Once upon a time, a very long time ago, we visited the
Butterfly Farm at Symonds Yat. It was amazing! But also very hot in there! (do click the piccies to see the butterflies better!)
We saw all kinds of butterflies. There was even a butterfly with see through wings! We saw butterflies laying eggs & we saw pupas too. Timmy & Luke were so excited & interested in it all.
Timmy was a natural at holding the butterflies & listened very carefully to all the instructions the butterfly keeper gave him. It was so lovely to see Timmy helping Luke to hold one of the huge Owl butterflies- a really wonderful twin moment! Luke was a little frightened of the surprisingly heavy Owl butterfly to begin with but soon got used to it tickling him as it walked over his hands & up to his head! Jordan was distinctly horrified that the butterflies kept landing on him & left the greenhouse as soon as he could! Annie-Joy liked looking at the butterflies from a safe distance but really didn't enjoy them flapping about her (just like both her parents actually!). In the end we split up into two groups & Lee, Annie-Joy & Jordan stayed well clear of flapping things & Luke, Timmy & I braved the sweltering heat to hold butterflies again! Good fun if slightly nerve wracking (for me that is!).
Here is the tribe, being very middle class with our picnic blanket & posh collapsible basket (my bargain find from Lidl. It is now what Annie-Joy & I use when we buy the fruit & veg in Aldi every week. AJ loves to hold the basket & help me fill it with the produce. Cute! Makes all the older folk coo!).
And here is the tribe after the picnic being much less middle class having a lark about! I think Jordan may be waddling like a penguin at this point! Lots of fun anyway!
After our picnic we got lost... in
the maze! The boys ran off in all directions calling out 'Over here!' or 'This way!' as the maze owner had said we should! It was rather exciting!
In the centre of the maze was a lovely arbour with some seats to rest ones weary selves after dashing about.
At the end/middle of the maze there was also a little museum all about the history of mazes & lots more puzzles to try out. Annie-Joy is really very good at the diablo! Everyone enjoyed the freedom to run about & explore. It was such a gorgeously hot & sunny day!
After the maze we all played crazy golf. It was a bit chaotic with Annie-Joy playing too! The golf course was ever so busy as well. Still, it was all good fun & everyone enjoyed themselves immensely. Not sure the score keeping was very consistent though.... After all that running around we sat down to have an ice cream. Timmy & Luke had LemonAge ice lollies. They were based on the Ice Age films & were lemon ice lolly on the outside with lemon sorbet inside & a jelly sweet acorn hiding inside all of that ready for
Scrat to find! They loved that! We then went round the maze & the butterfly zoo again one last time before heading home exhausted! A fabulous day out! :o)
Once upon a time, a very long time ago, we visited the Butterfly Farm at Symonds Yat. It was amazing! But also very hot in there! (do click the piccies to see the butterflies better!)
We saw all kinds of butterflies. There was even a butterfly with see through wings! We saw butterflies laying eggs & we saw pupas too. Timmy & Luke were so excited & interested in it all.
Timmy was a natural at holding the butterflies & listened very carefully to all the instructions the butterfly keeper gave him. It was so lovely to see Timmy helping Luke to hold one of the huge Owl butterflies- a really wonderful twin moment! Luke was a little frightened of the surprisingly heavy Owl butterfly to begin with but soon got used to it tickling him as it walked over his hands & up to his head! Jordan was distinctly horrified that the butterflies kept landing on him & left the greenhouse as soon as he could! Annie-Joy liked looking at the butterflies from a safe distance but really didn't enjoy them flapping about her (just like both her parents actually!). In the end we split up into two groups & Lee, Annie-Joy & Jordan stayed well clear of flapping things & Luke, Timmy & I braved the sweltering heat to hold butterflies again! Good fun if slightly nerve wracking (for me that is!).
Here is the tribe, being very middle class with our picnic blanket & posh collapsible basket (my bargain find from Lidl. It is now what Annie-Joy & I use when we buy the fruit & veg in Aldi every week. AJ loves to hold the basket & help me fill it with the produce. Cute! Makes all the older folk coo!).
And here is the tribe after the picnic being much less middle class having a lark about! I think Jordan may be waddling like a penguin at this point! Lots of fun anyway!
After our picnic we got lost... in the maze! The boys ran off in all directions calling out 'Over here!' or 'This way!' as the maze owner had said we should! It was rather exciting!
In the centre of the maze was a lovely arbour with some seats to rest ones weary selves after dashing about.
At the end/middle of the maze there was also a little museum all about the history of mazes & lots more puzzles to try out. Annie-Joy is really very good at the diablo! Everyone enjoyed the freedom to run about & explore. It was such a gorgeously hot & sunny day!
After the maze we all played crazy golf. It was a bit chaotic with Annie-Joy playing too! The golf course was ever so busy as well. Still, it was all good fun & everyone enjoyed themselves immensely. Not sure the score keeping was very consistent though.... After all that running around we sat down to have an ice cream. Timmy & Luke had LemonAge ice lollies. They were based on the Ice Age films & were lemon ice lolly on the outside with lemon sorbet inside & a jelly sweet acorn hiding inside all of that ready for Scrat to find! They loved that! We then went round the maze & the butterfly zoo again one last time before heading home exhausted! A fabulous day out! :o)
4 comments:
And fabulous photos of the family adventures! Our little garden had a visit from a comma butterfly on the day we moved in to this house and I had to take a pic. I'll send it to you!
Thanks for the bumper blog!
DaddyO
xxxxxx
Yes- I used to be hysterically scared of flutterers as a child! I didn't relish either taking a class to a butterfly farm way back in the 70s when they first started up. But I put on a brave face!!Tim looks brilliant - must take after his grandad (Ken) and his great grandad. (my dad)
What fab pics and a lovely day out- it's only 8 weeks ago!Little AJ's dress reminds me of my favourite seersucker table cloth we had as children!
I hope they remember their family hols with affection.
Well dine
Love Mum
I've been trying to find out where we might find some tame butterflies; this looks fantastically hands-on! Did you know they have a butterfly house at Chester Zoo now? I don't know how it compares??
Yes Heather we went in the butterfly house at Chester Zoo last year for the twins birthday 'party' ( see this post here- http://daviestribe.blogspot.com/2008/12/we-went-to-zoo-zoo-zoo-you-didnt-come.html
We didn't hold any butterflies at Chester but I think it had just opened so maybe things are different now..? Symonds Yat butterfly zoo is much bigger & there are trained staff on hand to help out & answer questions. I guess it's a specialised butterfly house rather than a zoo. Strafford Upon Avon have a great butterfly zoo. I don't know if there is one nearer though. :o)
Post a Comment