To Be, Or Not To Be...Blogging

I'm starting to get lazy with my blogging...It's a little like my many attempts to maintain a diary--I start strong, lose my way, start a new book, lose steam again, and end up with 5 diaries with an entry each. It's a good thing this blog is on one continuous page!

The last 4 days have been spent settling into the house and getting used to getting the kids ready for school (and hopefully not leave the house late and have to run uphill to Badgemore). Audrey is getting the hang of dressing herself in school uniform in the (freezing cold) mornings and changing into PE clothes (a burgundy Badgemore t-shirt, black bike shorts, and black plimsolls). She will be having her first day of Forest School this Tuesday where the kids change into their outdoor gear (warm trousers, jumpsuit, waterproof jacket, and Wellingtons aka rain boots) and go into the forest on campus to explore and learn. Dorian's preschool is in the process of building an outdoor learning area, which will include an outdoor mud kitchen, reading space, and bug hotel--he'd better get over his fear of spiders soon!

One of the main attractions in Henley-on-Thames--other than its picturesque beauty--is the wonderful River and Rowing Museum. GG, Grandpa, Dorian, and I walked to the museum this week and got to enjoy their beautiful "Wind in the Willows" exhibit, as well as their extensive collection of all things rowing. I'm very excited to experience my first Royal Regatta this summer, as the race takes place right through Henley's expanse of the River Thames. Here's my father-in-law brushing up on his trireme rowing skills:

This weekend, my in-laws rented a car for us to take a leisurely drive to Oxford and Stratford-upon-Avon--Shakespeare's hometown. The kids found another opportunity to play in the red phone booths of England:

In town centre was the home where Shakespeare was born and spent most of his early childhood. Here we are at the entrance to his beautiful home:

The best part of the tour was when Audrey and I unexpectedly walked in on three actors reenacting Romeo and Juliet--Audrey's first encounter with Shakespeare's work and she really enjoyed it. The actors would act out a scene from any Shakespeare play that the visitors asked for...Macbeth was amazing! Here's Audrey taking a picture with them after they completed their Romeo and Juliet scene:

During the tour, we learned that beds were quite a sign of wealth back in Shakespeare's time. A bed would usually cost about £8 and while that doesn't sound like much, learning that their annual pay was roughly £20 really put things into perspective. Because of this, only the rich would have beds in their homes (including William Shakespeare's family) and many would have one at the window of their downstairs living room, to show off to neighbors passing by. Here's a picture of one of the beds in the house:

If you look closely, you'll see that there is a rope coming through the side of the bed frame and also a bit under the mattress. Rather than having wooden or metal slats under the mattress as many modern beds have today, the mattresses of these beds were held up with a weave of ropes. A special wooden stick would be inserted into the holes on the sides of the bed frame and twisted to tighten the ropes and keep the mattress from sagging--hence the term "sleep tight."

As part of the tour ticket, we got to drive a mile out of town to visit Anne Hathaway's home. Anne Hathaway (not the actress) was Shakespeare's wife and lived in a beautiful cottage with her family. 

After touring around her quaint living quarters and freaking out on the thin, creaking floorboards upstairs, we made our way around her massive gardens. Stegen found his favorite quote and sculptures during our walk:

It was a nice weekend of taking in history and I'm hoping Audrey will have a deeper appreciation for Shakespeare when she gets to that unit in high school. For now, she can just enjoy the ride.