Yoga Girl

Miss E likes to demonstrate gymnastics or yoga at any opportunity.
Give her a perfect lawn in front of a National Trust house and she's in heaven!
We packed up in quite good time this morning. Annoyingly there was quite a heavy shower just as all the stuff was piled up by the car and the tent was flat on the ground so it all got wet and then the sun came back out!
Miss E and I had to have words (mostly shouted and screamed and cried) about our plans for the day. She wanted to go crab fishing and I wanted to go to Mottisfont, one of my favourite National Trust properties.
I may have got cross and shouted that we should do what Miss E wants because it's all about what Miss E wants, never mind what I want..... Oh dear!
Mr K took charge and said we were going to Mottisfont. Miss E whinged most of the way!
And whinged a bit more in the car park.
And stropped along a bit until we got to the entrance and the lady gave them their maps and activity books. Then it was all smiles and skipping off to have adventures.
Mummy's plans aren't so bad after all!
There was a fantastic Adventure Quest trail for children to follow and write their own story in the storybooks they were given. The had to name their hero/heroine, draw them and then follow the trail to fill in more details, draw the dreaded Bog Monster, build shelters, write songs, pump water and work sluice gates, make grass whistles, cross the Great Northern Grasslands to escape the River Demon and rescue one of the characters (Pinkbeak the Kingfisher in Miss E's case, Barbara the Water Vole for Miss L!)
They walked miles, lost in their imaginary worlds. It was just brilliant!
At the end of the quest - when they chose friendship over gold, phew - we went to the spectacularly beautiful walled garden. Even though the roses are past their best it was still stunning. And smelt wonderful!
We had tea in the café there and finished our picnic. Very tired but filthy and happy!
As usual we were pretty much the last to leave. Miss E was doing her gymnastics and yoga on the lawn half an hour after closing time and then we watched the trout - and eels! - in the crystal clear beautiful chalk stream. It was like the illustrations from Peter and Jane books!
The Little Misses both fell asleep on the way home so it was straight to bed with them.
Followed by collapsing on the sofa with stuffed tortellini and chargrilled vegetable sauce for me and Mr K.

I've been backblipping our holiday for what seems like forever! Starting here.