molly_issue28_autumn WEBLINKS

NEWS
Desperate Dad
Pretty soon there’ll be a chill in the air.
But don’t worry it’s nothing sinister.
It may seem a little alien after the warmish
summer months however, as the days become
shorter and mornings a bit darker.
The landscape will slowly change, not quite life
on Mars, but it’ll start to feel a bit different.
More a refreshing breeze and the cooler air will
feel good on the skin - we don’t need it too
cool though!
Lazy summer holidays will become distant
memories, with kids back at school and
routines thankfully settled again.
Some of us love the sunshine and thrive on the
long hot days, but with the changing seasons
come new opportunities/problems for plucky
parents to prioritise.
PROBLEM ONE: Coats will
become a necessity on school
runs.
Try telling that to two shorts
mad monkeys however,
who would tackle an arctic
expedition in nothing more than
a football top or Star Wars t-
shirt, given half the chance.
PROBLEM TWO: Dwindling
opportunities to visit the park.
Come 3:15pm, when hell’s unleashed and the
school bell tolls, excited children are looking to
burn those last embers of pent up energy.
A downpour at home time is more than enough
to dampen everyone’s spirits, fear a mud bath
the likes of Glastonbury has never seen.
PROBLEM THREE: You already have too
many problems.
OPPORTUNITY ONE: Embrace the seasons fully.
Kiddies are fascinated by the changing
seasons. Leaves falling and puddles forming
are a magnet for little legs. Think red rag to
bull.
In appropriate, industrial strength clothing,
many an hour can be whiled away, kicking and
splashing like there’s no tomorrow.
Barry Wood is an ex journalist now working
for the NHS in Lincolnshire. A father of two
boys and husband to one Portuguese wife,
he blogs regularly as Desperate Dad.
And should it snow, well it really is the icing
on the cake. Whole weekends can disappear
quicker than your sledge down the hill.
Entirely recommended.
OPPORTUNITY TWO:
Key dates and events.
In addition to Hallowe’en,
Bonfire Night, Christmas and
New Year, we even have a
November birthday to crowbar
in too.
There’s always something
going on. Whether it’s
dressing up, or wrapping up,
the cold snaps will go unnoticed thanks to
the warmed hearts this continuing excitement
creates.
I guess it just goes to further underline how
quickly time passes.
Yet another cycle is ending its full loop, and no
matter what they say, the grass never grows
under your feet.
Those cooler alien breezes are destined to
usher in new chapters for us all to explore.
So although it may often feel like we’re smack
bang in the middle of our very own ‘War of the
Worlds’.
A forever autumn would not go amiss, as we
look forward to the changing seasons of life,
and all the new adventures
they’re bound to bring.
Read more adventures:
barrylwood.wordpress.com
Facebook: Desperate Dad
Twitter: @Dad_Desperate
www.mollysguide.co.uk
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