Valentine's Weekend, RVA

You've got to embrace the crazy that is Valentine's Day USA. We exchanged family cards this year, with our own bagfulls and then P whipped up the ultimate romantic toast for four plus the odd strip of carnivorous-lover's bacon encased in Billy's bread.

Workday No. I, Shields Market

While the kids marked-up booze and bagged coffee on their first 'shift' at the ultimate local store, we skipped off for a beer... of the alcoholic ginger variety in my case.

Snow Day No. VIII, RVA

This time some serious arty-filmic action with a glimpse of the Hollywood Costume show (free ticket from immensely kind passer-by) at the VMFA. J and I favoured the green slinky dress from Atonement and M - Dorothy's dress from Wizard of Oz. Moulin Rouge caught our eye too. However Cleopatra stole the show with her 1930s and 60s variations... this was slick production c/o the V&A no less.

Upstairs we sketched Egyptian shabti dolls and hieroglyphics with some more quality control stress with the eldest offspring and then it was out into the snow, layered for survival and Dale Chihuly's red glass reeds glinting against the sparkling white - my new shades c/o Colin Leslie got their first official outing.

Valentine Tokens, Pinterest

It should have been a scene of domestic bliss but the love-heart production line was subject to some quality control issues and parental frustrations.

By Day 2 of creation things had calmed down and the gleaming love tokens were looking good. J's met with complete delight and got worn by her teachers, once she'd told everyone in morning-meeting how they were made by her whole family...

Pie Picnic, Church Hill

The perfect Friday picnic - NZ-style, with proper pie, chocolate mallomars and a steep grassy hill for rolling down. Church Hill is such a fabulous spot for comfort food and views - Richmond-on-Thames, almost.

Project Ancient Egypt

Anubis takes shape, whilst in the garage a pyramid is fashioned with a hand saw and some sandpaper. Next the class Mummification party but sadly for M (!) no classmate's heart removal is possible - for weighing on the scales of truth and sin - as she established after some investigation.

Forest Camp, Bon Air

J & M got to go to school together, ending up in the woods and exited here singing, 'The ants go marching one by one...'