How did she know that song???
Right, started off the day with the fourth of the five swimming lessons, after another bad night with Small (he’s too young for night terrors, surely? That is what it is most reminiscent of…). Big has reached her limit and refused to participate in many of the activities today. Found myself feeling really confused about it – on the one hand wanted her to be at least trying as it seemed rather rude to the teacher not to, on the other hand we’re paying him, but then again, when we signed up for the class did I sign her up to participate? aargh, will chase myself in circles on this one – basically I felt bad that she was throwing a strop in the pool, but I couldn’t really work out what was making me feel bad. 🙁
Then we loaded up in the car, dashed home for the literature and toddled off to Sherwood Forest for the 20th Annual Robin Hood Festival. We were meeting up with Jan and co and I spent the journey over there explaining Robin Hood to Big. I find that kind of thing really difficult, not least because being half-deaf I find car conversations rather hard work. Plus I don’t like glossing over bits, and Big wanted rather more details than I had to hand. But we covered outlaws, the main members of the band, the bad guys, taxation, forests, life before cars (how did that creep in there?) and so on and so forth.
Had just parked up when Jan rang to say she was in the queue, so met up fairly promptly and went wandering off into the forest. Decided we’d go to the Major Oak first, as the idea of such a big tree had really caught Big’s fancy. On the way there though, we ran into three ppl dressed up as Guy of Gisborne, the Sheriff of Nottingham and Prince John. Those of you who go way back when will remember the events of All Hallows Eve (no, it isn’t blogged, but it was discussed on lists and so on) when Big managed to open the door to some children in costume. I had prepared her for the idea of men in costumes today, but she was still scared, and just as they drew level with this small child cowering behind her mother, one of them decided to yell in a fairly threatening manner “Get out of our way” or some such, and that was it, hysterics. Full scale, screaming abdabs. 🙁
We spent the rest of the day looking round in slightly subdued mood – she was very scared that she might run into them again. Which was a shame, as there was lots to see and do. We spent a lot of time with a group of minstrels who had a basket of percussion instruments for children to join in with (really wished I’d had my camera with me – but I haven’t downloaded the piccies of it for the last month, so it was full!) and dd queued for 20 minutes to be able to make a pot on a proper potters wheel. We saw archery and a rat catcher, bought a book on Robin Hood, avoided loads of wasps, sneaked a bit of maths in (the major oak is 10 metres diameter, told the girls that their arms outstretched are about one metre in length and asked how many children it would take to reach round – seemed to get the message across that it’s a *big* tree!)
Late back in the muggy afternoon, and the thunderstorms started as we were eating tea. Big has already had one mini nightmare, and I’m looking forward to more. Oh well.
Comments
8 responses to “Robin Hood, Robin Hood, Riding through the glen…”
Hi Jax I have been to the forest a few times and seen the big oak. Sorry big had such a scary
time there. She may be OK on another visit. Sometimes I think people who dress up at these
events get too over enthusiastic and don’t really think they will scare the children but they do.#
Hope she sees through it next time anything like that happens.
🙁 Sorry to hear that the Robin Hood day wasn’t as fun as it could have been. At least Big is with you at these things, not with a school trip! D’you know what I mean? At least (even though you might feel at a loss to know how to handle her) you love her and support her and try to understand what she’s feeling at times like this – which is the best way it could be. Hope your night wasn’t too disrupted.
wrt the swimming – are you on the poolside the whole time? I always find my lot are better if I’m not watching, but that’s just us … is it the last one today anyway? Hope it goes well.
Gosh – i think i must have gone to the very first one of those. And i was in it once, with a bunch of travelling theatricals dressed up in ridiculous costume. I’ve still got a photo somewhere…
When i was a gal you could stil lget right up close to the tree, it didn’t even have its wires – but that was a while back now i guess. Feel like a long time since i lived in Nottingham.
Sarah, every time something like this happens it just confirms to me that school wouldn’t really work, at the very least not yet. There weren’t any more nightmares on her part at least (yet another screaming fit from Small – what *is* going on there?) thanks for asking. As for handling the terrors for Big, I just pick her up and cuddle her – turns out my back is a lot stronger now, as at one point I was carrying her and pushing the buggy! wrt swimming, yes I’m on the poolside, there isn’t anywhere else to be. I think you are probably right that she would be managing better if I weren’t, or at least if I could see her and she couldn’t see me, but this is just a school swimming pool and there isn’t a viewing gallery or anything.
Merry – according to the boards the tree was fenced off in 1975 – I suspect that I will have visited it before then too, as my stepdads parents are very local to here and I know we visited Sherwood Forest with them. Must have had some wires though unless there’s something you aren’t telling us – they started putting them in in 1908! (Yes, we did read the information boards lol).
Wish your comments would reappear – wanted to say I love your photos, and I think it’s your youngest with her legs sticking out!
Really – gosh i am SURE i remember getting right up close to it. I was only 1 in 1975! Maybe they took us up closer on a school trip or something. It definitely has more wires now then – i remember being really surprised last time i saw it.
Yeah, having no comments is a pain. I’m really thrilled with the gallery they did too. I’ve waited a long time to see them do something like that.
Re Small – maybe its just the heat? Ammi has been up every night since we got back from Jan’s SCREAMING for Max. Last night she sleep walked right past me to get to him.
Weyhey! My comments are back!
oh it’s hard isn’t it – every time i think that Monster is over all the clinginess reasons which were my first case for HE he goes and shows me them again, but very slowly and surely he is getting over them, which just goes to prove that sticking him somewhere and thinking ‘oh he’ll cope’ didn’t work, letting him have the time to decide that yes mummy will be there when i get back and if i need her so i can go a bit further does work. re the costume characters i would say that from doing xmas grottos and working with a costume character at various events its actually nearly a 50/50 split to the kids who love them and those who are scared s@*tless! Neither of mine are keen and certainly wouldn’t have been if they had been shouting and stomping – sounds like a good day out overall though..
Jax, I can’t find your email anywhere can you mail me please?