Polesden Lacey

When you're a 3 year old boy and you're about to have pancakes for breakfast, it's a public holiday and there's a big day of fun planned ahead, why not celebrate by putting your mamma's best friend's waterproof mascara all over your face, her mirror and the walls in her room? What a great way to start the day!

And when you, the Mamma, discover your darling angelic 3 year old with his war-painted face, try not to laugh at him because he might get a bit upset. He already knows his face, wall and mirror painting is probably not to everyone's liking and doesn't need you laughing and pointing at him right now...

But a good form of punishment would be to leave it on his face all day.
And that is what we did.

He ate pancakes with his mascara war-paint on.

He even visited a millionaire's estate situated in the English Countryside with his mascara war-paint on.

Truth be told, I just couldn't be bothered ran out of time to scrub it off before we had to leave, so he was stuck with his mascara war-painted face for the day.

Our day trip to the countryside took us to a 1,400 acre estate called Polesden Lacey which is situated on the North Downs in Surrey.

Now this is how I always imagined the English Countryside to be. Rolling green hills, big old trees scattered through open fields, patches of forest, the odd mound or two surrounded by a crop of trees which one is best advised to avoid, especially around the times of twilight and day-break in case one accidentally finds oneself transported to a different time and place altogether...

With walkways open to the general public we were able to casually stroll down wee country lanes.

There was running down hills and rolling in the grass (well, some of us were able to do this...!)

We were even able to get up close and personal to real live sheep!
(yes, I know dad, if we were living in New Zealand Luca would be shearing sheep at his age...)
The thing is, this English Countryside reminded me so much of typical Waikato Farmland it was almost painful.
MENTAL NOTE: don't visit the English countryside if you are feeling homesick and missing the wide open beautiful spaces of New Zealand. I mean, you might as well just give yourself a papercut and pour lemon juice on it while you're at it.

We let our children be as 'One' with nature - you'd think these poor deprived city kids had never seen moss, a stick or wooden gates before...

And of course there was plenty of hills providing the men amongst us the opportunity to show a display of their masculinity by having buggy races up the hills.

We then took a look around the extensive grounds of Polesden Lacey estate. Very impressive if I must say so myself! I couldn't imagine mowing all those lawns though... there'd have to be a LOT of cold beer waiting in the fridge for me if I was to take on that job!

I'm sure you can only imagine our delighted surprise when we stumbled across a wee jazz band providing entertainment and helping to create a wonderfully relaxing and cosy 'Life Is Good' atmosphere to a perfect day out.

Such a lovely day to finish off a fun-filled long weekend - special times and memories with family and friends, making us wonder why we don't get out and do this more often!