So this is the final posting on rae of sunshine blog, I have been getting increasingly frustrated with the constraints of canal blog and have decided to change my host provider and move the blog.  This blog will remain on line but no further postings.  If you want to continue to follow our life then the new blog page is:

www.raesforays.blogspot.com  

À bientôt, j'espère!

What a month - blessed am I to have so many wonderful things and people in my life!

 
October - what a month

A Halloween party to attend - I can make some fancy dress costumes I thought.  I found old fleece dressing
gowns at the second hand store in grey, brown and white - I like fleece as there is no hemming to do!  So I asked
the kids what they wanted to be and Ruby replied a hedgehog and Rivan said a fox so I thought little capes with hoods would be nice and easy…..  I have to admit the time spent making these costumes was far longer than I had anticipated but once I started I just wanted to make them look good and then I got ideas about how to enhance them, one night turned into another and then another but it was a great learning curve, the materials cost 3€ in total and I think they looked pretty good.

I decided to be a tree as I had a woolly hat and some reindeer moss, an old pair of green trousers were cut into leaf shapes and stitched on and voila ready to party.  Previously when I have tried to paint the kids faces they have been very adamant that they did not want to partake, today however they were very excited about the prospect.  With the clocks changing last night the kids were up early (according to the new time) so I tried to get them both to have a snooze without much luck.  We used the extra hour to carve our pumpkin, I had initially drawn a ghost scene on the pumpkin but when I came to carve it, it did my head in trying to work out which
pieces to cut and which not to cut to make it work so I gave up on that idea and the kids helped create Mr Fox/ cat - whichever your imagination sees.

The transformation that we went through whilst painting our faces was great fun, the kids sat still watching the others face change colour and character, then rushing into the bedroom to look at themselves in the mirror.  We then took advantage of the wonderful day and beautiful colours of the trees surrounding us and had a quick photo shoot - a passing car stopped to see us and gave us the thumbs up!

Chocolate cake made and I had attached spiders and pumpkins onto wire to finish the Halloween theme - unfortunately I left these at home so for those of you at the party this is what the cake should have looked like.

The afternoon was glorious and the party was as excellent as ever - well done our party queen!  Art activities and
games for the kids, goodie bags and bubbles and a magical group of people celebrating Halloween - we could ask for no more.  Tired kids stayed awake on the journey home excited to tell Ben all about their afternoon and we lit our pumpkin and gave him pride of place on our dinner table - a lovely, lovely day.

 
OK, OK I confess we have a pancake addiction - every morning for the last I don't know how long I make pancakes for breakfast.  It started off a treat but now the kids always reply with 'pancakes' when I ask them what they want for breakfast.  We have 3 chickens, 2 of which are laying so needless to say we never have any spare eggs these days and I am buying eggs every week.  Today was Les Herolles market (a huge, huge, huge market on the 29th of every month) so the kids and I went up there to get a new lady to join our flock.  I was torn between a grey and a white one but we stuck with our original plan and bought a Sussex - well know for being good layers.   When we put her into the cage I was expecting her to be bullied by the others to establish the pecking order, but as they all approached her she stood her ground as if to say 'and you problem is what!'. Needless to say she has not been bullied and I think she has actually take queen bee status.  

Over to get some more flour from the mill and on the way back we popped into see Wendy and Enzo to hear all about their holiday in Italy and catch up.  Ruby was delighted with her belated birthday present - a beautiful hand crafted teddy that is now called Bonnet.  A very special present made by a very special person!

This afternoon Gavin finished the render upstairs and we had promised to take the kids upstairs, Ruby especially had been dying to see upstairs, to see the fire and what beauty had been created over the past couple of weeks. We took them up one by one and let them rediscover the space that soon will be their living and dining room. They looked so little up there, excitedly running around climbing the step ladder, jumping and shouting and finally
finding the drill driver and wanting to impress dad with their DIY skills.  I got shivers down my spine realising that our dream to be up there for Christmas is going to be reality.

