In A Galaxy Far, Far Away...

The Force is strong in this house:

17:00 - Troop Mobilization for Mission Trick-or-Treating at Pappa Bravo Base following a Pass The Pumpkin pre-brief:

17:30 - Load R2D2 into Tie Fighter:

17:45 - Storm Troopers entertain the locals at Planet Yankee while waiting for further orders:

18:00 - Launch attack with allies Angeli.na Baller.ina and Princess Fairy:

18:00 to 19:00 - Go door-to-door amongst the Halloween people collecting tributes in the form of candy until your tribute bag gets too heavy.

Prefer collecting tributes from tribute tables:

Knock on doors only as necessary:

Mission Trick-or-Treating: Success!

Third Times A Castle

We decided to go to Winds.or today but instead of heading straight to L.egoland like the last two times we've gone, we went to the Ca.stle (which is the third royal residence we have visited):

Once we were inside the gates we grabbed our audio guides and the boys got an activity for the State Rooms:

McColley had bailed on the audio guide by our first sighting of the Round Tower:

Brayton and B bailed on the audio guide by the time we got to Queen Mary's D.ollhouse (a.k.a. our first stop inside the Castle).  In fact, I was the only one who listened to it all the way through the State Rooms!

However, the boys had a great time with their activity.  They had to find a miniature soldier figure in about ten different rooms.  We got lucky and the semi-state rooms were open to visitors today as well.  Unfortunately, no pictures are allowed inside.

When we got back outside the boys wanted to check out the garden growing in the dry moat:

Then it was over to St. Ge.orge's Chapel... where once again no pictures were allowed inside.

When we went outside again we went around to the front to take a picture:

Brayton didn't have much patience for picture taking because he needed to 'Hut Two Three Four' all over the courtyard:

After leaving the Castle we ate lunch and then attempted to go to Le.goland.  However, today it was super busy because of a fireworks show.  By the time we got there the parking lot was completely full.  To apologize for the fact that they had to turn us away, Leg.oland gave us five free tickets!  It was the best twenty minute detour ever!

To appease the boys over the lack of Legol.and we hit up the Leg.o store on the way home.  We have now secured our Leg.o St.ar Wars Advent Calendars.  All is well.

Carving Time!

Since the ride home from the pumpkin patch McColley and Brayton have been debating whether we should carve or paint our pumpkins. Finally, to end the debate, I offered up a compromise.

Today at playgroup the boys got to each decorate a side of my pumpkin:

McColley's side:

Brayton's side:

When we got home, it was time to carve the rest of the pumkins.

B made quick work of 'gutting' the remaining four.  Then he asked McColley what he wanted his pumpkin to look like:

 In response McColley made an 'angry' face with his face. B wasn't sure how to interpret that into pumpkin, so I took a picture of McColley's face and attempted to draw it onto his pumpkin.  My drawing met with his approval.

I then repeated this process for the other two boys.

Once all the faces had been drawn it was time to start carving:

I carved Brayton's and Pearson's pumpkins:

B carved McColley's and then designed and carved his own pumpkin:

B decided to make a witch face by utilizing the pumpkin's 'nose':

As for the boys...

 How do you think we did interpreting their expressions into pumpkin?

Pumpkins complete it was time to display them outside our front door:

Now we just have to find our candles by Monday!

The Island Of Eels

Today the Volvo had to go in for routine maintenance, so we proved that you can fit three restraint devices in a Camry:

While we were waiting to get the Volvo back we decided to explore Ely.  Our first stop was the Ely Museum which is housed in the old gaol.  B was the gaoler:

And McColley had to do some time in the stocks:

 Unfortunately we couldn't take pictures inside but we did learn quite a few things... although I think the one piece of information McColley took away was the fact that he would not have been allowed to serve in the R.oman Army because he is left handed. 

After the museum we headed to the cathedral:

Brayton started acting weird before we even got through the front door:

The most interesting feature of the cathedral is the painted wooden ceiling:

McColley found a brass rubbing station where you could do a rubbing of different art from around the cathedral.  He decided to do one of a well dressed Eliza.bethan gentleman:

When McColley had finished we walked around the cathedral with one little detour into The Lady's Chapel.  It was rebuilt in 2002 and is the largest chapel in E.ngland devoted to the Virgin Mary:

Brayton just kept getting weirder and started 'tickling' B's head:

As we made our way down the final side of the cathedral we found some of the original brass art that inspired the rubbing station.  The brass that remains is protected (you can tell that some of the graves used to have brass but it has been worn away/removed):

 Our final stop was the stained glass museum on the second floor of the cathedral but we weren't allowed to take pictures. 

We made our way back to the Camry and just as we finished buckling up, we got a call that the Volvo was ready for pick up... perfect timing!

Searching For Pumpkins

Today the base playgroup went on a 'field trip' to the local pumpkin patch:

The boys were quick to find their pumpkins and put them in the wheelbarrow:

 B had come up with the idea to use the wheelbarrow based on previous years experiences.  B also ended up being the only dad in the group, so he offered to wheel anyone else's pumpkins who didn't have enough hands.

With their pumpkins safe in the wheelbarrow, the boys set about helping B and I find our pumpkins.  Brayton was my assistant and quickly found the Perfect Pumpkin!

B and McColley had a more rigorous search:

While most of the parental backs were turned, the little kids took the opportunity to check out the wheelbarrow:

When B had found his pumpkin and returned to the wheelbarrow, some of the kids got to try and pick it up.  McColley got a turn:

And so did Brayton:

Then McColley and A worked together to actually move the wheelbarrow:

 That was when the kids stopped being able to pick up the wheelbarrow.

One of the other moms had the idea to use the wheelbarrow as a prop for family pictures, so we took our turn:

After all the families had taken pictures, B wheeled the pumpkins to the check-out area:

Then after double checking that everyone had the right pumpkins, we measured and paid.  We ended up with five great pumpkins for our family of five!

A Walk Of Discovery

This week the N.ational Trust is having walks at many of their properties which are tailored to all levels of fitness and interest.  Looking through their walks brochure I found that one of the properties close to us was hosting a children's discovery walk today, so I signed us up!

The boys got shown 'hidden' walkways through Angle.sey Abb.ey's gardens:

They got to kick leaves to find the bugs living underneath:

They got to run in and out of medieval fish ponds:

And finally they found the largest tree in the garden and saw how many of the kids it took to encircle it:

Meanwhile, Pearson slept:

Pearson even slept through the dahlia garden, which we found after the boys' walk had ended: