A mini nature reserve (and birthday celebration #2)

A chilled day at home today.  It's Fred's birthday, and he wanted to stay in and play his new PS3 game.  He was so excited, and was up very early waiting to open his presents!

The rest of us kept ourselves busy.  

I made chocolate brownies, and Meg did her bit by finishing the cake mix.

Betsy and I made a mini nature reserve, using an idea from the Wildlife Trust website.  We'll check it every week or so, and see what grows and who moves in.

Betsy is really enjoying 30 days wild.  She thinks about what we can do each day, and likes to talk about her ideas.  We tend do something outsidey or naturey most days anyway, even if just in the garden or on the tow path walk into town, but this has really focussed our attention on those things even more.

Meg had rescued a snail from the allotment on Sunday and put it in the snail house, but discovered yesterday that it had died.  She and Betsy made a grave for it in the garden.  I really love this respect and feeling for other creatures, no matter how small.

Other outdoor bits - I potted up some more lobelia for the front garden, and left a surplas tomato plant on the front wall for someone else to have.  It was gone in half an hour!  

Betsy and Meg scooted, and played on the trampoline.  Quite a lot of time outside today.

Fred's tooth fell out today, on his 10th birthday!

I took Fred (and the girls) to dinner at McDonalds, along with his local friends.  7 kids aged 4 to 10.  Fun!

They came back for cake, and played outside with the drone.

Now they've gone, Fred is playing Battlefield, Betsy and Meg are in the garden.  A good day.