A Much Needed Day!

So did you have a nice Easter, is the question I keep getting asked and my answer of no terrible is often met with surprise. You see we really did have an awful fortnight for on the first Sunday on the way to see family we hadn't seen for over a year and some who had never even met our youngest who is now 29 months we broke down leaving us stranded in a lay-by and with learning that our turbo had gone we spent a frustrating time waiting to be relayed home. The whole episode took 4 hours to get home after breaking down an hour away from our house! 

Not the best start to the holidays and we then spent the Easter fortnight without a car. Lets just say thank goodness for lego it saved the boys from getting bored in fact it was our holiday the boys loved spending hours wrapped up in their games. But if at that point we thought the holidays couldn't get any more frustrating or expensive we were wrong as our washing machine broke on the last Saturday of the holidays and a few days later a mechanic gave us the news that it was a right off and a new machine was needed so as our oldest confirmed "This holiday has been rubbish"!

To hear your child claim that there school holidays were rubbish is awful so we have been determined to have some nice family days out since getting the car fixed. So after reading that the National Trust was holding a 'free' weekend we jumped at the chance to go and spend a day out at one of the properties by us.

The National Trust seem to get it right time and time again. We spent an amazing time exploring an incredibly well preserved house that showed us glimpses of life 'downstairs' and 'upstairs' and by offering a 'find the trains' quiz for children it kept them going through 50 fascinating rooms and then after a hot chocolate in the stables we went exploring the grounds.

Considering we were dressed for the rain and watched the showers come and go we were very lucky to walk the grounds in the dry and even see glimpses of sun! And considering it was a dull early Spring April day the gardens were packed full of interest and delight.

 I came away full of ideas of how I would like to see the borders in our garden much to the 'delight' of my OH!!

 We are yet to become National Trust members but after having such a special day out like today where we can all come away feeling like we have enjoyed ourselves and have learnt and seen something new I can only think it is a matter or time!

And thankfully now after a day of exploring and climbing the 'rubbish' holiday seems a very long time ago!!