Why Five go on an adventure?

When I named my blog I was after the nostalgic imagery of  some of the favourite books of my childhood. Like the Famous Five, the Adventure series and The Twins of St Claires and Malory Towers by Enid Blyton, Anne of Green Gables by L M Montgomery and The little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

 The Famous Five worked really well as at the moment we are a family of five, when child 4 finally arrives we will have 2 boys and 2 girls and a dog just like the Famous Five. I want my children to be able to have "adventures" exploring rock pools and rivers, climbing big hills and rolling down them. I want them to learn to skim stones, ride a bike and a horse, to eat a meal cooked over a fire, even if its just marshmallows.  I want them to enjoy a picnic of jam sandwiches and a bottle of squash and a hearty spread of homemade pies, sausage rolls, scotch eggs and cakes. I want them to see different animals, birds and bugs, to learn about our trees and plants, to collect leaves, feathers, pine cones and autumn leaves.  I want them to fish with brightly coloured nets, to build fairy doors into the gnarled roots of an old oak tree and to play Robin Hood and Peter Pan. I want them to work up big appetites so they can enjoy freshly scrumped apples, plums and blackberries as well as cake, ice cream and cream teas and all those foods shared in Cherry Cake and Ginger Beer cook book by Jane Brocket.
I want them to have a strong and loving relationship with their family and friends, I want them to be capable, kind, happy, educated and independent. I want them to be aware of the whole world they live in and to believe that good will overcome evil. 

All these wants and desires are shared in the books of my youth and are probably why we spend so much of our time at the beach, the river, the Secret Garden. We make collages of the things we find and make fairy doors and garlands. We bake pies, cakes and biscuits and love to bring and share for picnics, barbecues and dinners. We enjoy a family movie night and Dr Who when it's on. I guess, in reality I want them to have the childhood I had. Thanks mum and dad xxx


Some of my favourite books.
Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Fantastic Mr Fox
C S Lewis' tales of Narnia
Charlotte's Web by E B White
The Secret Garden and The Little Princess and Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Railway Children and The Phoenix and the Carpet by E Nesbit
 The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge
Goodnight Mr Tom by Michelle Magorian
Watership Down by Richard Sdams
The Silver Sword by Ian Serrallier
Stig of the Dump by Clive King
Carrie's War by Nina Bowden
Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys by Laurie Lykken
Willard Price's Adventure books
Little House on the Prarie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Box of Delights John Masefield
Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter
Dr Dolittle by Hugh Lofting
Heidi by Johanna Spyri
Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain