Bikes and the beach

An uneventful few days as far as the kids go- just the usual simmering low level violence and continual shouting. Same old same old.  All of which has meant that I have been able to get on with Stuff. Look, my embroidery is coming on- it's not going to be done in time for Mouse's birthday though:

FHB and I went to town to buy Mouse's birthday presents. I have sworn him to secrecy and bribed him with hot chocolate, so I am hopeful.

We also went on a hunt for a tyre for my lovely old bike. In Halfords I say to the lad working there that I need a twenty inch tyre. He directs me to a selection BMX tyres, one of which is snakeskin effect (FHB wishes me to buy this). I say: 'Hmmm, these look a bit heavy for my bike. I don't really know what I'm after. What do I need for a Raleigh Twenty?' The lad's eyes glaze over and I feel very old.

I return home with tyres. W tries for an hour to fit them. We realise they do not fit and I resign myself to taking them back on Monday.

We go to Decathlon to buy tyres. The kids are always a nightmare in Decathlon. They arm themselves with three wheelie baskets and chase each other up and down the isles. FHB disappears for some time and is located in a large six berth tent. Then he finds the skateboards.

Meanwhile, W is looking at bike stuff. We return home with (miraculously) four children, some bike gloves, a bottle and holder, two bike helmets (Custard's makes him look like a mushroom. It's ace), degreaser, and a handlebar. No tyres.

Altogether on Saturday we visited five bike shops. We order the tyre on line and wonder why we did not just do that to start with.

On Sunday, W went for a ride on his new toy:

And we met him down at the beach with a basket of hot chocolate, coffee and hot sausage rolls. (Fresh bread dough, wrapped around cooked sausages, then baked for fifteen minutes. Add condiments of choice before wrapping. We had mustard in ours- yum):

We took FHB's bike down in the car. He wants to start cycling to school, but needs to be a bit better at the basics- steering, braking, avoiding pedestrians- so he had a practice on the seafront while Mouse whizzed up and down on her scooter. Custard ran after his brother shouting 'Come back Obi-wan' at the top of his voice. He's not at all one-track.

It was glorious this morning, chilly and bright. I realise I need to fish out everyone's gloves and get busy making this year's hats.

Miss T has some new boots:

A friend of mine gave me a bag of stuff her daughters have grown out of and these were in it. Miss T is REALLY pleased with these. We went for a wander out onto the mudflats so she could christen them.

We are settling in for a warm and quiet afternoon. W is knocking up a roast, I am planning on crocheting hats (and revising, but mainly crocheting) and the kids, all of them, want to watch James Bond. I realise this is perhaps not age-appropriate, but it is such a rarity for them all to be in agreement about what they want to do that I'm prepared to go with it. I'll deal with the fall out next week- watch this space...

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