Round here, the woods are growing greener every day, the blossom is just starting to fall, and I am giddy with the thought of two whole weeks at home. No travelling up and down the country, no house guests, just the children and I (and John for some of the holiday) and all of spring out there to enjoy.
I asked Bella and Angus what they'd like to do over the Easter holidays and this is what they said (brace yourselves):
- go to McDonalds
- go swimming as a family
- visit the Natural History Museum in London
- go to the library
- take a picnic to the woods
- go to the beach
- visit the Submarine Museum
- get a Dominoes pizza delivered and eat in on the sofa while watching a film
I like the last one best. A pizza delivery and being allowed to eat in the living room is pretty much the most exciting thing to happen when you're seven and ten I think.
Not to be outdone, I have written a list of the things I want to do this Easter holiday. Some are boring, some are necessary, some quick and some time consuming. Some are jobs I just don't get time to tackle when I'm working, others are for fun:
- look into and possibly change energy supplier (yawn)
- ditto mobile phone contract
- make dentist appointment (they keep cancelling the ones I make, grrr)
- paint the planter in the garden
- do some gardening, generally
- go to the tip
- wash all bedding, rugs and cushion covers
- clean the windows
- sort out all the winter coats, boots and hats in the hall cupboard
- wash and pack away woollen jumpers
- new school shoes for Bella
- re-pot all my indoor plants
- finish my crochet cardigan
- clean behind the cooker (you have to drag it out, it's really heavy....)
- do some yoga every day
- do sit-ups every day (feel free to laugh at me)
- crochet a basket of play fruit and vegetables
- read some books
- cook lots of amazing food
Oh yes, and decorate Bella's bedroom. So not much then. And if I get that lot done, I'll have a crack at world peace. What are your plans for the Easter holiday?
I'll leave you with this photo that popped up on my facebook timeline from seven years ago - a one year old Angus and three year old Bella, just after her nursery Easter bonnet parade. I can remember going and taking that photo when we got home. Angus - teething - can't quite believe he's holding an entire chocolate egg and Bella was unbelievably cute at nursery age. It's one of my favourite pictures of the two of them.
You have such beautiful, great kids! I think you are an artist with the camera--each photo is beautiful. I always enjoy your blog--your home looks like the pages in those glossy decorating magazines. Gold Stars *** for you! Enjoy your two weeks at home.
ReplyDeleteLove your woods photo and I'm also very excited at the thought of two whole weeks of freedom. Easter hols are my favourite school holidays - enjoy xo
ReplyDeleteOh that poor pink cheek, you have reminded me how hard teething was. Very impressed with your list. You should cross off cleaning the behind the oven though, that's just going to make the rest of us look bad. Bella and Angus's list is excellent. The littlest boy's favourite food is pizza, he would no doubt choose something similar. We drove through the countryside today and oh my, it was glorious. Freshly mown verges, spring flowers and swathes of blossom everywhere. Fair took my breath away. I hope you have a lovely fortnight and that you get everything done that you want to. I do love crocheted food, so I shall look forward to seeing that especially. Plans here include all the usual uniform-related stuff, allotment and garden things, skateparks, maybe digging a new wildlife pond, not taking on another allotment, no wouldn't do that... and then I'll join you in the world peace thing. CJ xx
ReplyDeleteYour children's holiday plans sound very much like the plans mine have, except Alistair, he'd prefer playing Wormax all day long (a silly computer game). I agree with CJ, leave the back of the cooker as it is. Nobody will judge you on a little dirt behind the cooker and you might hurt your back pulling it out. Our holidays are halfway through. I am saving my annual leave for the summer so holiday camp it is for the little creatures. The oldest is studying for his Higher exams and Annie is planning to paint her little brothers' bedroom (I like that). I hope to do some sewing and gardening in my free time. Enjoy your holiday, hopefully the chores can be done in one day so you can dedicate all your time to fun things. Bella is a mini you! Angus is sweet with his red cheeks and the trophy of the day, a chocolate egg. xx
ReplyDeleteI can't remember the last time I cleaned inside my oven, let alone behind it! Lovely photos - I really like your colour coordinated recipe books and I love your children's Easter list. I remember when we used to make those for every holiday - that's before they got older and then most holidays seemed to be taken up with coursework or revision! My 19 year old is currently teething - her wisdom teeth are making an appearance. A and B both look adorable in that last photo and I'm coveting Angus's jumper. Enjoy your 2 weeks off. xx
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely lot of photos. The muscari is gorgeous in those 2 very modern vases (mine is just coming up in the garden) & your creativeness certainly comes to the fore in your room settings. I do love those lists, both the children's & yours. Hope we get a rundown on what did get done on both lists. Should be interesting. Cute photo of Bella & Angus & one to treasure. Not doing too much over the Easter break, except to go DD's on Monday to look after the grandchildren on the Tuesday whilst she goes to work at school, but they don't return till Wednesday. Enjoy the break & take care.
