Boys at work

It’s been another busy day. Because of our car issue, #3 daughter kindly agreed to drive to Whitley Bay to pick up the boys and bring all 4 children here. I produced a table of bits and bobs for lunch - bowls of lettuce, hummus, tomatoes, carrot sticks, cucumber, cheese, bread, potato salad, olives, garlic cloves, tapenade and ham. They made their sandwiches - it on James’s case, stuffing his face with lettuce and carrots. For fun I gave them some Hormigas Patiamarillas (Fat-bottomed ants) which I’d got in Colombia. They have a smokey flavour. They are had a few. They chatted about the summer, mainly about Disneyland as Thomas had been with the school. He told us about his experience in the German hospital which had been scary and also uncomfortable as it had no air con.

Then they all went to the woods to play for a few hours. The game was called Apocalypse. Ella had found a staff so she was the leader, Nathaniel was the instructor, Thomas was the cook and James the apprentice. Little stones were mice, bigger ones rabbits and rocks were deer. Luckily it was warm and sunny - the rain didn’t materialise. It gave us a chance to catch up with #3 daughter and hear about Disneyland and Paris. Apparently they queued in a wide line of 12 for 15 minutes, gradually moving forward. It took so long because of all the selfies being taken. People were jostling and shoving. (They were on a timed ticket).

After #3 daughter left with Ella and Nathaniel the boys helped Mr C tidy up a hedge that had grown along one of the garden paths. Meanwhile Ailie called to chat about an InnTravel walking holiday she and a friend are going to book in the Vosges.

Eggy bread and beans was James’s request for tea. Thomas chose oven chips, fish fingers, peas and beans. I was a sweaty betty by the time I’d got all that done at the same time.

They are having iPad time now and I’m going to read Nicola’s book. I hadn’t know Alex Ferguson and John Lennon had sent money to help the Goven shipyard sit-in when the yard was closed by the Heath government.