School Pick-up – the scenic route

Yesterday saw a return of the glowing ball in the sky, minus a southerly Antarctic chill. Since the clocks turned back at the weekend the weather has gone typically unpredictable. One day it is blowing a gail, pelting down horizontal rain and knocking toddlers off their feet, the next it’s warm enough to ditch the boots and slip on the jandals.

I’m all for hibernating come winter and can get quite down in the dumps if I don’t be proactive and brace the elements. So yesterday, with Alice taking a long morning nap, I had the afternoon free to play out in the sunshine.

After she had thoroughly stretched her wee legs at the playground, I strapped her on my back and headed off for a bush walk; taking the scenic route to pick up Charlotte & Sophie from school.

Thankfully Alice is still young enough to find riding in a back-pack a thrill ride and isn’t too heavy to carry either. Everything she sees is still really new and fresh to her. It’s a wonderful world in her eyes and each day she soaks up a little more of it, trying to communicate her excitement at every moving leaf and flapping bird.

Of course I went prepared with a bag of treats to pass to her reaching hands when she sounded a little restless (and a few lollies to help me up the hill too!).

Thankfully she was mostly a happy passenger for me – though I’d love to know what she’s thinking in the photo above (probably something along the lines of, ‘Mum’s not passing me the good stuff – these rice crackers stink compared to the lollies she’s sneaking in her mouth!’).

It wasn’t till we reached the school field that her body really started bucking to get out! I jogged down the final hill, where she could finally be released and feel the grass between her little toes.

So great to make the most of the sunshine in between the rougher weather of autumn. Alice’s little twinkle toes are just too cute to be hidden in socks and shoes 🙂