Sunday 16 March 2014

Mud

Despite the beautiful spring weather, mud is still featuring heavily in my weekends.  First of all there was football.  The biggest boy scored a couple of goals today which made him happy.


Four lots of football and one of golf meant a light application of mud and bits of grass about the place.  Then we went to Slimbridge.  The biggest boys were having heaps of fun chasing each other about the play area, until the middle boy ran across what he thought was a bit of solid ground and turned out to be six inches of the thickest, wettest mud imaginable.  He went absolutely flying, and about one second later the biggest boy did exactly the same.  They honestly looked like swamp creatures.  The middle boy even had it in his mouth, to his horror.  They were covered, all down one side, legs, back, arms, hands.  It happened about eight seconds before we were going to leave anyway.  So close.

I made them sit in the car in their pants.  When we got home the car was not parked particularly close to the house.  I've never seen them get to the front door so fast.  I took my time.  I may even have snapped a photo or two of them standing on the doorstep.

They're squeaky clean now, especially the biggest boy who has had two showers in the space of about six hours.  The littlest boy was utterly thrilled at not being the one in trouble, after a particularly tricky week.  Oh he was happy and proud.  So good when the weekend goes out on a high.

I know you won't want to see pictures of boys on doorsteps in their pants, so I have some pretty things from Slimbridge instead.

I vividly recall looking for buds on this magnolia last year on the 13th of April.  I found only one.  How different this year is.


There were also lots of fluffy spring things.



And some slightly sunken leftover rosehips.


I had an insightful conversation with the two bigger boys yesterday.  We'd been talking about what estates and wills were.  It went something like this:

Middle boy:  "Horrid Henry has a really funny will, he leaves his mum and dad a chunk of mud."

Me:  "I hope you're not leaving me a chunk of mud."

Biggest boy:  "Actually, you'll be leaving us stuff."

Me:  "Got your eye on anything there have you?"

Biggest boy (with nary a pause):  "Big lens.  Laptop."

Middle boy:  "Television and remote.  Daddy's computer."

Me:  "Lovely.  Will you be leaving anything for the littlest boy?"  (I should point out that the littlest boy wasn't in the room, or he would have shouted the loudest and bagsed everything for himself.)

Middle boy:  "He can have your recipe books.  And the kitchen."

I'm wondering if they're thinking about making him cook their food.  Good luck with that.

30 comments:

  1. Ha! Oh, that is funny, I did have a chuckle there. So you made them sit in their pants - I would've done the same thing. Brilliant. x

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  2. I am glad I am not the only one making children sit in the car in their pants. It has been a while, luckily. Very practical items that your boys hope to inherit! Mine live with the fairies I think. They imagine being like kings and queen in our castle, living a little like the Swallows and Amazon children during their summer holidays. Your photos are stunning. Cx

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  3. What a gorgeous magnolia. Especially against that beautiful blue sky!

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  4. HA! Love their humor! Now that is too funny! And I can only imagine what they looked like running to the door as 2 swamp creatures! Those are the fun joys of childhood that they will always remember! And those trees!!!! Oh you captured them beautifully! You are such an amazing photographer! Sounds like a wonderful weekend of sports and mud! All the best this week you! Nicole xoxo

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  5. That is funny that they've staked out their inheritances already! Great photos and story of your boys. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  6. Oh my ....they have it all planned out. LOL

    It made me wonder what, if anything, Stephen would want. Maybe he would want our television.

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  7. You could have some really good blackmail material there someday with those pants photos. I would have made mine strip down too. My son gets so filthy just on a normal day. Last week, I made him lie across my lap so I could clean his ears, what a gross job. I can just picture the three of them, the two older lazing about with computers and photographic equipment in front of the TV while the little one slaves away in the kitchen. Poor little guy.

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  8. Lovely photos. Your boys sound like great characters! Have a good week. X

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  9. Oh so funny, that's boys for ya! They just attract mud don't they - well done biggest boy on the two goals, brilliant!

