Beautiful People - Beautiful Day

I have taken Aaron and my 2 nieces and 1 nephew out for the day Saturday, Sunday and again Monday.  It has been a great Summer (I've taken them out a few times now).  Taking 4 kids out for the day is really rewarding.  It's helped my nieces and nephew to enjoy their school Summer holiday, as their Mum's been working flat out.

Today Aaron is back at nursery.

We got back from Ireland Friday. Yet......

I HAVEN'T UNPACKED YET!!!!!

Climbing Frame in Little Dinosaurs FAB outdoor area - glorious on a hot day

There are only 3 kids in the above photo as my nephew took the photo.  That's Aaron at the front bless him.

Saturday we (me + 4 kids) went to Alexandra Palace for the day; Sunday (me + 4 kids) went swimming for the whole afternoon and Monday/yesterday (me + 4 kids) went to Alexandra Palace again.  This was actually our 3rd time in Ally Pally as I also took them before we went to Ireland.

This time it was very different as we spent 3 hours in Little Dinosaurs (on the land of Ally Pally - but their address is Muswell Hill)....

Anyway, shortly after arriving, as it was HOT, and they have an outdoor area (unique in a soft play area) I sat outside, at a picnic table, while Aaron played with his cousins with a latte in my hand.

My 8 year old niece came up to me, sat down and as we were chatting during the course of conversation I used the word "shit" accidentally.  I said sorry to my niece and then the lady adjacent to me looked over her shoulder (I thought judgmentally).  So, I then said sorry to her too.  Anyway, after my niece left the table, I got talking to her, and it turned out she is an active BUDDHIST and I ended up telling her about my 2004 "experience" in Japan.

She gave me the details of her faith: "nichiren buddhism" and I took the website address.  I was totally inspired and we had a BEAUTIFUL conversation.  It was like a hug in a chat.

I will definitely be following up on it - I have always wanted to find out more about buddhism.

Oh and once we were chatting non-stop I asked her about the "shit" remark and funnily enough she had looked over as she sometimes talks/talked like that to her daughter who has now grown up, and my comment had tickled her - she wasn't judging. She was there with 2 children she is a nanny for.

If we'd never have spoken, I'd never have known she was not judging - how wrong we can sometimes be.

Roll forward a couple of hours and she had gone and I was chatting to a different lady who runs "Bongo Babies" - also a beautiful person.  We ended up spending a couple of hours chatting, and we both are mums to one: me to a 26 month old boy and her to a 16 month old boy.

When Little Dinosaurs closed, she walked round to the lake and slides/swings with us and we spent another while there.  Me and my crew were there till about 19:30 (after arriving at Little Dinosaurs at about 14:15).  We were all shattered when we got home.  My youngest niece fell asleep on the sofa without even having dinner.  Aaron fell asleep in the buggy before we left there, and stayed asleep all the way home (on public transport) and let me transfer him to bed, change his nappy etc... without waking...

Anyway, meeting those 2 ladies was the highlight of a beautiful day.  The kids were ALL beautifully behaved (both ladies commented on it) and I was just so grateful for the day, the sun, everything.

I am currently reading The Gratitude Effect by Dr John Demartini as recommended by The Mummy Whisperer.

Yesterday it was so so so easy to have an attitude of gratitude.

Roll forward to this morning, things are reaching an all time low with the hubby, but I will zap him with my happiness.

Anyway, there is nothing nicer than meeting 2 lovely ladies like that, especially when I can't bear the catiness you sometimes get from Mums at soft play areas (which I did encounter too but won't even honour it with talking about it).

Funny though, Aaron couldn't see my interactions, (he was running at 90 miles an hour all day) yet he played with the kids of Mums I interacted with (even hugging them) and didn't get on well with the kids of catty mums - good judge of character my wee man :-)

Little Dinosaurs website really doesn't do it justice - it is the only soft play area I know with an outdoor area and it is so good with a bouncy castle, and balance bikes, etc etc etc... I'll include a couple of snaps to do it justice:

There are THREE balance bikes and they are fab - Aaron is two years' old

As I said, at the end of the day - after we left Little Dinosaurs - we finished up at the slides and swings by the lake (still at Ally Pally), and as below it has a great sandpit:

We haven't got to the beach yet this Summer :-( but at least we got some sand in between our toes, and we do plan on taking all the kids to Brighton this weekend either on Saturday or Sunday :-)

Liska xxx