I am on holiday somewhere in the hills beyond Bangkok. Well, no, I’m not, the Bangkokians are but yesterday I spent literally two hours hearing all about it so it does feel as though I’m there. I definitely know not have cereal for breakfast. Chloe had me psyched up for that the other day as we walked to the dining hall. I was imagining Hubbards Granola – maybe even one of the Legendary ones. ‘See Nanny Robyn!’ Half the bowl was Kornies and the other half Cocopops. All that was missing was the mountain of sugar. I then got a shot IRT of Chloe flying down the flying fox. Straight after breakfast. There’s a lot to be said for young sphincters. I don’t know how long after that it was that she got locked in the loo but it was barely a blip on the busy day that was full of racing go-carts and picking ‘slawbellies’ (a Chiara-ism). I was informed Chiara ate all hers at once. A child after my own heart though ditto the sphincter comment from above. Chiara is also rather fond of locks. You know those stone-like things that lie on the ground and you chuck as far as you can whenever the mood strikes? ‘Ahhh, rrrrrocks’ I say. ‘Locks,’ she says with just the merest twinkle in her eye. Wherever this place is, it’s hit the mark for those kids who seem to be jumping into everything headfirst, tanglehaired, and carefree. I hear there’s swimming this morning before they go home. I’m hoping Chloe doesn’t get stuck in the aqua slide like she did yesterday when the water dried up, but I don’t think she’s that worried. Her heart’s set on going down the big slide ‘The one that Daddy says I can’t go down because it’s too fast and has too many curves.’ My money’s on the kid. She went from baby flying fox to the highest one in a day. I reckon all you’d have to do was look away and she’d be flying out the other end of the big slide. And right across the grass, through the fence and out into the jungle never to be seen again. I’ve spent three lunch times now ‘playing’ with the kids as they eat their breakfast and finding bees and butterflies and locks outside while Mum and Dad finish their coffee. I don’t know about them but I’ve had a great holiday and the only good thing about returning to Bangkok will be Songkran. And Easter Eggs. And a couple of beaming little faces coming to my house for lunch. And sometimes tea.
Robyn Anderson 