  
 
Upstairs for the first time 

There were 10 for lunch - a sunny day greeted us as we baked cake, made salad, fed the animals and left sandwiches in the fridge for the boys (all labelled up).  Getting together with friends is always such a joy and something that I will always make time for - my mind sometimes drifts back to when we lived in the UK and I was working silly hours commuting all over the UK, how little I saw of my friends and I wished that I had spent more time with them.   So with lunch arranged we all met at Lynn and Eva's house - a kitchen table big enough to house us all - we all feasted on excellent pizza provided by our hostess with the mostess, cheese and ham bread,
salad and a great apple cake with ice cream - mmmm.  We probably could have just stayed there all afternoon, drinking tea and taking in the beautiful weather and friendship but we had all arranged to go to Le Blanc for a children's activity afternoon so off we headed.

 
Sometimes there are events which are really well publicised, we make an effort to go and are sadly disappointed when we get there.  I immediately think of last year when an eco exhibition was advertised having a straw bale house, a number of us got very excited about this and went to the exhibition.  On arrival we found a wall made out of 3 straw bales…...  

This afternoon was a little like that - we thought that there would be lots of activities for kids of all ages, activities outside and lots to see and do.  When we got there we entered into a dark village hall to be greeted with several little areas of 'activities' for the kids.  Maybe my expectations were too high but I thought that there might be more there (as the leaflet has stated).  The large board game with huge horses was probably the biggest hit - the horses made with paper mache were fun and Ruby got quite attached to her one - pink of course.  I reminded me that I should try some paper mache crafts…..  None the less a great day and even time to pop into the charity store and get a great pair of trousers for 1€!

So the upstairs is progressing nicely, the top coati s now being applied - this top coat differs from the base coat that has already been applied - a finer hemp, some vermiculite and slightly different sand and lime amounts plus
the inclusion of oak chippings to give colour and texture.  The finish is pretty wonderful (I think) - there has been quite a bit of experimentation to get the right mix to give the best finish which has taken time, but upstairs is now really starting to look like a room - the rounded edges around the windows adds softness - time has clearly been taken to get the curves right.  My mind is already starting to look round the room and think 'how can I decorate
this for Christmas'!!

 "Morning daddy, yup, yup, pancakes, chocolate, yes, right, bye' (Ben was at work).

In the veg garden I planted some potatoes in March and had not actually got around to digging them up, I thought that they would need to be thrown away, but the wondrous mother nature did her magic and many of the plants were growing again so with a chicken in the fridge for roast chicken tonight we went out and dug some spuds - to my surprise they were pretty good and made great crispy roasties - now I just need to get out there and dig the rest of the patch!

Quite a momentous day for several reasons....  Yesterday Ben took Ruby out on the balance bike we borrowed, he tied her bike to his so he could pull Ruby along and he said that all of a sudden Ruby got her balance and was being pulled along without falling off.  This morning when we fed the goat Ruby was shooting down the hill on the bike so this afternoon we took off her stabilisers and sure enough with a few wobbly starts she cracked riding her bike.  She was so pleased and had such a great big smile on her face, she wanted to do again and again and
again, show the neighbours and dad too!  Needless to say that much of the afternoon was spent on the bike.

The other event today was the lighting of the wood burner upstairs; Ben has been working over the weekend to get the fire installed so that we can get it warm to help speed up the drying time for the walls.  After the kids had gone to bed we both headed up the ladder, Ben put all the windows back on and then opened the door of the
wood burner and lit the fire - something that he has not done for over 4 years.  Fingers crossed that it would draw well (I had faith in my man as everything he does, he does well and he is Mr Fire)!  We then sat there and watched 'caveman's telly' for a while - we turned off all the lights and just watched the flame dance before us.

