I think we have the next Simon King in the making! Edward can identify, and say the names of, the following birds either from pictures or from the window opposite the bird table:
Robin, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Blackbird, Sparrow, Starling, Jackdaw, Magpie, Dove, Duck, Cockerel, Dunnock, Chicken and Captain (Woodpigeon). I did promise to tell the story as to how woodpigeons came to be called ‘Captain’. A fair while ago now we had a beaten-up, bent-beaked, one-footed woodpigeon visit the bird table, he really does look a bit of a state compared to the other birds and we called him ‘Captain Jack Woodpigeon’ (as opposed to Captain Jack ‘Sparrow’ from Pirates of the Carribean). Well the Bear struggled to get to grips with Captain-Jack-Woodpigeon so he just called him ‘Captain’ – the thing is, as far as Edward is concerned woodpigeons are not woodpigeons, they are Captains and nothing will persuade him otherwise!
Not long after I wrote the last blog entry – and I’m talking maybe an hour – me and Edward went into the new garden to potter around for a bit. When we got out there we discovered that Arthur was there with his very big green John Deere tractor, so the pottering was put on hold whilst Edward just pointed at it saying, “Mum! Look! Tractor! Mum! Tractor!” We were standing there long enough for Arthur to appear from inside the house (Arthur works for the Estate and is working very hard in what was Margaret’s house doing all the work that needs to be done there before someone else can move in) and he said that Edward could have a sit in his tractor if he would like to!
So we did! We both had to sit in it as Edward wasn’t going to do it on his own (to start with anyway) and I’ve never seen a grin SO big! He was absolutely BEAMING, and had a lovely time pretending to drive it by waggling the wheel around and making lots of tractor driving noises. We must have been sitting up in the cab for a good 10 to 15 minutes and then it was time to go….you can imagine the wails of protest and hanging on to any bit of it in an attempt to stay ‘driving’ the tractor but, thankfully, it was short-lived. When we went to get Ellie and Jack from school, Edward told them all about his driving of the tractor and he started beaming all over again – a grin so big it would melt even the coldest of hearts!
What else has happened…? Not much really, it’s half-term at the moment and the kids are enjoying dossing around and not having to do any school stuff. They go back next Tuesday and then there’s only about 7 and a half weeks before they break up for the summer holidays – I’m sure the school terms were longer when we were at school and the holidays not so long! Before the end of term we need to go to Prince William (Jack’s new school) to get the bits and pieces of uniform that have to come from there (which is only a jumper and rugby top I think) and sort out his bus pass and the time that the bus comes through the village.
July weekends are completely booked up for them – on the first weekend Ellie is having her braces fitted and Jack might have to wait a little longer for his last baby tooth to come out before they will fit his, the second weekend they are away for The Festival of Speed, the third weekend they are away to Bournemouth for this year’s Pier to Pier swim (Ellie is determined to finish it this year and I think her triathlon training will definitely stand her in good stead!) and then the last weekend sees them go away for a week to Wales on their PGL holiday – Ellie is doing horse riding in the mornings and multi-activities in the afternoons and Jack is learning to drive in the mornings (yes you read that right…lock up your car keys!) and multi-activities in the afternoons.
So it’s all go! Dinner’s ready, so better run.
Sarah x