Judging other mothers. The worst sin ever?

Are there mothers who you really can't stand?
Ones who set your teeth on edge. Make you secretly seethe. Make you mutter under your breath?
Do they break the Motherhood Code by doing things the Wrong Way? Or not Your Way?

Today I was at the supermarket for 1 hour. And for every minute of that hour, a young child was screaming and wailing at the top of her voice. TOP OF HER VOICE.
I am not exaggerating. I was in the *ahem* chocolate aisle and could hear here 7 rows down when she was in the dairy aisle.

It was excruciating.

Everyone was looking and exchanging glances and wondering why on earth her mother was paying no heed whatsoever to this screaming child following her around like a little waif.

And then I found myself tutting and raising my eyes at her.
Yes I did it, I confess.
I looked at that mother and I heaped all kinds of blame on her shoulders as I silently observed her from the bread aisle.
I judged her. I set aside all my principles of treating others as you wish to be treated and without saying a word I radiated the You're a Bad Parent vibe.

So, I pay for my shopping and I push my trolly to the door. And then there she is. Standing outside the store, tucked up in a corner so people can't quite see her, and she's silently sobbing. Shaking a little. Casting little looks over her shoulder like a frightened little bird, with tears streaming down her pale face.

And I felt sick.
I had turned into one of those judgemental mothers who question why you didn't parent the way they think everyone should parent.
Who look down on you if you didn't breastfeed/if you used a dummy/clothed your child from head to toe in manmade fibres/immunised/didn't immunise/gave up work/work.
There was I being judgemental and superior. Like one of those Other Mothers who think they know best.
Urgh.

When I was pregnant there was always always unsolicited advice.
Farming your baby off into childcare so you can go to work is cruel. Giving up your job to stay at home is selfish. Breastfeeding is the only way. You're not STILL breastfeeding are you? If you've only got one child/your child is only 2/not at school yet/not putting you through teendom hell; you can't possibly really understand motherhood yet.

I dislike those kinds of people and I don't want to be one.
And I promise my two kids right here and now, when they are grown with babies of their own and those little munchkins are racing around with snot streaming down their faces and you're feeding them a chocolate bar to get them to sit still for 10 whole seconds, I will NOT be the grandma who whispers under her breath 'that's not how we did it in MY day'!

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The Gallery: Hair

Continuing the run of Photos to Embarrass Myself With I bring you 1998. Ish.
The Greek island of Skiathos.
Me; brown, slim and cropped, red hair.
CROPPED RED HAIR!
Ah how I loved to experiment in my youth. I could show your the 80s bubble perm or the severe bob, but I'll just leave those to your imagination.

This post is for Week 52 of The Gallery: Hair.

If you're new and want to know what The Gallery is, go and read here, and then come right back and join in!
You can also pick up The Gallery code if you want too.

Now go forth and show some big blog love.
I can't wait to see what you come up with.

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My daughter the elephant trainer

If my 5 year old doesn't work with animals when she grows up I will eat my large collection of big floppy hats.
She wants to be the next Steve Backshall. Hubby introduced her to David Attenborough last week and she has her sights set on his job too.
She utterly adores all animals and we've spent many a heart-thumping moment stopping her from throwing her little arms around any beast she claps eyes on.

So imagine her utter joy when Playmobil sent her this fabulous Zoo set and asked if she wouldn't mind sharing her thoughts on it?

Hello? Her eyes nearly popped right out of her head when the sets landed: Large Zoo, Children's Zoo, Meerkat Family, Koala Bears & Kangaroo and Zoo Car with Trailer.
And holy cow, it took me ALL MORNING to set it up!
I moved like a woman possessed as she watched over my shoulder giving me the equivalent of the 'are we nearly there yets?'
Et voila. A masterpiece.
She practically stroked the large, movable-limbed elephants as they came out of the box.

Mia: "If I worked in a zoo I would look after the elephants."
Me: "Wow. Wouldn't you be scared because they're so big?"
Mia: "No, I'd wear a metal hat and tell the mummy elephant to wait outside while I do stuff in their kennel" 
Eh?
Me: "But imagine the size of the poo. If you were looking after the elephants you'd have to do things like clean up the poo as well."
Mia. Looks at me like I'm utterly mad. "They have people to do that mummy. I'll just be doing the important stuff like training them and taking them for a walk."
OK.

