Last Minute Beach Excursion

It really was a Harriet day today. First of all, last night she was awake from about 1.30am until about 4.30am. James tells me that she needed to do a poo, then was screaming about wanting to sleep in the front room where Teddy and I were. And when I say screaming I'm not exaggerating. It was so loud that I was woken by her at about 4am and as any mother knows - if you're asleep you stay asleep unless something very very loud wakes you...or you receive a feather touch from the babe lying next to you. :o)

So she was a bit fractious in the morning but by early afternoon all seemed fine. We headed out to the local markets to buy some vegetables for the week; when we got there though, James mentioned to Harriet that there was a petting zoo there and did she want to do that or go on the jumping castle?

Well those little legs couldn't pump hard enough to the front gate of the petting zoo. She (and therefore we) stayed there for *over an hour* people. Yep, this is a girl that LURVES her animals.

After that we went to go and buy our food but we had spent so long at the zoo that the vegie places had nearly sold out of everything and were packing up! We hastily bought what we could from our list, then came home.

Harriet has been reading a chapter of The Magic Faraway Tree each night before bed. This lazy Sunday afternoon James decided to start reading her a couple of 'extra' chapters. I don't know if any of you remember it but there is a character called the Saucepan Man who is always making such a clatter with his pots and pans that he can't hear a word anyone is saying. When the children said "Come with us", he thought they said "Catch a bus", that sort of thing.

Well I'm in the bedroom and could just hear the most delicious peals of giggly laughter coming from the lounge room. Is there any sound so beautiful to hear? She thought that the Saucepan Man was *hilarious* and we then played 'mishearings' for about half an hour straight. And for about half an hour straight she was in a giggling, hysterical mess. What a delightful thing to be a part of. What a wonderful afternoon.

And it only got better really. we decided to go for a late visit to the beach. We had to wait until Ted woke up (at 5.30pm! The boy is a sleeper for sure, he slept for over five hours in total today). Bundled down to the beach. Harry ran into the surf and back again. Again. And again. With such genuine joy and laughter.

So here I sit, nearly 11pm only now just getting to upload my photo of the day. But so very happy.