Today Robert (aged 10), the little boy from next door, is very sweet and always wants to come round to play with George. They’re both very similar, in the fact that the both have an endless amount of energy and love to fling themselves about when they play. This afternoon he was able to come round and play so at 2pm there was a knock on the door. “Yes can I help you?” I asked. “I’ve come to play,” was the smiley reply. “Oh I don’t know about that?” I said. Of course I let him in, and after he’d played on George’s drum kit for a while (his rhythm needs more practice), and then said “Hello!” to the chickens, stroked and held several of them and then collected some eggs, we headed off to Boxhill. It’s not far away, and only takes about 20 minutes or so to drive there. We arrived about 2.45pm and first went in the “Nature Trail” where George, being the monkey he is, climbed everything. Robert was a little apprehensive to start with but soon joined in. George has been climbing trees since he was about 18 months old, so it’s second nature to him. He tends to freak out most other kids (and parents) with his climbing abilities, but I’m used to it, so am not worried. With a little encouragement Robert was climbing but wanted the security of holding my hand when he got too high. This is perfectly understandable, as most kids would do the same (apart form George that is). “How do I get off?” Robert asked. “Jump!” was my reply. So he slid off holding my hand and George flung himself off higher up. We then went to the massive hill and the only thing you have to do (if you’re a kid) is to roll down it. It has to be done, there is no other way to do it.

And off they go!! George is on the left and Robert is on the right.

Off they went and I could hear them giggling and laughing as they went. I walked sedately towards them, and once at the bottom they decided to run back to the top and then roll down again. Fine by me!! I stayed at the bottom and waited for them to come back to me. However the walk back to the top of the hill was a little too much for some.

The walk back up the hill was too much for Robert, but with coaxing from George he managed it.

Once all the rolling down the hill was done it was time to go over a sty, into another field and into the woods. This was great fun because of the amount of sticks that the boys found (Emily was out with friends all day, so missed all the fun) this meant they could then play Star Wars with each other and use the force. I’m not sure who they decided to be. I think Robert was Yoda, George was Anakin, and I opted for Princess Leia (but NOT in the bikini!!) Lots of sticks got broken in the process, but replacement sticks were found very quickly. Then it was time to slide!! There are certain sections on Boxhill where the trees are thick and the ground is very dry, and it’s perfect for sliding down on either your bottom or feet. It’s a bit like skiing, but there’s no snow. George has got this down to a fine art, with many years of practice. I think that this was Robert’s first time at this particular sport, so George very kindly showed him the most sensible way to slide and that was on your bottom (their trousers will never be the same again). Getting up to the top was sometimes a little tricky, and I had to assist Robert sometimes. He suddenly slipped back down and pushed me down in the process, which was rather amusing and funny. But he did get the hang of it, and both he and George were sledging down the slopes quite happily for about an hour. There are some wonderful holes underneath some dead trees that were a magnet for intrigued little boys to venture into.

There’s nothing that makes a boy happier than investigating a hole.

We stopped often for a drink, but having fun was much more enjoyable. We finally came back to where we started and got to the refreshment shop just before it closed. We all had an ice cream of one sort or another, some of us getting messier than other (Robert I’m talking about you with ice cream all round your mouth). We left just after 5pm and I dropped him off home around 5.30pm or there abouts. Now I don’t know about the boys, but I’ll definitely sleep well tonight. I hope they do with all the excitement and play they had today.