Typing, building, biking and a fig

We've been out and about quite a bit so far in the holidays, but when we're at home, the children have been inside far more than usual.  I think they're just finding it too hot to be playing football or tennis at full throttle in the garden.  

The littlest boy has started to learn to type.  It's something that the bigger two started doing a while ago, and something that I think will probably be quite useful in the future, unless of course the computers of the future can directly access our thoughts and upload them into cyberspace without so much as a single keystroke.  We've been using this BBC Schools programme.  Nicely child friendly with what I think is a (talking) goat that sounds a lot like Lily Savage.  What's not to like?

The children have become suddenly obsessed with building card houses.  I don't know where it's come from, but coincidentally we've been watching House of Cards on DVD (grown ups, not children).  We watch it last thing in the evening, when we're tired, and I knit at the same time, so I'm not always watching the screen.  Consequently we're not entirely sure what's going on.  We sit around saying things like, "Now why is the dopey girl that was with that chap that was killed agreeing to be hidden away somewhere by that short bloke?"  And sometimes I fall asleep a bit as well.  When I wake up I shout, "What did I miss, what did I miss?"   He's not always sure.  I was thinking about something Scandinavian next, but if I can't even follow an English programme, Norwegian might be a bit of a stretch.  Especially if I'm only looking at the screen a quarter of the time (I'm not one of those people who can knit without looking).  Any DVD suggestions will be happily received.  

The littlest boy has spent happy hours making his card houses.  He said to me the other evening, "I'm going to spend all morning tomorrow making a card house".  We're a little obsessive around here.

The biggest boy of course got all competitive and came up with this.

It's made of Top Trumps, apparently they are straighter and stiffer.  It had to stay up for ages, so that my friend and her daughter could admire it when they visited.  He built it directly in the pathway into the living room, so we spent an entire day tiptoeing round it.

Loom bands have also entered the house.  The middle boy's teacher gave him a pack as an end of year gift.  They were briefly popular, but they've waned now although the littlest boy does like to wear his (you will recall that he is all about the accessories).

We've made a few trips to the allotment, including the annual barbecue which was fun.  The garlic and onions have been harvested and are safely stored in the garage.

We went on a short bike ride around our quiet streets today.  There was a bit of falling off, a bit of shouting and I may have been heard to shriek, "And that is why we will NEVER be doing this again", but everyone got home safely which in the end was enough.

In other news, I ate a fig.  Not just any fig, but a fresh one from the garden that I grew myself.  I've had fig trees in pots for ages, but this year is the first time I've any full-sized fruit.  I wasn't expecting much, but honestly, it was exquisite.  I've always loved fig foliage, but now that I've tasted an actual fig, I can't think of any plant I'd rather have in the garden.