Virginia Waters England

It's Lacey Mae, our youngest grandchild's birthday on Tuesday, she will be the grand old age of 1. So, as it is a working day, and they live a wee bit away from us, Ishbel and I popped over yesterday to see her and give her an early birthday present.

Steve was on the night shift Friday so was having a wee nap when we arrived.  Once he got up he put together the birthday present, no point in me doing it, a complete and utter useless tit when it comes to putting things together, may do a blog on the disasters I have had over the years, as I know how much you all like a good laugh and I really don't mind being laughed at!

Anyway this was the pressie..... Lacey Maye's first Trike.

Just as well daddy Steve started off as a cycle mechanic before becoming a Heavy Goods Vehicle Mechanic.  If Granddad had put this together Lacey Mae would have sat in it and it would have collapsed.....









So having put it together what better than a road test!  So, a favourite place for the girls to visit is the nearby Virginia Waters a lick and a spit from Wentworth Golf Club.

If I had known we were going on a 5 mile hike round a lake I would have insisted on being pushed in a carriage myself......

Ever since I had that lurgy about 3 weeks ago I haven't been for my daily walks.  I haven't put any weight on mind you without the walking but conversely I'm not losing any either..

L to R Steve, lacey Mae, Shannon, Ishbel, The Handsome One, Mollie
 & Jennifer

So the Stronach and Ing clans set out but as usual, being the pain in the ass that I am, camera phone, Camera and I-thingy with camera at the ready I want a photo and so here we are, all smiling - I should have taken one at the end of the walk, or at least a video, just to show what they did to me, I think they must think I am heavily insured and were trying to kill me off.  Even my arthritic hips, which haven't bothered me for months were crying out for a hip replacement surgery by the end of it!






And we're off with Shannon pushing her little sister, mind you every one is going to be little compared to Shannon, Mollie standing next to Grandma is 9 in two weeks and Shannon turned 6, three weeks ago, bless.....

The thing about that trike thing is that the handle at the back also acts as the steerer, so you turn that to turn the trikes front wheels and there is a knack to it that takes a bit of getting used to.  Also Lacey Mae has a fascination with the wheels, as they are turning.  Not the front wheel. No, that would be easy. The rear wheels so she hangs over the side with her finger tips grazing the wheel as it turns, which is fine except that the centre of gravity is moved from the middle of the thing and you can guess what is going to happen when Shannon and Mollie are pushing, and yes it nearly did (think I need to write to the manufacturers on this design flaw!) A few close shaves as we meandered round the lake.

Mollie gets a turn

Stopped off for a coffee/tea/ice cream and this is where I got into trouble!  Just after I took this photo, you can see that Lacey Mae is leaning slightly to her right and has at that moment, has a mouthful of banana.  You will also notice that we are standing on shredded bark! Remember what I said earlier about the centre of balance...... I had just taken this, put my camera away when Lacey Mae decided to reach out to mother on her right , and over she went face first and I do mean face first into the bark......  I know, but it was quite funny and any one with very small children will know that when something like that happens and you rush to pick up the child, you can see that they are all right but...... kids of that age have this thing that you can see it, like a scientist just knows (if they have been watching that is) that a volcano is going to erupt and there is like that pregnant pause, a bit like an atomic bomb going off I guess, where you can see it happening in the distance, but then the shock wave of sound hits you with an intensity that slices through you like a red hot knife through butter.  And boy, did it hit us.  In fact if any of The Family had been in residence at Windsor Castle, which is also a stones throw away, they would have heard it too and thought that we republicans were storming the castle ahead of casting them aside or into the nearest moat!

It's like an air raid siren, but without the build up to the crescendo of noise that they tend to be like. The noise is just there, ear splitting and goes on and on and on,  and then I said, can we do that again when I get the camera out, what, I only wanted to save the moment for posterity, sheesh.....

Happy again!

Mollie and Shannon straightening a leaning tree

All in all it was a good day, and I think I was forgiven

Tip: if you want to see a larger photo, just click on any of them it opens it up, for a better look