Friday 9 January 2009

Ice cold in Brockwell

So the Big Freeze obviously didn't get my letter, and continues to reign over us.

This morning, having spent three days shivering at the computer in my ski socks, I decided to brave Brockwell Park with the Littleboys. The sun was shining, even though the car dashboard told me it was minus 0.5 degrees, so how cold could it be? Perhaps the warning bells should have gone off when I saw that the usually popular playground was completely deserted......

Well, let's just say that we have never been to the playground before and found sheet ice on the slide. Not that I realised it was ice, until Littleboy 2 decided to go down it and shot off the end like a bobsleigh competitor. Irresponsible Mummy. Still, he seemed fine (if a little surprised), and his brother found it all highly amusing.

The seesaw was also icy, but they insisted on me going on it with them, so all three of us ended up with icy bottoms. And I decided that the big, scary climbing frame, which Littleboy 1 always gets stuck at the top of, was definitely out of bounds today.

We had the usual saga of whether or not they wanted gloves on - which normally goes something like this. Littleboy 1 is cold, and so we put on his gloves. Five minutes later, he announces: "My hands are not cold any more, Mummy," and takes them off (usually chucking them on the ground without a care). He then starts complaining that his hands hurt. We put gloves back on. And repeat, on a loop, until we've all had enough....

Then we went for our usual walk to see the ducks and moorhens on their ponds. But the ponds were frozen solid, and the ducks were nowhere to be seen. A family of Brent geese pottered on the ice, so these at least provided some entertainment, but all in all, while I found the silent, frozen ponds with their dustings of leaves and twigs rather beautiful, the Littleboys seemed disappointed at the lack of interesting wildlife.

On the way back to the car, Littleboy 1 shot off down the hill on his scooter, leaving me running behind with the pram like a madwoman, shouting 'slow down' and having terrible visions of him skidding on black ice. Luckily, the path had been gritted - and even more luckily, he managed to slalom around the large group of disabled people on an outing who were coming up the hill.....

Still, I suppose it's all good preparation for learning to ski (we're planning to take him to the Alps this Spring). What's more, he'll have to learn to wear gloves then. Although, as The Doctor remarked the other day, the thought of him on a chairlift is altogether too terrifying. I think I'll leave that to the ski instructors...

11 comments:

Dumdad said...

It's still freezing cold over here in Paris. The sun is out but otherwise it's grim. Each winter gets harder for me - I really must win Euromillions tonight and then I can decamp to a hotter clime until Big Freeze sees sense and slings his icy hook.

Nota Bene said...

I have such a perfect image of Littleboy 2 shooting off the end of the slide, and I'm sorry to say, it makes me laugh too!

Glad we're going to be basking in warmer temperatures next week - bones beginning to creak now.

Bush Mummy said...

I took Mini to the swings this morning in our local park. She loved it for all of 3 minutes and 35 seconds when her beaming smile turned to one of shock horror as she realised that her hands had iced to the swing.

Tears all the way home.

BTW have you considered what happens when they have all their ski gear on, you are at the top of the piste and the words "Mummy I need a wee" resound?

We were going to go skiing en famille but changed our minds when some friends told us they spent more time undressing and redressing their children in the slope loos!

Sorry to be a killjoy!

BM x

nappy valley girl said...

Dumdad - you make it sound as if you're about 80! But I know what you mean. I don't think I was designed for this climate....

NB - it was pretty funny. One of those situations where you're not sure whether to laugh or cry...

Bush Mummy - ah, but that's the great thing about boys. They will have a wee anywhere, any time and in any temperature. We went walking in Norway in the summer with some friends that have two girls and the palaver they had getting their children to go to the loo on hikes! Compared to Littleboy 1 who just pulled down his trousers and got his willy out to pee against a tree at any opportunity.

Potty Mummy said...

I wouldn't worry about the chair lift NVG. If your experience with skiing and 4 year olds is anything like ours, he won't make it off the nursery slopes. Though they do often get to use a miniature button lift about 6 inches off the ground, which is quite amusing...

Anonymous said...

We put on our ski suits today and then had fondue, not kidding.

PS -- any do you have any old posts for londonmumsblog?

Anonymous said...

Snow + kids = perfection.
Seriously I could just watch them for hours.
Took my son to a party at the Snowdome in Tamworth today (real snow people!) and the rosy cheeks and smile on his face were a joy to behold!

BabaMzungu said...

My two youngest (step-)kids have never seen snow, having been born in Kenya where they still live. I am looking forward to bringing them over to the UK next winter, but maybe that would be cruel as they have NEVER experienced temperatures lower than 22°C - ever!
But, a snowdome? That sounds like a good idea!

Anonymous said...

Future bob sled champion perchance?

Millennium Housewife said...

I texted my friend in Austaralia during a -5degree school run. She was cooking the dinner in her bikini. Shall we go? MH

Mom/Mum said...

oh tht was such a descriptive post NVG! Wonderful image of you hurtling down the hill with the pram.

You think you've got it cold there, well I've justr seen the forecast for wed onwards here, and it's going to be -20C, which is just bloody ridiculous. Ands my littlest boy is not a fan of the gloves, so we'll be having similar discussions over the wearing them, unless he wants icicles for fingers.
The snow is so pretty and I too love those rosy cheeks they get after some good old fashioned snow-play. We'll see how skiing goes - i hope you have fun. we're considering trying it too. Though am just not sure i can bear the mischief the boys are bound to get in! x