Zoe Walking

I'm going to have another go at putting a movie on. In the space of a week and a half, Zoe has gone from taking one or two tentative steps on her own, to trying to run everywhere! She's wearing Ben's sunhat in this - I have no idea why, especially since she's inside!

Sunday 23 August - Harlow Carr Gardens

Yesterday, Ian asked me where I'd like to go. I've fancied a visit to Harlow Carr gardens, near Harrogate, for ages, so that's where we went. http://www.rhs.org.uk/WhatsOn/Gardens/harlowcarr/index.asp Luckily, it was really lovely.

There were butterflies everywhere. I really liked these flowers, and Ben liked stroking the middles - he said because they looked really spiky, but they weren't. Even though it is a garden, aimed at people who are serious about their plants, there was also lots for children to do. There was an adventure playground, which they both really enjoyed.
There was also a 'log maze' which Ben enjoyed running round. Here's Ben and Ian standing in the tower that was in the middle of the maze, so you could watch everyone else getting lost!

Zoe has spent the weekend perfecting her walking. Here she is running away from me, again.

We found these stone lions, and Zoe loved them. I don't know if you can tell from the photo, but she was stroking its mane, and peering into its face and babbling away to it.

Ben, looking at the water insects in the river. Only a few months ago, he would have probably driven me and Ian nuts doing nothing but dragging a stick round all day, but he seems to have grown out of that stage, thank goodness!

They have childrens' activities running all through the summer holidays. Ben made a kite and he's trying to get it to fly here. It did fly pretty well, I just didn't managage to get a photo of it!

Part of the garden had living willow statues. This one is a pirate ship.

Captain Ben, who kept telling us to walk the plank! Cheeky monkey :-)

This one was a huge fish.

Zoe inside the giant fish. The silver balls were its eyes.

There was a Betty's tearooms there, so instead of ice creams like we usually do, we had buns to round off the day. Ben picked the mouse bun (marzipan and sponge, no real mouse it it!) I have no idea why the photo has turned round - you'll just have to twizzle your head I'm afraid.

7th August - Temple Newsam

One Friday, my childminder's husband rang to say that she had a migraine, so I had to take a day off work to look after Ben and Zoe. I decided to make the most of a lovely day with both of them before Ben starts school, and we went off to Temple Newsam.
Zoe was fascinated with all the animals, and as you can see she particularly liked the rabbits. Ben said he liked the ducks best. There were loads of piglets about - I don't think I've ever seen so many!They added a little area with some different sized ride-on tractors since we were last there. Needless to say, this was a big hit with both of them.Ben, taking it very seriously, loading up his scoop with straw and dumping it somewhere else.Big tractor, little tractor.

August - random photos

Here are a few of my favourite snaps of Ben and Zoe taken over the last couple of weeks...

Whatever Ben's playing with, you can guarantee that Zoe will want to have a go with it. Here she is modelling his hard hat.And of course, because I was taking Zoe's photo, I had to take Ben's too.Playing together in the sandpit one afternoon after we got home from Liz's. I think with them being together all the time at Liz's because it's the school holidays, they really are enjoying playing together. Ben was late home one day recently, because he'd gone off to a theme park for the day, and Zoe was wandering round the garden and the house shouting 'Be' (what she says for Ben)Here we have Zoe, all packed up and ready to go somewhere!Zoe in her pop up tent and play tunnel. She really loves playing hide and seek and generally chasing round.Giddy kippers :-DBen helping Zoe walk round the kitchen. I really do worry about what they're going to get up to together once Zoe's a bit older!

Super Sunflowers!

You may remember way back when we planted our sunflower seeds? Well, they have grown a bit and have now flowered. If you'd like to grow your own giant sunflower next year, let me know and you can have some of our seeds. Or if you know anyone who has any pets who like sunflower seeds, we'll have loads to go to a good home!

Me, looking gormless, and Ben posing next to the sunflowers. I haven't actually measured them, but the biggest must be at least 2 metres. If you're interested, the 'Titan' variety grew at least 50 cm taller than the 'Giant Single'.One giant sunflower, this time with an obliging bee for scale.

This one is the tallest one. I had to sit on top of the green bin to take this photo!This last photo was taken ten days after the first one, and you can see that the biggest sunflower has grown about another foot in that space of time. I think it has stopped now, but I did worry for a bit how on earth I was going to support it!

Go Zoe!

I will be back tomorrow with photos of what we've been up to lately, but just wanted to put this on today, for my own personal record as much as anything. Zoe took two steps on her own this morning :-D Liz and I both saw it, so I didn't imagine it.