It seemed like a good idea at the time.

What ever possesed me to schedule my car for a service (in cambridge no less) for first thing on a monday morning-especially knowing that we would be away the weekend before?!! I must have been mad. What a rotten way to start the week-getting up and out the door first thing to sit on the A14 and then to be treated like a poor relation by the dealership staff. I know my car was cheap (it is a smart) and the rest of the cars they sell cost a bomb (mercedes) but do they have to treat me like a second class citizen? Any way, after that nastiness was over Sam and I spent a pleasant day in cambridge wandering about the shops, taking in the sites and hitting a few museums. He actually asked to visit the archaeology museum-maybe he does like history afterall. Unfortunately it was closed. We went to the dino museum instead, it is his favorite museum, and pottered around there. We found a great wool shop and chose a pattern and some wool for me to make him a winter hat. I am nearly done with the baby blanket I am doing...4 hours in the car both sat and sun helped to speed things up.

We had a wonderful weekend. We went to Longleat and a good time was had by all. We stayed at a great pub and had a wonderful view from our room of a white horse carved into the moutainside in the distance. We were all really impressed by Longleat, there was so much to do that we had to go back sunday to finish everything off. Sam though the monkeys were fantastic-thankfully they didn't do any damage to our car but we did witness them vandalising several cars around us. The house was much more ornate than I expected but felt quite homey as there were lots of family photos of lord bath dotted around. Sam enjoyed seeing all the animals and was delighted when I agreed to hold a chilean rose tarantula. It was not scary at all and if he wants one as a pet when he is older and more repsonsible he can have one. All in all it was a lovely weekend and we would definately go back.

My planning kicks into high gear this week as 12th is the start of our homeschooling year. Sam is excited, especially as I have told him that science will be our first lesson of the week. I don't want to get too hung up on the timetable aspect, as long as he is learning and excited by what he is doing, it doesn't matter if we fall a little behind. I just home that I am up to the challenge.