Well today was a school strike day for both my 2, even though they’re at different schools. They were supposed to stay at home and do “Independent home Learning”, but I wasn’t going to have any of that. So I took them on an “Educational visit”. They’re still learning, and exercising, so that’s good enough for me. We went to Standen, which is a National Trust place in West Sussex. It only takes just under an hour from where we live, so that’s good. We arrived at around 10.30 ish, and went and had a look round the gardens. They’re beautiful, very large and the perfect place to play Hide and Seek according to Emily and George. The House was built in 1890, and is set in 12 acres. I only want 1 acre, and a slightly bigger house. We found a wonderfully secret Quarry Garden, which had a pond in the middle.

Quarry Garden

A wonderful vegetable garden ready for sowing, and a greenhouse with seedlings sprouting away.

Vegetable plot all ready for planting.

They also had a Plantation Play Area, where we all played on the wooden bridge, round the maze and acted out scenes in the little theatre. Several people went past as we were in full acting mode, I think they were a bit worried by what we were doing.

If you didn’t hold on you fell over. I did!

I can’t remember what they were acting out, but George can be very funny.

At lunch the kids had a hot chocolate, and I had a tea. George enjoyed his hot chocolate so much he seemed to get it all over his face.

The remains of his hot chocolate on the bridge of his nose and right cheek!

After looking round the house in the afternoon and played the game of which bedroom we’d like. George got to have a go on an old fashioned typewriter, which he found rather tricky as the keys aren’t as sensitive as the computer keyboard. I bought them both an ice cream (yes I know, but then they’d eat one in the depths of winter), and I had another tea before we came home.

A very enjoyable day, and would go there again, but this time in the summer when it’s warmer.