Catching Up With Family... and a Few Alpacas

A Day Out at Woburn Abbey

Today we spent the day discovering Woburn Abbey: the beautiful house with all its history, and the breath-taking gardens in all their glory.  The Abbey was founded by Cistercian monks in 1145.  It was given to Sir John Russell during the Reformation in 1500s and remains in the family today.

We saw the rooms where Queen Victoria stayed on a brief visit there, including orange blossom from her wedding bouquet and sketches by Prince Albert; the iconic 'Armada' portrait of Queen Elizabeth I, Stuart tapestries, a lock of Napoleon's hair, and the portraits of all the Earls and Dukes of Bedford through to the current Duke.

The kiddies completed a quiz on their tour of the house and the weather was perfect, as we tumble into Autumn, for exploring the gardens.

Sometimes my Monkey Girl studies like this:

And sometimes she studies like this:  

And that is why I love her.

A Clean Mouse House and Chocolate Chip Shortbread

Today The Boy went to nursery and the girls worked quietly and sweetly all day :)

Panda Girl cleaned out the mouse house.

Ballet Girl finished this.

We had Chinese food for lunch.

And when The Boy came home from nursery he watched Monkey Girl make shortbread.

We grew this sunflower by accident.  It's almost 6 feet tall and grew from a seed which fell from the bird table :)

 Sandpit

Fixing the neighbour's lawnmower with Papa

And at the park with Mummy

A Catholic Plan or a Protestant Conspiracy?

We've learnt both sides of the Catholic and Protestant theories of Guy Fawkes and the failed attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605, but the two youngest concentrated on the simplified, most well-known version, which is the basic Protestant theory that The Catholics were caught in an act of their own making.  The eldest two have gone more in depth with their research about Robert Cecil and possible his hand in it.  It's all fascinating!  Here are my two babies and their story :)