Butterflies so Far...

I thought this year it might be nice for myself and the children to keep a record of all the different butterflies we spot and when we spot them.


So here is what we have seen so far ~ all this week. (I don't have photos of them all yet, but hope to add them as I catch them). 

Click on the names to find out more about each one.

Large (Cabbage) White (of course)

Brimstone

Photograph © Steven Cheshire 2010 - www.britishbutterflies.co.uk

Orange Tip (the orange one)

Photograph © Steven Cheshire 2010 - www.britishbutterflies.co.uk

Images other than mine come from this site; www.britishbutterflies.co.uk

Stuff that must be Blogged ~ Part Two

Today Paul took Lilo out in the yard to learn to ride her bike ~ she did pretty well.

There were a couple of close shaves....

but she didn't get freaked and gradually got the hang of it more and more ~ we've left off the stabilisers :D

Of course, then Stitch wanted a turn, but he has a little way to go yet, so his stabilisers went back on until next time .

I'm sure we'll be practising this week :D!!

Stuff that must be Blogged ~ Part One

On Sunday, after church, we headed out to Delamere Forest for a day as family. It's all too seldom that we get some seriously 'no agenda' family time, just walking, chatting, running, having fun together. The weather was warm and clear, which was brilliant as rain had been forecast :D. We had a lovely day (mostly) ~ there are always a few gripes at points in any day. Minnie has trouble on and off with one of her ankles and it was giving her intermittent pain, and then she fell over a twig whilst messing in a Wigwam. The fall itself was not too painful, but she landed on the remnants of some chestnut cases and ended up with lots of prickles in her bum and down her legs ~ bless her! Taz was his usual gripey self ~ he is not too keen on walking and would far rather hair round on a mountain bike (as he has a few times with a friend of his), but that was not the agenda for the day, so he was grumpy about having to walk! Bugs was good company ~ chatty and funny (although I do wish he would learn to be quiet at times!). He just started 'going out' with a long-held friend that morning and so we had to hear the whole story...! It's great that he still likes to share all these things with us ~ I guess there will come a time when he doesn't share so freely maybe :( TP and Lilo had a wonderful time and when DD stopped moaning about his legs being 'sleepy' he did too! Stitch did the first half of the 2.7miles in the buggy (he dozed off in the car on the way there), then decided to get out and enjoy climbing about with the others. 
We got home about 7 ish and Paul nipped out for KFC! You can never please all of the people all of the time, but this came pretty close :D!!

(the children wanted to take this stump home to play with in the garden ~ I thought it would be great too!)

Note 1 to self and Paul ~ do stuff like this more often!

Note 2 to self ~ remember time passes too quickly to not make the most of each moment!

Asking for Your Prayers...

Last week I had a phone call from my Mum. She told me that my Aunty D (her sister) had had a CT scan and they found 'lumps' on her pancreas, liver and chest. She has been in a lot of pain just recently, but has been unwell for considerably longer. Her GP has been passing it of as IBS, but after a conversation with me she eventually pushed for more tests ~ looks like it may have been too little too late :( 


Today I spoke to my nan (who lives with my aunty) and she confirmed that the hospital had rung her and told her - over the phone - that she does have cancer of the Pancreas.  D was out swimming when I rang, so I could only get what my nan could remember, but essentially D will have chemo' and they have not promised her a cure. She is to see a surgeon on Thursday who will hopefully tell her more about her possible prognosis. She is still awaiting tests for her Liver and chest I believe. As yet I do not know what the primary source of the Ca is, but I do know that none of this looks good :(


My aunty is 52, and has an almost-15 year old son, who is taking his GCSE's this year.
My nan is in her mid 80's and lives with them (although 100% independent).

A new Era ~ perhaps!

Does life change when you become the Mum of a teenager? Well, I can't answer yet, but it began for me on Sunday, and so far it's been fine :D

It's hard to believe my little boy, born on the same day (May 2nd) as the dawn of a 'New Labour' era (literally minutes after the results were announced) in 1997, is already 13 and here we are, praying that this political era is about to come to an end, as today (May 6th) we all go and cast our votes yet again.

My Digital photos don't go back far enough to document his full 13 years, but I can start from age 4.5 :)

 (Christmas 2001)

October 2002 (age 5.5)

Birthday 2003 ~ with his little girlfriend ~ age 6

A day at The British Motorbike GrandPrix ~ 7th Birthday 2004

8th Bithday 2005 ~ he's playing my full-size one now!!

Bowling with a bunch of mates for his 9th 2006

Ready for school ~ June 2007 (age 10)

School trip to Min-y-don ~ May 2008 ~ age 11

A self-portrait taken May 2009 ~ age 12

Birthday Batting (3.5.10) ~ age 13!

Welcome to your TEENS young man ~ it's good to know you!

If you read this Bugs, know that I love you. I may have got you wrong too many times and for too long, I may have misunderstood and expected too much of you too many times, but despite all my failures you've turned out OK so far! You are great fun to be with, and a great help to me when I need you. You have a heart of gold ~ though it took me too long to see it ~ and a charm about you that endears you to many (and me!). You are clever, creative, artistic and imaginative and I know these qualities will carry you far. You are loving and caring and will one day make some young lady a wonderful husband (I hope), but you DO need to learn to pick up your socks and help them find the wash bin!!

You fill me with pride (good pride) when I see you dance, or even when you're just messin' with your mates ~ I love you!

I am not fearful of your teens ~ just keep talking to us and we'll do fine :D!!