It's that time of year again. One moment I'm liberally applying sunscreen, then the next I'm trying to convince myself not to switch the central heating on. I've held off so far. It's still very warm, but it's raining heavily here, this afternoon. I'll probably just stay home and bake cookies :)
Recently, we celebrated a birthday in this house. Lily turned 11! I'm still in denial that she has reached this age, and that she will very soon be leaving primary school. I'll be honest in that I have very mixed emotions about this, but she seems to be looking forward to her transition to high school. We're on half term this week, but after that there will only be seven more weeks until she finishes. It will go by quickly, of that I have no doubt, then hopefully we can enjoy a relaxed summer break.
Fortunately, Lily's mid-week birthday coincided with a whole class trip out, so it became a sort of mini celebration for her, which, for someone who dislikes being the centre of attention, worked out rather well.
The following weekend, we marked the occasion in our own way. Having racked my brain for a suitable birthday gift, I finally decided on something I had been considering for several years now - an inflatable kayak. It wasn't the most exciting thing to unwrap on the morning of her birthday, as we couldn't exactly inflate it in our living room, but it proved to be one of the best things she could have received.
On the Sunday morning, and with big sister to lend a hand, we set off to one of our favourite parts of The Lakes, Ullswater. And we couldn't have chosen a nicer day for it.
It was beautifully quiet, and the views are spectacular. You can see why we love it there so much.
Once the kayak was inflated, which was far quicker than I'd anticipated, the morning was spent gently floating along the lake. Paddling wasn't too difficult, as the water was so very calm. I even considered enjoying a quick swim while we were there, but after wading in until the water was up to my waist, I thought better of it. The water is still very cold at this time of year and I didn't relish the thought of the drive home while wearing a wet swimsuit. And I also need to buy some new water shoes - the stones can be rather painful, and they are slippery to stand on when getting in and out of the lake. Still, there will be other opportunities before long, I hope.
J. X
