the space of a few days.

We started the week with our usual trip into the local town. We did our food shopping and visited the library we found a lovely book by Alan Durant, illustrated by Debi Gliori, Always and Forever. I did not realise until we got home and read it that the book was about death, it is written in a lovely gentle way that is perfect for explaining this sometimes difficult and awkward subject to children.

The following day we had our weekly play date at a friends house. It was such a beautiful day that I packed clothes to go to the river with, as I felt that that is what we might do. We took our picnic and sure enough we spent a glorious day by the river. We were really late home as they were having so much fun paddling in the river and playing games in the large field along side.

We were up and out again early the next day with another picnic for another sunny day out. This time we travelled to a nearby town to meet friends for a walk along an old railway line to find another river for paddling. We were glad of the trees on the way back. Our friends had to go off for an appointment, but we went in search of ice creams and a play in the excellent playground nearby.

We had a day at home the next day. I had quite a lot to do preparing food and making a cake for my youngest's birthday the following day. I had one of those days when I felt that I was not achieving very much, I seemed to be good a starting jobs but no good at getting them completed. I had finished making her birthday present the night before, a project that had taken about two months, I was not sure it would be ready in time. Whenever I complete something important, such as this was, in time I usually feel very tired for a period afterwards. I think it must be the relief at getting it finished and the ceasing of worrying that I might not be ready in time. I am sure that this accounted for the feeling that all tasks that I tried to do during the day seemed enormous. I felt like I was wading through treacle!

The next day we celebrated my youngest's birthday which you can read about here.

Over the weekend I had planned to go to a local country fayre. My eldest however woke with really sore feet. They have been a bit dry and sore since we went on a canoeing expedition and I thought it was clearing up however it was much worse. After a bit if research I established that he has athlete's foot. We have been applying coconut oil to help with the stinging and soreness which has helped a lot and it improved over the weekend. Some friends dropped by for a cuppa and to drop off a birthday present. We also spent some time in the garden which you can read about here.

I hope you too have been able to get outside and enjoy the warm weather.