Arna made a comment in a recent blog that I must be sad about the girls growing up. How true that was Arna. When Caty turned three it brought home to me that my Baby day's were over. I would love to go on and have a troup of little one's but time is not on my side, and energy is not quite what it was, the menopause has hit big time and the body and mind just would not cope with further sleep deprivation.

However on Sunday when we took the girls to see "James and The Giant Peach" up at the Uni,  I had the most wonderful revelation. Caty did not get to the theatre to see the short Play's the Uni puts on for toddlers as we had other commitments on Saturday's untill recently. So this was her first trip and it was a full production of two and a half hours.

I dithered as to whether to take Caty as, Marg I too flap, and the blurb stated "to suit 5yrs and up". However nothing ventured nothing gained and Caty got to come. Well the look on that little girls face was magical. When she entered he Auditorium she was blown away by the low lighting and the Giant peach on stage. When James came on she let rip and shouted look Mummy it's James and Mummy, Mummy there is a spidey. James talked back to her and asked her name and what age she was and would she like a story. Caty beemed as she told him and said she loved stories. For the next hour and fifteen minutes, Caty sat mesemerised at the events unfolding on stage.

During the break, she could hardly eat her Ice Cream for chatting about what she had seen and what would happen next. In the second half she was one of the first to get on stage to dance with the insects and bugs and the actors all got a cuddle from her as she came off stage. Now the revelation is that I would have missed all this if another bub was here, I would not be able to interact on the same level as I get to do now.

The sadness of leaving behind the baby years has gone and I look forward to getting to experience events that are old and established for me, with a totaly new perspective. I will get to see the joy of Ruth and Caty experiencing life and its Joys first hand rather than second hand through Hubby or the girls themselves.

So no more what ifs, or what might have been, I have found that for me, there is a shift in perspective and no more sadness, only joy at the delights I can now share fully with our growing girls.

Life is good. Luv,Winnie.xxxx

I woke up this morning to the most beautiful Dawn. The birds were really giving it their all, and not a breath of wind stirred. The clock said 5am, now to get up or drift off again. Got up, got a quick cuppa and a bowl of cereal, jumped on the bike and headed up the chalk. The world was empty of traffic and people, the rabbits were grazing and the fish were popping up in the canal. Not a long cycle but a relaxing one and home in time for Caty getting up at 6.45am.

Hubby completely unaware, I had been out ,was still snoring away. I really must do this more often, it set me up for the day. Now the Hubby and girls have gone off on their cycle, and will be back for lunch and to get ready to go to the theatre. We are off to see "James and The Giant Peach".

I am quite excited as we are a large group and we have not been meeting up lately due to work preassures and family. So we Parents have a lot of catching up to do afterwards, and so do the children. We have all now reached that point where the children can be involved in all the goings on.

No more, well so and so is too young to sit for that long. Ah, cant be bothered with the camping out with a 3month old. Little T is too noisy or too sooky at the mo. No, all is even, the kids can camp, festival, theatre, ride bikes, you name it, they can paricipate equally.

What I did not realise was how much I longed for this day, when a day out suggestion would work for all and no-one would feel left out or isolated. I loved it when the girls were babies, and people would drop in and lounge around getting to know the girls and chatting, but to actually get out and join in is heaven.

I feel so free today, is it the spring? the cycle? or the meet up? Hmm, all combined probably.

Have a wonderful day whereever you are. Luv,Winnie.xxxx

At last we did the long awaited trip to http://www.monkeyworld.org/ . Ruth has been avidly watching the series on T.V.  and when she found out that the rescue centre was less than an hour from our little corner of calm, that was that. "Mum when can we go" became her mantra.

The charity rescues primates who are or have been abused by their not so distant cousins the Homosapian. Many of these apes have never known freedom or even been outside since the day they were born. Some were taken as babies and used as side show freaks to pull in trade to resteraunts, some were used in animal experiments and testing, and some were traded into abuse through the illeagal pet trade. Whatever their fate it is heartbreaking to see these apes still suffering the trauma of their experience.