 
Yesterday was the last day of school before half term and as we drove there in the morning we were greeted by many of the circus goats roaming across the road.  The kids were excited about seeing the different types of animals and asked to go to the circus….   When I collected the kids yesterday evening instead of taking our normal stroll through the campsite to play on the slide and see saw, we went to see the animals - it was then that I noticed the entrance fees for the circus - expensive to say the least but the kids were set on going so despite my
feelings (not really a fan of such attractions, feeling sorry for the animals and also wondering what kind of life the travelling performers lead - how do they educate their kids, do they settle in their caravans for the winter etc),
I agreed that we would go to the show this afternoon.

Blessed with another glorious day we arrived a little early and visited the animals again whilst listening to the loud speaker boom out the information for the show.  As the gates opened we were greeted by 3 ladies in circus wear, I said to a friend that we were with that they looked like Ryanair hostesses - too much orange make up and bad
fitting costumes.  We paid to get in and got ring side seats - there were not many people there, perhaps 30 or so and then the show began.  The kids enjoyed it but I found it hard to enjoy - feeling bad for the animals whose eyes said it all - "here we go again", the routine of performing.  Some of the younger kids who were performing
made a few mistakes (dropping their juggling skittles) and I could see the face
of the ring master behind them know that they would be reprimanded for this later.

So there you go, the kids have been to the circus, I managed to sit through the performance and I can now say to them that they have been when they ask next year if they can go - I can think of much better ways of spending 35€!

The pumpkins have been sitting in the greenhouse for some time now to profit from the warm sunshine to harden the skins and finish the ripening process, with the nights getting colder I keep telling myself that I must get them into the barn so that we don’t loose them and have some for carving so this morning with my little garden helper that is just what did!

With granddad Norman still in town and the forecast looking good we took a trip to the lake - we were the only ones there and at first the wind was cold and it looked like we were not going to stay long but out came the flask of hot tea for us and hot chocolate for the kids and this soon warmed us up (as I had hoped).  Then out came the sunshine and the wind dropped and soon the kids were stripping off and dipping in the lake.  Names in the sand, climbing and jumping filled the afternoon and as the sky turned grey we headed back to the car with rosy
cheeks and an appetite for dinner.    

Boys had a little lie in today (8.30am) and the girls were up early, Ruby wanted her scissors which we bought last week - proper sharp ones and the first day she had them last week she promptly chopped the tail off one of her
little ponies and hid the evidence.  I tried not to be too cross with her as I remembered back to when I was a bit
older than her but did this to a real pony as I thought that it looked better!  She rectified her mistake and now gets to use them again tomorrow!  The morning shot by, busy making supper for tonight, feeding the animals and Ruby eager to have a go on a friends balance bike that we have borrowed for the week - Rivan of course wanted it too until he had a go and found out for himself that it was too big for him - now he just points at the big and says 'too big!'

This afternoon we took Ben's dad (granddad number 3) to I'île aux serpents (snake attraction), it is somewhere we have been meaning to go for a while but never got round to it so with the weather a bit cold and unsettled we
took a trip there.  Overall it was a fun place to visit - a bit pricey for what it is and I would have been very disappointed if we had travelled a long way to visit for the day as it only took a couple of hours maximum to walk round.  For all of us the highlight was the feeding of the otters - a male and female who entertained us as they were thrown their fish - I do love otters.

We dined together and then granddad Norman was keen to read to the kids - he had kindly given them both books and wanted to read one of these.  It was entertaining seeing someone read to them - he kept the book close to his eyes, Ruby tried to pull it down to see the pictures and as he started explaining the scientific reasons of a rainbow I had to hide my laughter - 'Richard of York gave battle in vain' - means very little to a 4 year old but the thought was there and he loved spending time with the kids.

Upstairs is really starting to come together, after several years of work going on behind the scenes - insulation, electrics, sub flooring and so on it is now that slowly upstairs is starting to look like a habitable space.  Last week Gavin (our eco builder) put a scratch coat on all the walls upstairs and this week the hemp render is going on thick and fairly fast (you can't rush this job)!  The hemp mixture - sand, lime, chopped up hemp and water is mixed in the cement mixer and then hauled up on a hoist that Ben spent the weekend installing to save the backs and knees of our builders. 

