Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens...

A few of my favourite things...

Actually, sleepy hugs, poppadums, and sunny weather are more accurate but you get the gist.

As Mum there are certain things that are meant to be joyous and wonderful.  I know that it is pretty much 50/50 with my friends on if this is the case with the following things though.  

The first would be crafts.  Lovely creations of wonder with the children expressing themselves and much laughter.

This was good.  This was a timed craft challenge.  I like this - a light at the end of the tunnel.  It was also working with others so I didn't have to twitch as much about things going "wrong".  Plus I like competition.  I don't mind not winning, but I will fight my hardest.

Yes, I may be a leeeeetle bit of a control freak about crafts.  Add into that the child who needs to use everything provided rather than just what looks good, and it all goes a bit awry and I am hunting out wine.

I love them making stuff.  Just not if I am involved.  I possibly need to relax more.

The second however, would be The Park.

I know that some of my friends look at me confused when I say I hate outings to the park.  Others give me that knowing nod.

It may be different if you aren't blessed with children that have clearly been bitten by a radioactive spider at some point in their lives, but I go to the park and there is this huge expanse of space to run in three different directions.  There are towering walls for any other child to climb when they are of an appropriate age... or for mine from the time they can walk.

Spider-bite baby... she was only 22 months in this photo and climbed the lot alone

Things are better if I go with someone, because it is more of a case of juggling children, and having someone to chat to as you spend your time turning round mentally counting up to three every few minutes.  Less good if I go after school as I have totally sucked at the whole school run bonding thing, and none of the parents talk to me - so I am stood turning round counting alone whilst they sit in little groups laughing.

But, I still go.  The children love it.  They don't know that it is hell for me, and to be honest, they are children and even if they did know, they wouldn't and shouldn't care!

Today was a bonus day off school.  Woohoo they think, til they realise that all their friends that we see outside of school times go to different schools, and as a result aren't about to play with.  So, after a boring morning stuck at home, I realised just how nice the weather was and took them out.

There is an awesome park near us, but it does have one vital drawback.

Look at this picture:

 

See that fence running through the climbing side...?  That is the park enclosure.  The side Strawb is on... that is outside of the park enclosure and has climbing bits to get down from there.  Who in their right mind designs a park where the children can GET OUT as part of a climbing section!?!?!?  The bit they get out into is field one side, road the other!!  

Oh, and a quick look at the height of it... Strawb climbed a rope ladder to get up there.  Without assistance.  See - part spider.

 

But anyway, I did my parental duty.  They ran, they laughed, they climbed (as evidenced by the pictures).

I love trips out like that - it wasn't long, but it is stuff that I always end up remembering happily.  I block out the dealing with Strawb stuck up a 6 ft ladder (not this occasion, but it has happened), and Dude falling headfirst from a slide not much bigger than Strawb, and of course B's broken arm, and just end up remembering stuff like this - the boy hanging by his knees, B randomly popping up in photos but pretty much disappearing, and Strawb in pretty party dresses climbing for all she is worth.

So, although taking children to parks is my own personal hell, the rest of it kinda makes up for that in the end.




As an aside, I should probably mention that the nice sunny park trip was cut short due to me spinning this roundabout swing thing for Dude, and not spotting Strawb walking over to see us, and me kind of possibly maybe hitting her in the head with the other swing...