Last of the birthday celebrations

I’m milking the half-birthday. Today we had the family for lunch and I made a cake for pudding. First course was a harissa and chick pea chicken dish with tomatoes and prunes from a recipe in last week’s Guardian It was very tasty and everyone ate it all - despite James asking for a “granny breakfast” (muesli I make with oats and oatmeal, seeds and nuts) when he arrived.

As soon as they had lunch they headed into the woods to play. Now they are going all the way to the climbing rock near the moor gate. After a while Mr C went up to check on them. He heard their voices - Thomas had noticed they had gone too far along the carriage drive and had overshot the quick path down - so they are getting really familiar with all the tracks. Then Ella came in but the 3 boys stayed out getting branches to build a bridge over a little stream. It was dark when they came in.

Ella and Nathaniel are staying the night as their dad is working and mum is going out for a friend’s birthday.

We are about to play cards as they forgot to bring Risk.

On the picture from the left James (7), Ella (9), Thomas (8 but soon 9) and Nathaniel (7).