The actual mixture is quite inviting - sounds a bit weird but when you look at it in the wheelbarrow you find yourself noticing all the different textures, shades and shapes.  It feels so right to be putting this on the walls knowing over time the walls will be able to breath, keeping our house warm and at the same time being kind to the environment - there are no chemicals in this mix, the hemp was sourced locally, the lime is natural and the wood chippings which will be used on the finishing coat were sourced locally too.  I think that this is the biggest hemp job our builder has done to date and there is a little bit of adjusting the mix along the way to work with difference in the walls, seeing them take the hemp mixture and 'slap' it onto the walls upstairs is truly exciting.

The progress that has been made today is brilliant - the house is beginning to look like a house and not just a building site.  The curves into the window frames is beautiful, I love the way that you can see finger marks in the hemp where it has been moulded round a corner - I love the 'organicness' of the project, it is a slow job as the hemp gets put on by hand but it is so worth it and I am so excited to see the finished room…..

For my part there is little that I can do except look after the kids and be the 'in house' catering making sure that everyone is well fed and watered to keep them going through the day!

So you ask how did it go sleeping with two kids in the hotel room – well Ruby wanted to start sleeping up above us in the bunk bed – and she was adamant about it so I decided to let her as I knew she was capable of climbing down and I had bought the night light me so I knew that she would be able to see to climb down.  2am and Ruby was awake crying as she said she forgot to give one of the other mums a kiss goodnight so she climbed into my bed and then spent the rest of the night snuggling into me, flinging her arm over me to try and hug me, trying to stroke my hair and nearly pulling out what I have left in the process.  At 5am she said "mum I'm not tired now',
to which I replied 'I am'.  Rivan woke a few times but as he was in the travel cot he was safe and contained, we finally admitted it was morning time about 7am and waited for everyone else to wake.  We all had breakfast - all 8 of us took over a little bit of the self service breakfast room and the mums had lots of coffee - to wash the hangover away and also give us a 'zing' from lack of sleep. The kids enjoyed hot chocolate, compote and toast with jam - as we sat there I thought that this is what communal living would feel like - one big family.  All the kids were excellently behaved and just loved the whole experience.

With everything packed into the car we headed back down to the beach which was much less crowded today (not that it was crowded yesterday!).  With the tide out there were loads of shells sparkling in the sand - it does not matter how many times I have collected shells from the beach, they just never look the same or as good as they do when nestled in the sand.  There were quite a few tears this morning with little girls being girls, getting upset if the other would not talk to them or bossed them about - tiredness clearly affecting their emotions.  Us mums agreed that Rivan won a gold star for being the coolest kid over the weekend - no moaning, no crying or winging in fact he is just a very cool dude and Freya won the prize for the best sand creation and made a beautiful mermaid.

After a while we tried to find somewhere to get coffee - but with it being a sunny Sunday all the restaurants were only interested in you if you were eating at their establishment so we gave up searching and went back to the
car to collect the picnic stuff.  My camera got left in the car (by mistake) so you will just have to imagine us
eating our picnic sitting on a bench over looking the sea, watching 3 galloping horses training on the beach - which was a beautiful sight and all the kids just stood and stared.  Then the local vet cycled by - seriously the vet from our home town cycled past us and stopped to say hi - the world is such a small place!  The kids did more playing, we then found a place for coffee and a last ice cream for the youngsters before sadly having to
pack everyone in the car and head home - we all could have stayed much longer but with school tomorrow and the journey home we had to get on the road.  Driving back the kids slept - just for an hour otherwise they would not sleep tonight and it gave me an hour to reflect on our weekend - my spirits were lifted, I had a warm feeling in my heart from all the amazing things in my life and my love for the seaside increased 10 fold.  I can't wait until we are able to start camping and exploring more of the coast with the kids in years to come.

