Muddiest child ever?

This Sunday was one of those that the hubster spends working a late shift, meaning that he is not around during the morning (went to bed super late after the previous night’s shift) and isn’t around in the afternoon (back at work). I normally pack myself and the kids up and migrate over to my mum and dad’s for the weekend when this happens – its good to have the company and support – but this weekend they had plans both days so I arranged to meet up with one of my best friends who I met through the experience of motherhood. Her hubster works Sundays too so it was the perfect excuse for us to hook up with the kidlets. We planned a lunch at a local family-friendly pub/restaurant where our table was perfectly positioned… right next to the soft play zone. The kids were both pretty well behaved and ate well too. Then, as it was dry and even vaguely sunny, we headed five minutes up the road to Alice Holt Forest in Hampshire where there is a lovely big wooden play zone complete with full on pirate ship, plus little log cabins and wooden train as well as all the more mundane swings and slides.

Just as we pulled up in the car park there was a hale shower but nevertheless we ploughed on regardless and soon the sun was shining again. Most of the playzone was dry as there are plenty of woodchips and pinecones all over the ground but it was pretty muddy just at the entrance to the pirate ship. JJ and his friend were off in their wellies up and down and round, beyond my capabilities to keep track whilst carefully shadowing EJ who, at 18 months, is a pretty intrepid explorer and not afraid to scale a precarious looking structure at the best of times! Sooner or later he took notice of the pirate ship and it was more than my life was worth to keep him away from it. It was only a matter of time before the scene above became inevitable and I think I took that photo before he fell sideways into the mud (but after he had jumped up and down in the puddle repeatedly!) He was wearing wellies but that is a bit like saying a woman in a bikini was suitably attired for a tsunami!

I had to bury my head in my hands and just wail “EJ, Nooooooooooooo!” whilst looking on completely paralysed by the scene of the muddy monster from Room on The Broom emerging before my very eyes…  Another mum walked by and chuckled “he looks like he’s enjoying himself” and I had to admit that he was indeed having a whale of a time, and, despite my slightly OCD attitude to such things, I couldn’t deny that this was something of a magic moment for my little boy – muddy puddles – what’s not to love?!

Linking up to Magic Moments over at The Olivers Madhouse