At the beginning of the month (Sept 6) , the kids were back to school/pre-school.
Beth started in year one (grade one) and Toby went into his final year of pre-school before he starts reception (kindergarten) next September (how did that happen?!?). Neither had any problem settling back in although Beth has made rather a lot of comments that school is now rather hard. I think she's finding that there isn't quite the emphasis on play that there was last year, 
especially since she is in a mixed year one/two class (the school is pretty small with only 10 year two children and 20 year one kids - a total of 105 children in the whole school).One of the first topics they are covering is toys. The homework last week was to set up a toy shop and practice making up the correct amounts for the cost of each toy.
You can see the shopkeepers ready for their customers. I can't help but feel a little dread every time I see Beth's pink homework book as I know that it'll mean homework for me too!Shortly following that, on Sunday 11th, was the village gardening show. As a new member of the gardeners association I thought I'd dive right
in and enter a few bits from the veg patch. It made me realise that I have rather a long way to go . . . The classes I entered in were runner beans, cabbage, longest runner bean, three-veg selection and onions. I probably should have entered in the disaster vegetable instead! It was very interesting to look at everyone's produce and chat with them. I found that two men tend to win 
everything every year - one works in the gardens of a large estate and the other is retired and grows stuff specifically for shows. I guess as someone just throwing things in the
ground and hoping something will pop up, I didn't do so bad! I was at the veg patch yesterday watering the newly planted onions and garlic and had a look at what's still 'producing'. We still have runner beans, dwarf French beans, beetroot, cabbage, baby sweet corn, butternut squash, tomatoes and onions (of which we have 70 left in the ground as I 
have no where to put them to dry out!). We also have brussel sprouts nearly ready, purple sprouting broccoli (though I'm not quite sure what it's doing) and parsnips getting bigger by the day. I'm happy with that!Keeping on the subject of producing your own food, the pigs made an escape at the beginning of the month. It seems the battery for the electric fence got a little weak
and the pigs took advantage of it, pushed through that then using their snouts, pushed out one of the massive fence posts and off they went. Unfortunately for them 
they ran two miles down the road and ended up at a pig farm - very bad luck! After some repairs to the fences, they were brought rather unwillingly back home. After that little escapade, their meeting with our freezer has been brought forward - think they will be going to their new home a week on Monday. We meant to use the summer holidays to catch up with all our friends in the far
corners of Britain. Unfortunately we didn't quite manage it and a couple of our rendezvous spilled over into September. So, on Sunday 18th we went to Chatsworth House and Gardens to meet up with my friend from University, Holly and her family (hubby, son Rafferty and step-daughter Naomi). We were lucky and got a sunny day rather than the forecast rain. We decided not to go into the house as three young children and lots of breakables don't always mix!As it turned out, the gardens were plenty big enough to fill a day. There was a maze which Toby managed to get us out of very quickly - he ran off and we had to run to
catch him or else he might have been lost for a while but he picked all the right turns! There was also a cascade waterfall, rock garden, kitchen 
gardens (I could have spent ages in there!) and lots of sculptures. Among the sculptures were two by Damien Hirst; the one in the photo is called 'Legend' and was created this year. Have to say that I wasn't overly fussed by it - looked quite nice in the setting but just wasn't my kind of thing, sorry Damien!Last weekend, Sunday 25th, we went to Eureka in Halifax (about an hours drive away) to meet up with cousins Adam and William. We have
talked about going for a while but never quite made it but it was definitely worth the trip. Although some of the concepts were above Beth and Toby's level, there was plenty for 
them to do. I didn't take many photos as the light wasn't great and we were just too busy playing. :) I think we'll go back again at some point, perhaps when Beth is doing some school project and we can't quite pull an explanation together - Eureka can answer all her questions. :) All our trips are just about shared with the exception of one this past Wednesday when Toby and I went to Sherwood Pines and met up with a childhood friend of
mine, Sarah, and her two children Abigail (same age as Toby) and Charlotte (six weeks old). I was a 
little unsettled by how obsessed Toby was with Charlotte - he just wanted to stroke her cheek and cup her face in his hands. He was also desperate to hold her but there just wasn't a soft and bouncy enough place! I did wonder if a request would come in for a new brother or sister but when I asked Toby if he would like that, he just laughed and said "That would be silly!". Very glad to see we're on the same page. The kids had a great time clambering on the tree trunks, climbing up the giant mushrooms and eating ice cream. Beth was more 
than a 
little put out that she wasn't allowed to miss school and come with us, don't blame her, I know where I'd rather be!Thought I'd just finish off with a salute to our very hot weather this week. On Friday and Saturday, in our garden it reached 29 degrees C/84 degrees F - not bad for October, we even broke out the paddling pool. :)
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