For a while now I have had this burning desire to go to the beach, it has been far too long since I heard the sound of the ocean and smelt the saltiness of the sea – the last time we were on the beach was at Dogs Bay in Ireland and we all had winter coats and hats on.  The weather forecast gave it good for the weekend so with a couple of girl friends we booked a cheap hotel on line ( 27€ for the room for the night), packed up the car with ‘holiday toothpaste’ and a few treats for the kids and headed off early down to La Rochelle.  Kids really excited about going on holiday and going to the sea side, poor Ben waved us off in the morning with a longing in his eyes to just jump in the car and join us but his other woman – the house, needed him to stay here and work.  We promise that we will take him in the spring when his he has his life back and have a true family holiday at the seaside.

I was filled with both excitement and a little nervous about taking the kids away on my own to a hotel over night – the first time that we had stayed in a hotel, I hoped that they would sleep and not be too excited that lack of sleep would turn them from bouncing children into wild bodies overwrought with tiredness.  Sad that Ben was not with us but as ever loving him for working so hard on the house and giving up so much to help make our dream come true for Christmas. 

We arrived just in time for lunch and found a lovely restaurant just on the front with a table with our name on - outside but not in the direct sun.  All the kids were hungry and eager to fill their bellies, so we ordered and then got out some colouring to distract them from the rumbles in their tummies.  Seafood salad for me, burger and chips for the kids followed by ice cream - proper holiday food!

We then headed to the beach - just taking off our shoes and letting our feet relax in the sand was out of this world - a simple pleasure that I think I would never tire of even if I lived right on the beach.  The afternoon passed too fast, the tide was out when we arrived so when it started to come in we all decided to walk out and meet it - however we were met with glorious mud which slowed our progress.  We did not need to worry as the tide soon arrived to greet us - its speed made me realise just how easy it would be to get stuck out on a sand bank - I made sure that the kids did not venture out too deep.

The afternoon was just idyllic - the kids played happily (most of the time) in the sand, Ruby and Rivan opened their cousin David's Christmas presents - thank you David we made some vibes in the sand!  We fetched supplies and all had a picnic on the beach and waited for the sun to set so that we could all watch the end of the day - it was a spectacular one!  We all waved goodbye to the day and returned to the hotel.  

 We had already booked into the hotel so our rooms were all ready to go for the nigh time routine - we had 3 rooms next to each other so after showering and cleaning out the sand we put the kids to bed and cracked open a
box of rose wine - the kids finally fell asleep about 9.30 - 10pm and we retired about midnight after probably drinking too much!  I can't remember when I had such a beautiful day - thank you to the amazing world we live in, the friends I have and the children who I am honoured to be their mother!!!

Both kids 'having a day off' today - I kept Ruby off school as family were coming round this afternoon and so we all enjoyed a lazy day!  Murray and Maggie (Ben's cousins) were over this week and we have not seen them since we arrived here in France so it was wonderful to see them - and it was just as if we had seen them a year ago -
neither of them had aged (sadly I am unable to say this), their sprits were high and they were enjoying the sunshine and their holiday.  The remarked how like Somerset this area - it was one of the things that attracted us when we first started looking too - very similar countryside without the huge price tag for the house in the country. 

The kids were treated to Cbeebies and Thomas the tank engine magazines (expertly chosen by Murray) and thoroughly enjoyed meeting their 2nd cousins.  Ben and I then went out for dinner without the kids - a family meal over at his sister’s house.  Our French neighbour who has babysat for us before came and looked after the kids, this time though she was able to come and read both the kids bedtime stories - providing that they were French and then she put them both to bed.  It was a real treat being able to leave the house at 7.30pm and not worry about the kids, we gave them lots of kisses before we left and they looked very happy sitting on the sofa waiting for their story.  We had a wonderful gastronomic evening and a few new ideas for dishes in the future - happy, full tummy and lovely to have the night off cooking - thanks Clare and Jane!

