It was sunny so I took the kids for a picnic.
I do love it - its like a magic pass to take the kids to healthsome outside spaces with playgrounds, houses to charge through and cafes. Today I decided that it was a picnic kinda day. Actually, whilst it was sunny, it was also cold, which given what the weather has been like this summer was very odd.
The house doesn't open until 12 so we had a good run around in the playground first - they're re-doing the fencing, but I don't think my two little monkies noticed.
Then it was picnic lunchtime and then running around with the ducks.
It's been a year since I last went to The Vyne, last year when we visited they were replacing the whole roof and the building was swathed in scaffolding - but you could take a lift up to the top and go round a walkway at the top. Here's the little miss being super cute in her high viz...
This time we managed to venture inside - the lady at the door said enjoy your visit, but please no sticky fingers on anything. Pip and Sally promptly ran off and proceeded to run around the house, helpfully not staying in any room long enough to touch anything! I think they livened up the place by shouting 'yay' and 'hurrah' every time they got into a new room. I got to look briefly at fancy ornate ceilings, I think I saw a picure or two and got a general appreciation of the house layout...
Nothing got broken, no children were lost and no tantrums were had. This makes a successful trip to an old house.
We did find a room where there was one thing that wasn't demarcated off limits with a tiny plastic plate and a sprig of holly on in - Sally was very pleased with her ride on the rocking horse, I probably ought to take her ride an actual real pony again soon. This was also one of the two most echoey rooms for children's feet and squeals of joy. There weren't too many people around at this point, and I'm pretty sure we didn't ruin anyone's visit. I'm not sure how grinning happy children can be a problem anyway.
We made it all the way around the house and the lady on the front door took a picture for me - I don't look at all manic after my success in herding small people around without losing either of them, it is normally a two person job.
Same place, same buggy, same kids - but they look just a little bit different!
Oh, and I love this photo...
