It was one of those days where it was drizzly outdoors but we were craving fresh air. By the time we reached Claremont, the rain was slightly heavier but we were itching to blow away those cobwebs. It always makes me laugh as parents we’ll head out whatever the weather whereas in years gone by we’d probably be more inclined to stay in the warm. Claremont is a wonderful spot though, the estate was once a dukes’ retreat and a playground for princesses and Queen Victoria.
Fairies have arrived in the Dove household in the form of Glimmies. Sent from the moon to protect the “Glimmieswood” forest animals, Glimmies are 23 little star fairies who love to have adventures. They have a charming resemblance to forest animals and always respect nature. Created by Flair, Glimmies magically shine when darkness falls bringing with them a whole new level of imaginative play.
If you missed the news that POD secured a place at the local school, after a very long wait, do read this post. We’re still in shock if I’m honest although absolutely delighted for her. We received confirmation on Thursday 12th January that she’d secured a place and she started at her new school on Monday 16th January so its been a swift turnaround. It worked out well though and caused minimal upset.
We’ve had many great trips to Brighton in the past. Fatboy Slim playing an open gig on the seafront was certainly one of the most memorable. Some 250,000 people rocked up to see him play one hot summer’s day – over 4 times what the organisers expected. Those pre-parenting days seem a lifetime ago although of course we wouldn’t have it any other way. While POD always enjoys the likes of West Wittering, we made an impromptu trip to Brighton recently as we’d not visited for a while and she’d never been.
Those of you that read this blog regularly may remember POD wasn’t offered a reception place at the local school. We felt the right decision at the time was to appeal even though deep down we knew it was unlikely we’d get the outcome we wanted. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and if we had our time again, we wouldn’t put ourselves through that. Not without a good reason anyway. POD joined the school she was offered a place at in September 2015. She didn’t have the best start but by January 2016, she’d finally started to settle. She ended her reception year with such a glowing report, I think I cried in the second sentence! POD had not moved from fourth position on the waiting list the whole time she’d been in reception but she was happy and that’s what mattered.
Just before POD went back to school, we escaped to Hatchlands Park in the Surrey Hills. Managed by the National Trust, there are a whopping 400 acres of parkland to discover so it’s an ideal spot for blowing away the cobwebs. There’s plenty to keep POD occupied from climbing trees to exploring the natural play area which has its own tree house. This last visit coincided with a trail which involved following the story of Morris and Callum – the Hatchlands Park donkeys.
We’ve been fans of the Alice Holt Forest in Hampshire since we moved from London to Guildford. I seem to remember my first visit was in 2011 when I was on maternity leave and we’ve gone ever since. Managed by the Forestry Commission, these woods are located just a few miles south of Farnham in Surrey. They provide the perfect stomping ground for POD what with the adventure trails and natural play areas which have always suited our little climber. There was something a little bit special about our last visit though in that the light was just superb.
You may remember I attended a macro photography workshop a couple of years ago. I distinctly remember the room gasp when I announced I didn’t actually have a tripod. Someone asked what I used for macro and my response was “my thighs”. That was followed was a general feeling of disbelief. I’m sure they thought I was joking. Truth be told, I do whatever it takes to get the shot whether it be kneeling, lying or standing in the rain. Perhaps that’s just me.
The letter from Father Christmas sat on the mantlepiece until POD returned from after school club. She was thrilled to discover she was one of the children invited to help the elves in a secret toy factory at LaplandUK.
Much as we live in a technology-driven world, it can never replace the joy of reading books. Books were a huge part of my childhood with favoured authors including from Roald Dahl, Enid Blyton and E Nesbit to Alf Proyson, CS Lewis and Mary Norton. Some of my most memorable books were published before I was even born. Classics like The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett), The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald) and Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) among them. I started reading to POD every night when she was just a few months old. I didn’t get much back in the very early days but making storytelling part of her bedtime routine has certainly paid off.