Sometimes when I do arty crafty things with the kids I have quite a clear vision in my mind what the finished product or item should look like.  Over the years I have come to realise that this is pointless as what the kids want to create is miles away from an adult's perception of what they will be creating!  

Today we made masks for them - they both chose the animal they wanted to be - Rivan wanted to be a fox (although to a strangers ear it might sound like something else rather rude), and it had to be blue.  Ruby wanted to be a hedgehog (just in case you were wondering) and it had to be… yes you guessed it pink - light and dark.  We chose the template / shape off the internet and then cut them out for the kids to paint - they both had a
great time getting the colour right and making sure that it was covered.  When dry Ruby then added the whiskers to both of them and we attached some elastic - and off they went tearing round the house being the animal of their choice.

Creepy crawlies in the house is something which I prefer not to have - I tolerate the spiders as they don't really do any harm and providing they do not drop on me while I am sleeping they are good at catching the flies - they can
stay.  Flies must die as they are dirty, disgusting insects, mosquitoes are the same - if spotted they will be killed
instantly.  Woodlouse I barely ever see, big black beetles occasionally get in and I hear them flustering about in a box or bin so just lift them outside and then there are these prehistoric insects - commonly known as house centipedes - and I hate these as they freak me out - too many legs and move too fast so if these are spotted in the house I do my best to catch them and dispose of them - sadly these prehistoric insects are nearly as common as the spiders - I guess you have to live alongside nature but I wish that these would go and stay somewhere else!!!!

Suddenly Autumn has started knocking on our door, who would have believed that earlier this week the kids were stripped off and paddling in the lake, today it had a real feel of a change is on the way.  The nights have got colder and it is getting darker so much quicker, some nights I feel ready for bed and then look at the clock and it is only 9pm!

Ruby is very much enjoying her new wardrobe and excitedly chooses her clothes and dresses herself each morning, there are only a few days when she comes in wearing strips, polka dots and several different colours and I have to say lets go and just see what else is in the cupboard so at least she matches a little!

Kidikwa meeting this morning and it felt like everyone had new energy as we planned the activities going coming up before Christmas and then into the spring, along with the details for the AGM.   Then back home to sort out some receipts for the bank - they need proof of our building work to release the loan money into our bank account, when Ruby and I went in earlier this week our bank manager explained nicely that until he
had some more receipts then he could not release the money.  Taking Ruby was a good ploy as she kissed him
goodbye and we thanked him for his time, so now I just need to make sure our paperwork is up together so that we have money to pay the large bills coming up over the next couple of months.

A friend collected Rivan from crèche and we met down at the municipal campsite - a lovely space with wonderful trees and play area for the kids.  I know that Rivan will not have been outside today so it is a good way of making sure he gets some fresh air, for me to catch up with my friend and enjoy the beautiful colours that autumn is dangling before us.  We collected loads of lovely leaves to put in the telephone directory (I knew there was a reason we have one of these that sits on top of the fridge for 12 months of the year gathering dust) to flatten and dry and then to start making our Autumn poster in the hall - I meant to do one for the summer and we just never got round to it but with Ruby's appetite for colouring and painting growing all the time and the Rivans attention span extending we should be able to make this happen.

Déjà vu?  How many years ago was it that Ben was up on the roof fixing it with our friend - ohh about 4 years
and today he was up there again filling in the chimney with lime and vermiculite mix - the fireplace is well underway and looking great so the job for the day was getting in the flue and back filling the chimney.  The kids enjoyed seeing him up the ladder and as we fed the goat we had a great view of him at work.  Then the rain came - as had been forecast so on with the raincoat and hat and back up the ladder. 

