Giant Easter Bunny

Happy Easter 2013. The Easter egg tally for the boys is up to about 7 each and increasing Daily. I think we will have to hide some and start rationing them to the boys. This could prove tricky as Joshua is very proud if his chocolate haul and knows exactly what he has got. Anyway how about this for the largest Easter bunny you have ever seen?

The Barleylands Easter bunny towering over Joshua.

Lee Valley Farm

The freezing cold spring weather can only keep you house bound for so long. As it is the Easter bank holiday there is no way we were not going to get out and about with the boys. So our first trip for this weekend was off to Lee Valley Farm. The weather stayed dry and when the sun did try and burst through the cloud it was actually very pleasant, however it also got pretty damned cold at times. But all in all we had a great day. The boys met the Easter Bunny and also completed an Easter trail to win a certificate and a Easter Egg.

 

The Lee Valley Farm Map

 

This was out first time to Lee Valley Farm and we had a great day. The farm would be stunning at Xmas time as they have festive props and decorations all over the farm, ranging from the turkey cracker, to the North Pole sign and the Santa sleigh hill.

 

The turkey coop complete with a giant cracker that puts by homemade Xmas cracker to shame.

Brandon and Joshua entertaining the crowds with some xylophone music.

 

The farm has a really good range of animals including all of the usual farm animals and then some more unusual animals that you wouldn't necessarily expect to see in a farm. For example there are Husky dogs, meerkats, snakes, lizards, chinchillas etc.etc.

Some very young lambs all cuddled up and keeping warm.

And you don't get younger than this. The boys got to see a newborn lamb born only minutes earlier.

The lamb is wobbly on its feet but soon starts looking for some milk.

Some little baby piggies.

Joshua and Mummy with the Easter Bunny which was walking around the farm handing out chocolate eggs to the kiddies.

 

Instead of collecting normal chicken eggs there is a few sand pits set up for the children to dig out some pretend dinosaur fossils. Then they have set-up and chicken coop filled with a range of pretend eggs from Guinea fowls, ducks, chickens and even dinosaurs. The kiddies all venture into the coop and see what sort of eggs they can find.

Joshua and Brandon digging up some dinosaur fossils.

Joshua with Dino.

Brandon posing with the Dino.

Searching for some eggs in the chicken coop.

Bingo, the basket is getting full with all the eggs the kids find.

Brandon gets inside the coop and manages to find two eggs.

The kids play area had the usual tractors and climbing frames etc. Joshua just wanted to play on the tractors and load them up with trailers filled with logs. However me and Brandon found the Santa sleigh hill and had a blast hitting the slopes. Unfortunately no ice or snow but with a little spray on the bottom of the tire we were soon whizzing down the hill.



The astro turf Santa sleigh hill.

And little B is off blasting down the hill.

Joshua will be gutted when he looks back at the pictures and realises he didn't want to go on the slopes because he was too busy playing with pedal power tractors.

The farm also has one of those large inflatable trampolines which is a big hit with the kids. Brandon is a complete head case on this and does some suicidal runs and jumps.



At the top of the inflatable trampoline and having a good bounce.

I think the two boys scared all the other kids away. I can't imagine why?

And down they both go into a running bum bounce.

Having a race across the trampoline.

Little B on top of the world.

There is both an indoor and outdoor play area in the farm. The outdoor play area features a large combine harvester with a built in slide at the back. Joshua was giving me kittens as he figured out how to climb on top of the roof!!!

Joshua tapping into his Norfolk genes for a tad of combine harvester driving.

Like father like son, Joshua has to take unnecessary risks and climb up on the roof.

Another highlight was that we got to witness the first pig race of the 2013 season. 6 numbered piggies set-up around a little race track and all the kiddies get to pick which one they think will win and are given a ticket. If you pick the winning pig then you are awarded with a Lee Valley Farm medal. Brandon guessed correct with pig number 4 which was pushed all the way to the finish by number 5.

The race piggies at the end of the track.

