We started today with a lunch at McDonald's. Even in England, little boys love McDonald's! They had Ice Age toys, which were perfect since Ryan is in a bit of a dinosaur mode. I had a Cadbury's caramel flavored shake - yum!

We then went to play cricket at Rufford Park. Ryan has a new bat and ball, and lots of people willing to bowl to him. They have quite a large field, and lots of other things to do. The country manor is mostly a ruin, which is interesting to see, and they also have a garden and ducks in a lake. We only managed to play some sports (cricket and football) and have an ice cream snack. The weather today is nice - mostly warm, but overcast. We were never quite sure if it would rain, but at least the heavy rain held out until the evening. We only had a few sprinkles while driving.


After that, we went to Sherwood Forest - home of Robin Hood! The forest has trees in it that are hundreds of years old. The park has become more commercialized since the last time Paul was there - they had a shop, restaurant, games, and storytellers dressed in period armor. Keeping with tradition, Auntie Debra bought Ryan a "silly" hat. Four years ago, it was a Santa hat, but today it was a Robin Hood hat! Of course, no Robin Hood is complete without a sword, so Ryan picked out the best one from the shop. Once we reached the Major Oak, Ryan enjoyed his outfit and using his sword on inanimate objects. On the way back, Paul forced the entire family into a forced march back to the car!