Singing At The Chapel

This past week McColley has been attending Vacation Bible School.  Once again, he loved it.

Today all the kids who participated in VBS were asked to come to the chapel's 11AM service and perform some of the songs they had learned over the week:

Unfortunately only a few of the 65 kids who attended VBS showed up to perform but luckily McColley's VBS friend was among them:

McColley did a super good job performing.  He sang along confidently and remembered all of the hand motions:

I'm glad we asked if he could participate even though he's technically three weeks too young!

Off To The Races

(This picture was taken as we exited the museum and after we refused to buy McColley a toy, hence his look.)

We live about 20 miles from the heart of British horse racing - Newm.arket.  Today we finally made it to the N.ational Hors.eracing Museum.

I was only allowed to take pictures in the 'Practical Room' although there was loads of interesting stuff.

Once we got to the 'Practical Room' McColley got to dress in the Queen's colors:

And then he did 'race' for a minute:

Brayton got to ride a slightly less quick steed:

McColley then switched his colors and went into the grooming business:

Before we left the 'Practical Room' the boys weighed themselves to see if they could be jockies... but even together they were a stone too small. 

It's A Tough Life

We discovered that it is impossible to keep the cats inside if we let the boys go outside. Luckily, the cats never leave our yard and come back inside when we start shutting doors (in fact, it's harder to get Kiera out of the garage than out of the yard).

The yard is even more pleasant today because our neighbor mowed it for us! He took pity on our less than effective attempts at mowing with a push mower.

It's So Hard To Say Good-Bye

Apparently every July in an oddly numbered year McColley's best friend has to move.

Today we went to T's farewell party. 

The boys spent time climbing:

Wandering around and checking out the party:

Occassionally letting Brayton play with them too:

And finally, just talking:

T's family isn't sure exactly what day they will be leaving so we hold out hope that the boys will be able to play together at least one more time.

Race Day

Today was McColley's last day of school for the year.  Instead of a 'normal' day, it was 'Sports Day' and we got to watch the kids do some races.

It started out with your standard running race:

McColley came in third but that probably had something to do with the fact that he wanted to finish with his friends:

The second race was the egg-in-spoon race:

He did really well for the first half (and then had a few drops during the second half):

Third was the relay race:

Batons were successfully passed:

The fourth race was a sack (pillowcase) race:

McColley did really well but his friend T had a breakaway win:

Up next was the obstacle course:

McColley's teammate actually waited for him to return before starting (unlike McColley):

The last race was the dress-up race:

McColley's teammates had to dress him in a hat, scarf, gloves and boots:

Then they helped him walk to the finish line:

The other team had a few issues walking back:

With all the races done, McColley got a ribbon:

And then it was time to play with his two best friends (and his hanger-on) before the day officially ended:

Unfortunately, it was the three boys' last chance to play together.  T is moving back to the USA next week and their other friend C is going to a different school next year.  At least C will be around this summer for playdates!

Building A Den

Today Brayton and I got to join McColley's school for a nature hike at a local park.  We arrived early and the boys got a chance to play with McColley's friend T before the hike started:

The hike got started on time (despite some last minute potty runs) and the ranger led us to a clearing where the kids were to build a den.  Brayton got into it right away:

McColley and T were more interested in talking to each other and wandering around than building a den... until T's dad helped them pick up some giant branches to place on the den:

Still, it was Brayton who was the most focused and enthusiastic about placing branches and sticks on the den.  He must have added at least 25:

And when T's dad had to leave to buy lunch, the two older boys went back to being in their own world:

Finally the den was done and Brayton was among the first group to be able to sit in it:

With the warning that this was the last chance to sit in the den the two older boys finally crawled inside:

However all three of them got over to the reading circle super fast to listen to bear-related stories:

And Now It's Time To Say Good-Bye

McColley said good-bye to Grandma at home this morning:

Brayton gave good-bye kisses at the airport:

And then it was time for Grandma to go through security and fly away.  We're so glad she came to see us!

Sunday at RIAT

Yesterday we met up with B at the Royal Int.ernational Air Tatt.oo.  We got there as the Sa.udi demonstration team was performing:

We were more impressed by the Apach.e helicopter that was doing inversions:

We grabbed some lunch when the rain let up.  The boys' nuggets and chips were fine but somehow I ended up with fish that didn't taste like anything.  Literally, it had no taste:

We then walked down the line of static displays and McColley thought the helicopters were pretty awesome:

We also got to watch B do some work as he interviewed some of the pilots who had brought their planes to the show:

The last flying display we paid attention to was a Chino.ok helicopter - also super cool:

We walked back out to our car during an A-10 flying display.  It was pretty intense since the A-10 flew low enough over our parking lot to set off car alarms... and then flew over a second time to turn them off!

A Saturday With Henry's History

On Saturday we decided to visit Sudele.y Castle because it promised beautiful gardens and an 'Adventure Playground'.

Unfortunately, when we arrived it was pouring down rain.  However, nothing could stop the boys from enjoying a little fish spotting:

Because of the rain we went inside to explore the exhibits. Su.deley Castle started out as a royal residence and was visited by King Henry VIII (the boys wanted a picture with the king):

Later the castle was basically destroyed by Parlimentarian forces during the English Civil War.  In the 19th century a family that had made a fortune in textile production restored it.  Their last name means 'badger' (the boys again asked to have a picture with the badger):

There is also a parish church on the castle's property which was being prepared for a wedding while we visited:

But the thing that Sude.ley is most well known for is for being the home of Queen Catherine Parr and her fourth husband Sir Thomas Seymour.  It was at Sude.ley that Queen Catherine died of peurperal fever and is buried:

Since the wedding preperations were finishing up, we headed back out to the gardens.  Thankfully the sun had come out!

While Grandma and I looked at the flowers, the boys played 'choo-choo train' through the yews:

We then found the secret garden (or the running garden if you're under five):

Sude.ley is also the home to an endangered pheasant breeding program.  It was pretty fun when we ran across a peacock and a pheasant having a conversation:

Our last stop was the Adventure Playground... it was three stories and about 30 feet tall.  The boys did climb to the top (and then right back down):

One of the things we'd learned at Sude.ley was that the main reason for King Henry VIII's visit was to check on Thomas Cromwell's beginning the dissolution of the monasteries.  Near Sudel.ey there used to be a very important monastery called Ha.iles Abbey and because the two places were linked we decided to visit Hail.es.

However the GPS had us take a very, very, very back way.  Grandma ended up having to pull fence duty:

Eventually we did find Haile.s though.  The Abbey was dissolved in 1540 and the 'ruins' are because the government sent people in to rip the abbey down brick by brick:

The Abbey had been built by the same architect that built West.minster (and apparently looked very similar).  The reason it had such an impressive church is because it housed a very important relic - The Blood of Christ which miraculously still appeared fresh and bright red.

The boys are sitting where the relic would have been displayed:

However, part of the Abbey's downfall was Queen Anne Boleyn's assertion that the monks were refilling the relic with duck's blood to keep it looking 'new'.  Later the relic was taken to London and was there declared to be colored honey.  Either way, the Abbey's days were numbered and this is all that remains: