Family day out

After endless days of rain and wind, it was a welcome relief to wake up on a Saturday to sunshine and a blue sky. We didn't want to waste it (housework, yeah that can wait) so we took the opportunity to get out into the fresh air and took The Boo to a wildlife park. Nanny and Auntie came along too.

The Boo unfortunately fell fast asleep in the car on the way there. We freed her from the restraints of her car seat, strapped her into the pram and she didn't even stir. We made our way through the park towards the animals and she continued to dream. And there it was, beside an enclosure of very friendly and hungry goats, that I became a very bad mummy and woke up my daughter! Yes, it was that time of day that she has her nap. Yes, she deserved to be given the time and peace to rest. But we were at the zoo!!! I didn't want her to miss out!! After much knee wiggling, hand tapping, name calling and face tickling, she finally opened her eyes. I felt a bit guilty, but once she noticed the goats, she couldn't have got out of that pram fast enough. Guilty no more!

As well as the goats we saw pigs, sheep, rabbits, ponies, raccoons, guinea pigs, chipmunks, bats, otters, squirrels, alpacas, zebras, emus, reindeer, ostriches, camels, monkeys, chickens, penguins, meerkats, ducks, tapirs, wallabies, lions, tigers, leopards and cheetahs. 

The Boo was fascinated by each of the animals and spent her time pointing, smiling and babbling at them. She loved walking about and even chased a poor chicken for a while. 

Seeing The Boo running around and hearing her continually talking (albeit nonsense) is bittersweet. She really is becoming more like a little girl. I cherish these days so much as she will soon become more independent and I will miss the way she needs me so much now. The Boo is getting better at feeding herself. At first she almost put the spoon in her eye and the food dropped all over her face and lap but now most of it reaches her mouth. She tries to put her own socks and shoes on, but she's not got the hang of that yet. She can hold a pen and crayons and loves to scribble. She can unpop all of the snaps on her sleepsuit and take it off and also thinks it's really funny to keep doing it. She sleeps all the way through during most nights now. 

I think she's brilliant. The Boo is absolutely the best thing that has ever happened to me and I continue to thank God for her every day. We are so blessed. I couldn't love her more if I tried.