The one with all the muddy puddles

It was the wettest day of the Easter holidays (that one day it rained before the wall to wall sunshine, remember?), the last day Daddy was home before it was just me and the Little Ones for the best part of two weeks off school. It had rained overnight and solidly all morning but we were not going to be beaten by the wet stuff.

I wanted to get out, the Little Ones had spent much of the morning having a lie-in, lazy breakfast and watching films. They were beginning to get a bit ratty with each other and Daddy didn't want to spend his last day off at home. We decided that we would head to Cannop Ponds in the Forest of Dean, we hadn't been for ages and fancied a walk.

The forecast was for it to brighten up and we don't mind a bit of rain anyway so I threw all the waterproofs and wellies in the car along with a change of clothes and off we went. It stopped raining half way there and there was just a bit of drizzle but by the time we had got all three suited up even that had stopped too.

As it was so wet it was really lovely and quiet, we only saw one other family towards the end of our walk and a couple of cyclists who went by. We set off walking around the ponds squelching through the mud and paddling in the little streams that crossed the paths stopping to look out at the water on all the fishing jetties that we passed.

There was lots of laughter as we all slipped a bit in the mud and both girls went down on their knees a few times as they deliberately braved the deepest muddiest parts of the path, even I had my wellies on and waded through the muddy bits for a bit of fun.

With everyone bundled up in warm coats and waterproof trousers we were warm and dry even though we were a tad muddy. No one was bothered when it began to drizzle again.

We were joined by some geese at one point obviously hoping that the Little Ones had some bread but we didn't. The girls were a bit wary and ran away but Little 3 walked right up to them and was about to try and stroke them before we had to say, 'No' incase he got pecked. 

As we rounded the far side of the ponds on the way back to the car we came across some giant puddles and in they went, jumping to their heart's content, there were some rather large splashes and I am sure at least one of the little ones got puddle water in their mouth!

 

By then we were a tad soggy and headed back to the car, I stripped everyone off and wet trousers and socks were removed and dry ones put on before a warming hot chocolate and home for a hot bath. What could have been a washout day spent at home ended up being great fun and full of laughs and all the mud came out in the wash.