This is about as close to 'stand there to each other and look like you love each other' as my children get.
James let me have a lie in. In fact he let me have two! No, you can't have him, he's mine. Anyhow, the deal was that I get a lie in, and then I take the children away for a couple of hours in the afternoon so that he could have some peace and quiet. They're good kids, but they're not half exhausting after a week at work!
Day one, also known as Saturday, I put the kids in the car and drove them to the beach. Yes, technically it is walking distance, but I prefer to deliver them there fresh as daisies, let them frolic and whatnot, then drive them home, rather than having an OK walk along a main road, dullness at beach, and whiny, annoying, tired children to take home again.
Anyhow, it was ace! Even if it was a bit cold. They both took collecting bags and we looked for shells and stuff. Here's Tom with his find.
No, he isn't looking at something out at sea, he actually chose to be all 'I'm so cool I don't need to look at the camera'. Still, that's a great shell!
Claudia demonstrated that little rule that I tend to forget so easily: Children don't actually need that much to be entertained. She spent a full fifteen minutes just walking along some planks of wood that the fishermen rest their boats on. I had a picture, but I'm rubbish, so I've lost it.
Tom seems to have been taking posing lessons from someone. This is him pretending to hold up a wonky post.
Alas, Claudia couldn't quite understand the concept when she chose to have a go. Still, cute handbag and strange, alien smile.
Day two we were supposed to go and visit Sis, but that was called off as they needed to do a quick trip to Casualty. We were all dressed and ready to go, so instead we bundled into the car to do a walk in Stanmer Park. Most of the photos I took there are rubbish, on account of me being a crap photographer, but the children were both brilliant. They walked from my office car-park right across the park and up the hill on the other side. I'd say they walked about 3-5KM yesterday, but I'm rubbish at measuring distance, so it may have been loads more, or much less. Anyhow, we walked for about an hour and a half, up the hill to see a strange tree at the top then right back again. Neither of them asked for a carry once.
Aparently it was worth their while, even if it didn't have a talking mouth like the Wishing Tree.
Here is Claudia enjoying the tree.
And here is Tom at a neighbouring stump that he felt was so worth of his attention, he ate some of the peat that was forming happily on top of it.
So it was a really nice, relaxing weekend.
One of the things that I'm particularly enjoying this morning, is the knowledge that nine months ago, this sort of thing would have been completely impossible. If I wanted to go out, I needed James to prop me up, just in case. I'd have wanted him when driving in case Something Went Wrong. I'd have been utterly unable to just stand and watch Claudia walk along a plank for quarter of an hour while Tom was fifty meters away digging for more shells. I'd probably have shouted a lot. I'd probably have cried. Nine months prior to that, I could barely leave the house at all.
So a bit woot! for medication, therapy and the NHS who have made it possible for me to be a parent again. Let's not let the government spoil it all for us please?
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