Views from Autumning

We met some lovely home-ed friends at Calke Abbey this week, and when the delights of the large play area (and a den in some nearby bushes) had been exhausted we all wandered around the house this time.  Where the children were polite and interested and I had my first of four conversations this week in which a person who began with the opening gambit "Not in school today then?" has turned rapidly to "good for you!"

When we got to the tunnels from the cellars to the brew house, the children as one body decided the only thing for it in that dark and eerie place was to tear along whooping and howling as if the very fiends of hell were after them.  We had the tunnels to ourselves, and it was pretty tempting to whoop along with them!  Unfortunately the crazy was hard to switch off, and when they realised that we were walking over a grille in the floor of the courtyard passing over the heads of some poor unsuspecting people coming through the tunnel after us...  Well predictably they made ghostly howls down at some folks who took the game in very good grace and *probably* didn't start any new rumours of haunting...

They did quiet right down to have a look through a big fence...



...at these majestic individuals...



After our swim session the next day we spent a couple of hours making leaf rubbings (Rowan's current favourite activity) and colouring Celtic designs (Morgan's project of choice) and then went out for the evening to see my brother, his lovely wife, and their gorgeous baby son.  The babies stared at each other a lot, and generally found each other very funny.  It was great to spend some time with them, have a nice meal out, and see them thriving so beautifully.  :)

Today we walked my mum's dogs.  Lucy apparently doesn't usually willingly walk in daylight hours.  She's quite shy still and getting used to us slowly.  It was gratifying to see her tail wagging at us, and she was very protective of the children.  When they went out of sight in the woods she kept trying to go to them, and when they came back into view she made a huge happy fuss.  :)

































It's so gloriously Autumn this week.  :)