Chasing shadows

Last week, with the first proper spring sunshine of the year, Matilda had a great time chasing her shadow, waving and pointing at it and trying to step on it. On pancake day we walked over the hills into town to watch the pancake race with some friends. It was a lovely chilled-out day - a picnic on blankets on the grass, watching the ducks on the pond, and following a little shadow around the park.

Last weekend we went to Goodrich Castle to meet up with my sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew. Matilda had a lovely time with her cousins, but refused to wear her gloves and cried when her hands got cold so I ended up having to carry her with her hands tucked into my coat. Wish I hadn't left the sling in the car!

The Wier

Today we visited the Wier, a National Trust riverside garden near Hereford, for the first time. Both Sam and I had been imagining a bit of muddy woodland by the river so we were suprised to find another world clinging to a steep bank beside a meander in the Wye. Narrow paths, steps, bridges, rockeries, roman ruins, and a beautiful riverside picnic area. Fantastic!

Little drummer girl

We spent a lovely sunny afternoon on Sunday at Croome Park's All Nations Picnic Day. We ate our lunch in our favourite spot under a leafy old tree, looking out across the sweeping grassland to Croome Court, then Matilda and Sam joined in with a world drumming group in the stone greenhouse and we listened to some live Irish music in the lakeside gardens. A barefoot stroll through the parkland and an icecream completed a perfect afternoon.

Sunny days

We had a lovely weekend in the sun, enjoying the cloud- and plane-free skies. We had a walk up near British Camp and Matilda had her first picnic (following a long search for somewhere flat and shady!). It was hard to believe how warm it was for April. So nice to be able to spend so much time outdoors, enjoying our new surroundings.

On the beacon

Made it to the top of the worcestershire beacon! Matilda slept in the Ergo on my back the whole way up. Now we're having a well earned picnic and i'm testing out blogging on the go!

More photos from our walk:

Amazingly there was no-one else up there...

Picnic time!