ReplyDeleteThat last photo is so sweet! I love A's little pullover! Sounds like you're going to have a great Easter hol, if busy! I have a lot of Wildlife Trust work in the first week and then with things to do at home, Grandmother's to take shopping and such, it's not going to feel much like a holiday for me!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photo of the children. Sounds like you are going to have a fun filled (jam packed!) Easter break. I hope you manage to get most of the boring jobs (I hate sorting utility contracts too) done at the early part of the break so you can relax and enjoy the rest of it. How lovely that the children have included going to the library on their list. They must love books.
ReplyDeleteHey Gillian,
ReplyDeleteBoth Bella, Angus and your lists look great. I'd love to go to the Submarine museum. Olly thinks he's died and gone to heaven when I go to MacDonalds! We have similar plans here, mostly gardening stuff (big hard landscaping work is getting underway here). Olly and I are off on a few adventures this week. All outdoors with a picnic. Good times, my friend, good times!
Leanne xx
What a wonderful list of activities your kids have planned - museum, library, nature time, but their food choices? Oh my! I guess that proves they are "normal" kids! ;) Have fun and enjoy the time together! lifewiththecrew.typepad.com
ReplyDeleteThey were so cute, Gillian, and they looked so much alike. They have the same eyes and noses. Your Easter plans sound wonderful. I wish we had two weeks off then. I would so much rather have your school calendar than ours!
ReplyDeleteLove the lists. I asked my great nieces the same thing and they want to go to the beach get some pebbles and paint them as gifts for Easter, as they will look like eggs. Their wish is my command.
ReplyDeleteHow cute is that picture. Defo needs to be in a frame. Have a fab time off.
It is a lovely photo, no wonder it is one of your favourites! Your home, of course, looks beautiful as always, too.
ReplyDeleteI take it your Easter holiday is about 6 weeks long? Mine is a long weekend, starting on Friday and including Monday. I will be travelling back and forth between my place and O.K.'s, so there won't be much time to actually DO anything.
Happy Easter to you and your family, Gillian!
Hope you have a great Easter and get all of those things done!
ReplyDeleteOh, A and B were SO cute! I love finding photos of my lot when they were little (and look at them sometimes to remind myself how much I love them when they're being particularly horrid!). Good luck with your list. You did notice it's more than twice the length of your children's list, didn't you?! Have a lovely Easter break. Sam xx PS Totally agree with the others about the oven - you've only just had it fitted, haven't you? I haven't cleaned behind mine since it was fitted 4 years ago..!
ReplyDeleteI think I prefer the kids list! Though mine is more similar to yours. Dig over the garden ready for new lawn, choose and source all the hard landscaping materials for the garden, persuade hubby to built a pizza oven for the garden (spot a theme here?). We have ticked off some of P's list at least - camping trip and 'going to Greggs for a sausage roll' . Pure class.
ReplyDeleteI asked Patch the same question at the beginning of the Easter holidays (one week in already... sniff!) and the one I'm trying to forget, though not being allowed to, is going to Pizza Hut. Why didn't I write myself a list to? Such a good idea!
ReplyDeletewow those lists. we had pizza and a movie on the first night of the holidays. it was the best possible start.
ReplyDeleteAdorable photograph of your children, just lovely! But please please please do not clean behind the cooker!! That is a job you do when you change your cooker every 20 years or so. Unless something has died down behind it or you suspect a wasp nest I would leave it well alone and spend more time doing what you want! X
ReplyDeleteGillian you are one crazy mother!!! just eat pizza and crochet. I think you can tell I have cherry picked my essentials from your lists! Jo xxxx
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