Cuthbert the Cat

We inherited Cuthbert when we moved into Belmont.  We call him a she as he is so pretty and we're also not used to having another male in the house!

The very first night we spent here in the house, Cuthbert very proudly brought us a mice for show and tell.  The second night, he played with another mouse at 2 o'clock in the morning.  I then found the bits of the mouse in the bathroom that morning and so it went on for only one or two more nights till he was outta here!!!

I guess Cuthbert then felt very sad and rejected as he then sprayed in the laundry room.
Now you all know how disgusting, vile and pungent that smell is and oh so hard to get rid off.  I tried EVERYTHING to rid of the smell and only time really did the job properly.

So poor ol' Cuthbert was then forever banished from the house.  It sounds mean, but we have made him/her a nice bed in the boiler room (which is warm) and she finally and slowly is becoming friends with Matilda.  Matilda seems desperate to play and sniff, but Cuthbert won't have a bar of her!

Until very recently, I've been allowing her to come in for cuddles at night time.  Today was special though and she spent most of the rainy day on the sofa!

Her eyes remind me of Puss n Boots!  Who moi?

Nose kisses with Matilda

Fathers day

We did another bike ride today to g&g's - this time am pleased to say with much success as there were no chocolate breaks, no falls, and well, only a handful of fights!! Oh and it only took an hour (an hour shorter than the first time!)
Tom and Sam met us on their bikes halfway and we were also pleasantly surprised to meet g&g and ponies trotting along the country lane!
Now we are back at their house, it's time to get stuck into roast beef with all the trimmings!!
Happy Father's Day Daddys xxxxxx

Local stuff and more flowers! (I'm obsessed!)

Matilda wanting to be let out to play!

The first of our roses to bloom

Foxgloves

Vase of Buttercups

Local town sign

Our local, the Scole Inn

Town sign

Rape seed

Poppies ardorn the roadside

All Frocked Up

The girl's school held their Annual Ball on Saturday night.
It was terrific fun and we danced all night.  It was just so nice to meet new people and have the opportunity to get all dressed up.

Unfortunately the ball clashed with Granny & Grandpa's party.  Their theme was war time "Keep calm and carry on," They had a 20 piece swing band and all the paraphnalia.  The girls stayed the night there and dressed up accordingly.  Apparently they were a smash hit at the party and everyone enjoyed themselves.

Tanzin on the other hand was with her friend, Rosie at the Newmarket Races.  After the races, cute
boy band, Lawson and The Saturdays played. She kept phoning me so I could listen but all I could hear were girls screaming!!

Garden

Wisteria drapes upon the Aliums and Iris' in the walled garden.  The roses have just started to bloom as well.

I haven't picked up the hoe, shovel or rake for one whole week and look what happens!!!

Half Term Madness

Well the extraordinary thing is that we've nearly been here a year already!
The girls are on their last term of school and sailing through with huge smiles.  Tanzin has been picked to be in the rounders team which play away matches every Friday afternoon.   She has also just started horse riding lessons at Grannys every Tuesday after school with her friend, Poppy.

Taylor is making us all so very proud with her enthusiasm for reading and writing.  She has jumped up 7 levels in her reading since the start of school and also a group.  Can't ask more than that!

Jaimie is also going great guns at school and amazes her teachers with her natural ability to constantly create whatever she can out of junk!  And then we have the good fortune of her bringing it all home!!

Over half term week, we drove to good buddies from HK, Ian & Jane's house near the Cotswolds for a lovely reunion.  Their home is an old mill and so the kids just had a blast rowing in the boat and running around.
M&D stayed in Chipping Camden which has agreeably, the most beautiful street in all of England.
http://www.chippingcampdenonline.org/

We also said a very sad farewell to M&D as they returned home to sunnier skies.  Here's a snapshot of what we got up to...

Jaimie's bunches of wild flowers for Poppy

Sun at last at the T's.  M&D sitting here with Francesca

Harry with his harem of girls

On the champas stuck in a rowboat!  Oh what to do?!!

I am 9, 8, 7, 6, 5

Super pals, Taylor & Harry

Same with these two gorgeous girls.

Walking through Chipping Campden

Chipping Campden

Taylor's school buddies, Selina, Taylor, Maddie, Tanzin & Brit

Taylor was a cheshire cat at Selina's Mad Hatter's Tea Party

Read on Taylor, read on....