A word to the wise. Ditch the itty bitty meerkat 'food' before your child sets eyes on it. Bloody stuff gets EVERYWHERE.
I actually found these sets quite tricky to build (especially the larger ones) as the build instructions aren't as intuitive as say Lego, where all of one section is found in one bag. The piece you want could be in any one of the 15 or so bags in the box!
This zoo has now taken over our conservatory, from which we have been banned because it "belongs to the animals and you might frighten them".

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Milestones

There are many milestones in a child's life; That first smile, the day they learn to walk, to talk, first day at school.
And in our family, this.
Heartwarming, father/daughter moment. At our local park where hubby also taught Dan to ride his bike three years ago.

Grassy area for the initial falling off period. Flat concrete path for improvers. Play area to run riot in when the 'learning' is over.
I think Mia left that park slightly taller on Saturday afternoon and most definitely with a smile on her face.
Daddy certainly did.

I learned to ride on a purple Raleigh Chopper. Or a Tomahawk. Can't recall which now. Remember those, with the groovy seat,  the gears on the crossbar and the front wheel smaller than the rear?
I learned in my nan's back garden and used one of her kitchen chairs to balance myself for take off.

What do you mean you need to see evidence?
Oh go on then, here you go . . .
No idea why I'm only wearing a swimming costume. I was only 5 you know . . .

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The Gallery: Week 52

The Gallery is ONE YEAR OLD TODAY!

Can you even believe it's been running for 52 weeks? Actually I took a few weeks off, so we're actually a little bit older, but like a grand old dame, what's a few weeks/years between friends . . .

I pretty much peaked last week with the launch of the Bloggers Year Book (get those photees in folks) so I'm not going all fancy pants here today.
What I am doing is pandering to the wishes of my old friend Laura at Are We Nearly There Yet Mummy who, after I sent her a photo of a much younger, thinner, browner me with cropped hair via email (as you do), yelled "HAIR! How good would that be for a Gallery theme? I have just the photo . . . "

So to ensure we all get to see Laura's embarrassing/interesting photo, this week's theme is: Hair.
I would so love to see all your faces now you've just read that!

So show us your hairstyles. Baby hair, 70s hair, 80s hair, teen hair, hair disasters, hair highs. Your children's gorgeous hair. Or you could always share the time your 3 year old scalped herself and made you WEEP (no, just me then?).

Don't forget to come back on Wednesday to add your link when The Gallery post goes up. Then visit as many of the other entries as you can to see what they've come up with.

Say hi, discover new people, welcome them in when they discover you.

Appreciate the wonderful words and photos that are opening themselves up to you.

The link stays open until the following Tuesday, so don't worry if you don't manage to post your photo on Wednesday.

NEW HERE? NOT SURE HOW TO ENTER?
If you're new here and want to find out what The Gallery is all about and how to enter visit here.
And if you want to make sure you don't miss any prompts or entries in future, make sure you subscribe to my RSS or email feed.

Go on, clicky click away, you know you want to ...

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The Gallery: Education

Yeah, yeah go on, laugh it up.
This is me aged about 11.
I'm on the verge of school geekdom.
This is me on the cusp of discovering a huge love of maths and physics and biology, and an equal love of English and writing and literature.
I was a bit of an odd child.

This post is for Week 51 of The Gallery: Education.

A new project
After announcing this theme on Twitter, one of my muckas on there came up with a genius idea after I started blathering away about how I hoped lots of people would use old school photos of themselves for this theme.
She said, why not have a blogger Year Book?
A BLOGGER YEAR BOOK. I bloody love it!
@Mumra I salute you my friend. Go to the head of the class, pick up your Head Girl badge as you pass go and add a gold star as you pass my desk.

SO. I am going to be pulling together a digital Blogger's Year Book. No idea how just yet, but details details.
It will contain your school photo, your name and a link to your blog.
Anyone who has submitted an old school photo of themselves for this Gallery I will use that photo.
If you don't want that photo used just let me know.
If you want a different photo used just let me know.
If you didn't use an old school photo for The Gallery but want to be in it, just let me know.
So there you go. All our embarrassing photos in one place!
DEADLINE: You've got until April 4 to get them in . . . 

If you're new and want to know what The Gallery is, go and read here, and then come right back and join in!
You can also pick up The Gallery code if you want too.

Now go forth and show some big blog love.
I can't wait to see what you come up with.

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20 reasons why I suck

I love this sucky post from US Life Coach Tim Brownson so I've poached it and done my own.
Obviously I don't suck as much as him because I've only got 20 in my list *ahem*.

