Runaway Train

Inverurite Chum and I took our gaggle on an adventure to the great Scottish city of Inverness today.  Not to search for Nessie or tell tales of the Bonnie Prince (we'll save that for our Big Car and our free NTS pass), but to meet up with a friend and her kids from our old church who recently moved up to Dingwall. 

After an early and rushed start, a two hour train journey and a one and a half hour walk to Whin Park (boy do toddlers walk slowly), we only had about forty five minutes to play, lunch, feed and toilet before it was time to head for home.  Which was also when we lost one of the six children in the huge park with many ponds.  And the problem with going off to find a lost child is you kinda forget that you're leaving the others behind, half of whom are not strapped into their buggies.  But he was found, no others were lost, and it all now sounds far more dramatic than it was!  Except for maybe the poor mother...

Needless to say we missed the train home (mostly because you forget that toddlers walk even slower after lunch!) but the chance to ride a London Bus and a wee sit in the sun eating the first Scottish outside ice cream of the year only made the day better. 

But the best* bit of the day?  That was getting on the train in an empty carriage, sticking 2 Toy Stories on the portable DVD player, seeing all four children contentedly glued to it, thumbs in mouth in my kids' case, and spying the tea and coffee trolley rocking towards us.  Very little beats a sit down, a good cup of tea, a sly bar of chocolate and four quiet children.  Whether you're on the train or not.

Tiger's first lick of ice cream: 

Certainly won't be the last this summer!

* Obviously not the best best bit because there were many picture perfect moments, including Toots and OC strolling hand in hand along the river in the blazing sunshine.  What a sweet old couple they'd make!  But all mothers know what I mean...