Saint Davids Day

We are not welsh nor is anyone in the family ( will brush over my brothers soon to be ex- wife) but any excuse for festivities and learning has to be seazed with both hands.

Yesterday we had a productive morning.
Jasmine disappeared up to mums with her energy project leaving me and the youngest four to got stuck in to some st Davids day fun.


Gypsie and i made Bara brith, sometimes known as "speckled bread" (the literal meaning of the original Welsh-language name),a lovely tea bread enriched with dried fruit ..i was very proud of myself for having remembered to  soak the fruit in strong black tea overnight.
I read out the method and Gypsie weighed  measured, mixed and kneaded.
It turned out to be very delicious. In fact its almost all  gone already.

We also made a daffodil garland. I had cut some flower templates out the previous night. Summer decided to use a sponge instead of a brush to paint them and Charlie and Gypsie followed her lead.
We used egg boxes to create the centres.
When i asked Charlie what we should do because we had no orange paint .He knew straight away we  should mix the yellow with the red.

We created a beautiful mantle tribute to st David.
We hung up our Garland and Brought in some of the potted daffodils from the garden.
 (the kids had planted these bulbs a few months back)
Summer even added some leeks!!!

We read the story of St David giving leeks to the welsh men fighting the Saxon's, the where upon there helmets so they were able to distinguish themselves from there enemy in battle.

Gypsie re-wrote the story in her own words and  after discussing the various symbols she also designed a welsh love spoon.

We had a visit from my auntie after lunch and then we went out to visit my mum and dad and brother and sisters.

Doesn't Eva look LOVELY in Grandads cap !

After a lovely afternoon we headed home to make dinner.

Summers friend came round to play in the evening and the kids got on with different activities before bathing and getting in to bed.
Charlie and I always snuggle up for a story in his bed.Last night we were joined by Eva too. He wanted to do one of his maths books ( there is no writing involved in these everything is done on discussion) Then we read Kippers week from the oxford reading tree.Before a story from Stories for boys. (this was a bargain at £50p from the library)
He then nodded of to sleep being poked, prodded, kicked and hair being pulled by his baby sister.I offered to move her but he said he didn't mind because he loved her! ....too cute.....

I m not sure there were many boys doing maths at just before ten last night , but it works for us!