When Daddy does breakfast!

Say 'no' to screens!

This is what happens when I say 'no' to screens and endure 5mins of tantrum. I love how they play creatively with Ezra's toys! Ezra helps by emptying the box of duplo onto the floor and then crawls off to play with the hoover!

Ezra's first shoes

Ezra got his first pair of proper shoes today. 4H...they weren't sure they were going to have anything wide enough in stock, but managed to come up with one pair! Of course I took the opportunity to pick out a new pair for myself also!

He is very interested in the Velcro and less interested in actually walking in them!

Back to porridge

I was dreading the return home from Lanzarote to cooler climes, washing and cooking but the reality has been fairly pleasant. It seems being back in your own little patch isn't so bad. It helps when you have a girlie night, a nieces birthday party, an evening out with hubby and friends and a little creative work to be getting on with over the weekend. Yes, the 3 load of washing still needs ironing but there is always Monday morning for that...oh and the fridge is still fully loaded with Easter chocolate.

Art work by 'doodled by Neatee'...I am simply the image mover and paster!

Lanzarote -Easter 2017

'Ola' from Peurto del Carmen in Lanzarote, our Easter holiday destination to increase Vutamin D levels and spend some relaxing family time together. As M doesn't really do 'relaxing/lazy' holidays we hired a car on the second day and embarked on his day by day itinerary of exploring the island. To be fair, I never imagined Lanzarote had so much to offer. In my ignorance I thought it was all about lying by the pool or on the beach trying to get as good a tan as possible. But thanks to M and his planning we have seen some super sights and I'm feeling creatively inspired.

The highlights have been mainly down to one man, Mr Caeser Manrique, architect and artist -bringing the natural landscape of Lanzarote and art together in an amazing way.

Timanfaya, Fire Mountains. During the volcanic eruptions of 1730-36 and 1824, the most fertile parts of the island were buried by mass lava leading to an almost 'moon' like landscape.

Cactus Garden, Guatiza. This is the first work of Cesar Manrique which we visited. 1,400 different species of cacti grow in the black ash of the island. M is now slightly obsessed with cacti and is thinking of creating an indoor cactus garden in our hallway!!!

Jameos Del Agua. A volcanic tube formed during a volcanic eruption. Manrique made it accessible to the public and is now a restaurant and theatre.

Mirador Del Rio. A stunning viewpoint looking north over the sea where Manrique designed a restaurant and tourist spot.

Cueva de los Verdes. An underground cave system created by the volcanic eruptions and forming natural crystal clear pools.

Fundacion Cesar Manrique. Originally Manrique's house, built on five volcanic bubbles which was later converted into a museum. The kids were inspired by his wind sculptures which can be spotted all round the island.

Rancho Texas. Just 5 mins from our resort it was fun to see the dolphin, sea lion, tropical birds and birds of prey displays followed by a cool down in the aqua park.

Puerto del Carmen. Our local sea side town.

Sentido Aequora. We did spend some time in our resort, mainly eating too much and swimming in the pools. Lj mastered a variety of jumping in techniques!

Slime

Lj and I made slime! This is the recipe we used. We ordered the Kershaws laundry starch from Amazon. It is simply amazing stuff. Ezra managed to cover his new dungarees with it but thankfully it washes out.

Ezra antics

This week nothing is safe as Ezra's exploring continues.

Beauty and the Beast

With the new release of 'Beauty and the Beast', Lj was desperate for me to take her to the cinema to watch it. We booked the tickets and headed to our local cinema one sunny Saturday afternoon. Sadly, it was not quite the fairy tale princess experience that Lj had envisaged and she spent most of the time curled up in a ball on my knee too frightened to watch! What continued was a week of difficulty getting to sleep due to nightmares and disappointment that her expectations had been dashed. She did however create this figure of Beauty from clay which I am really impressed by. She seems to have quite a talent for 3D clay models! Despite Lj's disappointment, I really enjoyed the film myself!