Alaric's Dad Lionel and his step-mother Lynne are currently over from South Africa where they live. They arrived in depested darkest Gloucestershire last night and for Lionel it is a return to the place he was brought up. Tonight we made them a three course meal along with Barbara - this is the first formal entertianing we have done since moving back into the house after the flood.
So I brought out the table cloths and napkins and the nice butterfly napkin rings David and Michelle got us at Christmas. We made yummy lentil cakes with sage in - yesturday Alaric made some of the same lentil cakes with what he thought was the coriander but it turned out he doesn't actually know the difference between my lovage plants and coriander - he thought the lovage were lemon corriander and thats why it tasted odd :/ - still both types of lentil cakes were good 
They sat upon a bed of salad from the garden and we had various dips. We then had ground nut stew cook using the cabbages from the garden (well what were left off them due to this years cattipillar uinfestation). Desert was home-made yogurt and local honey with hazel nuts (I'm afraid these were bought as Jean had eaten the ones from the hedge row I'd gathered.).
The interesting thing to note was Jean's interactions with Lionel - her langage was completely different from how she speaks to dad - eg:
To Dad, 'Ferfer nut?'
To Lionel, 'Grandfather would you like a nut?'
I thought this comparison was very interesting as was the fact she called him grandfather when Al had introduced him as Granddad but Lynne had said Grandfather. I think little bobble has worked out that you can interact differently depending on whats expected of you!
Anyway I did take a photo of the Snells but haven't got round to uploading it yet - I will also shortly be sorting out my cooking blog which I will link to so that you can see the recipies etc... of the fabled lentil cakes!
The church here in Cranham gives the children presants on the anniversaries of their christianings and today was the chosen day for Jean to recieve her presant. But unusually for Jean she went mega shy and hid in the pew and didn't say anything for the whole service. She got a little board book and becuase they haven't had a children service since the beginning of summer she also got a birthday candle which we have put into the candle stick holder she got last year.
It was a nice day and we walked there and back even if dad did moan the entire way.
Jean will be a whole three years old at the end of August so sue to demand we are celebrating it by having a party on Saturday the 30th of August. The party will start at 10 am and go on all day
There will be the BBQ's out so if you want to bring something to slap on there feel free - we will obviously be having seperate meat and veggi BBQs! There will be cake and I have a few drinkies left over from other events but you'd might want to bring something yourself aswell as budgets are a bit tight as always!
We have floor space and space to camp for those who need it.
If you could let me know wheather you're coming or not that would be helpful too
For those of you who didn't make it to the last party we have the candy floss machine, chocolate fondue, pop corn maker and the doughnut maker!
Weather and time permitting we'll get the pool out as well so bring a cosy/wetsuit or what ever
At the moment Jean is keen on Colouring in, trains and being outside for those who tend to ask.
IF anyone wants to know about B'n'B's let me know.
As an exercise in her art class, Sarah made some pictures by cutting out shapes in coloured paper:
Coincidentally, at about this time, I was thinking that I ought to screw a bit of wood to the wall in my workshop and hang tools from it to make them more accessible, and to store them more compactly than having them sitting on a shelf (which is the worst way of using a shelf EVER). So I was delighted when Sarah announced that she'd thought her pictures could be stuck to a piece of wood to make me a toolboard...
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Today in the Snell-Pym nursery a.k.a Jeans bedroom Jean asked Mummy for a film so Mummy asked furfur if he could bring some films with him when he came to see us. He bought lots of fun DVD's with him including Life on Earth and other interesting things.
Jean chose a DVD and called it the people film it was Balamory and after five minutes of the first episode Mummy decided she wanted to mass murder the entire cast and blow up the pretty coloured houses. After Ten minutes Mummy started to irrasistably hum the theme tune. By the end of the first viewing Mummy was considering torture was - mayby - in this case justified.
Jean asked mummy to play it again and as she is still quiet sick Mummy agreed - Jean then watch it on loop for the entire afternoon! Mummy decided that a placated Jean was probably worth the mind rot the tune and simpicity of the programme wrought upon adults and decided that mass murdering the crew wasn't such a good idea. She did however decide that Balamory was prehapse the DVD she'd hide at the bottom of the stack - But Jean loved it so much that Mummy didn't have the heart to do it.
Balamory good for two year olds - suicide inducing in adults - this is my conclusion - I'll say this for them though - they really do cater well for their target audience and this is why Sarah is not a teatcher especially of the under tens! shudders
On the plus side I was clapping the rhythems each time the theme tune played and on about the seventh time I gave up as Jean wasn't clapping with me - But becuase I wasn't clapping it she did! And she got it right!
I think one episode at a time would be tollerable - sigh.
