“No it’s not my girls type of thing.” Was the response to the question...
"Mummy look what's arrived in the post for you this morning!" the little excited voice said as she hurtled into my bedroom whilst I was resting.
"They're for Rach huni." was my reply.
"Ohhhh" was hers with a very sad face.
The following weekend, on a trip to my parents, the children sat in the conservatory with a big cardboard box of lego, making houses, surgeries and a stairway to heaven!!!
“We can’t go with Sarah, would you like to go to Legoland?” was the question!
“We would love to, I didn’t realise how much the girls would like to!” was the response to the question.
“I told you so” – big smile….. was the reply, with the look that went with it, that only she who can, did get away with it.
That was just the start. If I’m honest, that was when the worry started for me. It was going to be a big day, the biggest day since I could remember, in fact since I had to give up work.
I am so lucky that all of the organisation was done by the lovely Rachael, who makes the preparation of world domination look like a trip to the park. She’s on it like a jet-plane, a phone call here, a list there, an enquiry answered and before you know it the Walters / Smith road-trip to Legoland in Windsor was planned, organised and this weekend – executed.
The query in my mind was how on earth I was going to be able to manage to keep going, to be able to walk or be pushed in the pushchair (my oops wheelchair) around the vastness of the park and last long enough not to be poorly and ruin everyone’s fun.
I rested the full week beforehand, but the doubt in the back of my mind was niggling so much that I was even contemplating bailing out at the last minute because I didn’t want to be a party-pooper!
The day before arrived, the picnic had been bought and the clothes put ready for two little girls who had no idea what was going to happen. The youngest, had cried oodles having thought that mummy had forgotten her birthday treat of horse-riding and was so gutted this wasn’t happening. "Trust me!" does not soothe the tears of a disappointed nearly 7 year old!
So the day arrived, it was do or die, so I decided to do (despite not doing mornings and arising at 5.45am! I mean who even invented that time of the day – it’s surely still the vampire hours!). We managed to evict two children from their beds so that we could run errands (it worked – must remember that for future – should we ever need to get up at indecent hour again). Even the arrival of the Walters Family didn’t put any query of what the day would entail! My children are so gullible and before anyone asks yes they do get that from me!
Luckily both Walters took their cars and drove – the convoy began!!! It was just another great excuse for two hours of girlie chit-chat without interruption apart from the odd "Mummy?" or "Auntie JoJo?" comments for the gorgeous Phoebe! We hit Windsor and the first sign of traffic, a detour around the city, always useful to follow a truckie who knows all the short-cuts although will never live down the fact that he went the wrong way!! Sorry Danny but sat next to your Missus when it happened was hilarious. Only when pulling into the theme-park did we receive a communication from the car in front (with the Smith girls in it), two screaming girls, saying a million thank you’s, thanks, you’re wonderful, OMG!!! You get the picture. So pleased that nothing is ever taken for granted by them.
We disembarked and got ourselves organised, the buggy wheels pumped, the back-packs laiden with goodies and we entered the park. The wheelchair was hired and we started. Pictures say a thousand words so I’ve added a few to give you an idea!
The best part of the day for me (along of course with spending time with my favourite family), was watching with pride my two little girls. Apart from the constant requests to be pushed along in the chair, which I cannot fathom – was it tiredness or regression to a child-hood pleasure of being pushed everywhere!? They were impeccable, as were indeed Phoebe who at 2 had very little to keep her occupied in the park (a big disappointment from a family point of view). My girls played, picked up, held hands, and threw her into the air with glee. They waited patiently without grumbling to go on rides, they got soaked with enjoyment! The rain dripped off the ends of their noses but that didn’t stop the smiles or the anticipation of what was to come. There were in depth discussions as to whom would accompany Master Daniel on the rides, but they played fair, Cassidy went first, she’d worked out how to make the hover-craft spin faster and was going to put it through it’s paces purely for Danny’s benefit. Madison, reeled the machine in and then let it out with such glee that at one point I was hoping that it was secured effectively enough to counter-act her determination to make it go faster.
They went up in balloons, got their drivers licence and then we all nearly wet ourselves as Walters Competitive Crew hit the fire-engines and pumped away with such a force that when it hit the stop barrier, Phoebe was nearly catapulted into the next county! Video link put on purely so that you too, can change your underwear! Excuse the running with video at the start, Madison has yet to master that skill but will surely do so before the holiday next year.
I partnered Cassidy on the log-flume. It took a long debate as to whether in fact it was long enough to get all four of us in it. We were still discussing the point as the flumes started to wind their way around the course. The final word of course, as you would expect was mine, when I suggested that Danny look between his legs and work out whether my bum would in fact fit in the gap before the middle bar on the seat came up. Without wishing to be impolite I told him, the likelihood was that I’d end up on his lap and that would not bode well at the top of the flume at the end. As you would expect. I got drenched, my thoughtful plan of sitting right at the back faltered, as Cassidy ducked down in the front and I got hit straight in the face by the tidal wave of water that hit the flume.
Was I in pain? Yes. Did I have to be pushed in a wheelchair? Yes (a most unpleasant experience (sorry boys you did a grand job) but makes you very aware of your body mass). Did I medicate myself up to the hilt? Yes I did. And I was crippled for a few days with excruciating pain? Yes. But I made it round!
We stayed there from start to finish and I went on a couple of rides with my children. I shared their excitement, the laughter, the rain, the picnic, the pirate-show! I booed & hissed (whilst making ham-rolls). I spent the day with my favourite people including my wonderful husband who also queued with the children, kept them entertained. The day was magic!
I could have persuaded myself that I couldn’t do it, that I wasn’t up to it. I could let the fear of the repercussions of such a trip make me change my mind and not participate.
But participate in life I will.
I will share all the experiences with my children I can, I will savour every smile, every tear, every single bit of excitement they have, because they make me want to live my life. I can do that, even despite everything, what I think is impossible is possible.
I also have to pay tribute to my gorgeous friend Rachael – this is us too here!
Without her, I couldn’t have managed, wouldn’t have had the courage or back-up and constant encouragement to go out there and do it. So these special memories that I now have are completely down to her! She is a super-rock, priceless – a real diamond. THANK YOU!!!! (she hates me saying that to her).
So DOING THE IMPOSSIBLE makes it MORE THAN POSSIBLE!!!!!