I procrastinate/faff to Olympic standards.
I need lists for my lists.
I am still a Duranie.
I cannot blow up a balloon.
I hate balloons with the heat of a thousand suns.
I am annoyingly chipper in the morning.
I'm at my working peak at about 10pm.
I cannot bear coffee.
Or wine.
I shout at other drivers from the soundproof comfort of the interior of my car.
I would rather bury my head in the sand than make a difficult decision.
I'm too trusting.
Once bitten I never ever forget.
I've taken photos of every part of my life since the age of about 15.
My house is filled with photo albums from the 80s and 90s.
I cannot whistle using my fingers in my mouth.
I giggle at everything.
I once told the children that adults could eat chocolate because it wasn't as bad for you after the age of 16.
I hide behind the office door when the window cleaner comes because he TALKS TOO MUCH.
I talk incessantly to hide the fact that I'm really shy.
I tut a lot.
I can't count.
I'm giggling now because you've just gone back to the start of this list and counted how many there are!

Do you suck at anything?

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The boy learns to dance

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The Gallery: Week 51

Hello and welcome to week 51 of The Gallery.

I think I can safely say that everyone loved last week's theme of 'trees'. All these treehuggers came out of the woodwork (*ahem*) and I felt quite elated. Lovely stuff.

So this week I'm back to making it tough. Bwaha ha ha ha ha.  

Just lately I've been telling anyone who will listen, how much my 8 year old takes after me at school: Bit of a maths geek who has his head buried in a book all the time and a little bit obsessive about neatness.
*Takes a bow*

And then I got sent a free trial of BrainPOP to play with on my phone, a daily animated movie iPhone app and quiz designed to help children with their learning as it's linked to the National Curriculum.
Humanities, English, Maths, Arts, they're all there and being the nerdy swot I am, I sat and played on the damn thing over a week to beat my own high score . . .
Damn.

Anyway, all of this is my way of telling you that this week's theme is: Education.
Ooooo, toughie eh?
Anything you like to do with learning and education. Your school days, your children's school days, are you learning something now? What does or did education mean to you? Teachers, students, lecturers, gurus.

Don't forget to come back on Wednesday to add your link when The Gallery post goes up. Then visit as many of the other entries as you can to see what they've come up with.

Say hi, discover new people, welcome them in when they discover you.

Appreciate the wonderful words and photos that are opening themselves up to you.

The link stays open until the following Tuesday, so don't worry if you don't manage to post your photo on Wednesday.

NEW HERE? NOT SURE HOW TO ENTER?
If you're new here and want to find out what The Gallery is all about and how to enter visit here.
And if you want to make sure you don't miss any prompts or entries in future, make sure you subscribe to my RSS or email feed.

Go on, clicky click away, you know you want to ...

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From one mother to another

Blogging to me has been a lifeline over the years; meeting mothers who feel the same as me, think the same, think totally differently, make me question myself, make me feel like I'm not alone.
But all mothers.

Today Interflora sent me a lovely bouquet of flowers as an early Mother's Day gift and said I could nominate another mother to receive an arrangement.
Kind of like online Mother's Day tag.

So I nominate my online friend Jay.
I met her on Twitter after being introduced through @LauraAWNTYM and instantly thought: "Holy cow, who is this woman?" In a good way.
We've since become real life friends and I've seen the 'real' person behind that online sass.
I've seen her highs and her lows (reading about her thoughts about her final concert as a cellist was just amazing), met her two utterly adorable young boys and laughed with her until tears leaked from my eyes.
I have so many friends out there being the best mothers they can, this was an almost impossible task.
But I've given my flowers to the person I think needs them the most at this moment in time.

Jay has a huge personality - but there is SO much more to her than any online medium could possibly reveal.
Happy Mother's Day Jay.
Your flowers are on the way x

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An early present to myself for Mother's Day

Every year come Mother's Day I tell anyone who will listen that all I want is a bunch of daffodils and/or tulips and a day of cuddles from my children.
And maybe someone to make me a cup of tea.
Yeah, well this year I've changed my mind. I kind of fancy something else. Something a bit more, urmmmm, bling.

So then I get an email from Jenny at Scarlett Jewellery, based in Brighton.
They want to send me a Mother's Day present. I have a root around their website and decide I want everything. But instead I control myself and settle on a 'Mojo' necklace, inscribed with the words 'live love laugh'.
It comes pretty much the next day and is wrapped beautifully and I feel instantly special.

