Summer Exploring

That's my family all the way up there!

Talia was utterly livid at being left behind on the ground with me, and tried every trick she could think of to climb up and join them. For her three sisters, this was the highlight of our little jaunt to Yeovil to stay with Ashleigh again. For Talia, this was an outright insult, and she only stopped ranting at me when she realised that I was buying icecream. She took mine right out of my hands, and enjoyed it thoroughly.







The National Trust always provides us with interesting places to explore, too. The magic of the old empty stables and sheds is the thing that always calls to these little wild ones. Rowan found a working hand mill in one, and spent a merry half hour telling us she was grinding flour for bread.



That picture just about sums up the entire day at Barrington Court. Jenna and Morgan running ahead engrossed in a game, Rowan trailing along behind wanting so badly to join in. I have yet to come up with a fair way of handling this new exclusion...

Jenna and Morgan found a sheet of questions aimed at older children and determinedly found all the answers but one - in trying to guess the length of the great hall they had decided to count their own strides as a metre, and overestimated somewhat as a result. The volunteer on the desk was impressed they attempted it, and was really pleasant in how she explained their mistake on the length question.





If you're in the area, also stop by the artisans in the outbuildings, and I'll accept the blame if you come away with some of Josef Messar's woodcarving and a bag full of fabrics from the most incredible little sewing shop...  (I have *bee fabric*. And CHICKENS! And rainbow sheep! Must. Sew. Pretties.)

Whilst exploring a cider orchard, Talia blew her first dandelion puff. She tried licking it too. Her verdict was that it is definitely better to fuf the seeds, because they are tickly and don't taste good. Take note, people!



It's so good to go and explore new and different places for a week. I really *feel* our distance from the sea, here in the Midlands, and long for beaches to ramble and the smell of the sea. The children whoop with joy and run in to the water (which is, as you might expect, absolutely freezing), bring me piles of stones and shells, climb rocks, and tell me how many different varieties of seaweed there are. (Morgan: "hundreds and millions... but we can oooonly find ten kinds!")

Finding sleeping space for all of us around a tiny little flat is always interesting, and Ashleigh is an extraordinarily patient friend to welcome us for a week of such mayhem (and assist in constantly trying to persuade the children to tread lightly indoors, because the flat below cannot appreciate the herd of elephants racing around on their ceiling at six in the morning).

We spend almost all of every day there outside, exploring, running around in the fresh air. Beaches and wild places, my very favourite way to spend a holiday.



"Mummy mummy! I went in the sea - all the way in the DEEP END!"



Perfect. :)