Cheese rolling

The variable weather has continued as spring struggles to make an appearance. The buds and blossom on the trees in the garden are three weeks late at least. The blooms on the camelia bush have appeared however and Tomasa, our hard-working Polish gardener, has returned to start work on the overgrown beds, lawn and hedges.

We had a lazy Saturday as the rain came and went. Marie eventually walked three of the boys to the library and I went out for a cycle with Finn, who did very well using his gears and getting up a few inclines without stopping. It was a bit of an effort for him though - he never strikes me as having a natural base level of fitness like Sean and Rowan who just seem more active. Finn will have more stamina, I suspect. We'll see as they grow up which sports or fitness regimes, if any, they choose to follow.

On Sunday I did the big cooked breakfast thing after an early trip to the supermarket with my little helper, Angus. Sharon was looking askance at the amount of food I set out on the table but there wasn't much left by the time the locusts had visited it. Sean and Rowan managed two rolls each and sausages, bacon, eggs, fried potatoes, beans, tomatoes and mushrooms soon disappeared from the table. In five or ten years' time I'll have to visit Costco beforehand to get cafe-sized packs of provisions.

Later, after homework and lunch, we packed into the two cars and headed east to Dunbar. The day got steadily greyer and colder but the rain held off, allowing the boys a good play in Lauderdale Park before we walked along towards the harbour. The boys elected to play "Cheese Rolling" by lining up at the top of the grassy bank overlooking the harbour and chasing a golf ball that Sean had found. Many times they did this, with remarkabky few injuries but a lot of grass stains. Angus wasn't quite able to compete but enjoyed the physicality of running and falling, while Rowan's wiriness proved as asset once again as his rapid grabs snatched victory on a number of occasions. Finn came out on top though after more than twenty runs and a lot of wailing from Rowan.

As they rain did begin to spot heavier we drove on to Gifford, to the Goblin Ha', for dinner. Arriving before six we hit that lull after lunch and before dinner when the place is quiet but service isn't that great. I took the big three over to the park for "base jumping", as if the "cheese rolling" hadn't been enough. Cue more wailing from Rowan as tiredness kicked in when I was timing them on a circuit. Dinner was fine, without being spectacular, and we drive home through a lovely evening with two cars full of tired boys.