So this Mother's Day I will still (hopefully) be getting the flowers and the cuddles and in return I'll be teaching my children to live, love, laugh - the greatest gift I can give to them.

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The Gallery: Trees

When I was a young girl my mum would take me to these woods near to our home and I would pretend the tangled surroundings were the mysterious, creepy trees from the Lord of the Rings.
I was reading the trilogy of books at the time and my imagination would go into overdrive whenever we visited, recreating scenes from the pages right there in front of me.
Huge, gnarled trunks had hidden faces and unused limbs and the roots were a network of communication 'cables' to let the forests' inhabitants know exactly who was playing in their air.
I had a very active imagination!

Which is why I love taking my own children to these same woods today.
I believe it feeds their creativity, sets their minds free and there is nothing more joyful than watching children run wild and giggling up hill and down dale, kicking leaves, discovering 'treasure' and lolloping in mud.

It's the best way to keep your youth!

This post is for Week 50 of The Gallery: Trees
If you're new and want to know what The Gallery is, go and read here, and then come right back and join in!
You can also pick up The Gallery code if you want too.

Now go forth and show some big blog love.
I can't wait to see what you come up with.

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I'm betting Madonna never has this problem

“Inside me lives a skinny woman crying to get out. But I can usually shut the bitch up with cookies”

That’s the birthday card a good friend sent me last year!

It really made me chuckle, than I thought ‘ye gads, it’s funny because it is SO me!’ The OLD me (though not old as in aged obviously).

I was as excited as hell at kicking off a new year, new me venture but then I stand in front of the bathroom scales and want to make my excuses and run very very far away (or at least walk at a brisk pace).
If I wasn’t so desperate to make a life change, I would be outa here.
So, I step on (wearing the lightest clothes known to man of course) and my son says: “wow that’s a big number!”
It’s all relative, I tell him. He only weighs about 56lb which is a small number.
Now quit your yacking I tell him, and get supportive!

For me, getting healthy involves moving more. Stop making buttock-shaped dents in the sofa and DO something.
So then we get sent the Wii game Dance Juniors by a lovely PR man to try out.
Dance Juniors as in the 'baby' version of the Just Dance series.
I am SO there. It's got Toni Basil's Oh Mickey on the playlist for heaven's sake. It was meant to be.
Obviously it's meant for the children, but mummy needs to test it out to make sure it's safe for them or something . . .

So we switch it on and Dan starts rocking out to The Jackson 5 (you listen to the music and mimic the dance moves being played out on the screen with your remote in hand) and he gets a near perfect score without so much as breaking a sweat. Damn.
Mia opts for Magic by Selina Gomez and she's rubbish. What? What? It's a competition. Take no prisoners and all that.
Having said that though, she's not penalised all that much (it is a children's game after all) and my Competitive Gene kicks in as I think this is going to be a walk over.

I flat refuse to dance along to Old MacDonald or The Wheels on the Bus (I mean COME ON), and I inform the kids they had better not EVER click on Who Let the Dogs Out while I am in hearing range, so I opt for me old mate Toni and prepare to show the young pups just how their mama used to strut her stuff back in the day.

Oh dear.

Still, I got a decent workout and boy did we giggle. Watching a very sporty cool kid get down makes me laugh every time and yes, I did take up his challenge at the end of the video . . .

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Innovative way to stop the shampoo/eye nightmare . . .

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Things you NEVER want to hear your children say

Mia is standing in front of the mirror with her mouth open as far as she can possibly stretch it, straining to look at something in there.
"Whatcha doing honey?"
"Trying to look at the little willy at the back of my throat"
Holy hell.

Dan: "Mummy what's a hooker?"
Me. Stomach drops to my feet. "It's a position in a rugby team Dan. Ask your dad."
Dan. Rolls eyes and sighs. "Stop trying to trick me mum, I'm talking about the hooker who does sexing."

At a horse riding lesson and Mia's head starts itching under her riding hat.
We are surrounded by people.
Mia (loudly): "I think those nits are back again mum."
(BTW, they weren't).

Dan has had a friend for a sleepover and it's something ridiculous like 6 in the morning and they're all in the living room making a row.
Dan comes upstairs into our room where we're desperately still trying to ignore the cacophony and snatch a few more minutes of rest.
Dan: "Mummy you need to come and sort Mia out, she's showing off in front of William and it's embarrassing."
Me: "Just ignore her Dan. She'll go away when she realises you're not looking."
Dan: "But she's totally in the nude and rubbing her bum on the furniture . . . "
Lie in OVER.

