In just a little over 2 weeks I'll be stepping off the plane and into the deep end. Sometimes I need to remind myself that this is a good idea. When you tell people you're taking your kids to India, they all say how brilliant it will be, how envious they are, what an amazing experience we'll all have.
Thing is, that's easy for people to say. Quite another matter to actually be the ones doing it. I don't see anyone else phoning up Trailfinders! We're the ones taking our children well and truly out of their comfort zone. They're living this blessed life in this idyllic pocket of the world -Little Gaddesden, home to a thousand acres of National Trust woodland, a huge herd of deer and some of the wealthiest people you could wish to meet. It is the epitome of a privileged place to live. The village green is punctuated with pretty cottages, enormous manor houses and other highly des res. The paths that crisscross our landscape are a haven for walkers, runners, cyclists and horse riders.
This brilliant community provides a different club for every day in the month, just adding to the amazing opportunities our children have living here. Martha goes to ballet classes in the scout hut - hardly Ballet Rambert but she loves it, Gus plays football for the village team every Saturday and Sunday, whilst Freya rides her pony in the neighbouring field, popping him over the jumps Hamish has made for her Or going out on hacks in the woods with some of her best friends. There's tennis for us all in the summer-even Martha goes to toddler tennis! And let's not forget the cricket team (was that a yawn you heard me surpressing?) which provides Hamish with a dream come true.
Think it sounds gorgeous - well it is.
All three kids (and us for that matter) are surrounded by friends. I often come downstairs on weekend mornings to find Fergus gone - off visiting one of the neighbours without even bothering to get dressed. Or they might be here in my house before I've even had a cup of tea. Luke from next door often mutters, 'Morning!' as he wonders into Gus' room. And there's someone and something for everyone. Martha loves playing with Nell here or there or best of all on the trampoline at the bottom of the garden. The kids have worn paths through the hedges that border our gardens like badgers do in the woods. At Fergus Five's (aptly named after the number of his house and to avoid confusion with ours) the kids get lost in a world of Lego - we've never had to make the trip to Legoland!
I value this sense of freedom my kids have immensely. Not only do they have great friendships with loads of kids, they also have a very comfortable relationship with a whole range of adults outside of our family unit.
We live in one of a cluster of cottages that back on to a park. Beyond that is the woods with Golden Valley in the midst of it. It's so gorgeous they use it for film sets: Stardust, Harry Potter and Robin Hood. We use it as our own. In summer there's picnics to be had, hill rolling, games of football, cantering on ponies knee deep in flowers. In winter, it gives us some of the best sledging this side of the Alps. We've built fires the snow to toast marshmallows, and spent the last two Christmas holidays somehow avoiding a ip to A&E as the village kids (and lots of their parents) speed down the slopes hurtling over jumps they've made by banking up the snow.
Then there's the Browns who live just along the village green. For me having a sister living a mile away has proved to be more amazing than I could have ever imagined. We never really got on as kids but being neighbours as adults is just brilliant. My gorgeous neices, Milly and Flora are adored by all the village kids, but none more so than my own kids. When Milly left to go to university last year, Martha cried for her to come back and paint her nails!
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