The Purple Door (and Beyond!)
Saturday, 28 April 2012
A Day at the Zoo
During the Easter holidays we used our tickets for Howletts Zoo for the last time before they ran out. (Lovely Auntie DiDi had loaned us her car for the week!) it poured with rain while we were there but we had lots of fun. Lots of the animals were sheltering from the rain, but we saw sime monkeys, wild dogs, rhinisceros, elephants and tigers!! Ollie particularly liked the tigers .... They were very close to us!!! (and growling/roaring!)
Monday, 16 April 2012
Woodland Adventures
The twins and I went adventuring at some local woods. We first had a picnic in the car and then went walking. It was quite lonely and deserted and I did wonder what I had done on a couple of occasions!!
But we had fun discovering different types of trees and discussing things like woodland maintenance and coppicing!
I will briefly mention the very barking (big) dog that got closer and closer and I eventually caught sight of about 75 yards away! We made eye contact for a few seconds and then it turned and ran back up the path it had come. (I had begun to look around for a big stick!!) I never did see its 'owner' and fortunately I never saw it again either!!
We found a shelter that someone had made using conifer branches over a fallen tree trunk and the twins loved playing in and around that. We stayed there for quite a while and I had to make a couple of calls. When I had finished I turned round to discover they had climbed on top of the shelter. With not much underneath them to support them, it was interesting, to say the least, getting them down! I eventually was able to lift Jemima off after she climbed halfway, but Oliver was another matter! As his feet and legs slowly sank through the roof he suddenly exclaimed "I'm stuck!" with Jemima inside trying to push him back up for a while, it soon became evident that down was the only way to go. (with her there to skow his descent a little!) Then I had to persuade Jemima not to try it again so she could go down through the roof!!!
The adventure was not yet over though, as Jemima and I fell over, tripping over sone bramble branches!!! Me head first into stinging nettles and bramble thorns - ending up with stung wrists, hands and face and a few scratches down my cheek. Jemima fortunately only had a few stings on her hands! (These are the same woods where Ollie fell head first into a load of stinging nettles when he was about 3... though fortunately he doesn't remember that experience!!!).
He was very upset at J and I's falls because he felt bad cos "the ladies had fallen and he had not!" I think he almost cried more than J!
And the adventure still wasn't over!! When we eventually got back to the car (after petting a really cute dog!) (which I was worried was gonna go for the blood on my face!!!) we got back to find a car infested with flies!!! I had left the window open (doh!) and they had obviously been attracted to the picnic left-overs in the bin bag!!. So several minutes were spent shooing them out!
Apart from the mishaps, we did have lots of fun and I have been at pains to explain to the twins that the mishaps should not stop us going and having more fun in the future!! We'll have to work on that!!!
Thus endeth the Woodland Adventures!
But we had fun discovering different types of trees and discussing things like woodland maintenance and coppicing!
I will briefly mention the very barking (big) dog that got closer and closer and I eventually caught sight of about 75 yards away! We made eye contact for a few seconds and then it turned and ran back up the path it had come. (I had begun to look around for a big stick!!) I never did see its 'owner' and fortunately I never saw it again either!!
We found a shelter that someone had made using conifer branches over a fallen tree trunk and the twins loved playing in and around that. We stayed there for quite a while and I had to make a couple of calls. When I had finished I turned round to discover they had climbed on top of the shelter. With not much underneath them to support them, it was interesting, to say the least, getting them down! I eventually was able to lift Jemima off after she climbed halfway, but Oliver was another matter! As his feet and legs slowly sank through the roof he suddenly exclaimed "I'm stuck!" with Jemima inside trying to push him back up for a while, it soon became evident that down was the only way to go. (with her there to skow his descent a little!) Then I had to persuade Jemima not to try it again so she could go down through the roof!!!
The adventure was not yet over though, as Jemima and I fell over, tripping over sone bramble branches!!! Me head first into stinging nettles and bramble thorns - ending up with stung wrists, hands and face and a few scratches down my cheek. Jemima fortunately only had a few stings on her hands! (These are the same woods where Ollie fell head first into a load of stinging nettles when he was about 3... though fortunately he doesn't remember that experience!!!).
He was very upset at J and I's falls because he felt bad cos "the ladies had fallen and he had not!" I think he almost cried more than J!
And the adventure still wasn't over!! When we eventually got back to the car (after petting a really cute dog!) (which I was worried was gonna go for the blood on my face!!!) we got back to find a car infested with flies!!! I had left the window open (doh!) and they had obviously been attracted to the picnic left-overs in the bin bag!!. So several minutes were spent shooing them out!
Apart from the mishaps, we did have lots of fun and I have been at pains to explain to the twins that the mishaps should not stop us going and having more fun in the future!! We'll have to work on that!!!
Thus endeth the Woodland Adventures!
Easter Monday
What a horrid rainy day, so instead of our regular Easter Egg hunt at Leeds Castle we went for a craft day nearby. The twins drew and painted pictures, which were then transferred onto tee-shirts, and Auntie DiDi and I did some pottery painting! They also got to feed some lambs at the same place. Cute! 
Easter Egg Hunt
It was cold and damp/rainy, so our Easter Day Easter Egg Hunt happened inside this year. The 'Bunny' visited
Whilst we were visiting Grandma, so there was frantic searching upon our return!
Whilst we were visiting Grandma, so there was frantic searching upon our return!
"You Can Drive My Car!!.."
Whilst waiting to leave church last weekend the twins enjoyed driving round the car park with Auntie DiDi! 
Sunday, 8 April 2012
Easter in Brugges
Some friends from the New York area are visiting family in the UK at the moment - Angela and her son Thomas - and on Saturday my sister and I were able to have a day trip to Brugges with them.
The last time I saw Tom for any length of time was when David and I visited with them in New York was about 9 or 10 years ago ... He's grown a bit since then!
Great fun and laughter and food (especially chocolate) was had. They are two of the loveliest people, and I can't wait til they visit again next year. What adventures will we have then?!?!?
The last time I saw Tom for any length of time was when David and I visited with them in New York was about 9 or 10 years ago ... He's grown a bit since then!
Great fun and laughter and food (especially chocolate) was had. They are two of the loveliest people, and I can't wait til they visit again next year. What adventures will we have then?!?!?
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