Mia: "Mummy, why do people wear make up?"
Me: "Well, to make themselves look prettier I suppose? Make themselves feel better."
Mia: "Do they do it for boys?"
Me: "Sometimes, yes."
Mia: "Do they think boys will like them more?"
Pause.
"Because if you want boys to like you more why don't you just show them your bottom or something?"
Life really is so simple when you're 5.

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The Gallery: Week 50

Hello and welcome to week 50 of The Gallery.

Anyone who has read this blog for some time, will know I have Big Love for trees.
And at this time of year, when they are slowing coming out of hibernation and showing glimpses of the majesty to come, they are a joy to behold.
See? Slightly obsessed!

But just indulge me for a moment. The next time you are out, look up.  Look at the newly budding leaves, the height of some, the fabulously tangled roots of others.
Think of the things they've seen over the years; the wildlife they've sheltered.
And maybe, just maybe, you'll stop thinking 'that Tara's gone slightly mad'.

Anyway, to indulge me and my obsession, this week's theme is: Trees.

Simple as that. Trees near your home, from a holiday, new trees, ancient trees. Trees you used to climb as a child, trees you picnic under. Trees.  

Don't forget to come back on Wednesday to add your link when The Gallery post goes up. Then visit as many of the other entries as you can to see what they've come up with.

Say hi, discover new people, welcome them in when they discover you.

Appreciate the wonderful words and photos that are opening themselves up to you.

The link stays open until the following Tuesday, so don't worry if you don't manage to post your photo on Wednesday.

NEW HERE? NOT SURE HOW TO ENTER?
If you're new here and want to find out what The Gallery is all about and how to enter visit here.
And if you want to make sure you don't miss any prompts or entries in future, make sure you subscribe to my RSS or email feed.

Go on, clicky click away, you know you want to ...

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The Gallery: Muddy

Of course, as much fun as it is getting yourself so caked in mud your clothes can literally stand up on their own when you take them off, some poor mother has the task of cleaning them after all the fun is over.
Dan and his best friend played rugby in the pouring rain recently, with heavy legs but soaring spirits. And I snapped this photo as they waited on the sideline, keen to get back into the thick of the action.

Honestly, I look at that photo and it makes my heart fair swell.
Except while I was stood over the kitchen sink scraping inches-thick mud from his rugby boots. I was probably chuntering obscenities under my breath and vowing to sign him up to ballet classes then.

This post is for Week 48 of The Gallery: One word.
If you're new and want to know what The Gallery is, go and read here, and then come right back and join in!
You can also pick up The Gallery code if you want too.

Now go forth and show some big blog love.
I can't wait to see what you come up with.

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That's me. In The Times. Next to Dooce

I'm not a "millionaire blogger" though, I should add.
And I've never written about sex on the sofa.
(click on the article to bigify and read in full).

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Mummy bloggers rule the world

OK so not necessarily 'the world', but they certainly rule.

When I pregnant with my first baby I read everything and anything I could lay my hands on about carrying and then raising a child.
To me knowledge was power. I sucked it all in. I even listened to my mother.
I believed it would mean that I could make informed decisions and say things like 'but Spock told me it's OK to do that' (I'm kidding).

Just because we have the ability to get pregnant and give birth doesn’t mean we immediately become baby experts.

Well, not me, for sure.

I was convinced I would be hopeless at it, that my maternity gene had been switched off and that I needed to find a way to jump start it into action.

So my son was born and I think I did a pretty good job of it and then when he was three I stumbled into blogging. I mean totally stumbled. I had no idea what it was or who these women were pouring their hearts out and writing about all manner of random stuff; really bottom of the heart stuff. Stuff I found I couldn't drag myself away from. 

And I discovered that actually, some of things I had read in books and magazines were not entirely accurate. I was not being given the full story.
I felt duped.

Mummy bloggers write about their lives with a level of honesty and grit that I wanted to read when I was pregnant.
This is the motherhood I craved to learn about; the deep, dirty, pull your hair out, cry in the dark in the middle of the night sort of motherhood.
The breath-taking joy, the boundless love. Reality.
I wanted to know what it would really be like, not the sanitised, 1950s version with 2.4 kids, perfect housewife mum and a dapper dad from Mad Men.

