Stay a little while longer…#CountryKids

We visited my family during half term, which is a bit of a journey for us. Our kids are pretty good in the car but even they can run out of patience and sometimes the anxiety about the effort of the journey can eclipse the reason we actually go! On the morning we were going to leave we decided to hang around for a little bit extra time and take the kids and the dog for a burn off some energy walk in the woods. The result was a lovely hour or so extra spent with family, late lunch and then a surprisingly clear 250miles home!. Everyones a winner!

 

 

 

 

 

Country Kids from Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays Cornwall

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The National Trust @ Quarry Bank Mill #CountryKids

We had a lovely and much needed family trip out and we headed out in the cold sunshine to Quarry Bank Mill. It is a fabulous national trust property surrounded by gorgeous gardens and forest walks. It was beautiful strolling through the forest and the kids climbing on trees, jumping puddles and squealing as they ran. Perfect childhood freedom that is sometimes rarely available for our city kids. Of course, there was the odd squabble over sticks and who would hold the dog’s lead.

We went a little off track, having not picked up one of their info sheets on the way in, and ended up struggling across a field to get back onto the forest track. The field was up hill and had a sheer layer of mud all under the already wet grass. There were a couple of face plants in the mud! Good to be out and not have to worry about a bit of mud. Lots of hand cleaning later…

We got back to the mill and then paid the fee to get in. It was in the middle of being used in a film set so there were roped off areas in many place and lots of piles of fake cobbles everywhere presumably to cover the concrete. The mill is a listed building and a fully restored 18th century cotton mill. It has a fabulous massive waterwheel and lots of textile machines. We came here years ago when we just had one very lively two year old and i remember going through the mill being a little bit of a pointless activity. Chasing a chicken round a coop was a little bit what it felt like as my very active two year old was not interested in the slightest.

This time it was very different having school age kids who could read the exhibits, follow the stories and listen to the description of what life was like for workers in the mill. We still had the running toddler thing but even she stopped when we got to the fun water interact exhibits.

We finished the day off with tea and cake in the cafe, which had a small kid friendly area with pens, pencils and books. Then waving goodbye to a day well spent  with the misty wintery sun setting over the mill. Pretty good all round. Next time we are going back to see the gardens as we ran out of time!

Country Kids from Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays Cornwall

 

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A blustery cuppa – Country Kids

We took advantage of the sunshine and the blue skies today and dashed out early for a quick stroll and scoot. My little companion wasnt so keen on the scooting, she gets a little all at sea without her siblings and went for the bum on a buggy option. Even the orange cow couldn’t entice her to walk and scoot. In the end it was met with a rather dismissive ‘bye bye cow’ and we headed back.

The playpark bought out the adventurer in her and she was climbing and swinging…followed by a little trip to the cafe and a cuppa and some maltesers. Walking back to the car the sun was so lovely and warm that before we left i sat and let the sun warm my face. There is something so healing about the warmth returning after the winter.

It was a pleasant little morning and worth making the effort to get out.

Country Kids from Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays Cornwall

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the converstions of sisters – #CountryKids

This week has been a bit of a rough week for us. One thing and another getting to the end of the week has seemed like a marathon….and an expensive one at that thanks to our car. *sigh*

I have driven three cars this week, one that was laughably too small, one that was so ‘new’ it didnt have a key which threw me every.single.time and our own juggernaut of a car. But dragging myself and the kids out for an afternoon jaunt round a park was definately the right choice. The girls made me chuckle at their crazy little sister ways and the fun they had out of playing just on ordinary things like some steps and a bench. Its the easy simplicity of childhood.

I took the dog with me and the girls took their scooters..now i know my limitations and upon getting to the park and contemplating two small, very speedy girls on scooters near open water and a very unruly dog was never going to work. So i bribed the girls to leave their scooters in return for a promised cookie at the end of our walk…

we had no bread with us, bad mummy, but these geese just wouldn’t take the hint and followed us most of the way round the lake. Im thinking they had nothing better to do and fancied a bit of a jolly. Or maybe they took the opportunity to do a bit of line formation practice!

ah alas it was closed and we couldn’t go in and see the statues.

is that not the face of a triumphant sibling. Her sister never quite made it…well she did….just not safely!  These two are little chums, most of the time. 😉

yes, her face is muddy…she thought it was funny, it is what they are discussing in the picture below….she had fallen over i think.

look you have a dirty nose! Its muddy! We go for the ‘large coats eliminates the need for gloves’ look at our house? 🙂

hey sis, is it me or is she just putting us in coats that are too big?

Country Kids from Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays Cornwall

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Can you see any kids in this weeks #CountryKids?

Getting out and about was easier this week as we said goodbye to the snow and hello to the light rain and chills. 😉 It wasnt that bad actually and yesterday I took my youngest to a fabulous local park that has an amazing sensory play are and japenese garden. I was feeling very ‘outdoorsy” when my daughter remembered that there is a cafe in the park and then spent the next 20 minutes shouting “CHIPS!” at me. Much to the amusement of other adults in the park.

She can be a bit father Ted sometimes…”DRINK!” “FOOD!” “NOW!” and whilst i try hard to be firm sometimes you just have to giggle at her. We ended up in the cafe where she chose an, as they would say here, lolly-ice and i had a cuppa…while the dog wailed pitifully from his tie up post outside. We had to leave suddenly as the tiny little shed of a cafe had a fire alarm go off and she had to turn us all out!! The pensioners walking group were in the cafe at the same time and we mulled over the way that fire alarms seem to produce no urgency in anyone… how we had all slowly drained our cups and wondered out without much of a rush in true ‘reaction to a fire alarm’ fashion. We gave up waiting and headed off towards the car spying the most incredible tree with branches like an octopus. One part of it was very elephant trunk like we thought, well my daughter said…

We tried to feed the ducks but my daughter just sat in her buggy giving the ‘not ducks’ geese filthy looks as they fought over the bread. Overall though the skies were blue and it did my soul good to be outside. Linking up again with Country Kids

Country Kids from Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays Cornwall

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