 
After the rain stopped we headed out to feed the animals, Rivan loving his moto that he borrowed from the toy library and having fun riding through all the puddles.  Then the jumping, splashing and running through the puddles started and everyone having fun UNTIL Rivan fell over and sploosh - not a happy boy anymore.  The solution - just strip off to your pants and boots - matching red ones today and he looked rather fetching don't you
think.  Autumn beginning to set in around us now, pumpkins drying in the sunshine - which reminds me I must to mine, leaves starting to turn and the days getting colder - well we can't really complain it is the beginning of October.  

Miss Piggy to the rescue - this lady is a champion bargain finder and knows that we have been looking for a bike for Rivan for some time now; they have been looking at car boot sales in the UK for us as the second hand kid’s
bike market here is silly, but nothing spotted so far.  Today I received an email saying that there was a chap on ebay selling bikes and that her husband passes the shop if we found anything suitable then he would be able to collect - and that there was a rather nice red bike for sale - how kind and thoughtful is that?  I looked at the picture and thought - yup that just has Rivan's name all over it so placed my bid and the deal was done.  I cannot thank Dawn (aka Miss Piggy) and her husband enough for doing this for us and bringing it over to France (when they have space), they will make one little boy oh so happy!!!

Errands to run today for the house project – to collect a register plate for the fire and then go and collect some paint that was delivered from Wickes to a company that ship items over here to a nearby collection point.  Kids were in good form and we set of to get the register plate, on arrival we were told that the chap had forgotten to make it so could we return in an hour - so we had an hour to kill.  We took a trip to the library, somewhere we have not been for some time but both kids excited about choosing new books and music for the car.  The last time we went Rivan was not that into looking at the books but more interested in jumping off the chairs and using the furniture as a climbing frame, today however the change was pretty dramatic.  His love of books grows every day and each night when we read a bed time story he enjoys helping Ruby select a book and then us all snuggling up in our bed for a couple of stories.  The current favourite was given to Ruby by her Auntie Jane - 'Rubbaduck and Ruby Roo' is a great story all about a rag doll called Ruby Roo and a duck and how they make their fortune.  We have read this one for the past 7 or 8 nights and still they do not grow bored of it - I suspect that this is because as they know the story so well they then fill in the missing words when I ask them.  

Anyway I digress, at the library Rivan goes straight to the books and gently looks through them until he finds one with farm animals and tractors - sits down to look at it and then tells me 'home' - he wants to take this one home.  Ruby is fast to select her books and I am keen to let them choose the books they want, for Ruby her books include one all about the fire brigade as this is something that they have been doing in school.  So with books chosen we check out and then head off to the playground for a quick climb before returning to collect the register plate, it is finished and waiting by the door.  When I ask the price the man says that I am to give what I want…..  I tell him I have no idea how much he would like and he tells me €10, to me this seems like a bargain price, I check with Ben when I get home that I have understood him properly
just to make sure I have not offended anyone by giving too little.

This afternoon we had to wait on a phone call for our paint delivery, we were initially told about 1pm so I did not put Rivan down to sleep, by 2.30 I finally call the company and find out that they will not be at our drop off point until about 4pm so arrange to meet them at an earlier drop off point - a longer drive for me but it would mean that we could salvage some of the afternoon.  To cut a long story short, we spent most of the afternoon driving round France, unable to find wagon with our paint, we ended up going to the original delivery point and finally got the paint in the back of the car - nearly 2 hours later.  We did manage to get back to Chillac lake and meet our friends there for a quick paddle and catch up before returning home.

Just before I went to bed I thought I would open one of the boxes to check that we had got the right paint and my heart sank as I put my hand in the box to pull the tub out and found I had paint all over it - the tub had been
leaking and not stored properly during shipping - not best pleased.  I decided to check the others in the morning,
but Ben checked them before he went to bed and one of the other tubs had a great bit crack and had leaked all over the box - arse!!!  I will have to contact the delivery company and see what they have to say - it is really disappointing when you order something in good faith and expect it to be shipped safely to find such results…..  We have at least one tub of paint that is not usable - I wonder will the delivery company cover the cost of replacement??