Blogging is a conversation. It's one woman saying to others 'yes it's bloody tough. It'll make you cry until you have no more tears to cry. But it will be OK. It will be worth it. I've come through the other side and so will you'.
Or even just 'I've been there. I'm listening'. It's amazing just how comforting that can be.
And it gives you the ability to share. You're not just listening, you can 'talk'. You can shout back, shake your head, nod your head, say 'thank GOD you feel like that too. I'm not alone'.

Before blogging, anything I read had the difficult, ugly bits taken out.
There was no talk of the crushing boredom, or the guilt or the fact that you were fed up to the back teeth of being a snot rag to a housebound poorly child. There weren't the sort of stories that make you gasp and put your hand to your mouth in shock (I'm pretty much looking at you here now More Than Just A Mother!) because someone else was saying the things that you'd considered but never dared do.
Likewise there wasn't a feeling of what those simple pleasures are really like; When your baby smiles at you, breastfeeding in the middle of the still of the night with your your baby's smell enveloping you, the day your child goes to school.

Then I immersed myself into blogging and I discovered others like me, many others nothing like me.
But we all had one thing in common; we were mothers, finding it hard, looking for reassurance, looking to reach out - and looking for a touch of entertainment into the bargain.

Through blogging I have discovered amazing humour, heart wrenching tragedy, insecurity, loneliness, soaring joy, crushing lows, people living from one crisis to the next.
People who I feel a connection with because they are sharing intimate moments of their life with me and even if I can't understand what they're saying, I can reach out and listen.
Right there is the sort of amazing network of support and understanding all parents crave.

I have been blogging since 2007 and have been lucky to make some amazing friends along the way. I've met inspiring people, stumbled on many many new bloggers and read some utterly amazing stories.
I blog for me, for my family, to give us all a reminder of the journey we're all travelling together.
And if just one person visits and feels a sense of 'oh god, I'm not alone' then that is the icing on the cake.

All of which is my way of asking you all, what does blogging mean to you? And what do you get out of it?

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The Gallery: Week 49

Hello and welcome to week 49 of The Gallery.

I have a gift for you this week, a GIFT I tell you.
Possibly your easiest theme ever.
Hmm, actually when I say the easiest ever I lie because you are going to have so much to choose from you'll probably complain that it's too tough anyway!
I really can't win with you lot can I?

So this week's theme is: One Word.
Any word you like: Up, spring, sunrise, snotty, peaceful, scream, fast, digital, lazy, sleepy, cake.

I'm too good to you aren't I?

Don't forget to come back on Wednesday to add your link when The Gallery post goes up. Then visit as many of the other entries as you can to see what they've come up with.

Say hi, discover new people, welcome them in when they discover you.

Appreciate the wonderful words and photos that are opening themselves up to you.

The link stays open until the following Tuesday, so don't worry if you don't manage to post your photo on Wednesday.

NEW HERE? NOT SURE HOW TO ENTER?
If you're new here and want to find out what The Gallery is all about and how to enter visit here.
And if you want to make sure you don't miss any prompts or entries in future, make sure you subscribe to my RSS or email feed.

Go on, clicky click away, you know you want to ...

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The Gallery: Simple Pleasures

I have two 21st Century kids.

They are so totally plugged into technology that sometimes I find it quite scary.
They will never know life before the internet, or instant messaging or Google.
Or what it was like to not have a mobile phone. Or 'only' 4 channels on the TV!
They have a Nintendo DS, a PlayStation 3 and we have a 'family' Wii for shrieking with laughter at each other as we try to dance/sing/play the drums a la rock band.

BUT. If I say to either of them 'shall we play outside' they drop those controllers like a ton of hot bricks rush off to climb into their wellies.
They have a great love of the outdoors.
And what greater pleasure is there when you're a child out in the fresh air than climbing trees?
I mean, it's like a rite of passage. It should be on every child's '100 things to do before I'm 10' list.

And what makes this simple childhood pleasure all the greater, is if you can return home so muddy, with dirt so thoroughly ingrained in every seam of your clothes, that mummy has to strip you off at the front door and send you running upstairs to the shower wearing nothing but streaks of mud across your beaming face!

This post is for Week 48 of The Gallery: Simple Pleasures.
Now go forth and show some big blog love.

If you're new and want to know what The Gallery is, go and read here, and then come right back and join in!
You can also pick up The Gallery code if you want too.

I can't wait to see what you come up with.

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