We’ve been enjoying taking a closer look at nature lately thanks to taking part in #30DaysWild. Every year I find myself noticing something new and this year it’s seeing baby birds in the garden. I’m sure we must have had them before but I’ve just not noticed. I love seeing the adults and chicks together – we’ve had blue tits on the feeder and our regular robin visitors have a couple of rather noisy chicks. I love looking out of the window when sitting at my desk and watching them.
Sophie had a banded demoiselle damselfly settle repeatedly on her sunhat while paddling in the stream at Denham Country Park. She was quite convinced that it was Jessica coming to say hello to her. I liked that thought too. We’ve only had a dragonfly/damselfly do this once before and that was a couple of days after Jessica’s funeral, at a memorial service for children lost to CHD.
We also had our first experience of camping out in the garden this week. This weekend is the Big Wild Weekend for #30DaysWild and Saturday’s activity is to camp out in the garden so I thought we’d have a practice run first. Thomas wasn’t quite so sure about sleeping out in the garden and kept telling us, “Upstairs! Upstairs!” but once he and Sophie had both settled down, they slept well. Hubby’s away this weekend so I’ll be flying solo for our next night camping – hopefully it will go as well as the last one!
What I’ve been grateful for this week:
- Day 162 – I am grateful to have known this wonderful lady and to have had her as part of my family. RIP Auntie Marls, you will be so very much missed.
- Day 163 – I am grateful that Thomas enjoys playing with the letter blocks as much as his sisters did. Lovely too to get little glimpses into how he picks up and remembers things – can you guess what his current favourite DVD is? (And yes he did spell it out all by himself)
- Day 164 – I am grateful for my lovely big birth pool.
- Day 165 – I am grateful for one to one time with Sophie while Thomas was napping in the buggy.
- Day 166 – I am grateful that Thomas can freely move between playing with toys outside or inside when the weather is nice at this time of year.
- Day 167 – I am grateful that our first experience of camping out in the garden went fairly well. Both children slept quite well (once they finally settled down) and I’m not as tired today as I thought I might be either.
- Day 168 – I am grateful for all the baby birds appearing in the garden.
Other things that have made me smile this week:
- Watching Sophie and Thomas having fun with their cousins in Grandma’s garden.
- Gathering elderflowers and making elderflower cordial.
- Playing around with the Voila app and making cartoon versions of us from photos.
I’m glad you managed a night in the tent, I always thought it a real treat when I was a kid. I tried the voila app. and ended up looking just like my daughter.
It was fun to camp out in the garden. I think the children’s photos came out better than the ones of me and my husband with the Voila app.
The birds sound like a lovely addition to your garden. Aww! That was so sweet about the damselfly.
The camping sounds like fun. Good luck with your next camp out. x
Thanks Kim. Second time round was successful too!
Wow! Spending a night in the garden sounds quite magical to me. And yes it must be really nice to have birds visiting your garden. It means you are doing something really well. Hoping that the good weather continues for a long time (after the current cold and wet spell.)
It’ll be nice to have some more sunshine again. I do love watching the birds in my garden.
Nothing nicer then hearing the sound of birds in nature x
It’s such a lovely sound isn’t it?
It’s so much fun camping in the garden. We’ve not done it here, but as kids used to do it all summer long. Love your voila pics – you’re all still recognisable. When I did ours, they didn’t really look like us at all. fun to do.
The Voila pics are a bit variable – I think the children’s ones worked better than ours but I did quite like the overall effect of them.
What a lovely week 🙂 glad the camping went well.. not something I’ve ever done! I love the sound of birds in the garden. The Voila pics are cute 😀
Thank you – camping was fun and I was quite relieved it went well!
Lovely idea to camp in the backyard. I know the kids must have loved it. #MMBC
It was fun – the children really enjoyed it.
Oh so fun! We camped out in our yard one night when our boys were smaller and while we had fun we all agreed that we are indoor sleeping people… especially after ending up at the doctor’s 2 day later with a huge infected/ allergic bug bite reaction with one of my sons. LOL
Ouch! That’s not a fun outcome from camping. I’m definitely more of an indoor sleeping person too but it was a fun thing to do with the kids.
I would love to know how your elderflower cordial works out. I am making it for the first time this year and can’t wait to try it!
#MMBC
Ours came out really well – better than last year’s batch and we’ve been enjoying it. Hope yours turns out well too.
love the damselfly. We’ve had baby blue tits and dunnocks in the garden this last week and they are so lovely to see. #365
Oh how lovely to have baby blue tits and dunnocks in your garden. I do love watching the birds.
I really should have got involved with 30 days wild this year! Camping in the garden is so much fun good idea about a dry run. I love that the birthing pool is still going, I really wish we had kept ours.
It’s such a great challenge to join in with each year. I’m so glad we’ve kept the birthing pool – it’s been brilliant as a family sized pool in the hot weather.
I love seeing baby birds in the garden….some of them can be so noisy though!
Camping in the garden sounds fun….never tried anything like that.
It is lovely to see them in the garden – they can be very noisy! This was our first time camping out in the garden and it was fun.
The kids always get so excited about camping in the garden and sleep well but I’m always cold and wide awake! Love the Voila pics. #project365
I managed to stay warm but struggle to get comfortable enough to sleep.
Camping in the garden looks fun and well done Thomas – that is great spelling. Love the picture of the dragonfly on Sophie’s hat
Thomas is amazing me with his spelling at the moment. It’s his new favourite thing.
Love your cartoon photos. What a lovely visit from the damselfly. I’m sure it was Jessica saying hello. How brave to camp out in the garden. We would need a bigger garden to be able to do it #WotW
Thank you. I like to think it was Jessica saying hello too.