El Grumpe and another beach

Huffle went off to Toronto today on the bus and train for an all day meeting. The boys got up at their usual 7am, while I stayed in bed till 8 ish (so lazy). We had a late night as Huffle wanted to get some words written down to go with our flowers for Uncle Dermotts funeral tomorrow. He wrote an essay (which I think now will go into a card for Madamme Courvoisier to read when she feels able to), and then wrote a lovely bit from us all. I skyped Uncle Grump this afternoon to look at the flowers and the cards he had printed off that we scanned. The flowers he bought for us were called "club tropicana" as Huffle asked for bright colourful flowers. Huffle Skyped him when he got home from work too.

I asked Smallest if he was wearing matching socks today and he replied "well not quite but very nearly". I asked what did that mean and he said "well they are nearly the same". He had on similar socks but one had a red stripe and the other blue! He was right, although one was inside out and he was wearing Small's hoodie!

This looks like Uncle Grump but is actually his cousin from Mexico 'El Grumpe'

Today we went to another beach with Pol and Pod, further along than the beach we normally go to, and a bit more commercial, ie there was a snack place, a toilet, a park and picnic benches.

Smallest's mop of hair just made it in the picture

Lots of trees, always a bonus

Silhouetted trees and shimmery water

There is a great cycle path which goes along the lake shore, might have to come back with the bikes or scooters. It was really windy and a little chilly although the sun was out most of the day. The three boys all played on the park and then we went for a walk on the beach.

It wasn't like a lake at all HB, more like the sea!!!

The beach was lined with old tree trunks obviously blown over by the wind and ravaged by the water. (I nearly wrote sea again then!!). The boys had a lot of fun, climbing on the trees, jumping on rocks................

Throwing in stones, picking up sticks................

I loved the trees that were alive (obviously) but I also loved the trees that had been blown over, swept in by waves or just uprooted............

There was some drawing in the sand, a little bit of wading, even a little bit of laying in the water and letting a wave go over a head (not either of mine!).........

Small's drawing of a king and his castle.

Some wading (he did have Wellies on!), some looking for stones and some drawing

Smallest looking very disinterested, Pod with his special stick and Small looking cross eyed because Pol and I were both taking this picture

We walked along the beach and back again. The boys had a wonderful time and played really nicely together. They are all different ages so the fact that they got on with other was great (even my two didn't fight). Pod must be a good influence on them.

When Pod was as wet as he could get, we came off the beach and got our picnic lunch, sat at a table, called to the Gulls who stood there laughing at us and waiting for scraps. It got colder and the boys went off and played for a while longer on the park until we could stand the cold no more. We went back to Pol and Pod's house, which incidentally is where we lived when we first arrived. It was nice to see it properly lived in. It appeared so much bigger and much better organised than when we were there.

They boys partly watched a movie whilst playing with Lego. Pol and I chatted and drank coffee. We stayed till mid afternoon. Popped in to see KP and then came home.

The boys were fed, bathed, had their fix of computer and went to bed. Huffle came home a bit later than normal but was here in time to speak to Uncle Grump, bath Smallest and read them both stories. (he read stories to Small and Smallest not Uncle Grump).

We had a lovely dinner of meatballs (veggie balls for me) and a pasta (fusili lunghi paesani) that I bought for Huffle's birthday (lucky man).

We would like to say Good Luck to CousinPest who is looking at a flat in 'the big smoke' tomorrow. He is going to be working at Wimbledon making sure the courts are of the desired standard.

Also it is Uncle Dermott's funeral tomorrow. It will have happened before we get up in the morning here but rest assured we will be thinking of everyone and especially him. There will be fireworks in the evening which he would have loved. We hope all goes well and that he gets a good send off.

Huffle and I are going to eat rabbit now.

 

The four little ones were from the Chappos (thank you for thinking of us at Easter x). Two of the big ones are the boys from the Easter Egg hunt and the other big one was one of Huffle's Easter Presents. YUM!