Snowdrop spotting at The Vyne.

Sunday February 16, 2014.

Dear Mummy, sun at last!! It’s been a while since we’ve seen this yellow dot in the sky. Now’s our opportunity to go and get some fresh air and Vitamin D. The Vyne is local to us so only a short drive in the car and when we get there the place is rammed. Lots of cars in the carpark with large families bailing out of 4×4’s ready to get muddy and enjoy the sunshine. The mood walking into The Vyne is of pure excitement as I hear children chattering behind us. I’ve never seen it so busy here and it’s due to the weather being so nice.

We head straight towards the tea room as it’s lunchtime, the weather is mild that we sit outside and mummy grabs a highchair for me to sit in. There’s no room inside the tea room and buggys line the entrance points. Seems EVERYONE is having lunch! Luckily mummy manages to get some scrummy carrot cake and hot sausage rolls.

I get a great kids adventure pack lunch in a cool bag (5 items for £4.95) which includes a fresh ham sandwich roll, juice drink, fruit, mini cheddars and a flapjack.

We have a leisurely lunch then head towards the hidden realm just behind the gift shop. Wasn’t really that hidden as mummy and daddy found it real quick! It looks like something out of the Hobbit. With a little Hobbit house, a slide, tunnels, bridge and even a mud pit! Part of the National Trusts 50 things to do before you hit 11 3/4.

See here for more info on this great National Trust adventure.

http://www.50things.org.uk

Afterwards, feeling like we’ve burnt our lunch off, we head into the woods on the 2.3 mile walk. It’s a bit muddy but daddy has brought our Jane cross county push chair, which was great! I just sat back and enjoyed the ride, while mummy and friends climbed trees, crossed streams and acted like children!

They got very muddy and their boots and wellies were caked. I laughed. Big kids, you’d thought they’d never seen mud before!! Pffff.

We see the snowdrops gathered in clumps around the estate and even some daffodils were poking their heads out of the ground. You can tell the trees have had a battering and some lay fallen while children climb and make dens out of them – such fun I can’t wait till I’m old enough to climb… In the end it all proved too much for me and I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

A true testament to the soft and comfortable ride of the Jane buggy. Well played daddy.

On the way out mummy picks up a National Trust Passport, so I can collect stamps of the places I’ve visited, if I get 30 stamps I get a certificate! Cool. The nice man behind the counter recognised mummy from my blog which was cool as well. Another fab day out, the National Trust never fails to impress…

Bella x

p.s thanks Grandma for buying me some cheeky shortbread. Shhhh don’t tell mummy it will be our little secret.