I took my 5 year old grandson to Wendover Woods with the aim of walking through the woods, playing hide and seek and cowboys. When we arrived he noticed the zip line, which is part of Go Ape (acrobranching in France). I have done Go Ape numerous times with other grandchildren and children but this was a special one for younger children. I explained that you can't just do the zip line, you have to go right round the course in order to get to the zip line. 'Let's do it then,' he said. I wanted to make sure he was up for it so I explained that we would be going up high and at times it would be scary. This did not deter him, so we signed up, were fitted out with harnesses and given instructions'. All went well until we reached one particular crossing and suddenly he refused to move. 'I've changed my mind,' he said, 'let's go back.' It doesn't work like that, there is no going back, and as other children waited patiently behind us, an instructor below started to encourage him to step onto the first rung. I spotted a little girl, 4 years old, going across what looked like a much more difficult crossing and pointed her out to him. Down below 2 men joined in the encouragement. 'What's his name?' they shouted. Eventually, after what seemed a life time, my grandson put his foot on the first wire and said, 'Oh it's not difficult, or scary.' I felt like reminding him that it is me who is scared of heights, but still I keep going up things.
I made him his breakfast this morning and was trying to get him to eat faster. I don't stand for much nonsense and eventually we were approaching the last two mouthfuls. I was muttering to myself the things I had to buy in the supermarket when he said 'you are not going to make me eat olive oil, Ryvita and an adaptor now are you?'
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