All about Saturday

I spent most of Saturday cleaning, playing with Barney and un-cooking. Jimmie and Annabelle decided they were having a lazy day, and seen as they never really do, I decided to leave them to it. Jimmie didn't get dressed until 5.30pm, and that was only when I told him that Daddy was taking them to see Charlotte's Web at the cinema. I guess he wasn't too keen to go in his PJ's. Since Annabelle and Jimmie were keeping to themselves, and Dan was at work, it meant that I was Barney's only companion. And it was one of those days when he wanted a constant friend. So I spent most of the day with him. I answered a million deep questions, mostly about him becoming a Daddy one day - ie, when would it happen, how would it happen, who would be the mummy?, would he have to move out of our house, why couldn't he grow a baby in his tummy?, where was the baby now then if it hadn't been born yet?, and lots more besides. His brain is just soaking up everything that we tell him. He is craving information and understanding. I just love them at that age, when the whole world is just full of excitement, possibilities and adventures.

In the afternoon Barney and I made a little house under the kitchen table. We covered the table with duvets and blankets which draped down as our walls. Then we put a rug in to sit on, and some cushions, and Barney brought in some plastic food items from his kitchen. The pair of us spent an hour in there. At one point he was a dog with puppies (teddies) and I was a nice lady. Then I was a friendly giant (I think this came from my inability to sit upright inside the house). He cooked me dinner and proved that giants don't need to eat teddies to survive. At the end of the hour I was crippled from constant slouching and crawling, but I had a happy 3 year old who was content to watch TV whilst I did a bit of un-cooking.

So what did I make? Well, I'm still experimenting at the moment. The oat and buckwheat granola that I prepared a few days ago was finally dehydrated and we had a bowl this morning for breakfast. Steve really liked it. I thought it was a bit plain and I will add more fruit and more honey next time. When I looked at the packet of shop bought granola the second highest ingredient was sugar, which probably explains why mine tasted more plain.

















For last nights dinner Dan and I tried out the Onion crackers with some avocado and raw parsnip & lemon dip. It was ok. Dan seemed more enthused with it than I was. I found the pumpkin seeds made the onion crackers too strong, and so I made some more with sunflower seeds instead. The raw parsnip dip (parsnips from our garden) was ok, but it was too lemony, in my opinion. However, Dan woofed the whole thing down and said he loved it. Who has taken my real husband and what have they done with him?

This is the second, milder batch of onion bread that was ready this morning. We haven't tried it yet.












Something Dan is not so fussed on trying are these stuffed mushrooms. They smell lovely, but they're not his sort of thing. They are mushrooms stuffed with an olive and pine nut tapenade. I got the recipe from this website.

Today Dan has gone to Curry's to purchase a new dishwasher. We really can't afford one and will have to dip into our emergency savings. But I am literally spending hours every day washing up. I do so much in the kitchen and the time a dishwasher saves is invaluable, in my opinion. Our fridge and freezer are also dying and so he is going to look at them while he is there.

Jimmie will be off school all week for half term (already!) Here are some photos of the boys playing together this week. They are both such little characters, and completely lovable.


Jimmie made them both fishing rods from bamboo sticks and string, and they spent a fun hour in the front garden fishing in the grass for imaginary fish!









They looked so adorable swinging in the hammock together that I just had to grab the camera. They look so happy.