I'm not sure who was most excited about spending a day at the Winter Wonderland at Stockeld Park - me or my nephews, Alfie (4) and Finn (2). What with polar bears, an enchanted forest, a helter skelter, ferris wheel and (stop press) Father Christmas, it was sensory overload.
It all started well - awe at the forest's talking tree, the excitement of jumping wellington-feet first into muddy puddles, giddiness of running around the maze (despite the many dead ends!), stunned into silence by the big man with a "bowl full of jelly" but, as they say, all good things come to an end. When hunger pangs mix with feeling the chill of the biting winds, and not to mention tired little legs, things can quickly take a turn for tantrum-town. And I love it!!
They are so expressive! At the points when they were excited by the puddles, rides and running over bridges we found in the maze, they were so full of joy. Maaaaan, life could NOT be better!
Then there was the polar bear - the queue couldn't move fast enough for Alfie and Finn to get close to the walking, talking polar bear they spied with excitement as we entered the park. Then, when we got closer, the excitement turned to doubt - silent, sulking doubt. Hilarious!
And have you ever seen a sunny disposition turn to dark clouds more quickly than a hungry toddler? That spaghetti bolognese wasn't there pronto and so we were all treated to the bottom lip from one and a cool aloofness from the other. I was busy having a silent chuckle to myself, while my sister and her hubby tried to entertain and pacify both boys until the slow-mo waiter finally arrived with the goodies. Comedy gold.
One day with the gorgeous pair was such a breath of fresh air. I'm so used to moderated behaviour. Being (or acting) the way a professional, responsible grown-up should. Being aware of what you say, how you say it and, the dead giveaway, body language for fear it may not be, what's the word... appropriate. Bottling up anything on the sliding scale of uncontrollable giddiness to sheer anger and frustration if it's not the right environment to showcase these beauts. In a nutshell, compromising that puddling-jumping you inside.
Throw off the shackles. Dance wildly to music you love. Devour your food like there's no tomorrow - who cares if it ends up around your mouth? Express delight and excitement loudly and forget the carefully considered diners on the next table. Scream and shout if something is just wrong. And, if all else fails, feel free to sit in silence and sulk.
Have a childlike Tuesday x
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