Chocolate Orange

Had to pick up the wean early as the school gave up the ghost when the snowfall got serious. I collected him, along with his friend Adam and dad, who had walked him to the nearest petrol station (the school grounds being impossible). After making him lunch and barely resisting lapsing into my usual afternoon slump, I decided we needed some air.

So, I finally took a proper stroll in the snow later in the afternoon, into the neighboring park with the wean. Magical. We both found much to revel in, the pleasure of making tracks on the infinite blank page, the way any colour or shape stood out, the lights coming on, tinseling the gloom. I bought him some microwave popcorn for later. Then we took a diversion, to see what the nearby housing estate looked like in the thick snow. The woman who opened her door to see what I was up to kindly invited the wean inside and was so charmed by him she gave him a chocolate orange (to put under the tree).

More adventures on the way home. He ignored my urgent warning and did what he had done earlier, stood on the ice of a little artificial fountain/pond and of course this time it gave, dunking him up to the waist in freezing water. Luckily, we were only minutes from the house, so I rushed him home and he was fine once we had the wet clothes off, the popcorn popped, Johnny Test on the telly and his chocolate orange under the tree.