Silent Sunday

The Many Colours of Autumn

I can't believe that it is almost the end of November - where have the last few months gone?! Autumn this year has been exceptionally beautiful. I think that we have enjoyed it so much as V, at four,  and having just started school is developing a real interest in nature and the changes happening around us. And the baby darling, at 17 months, is fully proficient at walking now and has loved nothing more than kicking through the leaves with her sister! Also with V now at school I've also had the luxury of enjoying long peaceful autumnal walks with the baby darling in her pram, sometimes stopping off for a hot chocolate while she sleeps. It really does feel like I've watched every colour change as it happens and as the leaves are falling now thicker and faster I am really going to miss their beauty...

I asked V what she thought we should put in a poem about Autumn and as Art is her thing when she's not busy jumping in leaves she produced a few masterpieces for us:

She was especially keen that we include lots about colour and leaves and sparkles!!! So here goes...

***

The Many Colours of Autumn

Yellow, orange, scarlet, russet, brown

The colours the leaves change before they fall to ground.

Shiny patent black, red and grey

The uniform my big girl wore on her very first day.

(Blue was Mummy's mood but she didn't like to say)

Purple, black, silver, green

A little witch collecting treats on Halloween.

Glittering lilac, ruby, peach, violet

Lighting up the skies on Bonfire Night.

(Although they did give the baby darling such a fright!)

Chocolate brown, pink and white

Hot chocolate with marshmallows by candlelight.

Flashes of crimson, evergreen, gold
A new season is coming and it's magical to behold
(Until then children everywhere will do as they're told!)

A time of nature's endings

A time of new beginnings
A time of celebration

The many colours of Autumn

***

All of Emma's tips were brilliant and they are all things we have done but I would have to say for the reasons above no2 is probably my favourite and the one we have followed religiously!

  "Play outside – Despite the drop in temperature, it’s great to wrap up warm and get outside in the fresh air. The sound of the leaves crunching as you stroll through the park or play in the garden is bound to get you and your children inspired, so why not head outside for a brisk autumn stroll before setting to work on your poetic masterpiece?"

This is my entry to the Center Parcs and Tots 100 November challenge. If I’m chosen, I would like to visit Sherwood Forest as we have never been and would love to see how it compares. Also the darling husband rather fancies himself as Robin Hood after his Archery experience earlier this year so he would be well placed for it ;)

Five deliciously different advent calendars

I do remember the first chocolate advent calendar I had as a child - it was hung by the tree and we had just one to share. Each morning we rushed to the tree and took turns to open and were rewarded with the purple flash of the wrapper of an original dairy milk miniature bar, you know the real ones that looked like proper shrunk down versions of the big version with actual purple foil and paper. And you could use them as chocolate for your barbies ;) But the calendar I remember most was one with a glittery winter scene and the most beautiful pictures behind every window. I was as excited about seeing those each day as I was about getting a chocolate a day - and for a chocoholic like me that is saying something!

In the last few years I have been vaguely aware that there are 'alternative' advent calendars around to the usual chocolate offerings but I hadn't paid too much attention. That was until I heard that Selfridges had a gin advent calendar! I kid you not. Here it is in all it's glory:

The Ginvent Advent Calendar

There are few things as good as chocolate but gin is definitely up there! So my interest piqued I then had to have a little shop around. Selfridges also stock this amazing nail varnish advent calendar :

The Mini Mani Advent Calendar - if only I had time to paint my nails every day *sigh*

I think that my four year old would love this offering from Usbourne:

She is quite the little artist who has her colouring pencils out from the moment she wakes so I know that this would be perfect for her.

I think I had heard of the playmobil advent calendar in previous years and I just love this one:

I love the idea of having a winter wonderland left to play with long after the last door has been opened.

Finally I couldn't quite believe it when I came across this candle advent calendar from Yankee Candle.

What could be better than having a new festive candle to light as I sit by the Chritmas tree each evening with my hot chocolate. Oh okay, gin from my gin calendar and tonic. While I paint my nails a brand new colour ;)

November - in one photo

Silent Sunday

The big switch on...

Most days after we have dropped V at school the baby darling and I go on long walks. She wasn't very impressed with all the early starts when V started school and she was confused at home that there wasn't a big sister bossing her around anymore so it was the best way for her to have a nap (and for me to pop for a peaceful coffee as she slept!) It is also nice for me to be able to do this with her as I used to walk for miles with the pram when V was a baby but obviously this wasn't possible with a three year old in tow. 

Of course some days sleep eludes her and she would much rather get out and play - like this day when she made friends with a squirrel. He was a little glutton for punishment who kept coming back for more!

I can see yooooou!!!

On Friday night we hung around after school in the village for the big Christmas Lights switch on. As it was it turned out to be a bit of an anti-climax as all the lights are attached to local businesses and homes and so have different power points and as V duly noted -'They're already on Mummy!' 

Still she enjoyed the sense of community as children dashed around and people passed around tins of chocolates. Okay I loved the tins of chocolates bit ;) But we'll be back next week as Santa is coming to switch on the big Christmas tree lights, and hopefully his Reindeer will be unwrapped by then!

Have you been out and about enjoying Autumn this week?  Why not link up to Country Kids from Coombe Mill, or just pop over and see what everyone else has been up to...

What a difference a few weeks makes...

When I saw the theme for this weeks gallery I was eager to join in as I am so obsessed with taking photos of the colours of autumn at the moment! But I have already shared so many on here I had to wonder if I had anything new, and then I remembered these:

 

The first was taken on a very grey day four weeks ago when the tree was at it's autumnal best - an explosion of colour to fight back on the dullness of the day. The second was taken on a beautiful clear day one week ago - branches almost bare the skeleton of the tree is resplendent against the brilliant blue sky. What a difference a few weeks makes... Of course now I need to capture at least a snowy wintry scene, a blossoming spring setting and a leafy green summer one - watch this space!

This post is linked to The Gallery week 165 for the theme 'nature'. Why not head over and see what everyone else has to say, or join in if you haven't already!

Silent Sunday