During the week, our time together as a family is limited. During the day there is school and work. The time between the end of school and bedtime becomes more precious. For a while today, the children and I were in the same part of the garden Each of us doing our own thing, yet still very much together. TF was playing in the sandpit.
Above him, BL was playing on the recently painted play fort. She had her own story going, which I could hear drifts of every now and again. She was playing something out that had happened at school.
AJ came out and joined me weeding the soon-to-be bean bed. She picked up the rake and started breaking up some of the heavy clay lumps and removing weeds. In between questions about which weed was which, I learnt about her day. I learnt more about her day than if we had sat down at the table and I had fired questions. The act of weeding distracted her and she was less guarded about the day. Just the same way the girls chatter on when they are crafting. What’s more, she was very helpful with the weeds and cleared a good area.
In the background, the hens were hidden among the blackcurrants. Making dust baths and acting as inadvertent weeders. The hedges are thick with May blossom, at the moment. One tree at the back of our garden, looks like a snow drift has selectively hit that spot. Reminds me how the year is moving on.
We love family time spent working on the garden! We’ll be doing lots of that this weekend… Looks like you all had a great time!
Valerie – The weather is perfect at the moment. We are spending most of our time outside, the children play and I’m coaxing the kitchen garden into life.
That looks like fun, it is much easier to chat when doing something isn’t it, Kate chats as we walk home from school…it usually works best if I’m walking quite briskly and just add the occasional mmmm (intonation appropriate to content :0) ) then we reach the garden gate and hunger takes over and it’s teatime
Val- you’re so right about the “mmm”. It doesn’t stop the natural flow of information. Just encourages. I’m learning not to give in to temptation and ask exacting questions.