 

To finish the day we took a ride on Tex the tractor to a different part of the farm where you can view cows being milked on mass production to supply local stores such as Asda. The tractor is rather aptly painted as a moo cow.

 

Tex the tractor.

Joshua and Brandon seeing how they measure up against a full size cow.

 

The boys were both absolutely fascinated watching the cows being milked. I have to say it is the first time I have seen cow milking done on this scale and it is a pretty slick operation considering there is only one farmer working it all. It is just amazing to see how disciplined the cows are and all walk into a very confined milking station with the precision of a surgeon completing open heart surgery.

The cow milking production line.

Brandon in the upper gallery looking down on the cow milking operation.

Mummy and Brandon. After a long day it was back to the shop on Tex to buy some souvenirs and then home.

The end to our splendid day at the farm. Mummy and her boys with Tex the tractor.

Wick Towers Easter Egg Trail

For me the Easter Holiday starts on Good Friday and as such I have always prepared our Easter egg hunt on the Thursday night ready for the boys on Friday morning, I know everyone will argue that it is wrong to have Easter eggs on Good Friday as this is the day Jesus dies and the egg is supposed to celebrate or symbolise his rebirth on Easter Sunday. But I always say why wait until Sunday for your Easter eggs when you can have them at the start of the Easter holiday and enjoy an extra 2 days of guilt free chocolate eating!

 

This years Easter trail started in the hallway with bunny rabbit "This way" signs and a trail of numbered paper Easter egg discs.

This way next......... as the trail heads into the kitchen.

Then out into the conservatory and trailing around the new bench chairs.

At No.5, only 1 more part of the trail to complete.

And the gold at the end of the trail is this little selection of chocolate goodies.

When Joshua woke up he was so excited at the thought that the Easter Bunny had paid him a visit through the night. He swore black was blue that he heard the bunny through the night. However he soon realised there was no trail on the 1st or 2nd floor and then came to the conclusion the Easter bunny had not been. After getting washed and dressed we then headed down to the ground floor where the boys stumbled across the start of the trail. Before embarking on the trail the Easter Bunny insisted that the boys wore bunny masks.

 

Josh and B wearing the Easter bunny masks and ready to head off on the trail. Joshua got into character and was hopping around like a proper little bunny.

And so the trail begins.......

Joshua makes it through the hallway, through the kitchen and follows the trail into the conservatory.

Almost at the end of the trail and Joshua is looking intently for the Easter eggs.

Finally the boys get their reward. Joshua's takes a close look at the flannel bunny which his Nanny made at the hospice.

Brandon finds two little chocolate bunnies.

Then he finds the ultimate prize. A hotwheels Easter egg with a Porche and a bumper car inside.

At the end of the trail the Easter bunny had also left the two boys a nice little "Happy Easter" message on their white board. Complete with rabbit foot print signature.

 

Easter Basket Competition

In previous years at Easter time the boys have made Easter bonnets, painted Easter eggs, made Easter bunny masks and so on. However this years Easter crafts task was set by Joshua's school who have asked all the kiddies to make up a decorated Easter basket for a competition which will be judged this Thursday. So a quick trip to the shops to buy some supplies and then the last two nights have involved cutting, gluing, peeling and sticking. 

 

Joshua sets to work copying Brandon's idea of sticking glitter Easter eggs around the top of his basket.

Brandon loved doing his basket and probably needed less assistance than Joshua.

Brandon managed to peel all of his own stickers with no help required.

The end results look amazing and even if Joshua does not win the school competition, I think both boys have done an outstanding job. I hope he is allowed to bring it home from school so that the Easter Bunny can fill it for him on Good Friday. 

Joshua's finished basket with pipe cleaner handles and three hatching chicks bursting out of the top.

Brandon's finished basket was equally impressive.

Inside the boys used crete paper to make a nest and then placed some eggs, a bunny and some chicks in the nest.

Joshua proudly shows his finished Easter basket all ready for taking into school tomorrow.