The apes have now found sanctuary in a little green part of Dorset where they live in family groups and have access to fresh air and daylight for the rest of their lives. Not Ideal but those that live at the santuary would never survive again in the wild.

Meet Tuan a male Orangutan, found wandering the streets after he escaped a life of captivity in Tiawan. He is now head of his own family group and has become a Dad to three baby's in an endevour to stop the extinction of his species.

Tuan.

As we arrived near lunch time we decided to have our picnic straight away so we could go visit the apes and take in the talks without breaking off to deal with two grumpy Monkey's of our own. At which time an argument ensued over Strawberries. Caty believing the said fruit to all hers.

Ruth did not agree.

All fed and argument settled the girls were soon friends again and sharing their knowledge on how best to see the apes.

We met many different family groups, Chimps, Orangutans,Gibbons and many more. The chimps were the most interactive and very inquisitive espescialy about the children, the very young chimps would try to get the children to join in their games. The Adult chimps had retired inside for afternoon naps, while a nanny chimp was left to lookout for the young. One Adult female had had enough of the antics of her fellow primates and had found herself the ultimate corner to get some sleep.

A fantastic day was had by us all, and the girls got to see at first hand just how alike we and the apes are. Ruth was fascinated at this lady chimp,who had got a speck of something in her eye.

This chimp methodically worked away at her eye untill she got hold of the speck and removed it.

We will be regular visitors at the santuary, and the climbing frames are not just for chimps and their friends. They have the most wonderful arrangements set out for children to scramble and climb, so that they get to experience a little of what life is like up in the treetops and swinging through the air.

We all had a fun yet informative day, and would definitely recomend a day out to anyone who is near the area. My favourite moment though was when Ruth jumped on my lap for a cuddle and said, "thakyou Mum this was my best day ever".  I know that is a wild statment because she has a lot of those, best day ever moments, but I love the cuddle moment so much more.

Luv, Winnie.xxxx

 

The clocks changed last weekend and over night the sun has found her glorious warmth to help awaken us all from hibernation on this little Island. Coats have gone back on the hooks and jumpers in the drawers.

The first thing to catch my eye at dawn this lovely morn was Harriet the Hedgehog, running at great speed across the grass, heading for the compost heap, her favourite place in the past. This is the first sighting of her this year and a sure sign that spring is here. Glad to have her fit and well, and joining our little garden family again

The blossom is velvety white on the plumb trees and the squirrels are jumping in and out of them playing hide and seek, and trying to steel the bird food. Mr Robin was surveying his territory with pride and is determined to see off a Magpie couple that have moved in to next doors Beech Tree. He is such a fun little character and thinks himself to be as big as an eagle in full attack mode. Thankfully he is a one bird army and not many will take him on. I will miss him when he goes, as he has been with us for three years now, and is quite fond of his human pets. He quite often comes to chatter and pass the time of day as I hang the washing or do some gardening, good company in winter and summer.

Mr and Mrs Blackbird are getting all romantic, and dancing jigs on the lawn, I think it wont be long till a family appears again to welcome the forthcoming summer. Mr Pidgeon (actually a collard dove) has gone, the Cats got him, though it was inevitable. He suffered from obesity, got so fat he could not lift himself far into the air. I would love to know where he was getting all the food from, though I feed the birds he rarely ventured onto the feeders and I am diligent about what goes on them.

Mother Nature is smiling on us at last, she has dried her winter tears and brought life to us all this fine spring week. People were smiling and chatting on the way to school, the children are hyper to get out in the fresh air and don their Summer School Uniforms. The Kitchen doors are open all day and the heating has turned itself off.

Tomorrow the North wind is popping in for a while to say goodbye for the Summer but Monday he will go and allow the gulf stream come to warm our bones. An Awakining is happening and the feeling is pure joy for us all here.

I cannot share a blog the way you do Marg, but I thought you would like to hear what Mother Nature is doing in other parts of the world, and what joy she brings to us here in her own inimitable style.

Luv,Winnie.xxxx