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 :)

Throwing Cuddly Monkeys onto Goalposts

Secret Agent Sock, our beautiful baby hamster, is settling happily into her new home.

Meanwhile, The Boy has been creating some awesome firework pictures as we learn about Guy Fawkes and James I.

Researching the life of Guy Fawkes.

Picture Study...

...this week's art was making heavy-looking scultpures of people... 

...I love their interpretations :)

We discovered a chicken in our garden!  It spent the morning pecking about and even sneaked into the house at one point. Fun!

A trip to the dentist: all teeth fine and dandy.  Hoorah.

Our good friends have taken a year out and have gone to USA to travel for a year in an RV.  Their kiddies are friends with my kiddies and this is my two enjoying a grizzly bear update on their blog.

My nature girl and millipede.

Making pictures

The Boy did this CUTE picture diary of his day.  I think I love him.

And he also finished his maths book this afternoon.

 This afternoon:

Mummy and The Boy went swimming

while Panda Girl went to gymnastics

and Ballet Girl and Monkey Girl went tap dancing and then modern dancing....

Then Mummy and Panda Girl and The Boy played with a cuddly monkey and with a ball

while Ballet Girl and Monkey Girl went to their gymnastic lessons.

Did I mention I also made cookies, hung out the washing, made packed lunches and dinner, washed up a million times, vacuum-ed the house, put the kiddies to bed, ordered my online grocery shop and updated my blog...?  

It must be bedtime :)

The Stuarts, Wasp Stings and a Midsummer Night's Dream

James I of England and James VI of Scotland is how we began our Stuart work today: a quick discussion of why he was given the crown and then we dive-bombed straight into reading about the discontent of the Catholics - or was it a protestant conspiracy? - and Guido (Guy) Fawkes and the almost-explosion of the House of Parliament.

The Boy loved our printed picture version and beyond anything he loved role-playing the whole thing with the masks.  I've left it all out for him to play with and he helped himself today, resting his wasp-stung foot which has now become infected :(  We visited the doctor this morning and he's on antibiotics, meaning no trampolining class allowed today, but hopefully it will result in a less swollen foot over the next few days.

Play-do fireworks

My Boy's wonderful contribution.

 Nature Study 

'Make your own Puck'.  The kiddies had fun designing Puck from A Midsummer Night's Dream 

Tramplolining lessons, home for dinner, an evening trip to the park and then playing in the dark with friends - is how we finished our day :)