Water Boatmen and Burnt Chocolate

I should just about squeeze this one in tonight!

I've just got back from walking the dogs over the fields, did some good power walking up the hills, it felt good, last night I swam 30 laps in the pool, nearly killed me!

I've been trying to have easy days this week, it's not really happened, although today was kind of easy.
We went pond dipping at Wymondly wood yesterday with one of Jamies best friends, Jamie managed to scoop up a water boatman (or 3) and we excitedly put it straight into our tub of water to have a look, then almost immediately recoiled because it looked quite horrible close up! We weren't expecting it to look so creepy! Alex was trying to pick it up with his fingers with all of us yelling at him to stop! We also had some freshwater shrimp too. Then we decided to go to the common and see what lives in the little streams there. We found more shrimp and some water snails. Jamie, Alex and Jamies friend were calling and making echoes into a drain that goes under the field, all the way over to the otherside, and talking with one on each side of the field.

Yesterday afternoon, while I was having my tea break upstairs, I heard a lot of activity going on, then heard Alex say that he'd burnt his mouth, so then I wondered what was going on and went down to find Jamie in the kitchen with some burnt chocolate in a saucepan! I noticed straight away that she looked embarrassed and annoyed with herself, so instead of telling her off for using the hob on her own, without asking, I just told her that she needed to have it in a bowl above some boiling water, and helped her and Alex make some rice crispie cakes. We were watching masterchef while we were waiting for The Simpsons to come on and Jamie said that she would like to do some cooking, that she'd like to make a meal all by herself, so I said that I'd show her how to make a meal tomorrow.

Alex had another speech therapy session yesterday, he's finally being moved on to his next sounds! He's mastered B, P, D, T, G and C, now he's on R. It's really good that he's making progress.

Alex made a change machine like the ones you get in supermarkets, out of lego, his dad came home late from work (again) and helped him finish it off. Alex painted 2 alphabet paintings today, without any help from me, he was determined to do it on his own.

I've been hearing them both playing quite nicely together lately, they still fight, but it's not so much and they try to compromise now. They've both been doing lots of bug hunting in the garden, been finding loads in the veggie patch, I knew I'd never get to eat any of that cabbage, it's covered in caterpillars, but the kids love seeing them get fatter and fatter.

I'll add photos to this post tomorrow, and add any other bits that I remember :)