I’m so relieved that January is done and dusted for another year.  I’m really not a fan of the first month of the year.  Long dark, dreary grey days with minimal colour to brighten the spirits.  The weather had been particularly rubbish over the weekends or we’d had indoor commitments.  By last weekend I just knew that we had to get out of the house whatever the weather.  We’d got a diary date set with my friend L and her son C and I was so happy when she agreed that getting out in the fresh air was needed her end too.  We decided to spend some time Snowdrop spotting at Stowe whilst the boys could run around and let off steam.

The weather forecast on Saturday didn’t look great, but we dressed accordingly and with waterproofs and wellies donned my 8 year and his friend were ready for some new adventures.

We’ve been to Stowe so many times, but we never tire of it and sometimes my son can be persuaded to try a different route.  He was eager to show C some if his favourite places and as always, Monkey took on the role of tour guide.  He was more than happy to introduce C to the bell, which gets pulled, without fail on every visit we make to Stowe.

While the boys charged ahead, L and I had a good catch up.  We both agreed that it’s so lovely to visit somewhere where we know the boys are safe, somewhere where they really can run off on an adventure and no one is going to mind or tell them off.

I also love the fact that my son obviously feels happy at Stowe, gone are the days when he just holds on to my hand, he’s off, exploring, happy to even be out of my sight for a while.  He knows the grounds so well, it really is his happy place.

My son is totally fixated with the Chinese House at Stowe, even when it’s under cover for the winter, he has to pay a visit to check up on it.  It’s also on the way to Browns Cascade, which also features high on his list of must see places on any visit.

There’s been so much rain lately that the water was flowing much faster than on many of our previous visits and the water was right up to the bottom of the bridge.

My son watched on, standing still for a moment or two, but not for long!

He was soon heading off into the Secret Garden and we all got to spend time Snowdrop spotting at Stowe.

There were some lovely clumps of Snowdrops to be found and Monkey was soon pausing to have a quick look before continuing on with his adventure.

It’s a lovely part of the gardens that we often have completely to ourselves and this visit was no different.  Monkey was very careful to make sure he didn’t stand on any of the Snowdrops as he surveyed his kingdom.

The smile on his face shows just how much he loves getting outdoors.

It wasn’t long before my son had found a stick and was plotting his next adventure, apparently he was done with Snowdrop spotting at Stowe.

It was time to charge off to pastures new.

The sheep were out in force the day we visited, and a couple of them seemed to share Monkey’s sense of adventure.  They were very close to the edge of the lake and I thought we might be on a rescue mission at one point.

The sheep decided that it really wasn’t the weather for a dip thankfully and Monkey was soon on his way again, stick in hand.

He wanted to show C his favourite tree.  It’s become a bit of a tradition for me to take his photo in one particular tree by the wooden bridge at Stowe.  Each year we get one of the photos turned into a photo canvas for the living room.  Mummy we need a 2018 photo!

This one will do as a starting point for the year. Although I do love collecting photos of him with his sticks and I really should create a collage at some point.

He’d remembered that on a previous visit the Grotto had been closed, so he wanted to check what was happening this time around.  We admired the Worthies from afar this time around.

The grotto was open and he was soon looking out and admiring the view from within.

As tummies started to rumble and the rain began to fall in earnest we decided to head back to the cafe for some lunch and admire a few temples along the way.

We’d enjoyed our time Snowdrop spotting at Stowe, and the fresh air had done us all the power of good.  Hopefully we’ll get back again this month to see some more.  Have you got plans for spotting Snowdrops where you live?

Joining in with My Family Adventures.