Is it a Bird? Is it a Plane?

At the London Wetlands Centre it could be either - what with the birds to see and the planes flying overhead.

We met George and Helen there at 10.05. I was getting tired so sat in the pushchair while we looked at the birds. There were lots of different ones to see - all Ducks to I-B. We then came across some living teepees - these were made with willow cuttings planted in the ground and then trained into a teepee shape. Mummy and I-B think that we should plant one in the back garden as IB enjoyed playing in it tremendously. I was getting more tired by now so Mummy put me in the sling while we continued to walk around. By the time they reached the hide in the wildside, I was asleep and IB was very good at being quiet while we looked at the birds. Hiddy was apparently making a noise but Mummy said that Isha was setting a good example to Hiddy by being as quiet as a mouse.

We then ambled to the other side of the reserve to the pondlife area where IB armed herself with a net and went pond dipping. She found lots of pondsnails and watermites.

Lunch was calling to us from the panniers so we ambled over to the adventure playground where IB could eat and play, and as could the rest of us. We spent the rest of the afternoon in there. For a while IB went to play with other children she met in the playground, she then came back to us and played with us - mostly with Helen. The only tears occurred when she toppled and grazed her foot - although she cleaned it very well with an anti-bopple wipe; and when a little boy deliberately snaffled her feathers. It wasn't an obvious feather-snaffle at first but little boys can be like that sometimes, so Mummy says.

IB was sound asleep by the time we got home. Mummy gave me dinner (lentil and veg mush) and tried waking IB up to give her dinner but she was so asleep she just wanted to go up to bed. It was then my turn for bed, Mummy took me up, read me a story and by the time she had ordered the Indian takeaway, she was asleep.

All in all a good weekend was had by all. The only thing missing was a Daddy pate to tap...