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  10. No photos of the swamp monsters?

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  11. Such gorgeous Springy photos, I do love magnolia! Brilliant conversation with your boys too - how funny! Have a great week. x

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  12. That's the embarrassing photo sorted for when they start bringing girls home then. It looks like you had a nicer weekend that we did, weather wise. The wind's been back again here and it's been dull and overcast.

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  13. I've made Matt sit in a bin liner after rugby when he was too muddy. He thought it was brilliant and my car stayed cleanish. A win-win situation!

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  14. It has been a winter for mud after all the rain, but that is rotten that your boys found a large patch of it just as it's starting to dry up everywhere else! I expect many of the swans have already left Slimbridge - a sign of spring. The magnolias do look striking against the blue sky; so much is earlier this year compared to last

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  15. Your conversations with your boys are hilarious! Oh and the mud - I would have had a fit! I've had my fill this weekend - spring thaw and a dog with the furriest feet ever (even if he only has three of them). Tracks that go right through the house and up onto my bed - arrgh!

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  16. Your spring pictures look so wonderful. So colorful

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  17. Wonderful! Made me chuckle, thank you!

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  18. Well done that goal scorer. I had to laugh at them getting so muddy then standing on the doorstep latter, and at that conversation.
    Lovely photos, and I like your description 'fluffy spring things'! Flighty xx

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  19. Well at least it looked a fairly mudless football pitch.

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  20. I love reading the conversations you have with the boys. I also love picturing this scene with the mud and the kids running to the house all muddy and in their (under?)pants. Classic.

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  21. I love your conversation with the boys Being the youngest child of 3 myself, I bet they will try to get the youngest to cook their food. If he’s anything like me, though, they won’t want his cooking, so he may get out of it All the things springing to life is lovely! I can’t wait for things to start budding around here. That is too bad about all the mud, though. I can just imagine how messy that was. Glad your weekend was a fun one!

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  22. Oh how funny, you always make me laugh out load with these funny conversations, please keep them coming!!! Gorgeous magnolia blossom, I must say that even up North we are seeing things out that wasn't anywhere near appearing last year. I suppose we had just had the very big snow then. Enjoy your week xoxo

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  23. I'm glad your boys have got their priorities right with the processions, that did make me laugh! We have had similar episodes with mud when the children were younger. That will a great photo to bring out and remember in years to come! Sarah x

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  24. We constantly battle mud and filth here and BigR is often derobed in the car after nursery. It was Holi festival yesterday and it took 3 baths of water to remove all the powdered paint!! The magnolia is beautiful. You've really captured Spring in your photographs.

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  25. I remember the mud - rugby players here, they rolled around in it on purpose - and then they both left school and stopped playing. Yay! Mind you one took up rowing aged 16 and used to fall in rivers instead. And the two girls brought back nearly as much muck as the boys when playing hockey.

    I love the conversations you have with your boys. I wish I'd written down more of what mine said when they were little. I only remember small bits.

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  26. Hey CJ,
    Now that Alfie is in self imposed rugby exile, I don't have the mud. Which I don't miss at all. I do miss watching him play though. I supported my nephew this weekend at an under 15s rugby cup final. St Ives narrowly lost to Cornwall, but it was fantastic. I shouted myself hoarse!! Blogging is a great way to record all those little funny moments. I love the idea of your boys dividing your chattels and relegating the youngest to cook. Priceless.

    Leanne xx

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  27. Oohh mucky pups! They will kill you later in life for those photos :) Beautiful blooms, really glad you put them in the post between a mud bath and talk of death, haha! Some light relief xxxx

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  28. I was the one who got really muddy this weekend, footpath turned into a bog............

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  29. Mud, mud glorious mud! I like the sound of your boys (even their cheek)

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  30. They're just ruthless in their honestly aren't they. Love it! I'm really enjoying your blog.....Mel x

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