Parklife

Why is it that as we get older, our inner child becomes stronger? I love nothing more than spending a sunny afternoon running in the park chasing my sons around swings and roundabouts and kicking the latest favourite football of the month- May is all about Mickey Mouse, April is now considered old school with faded images of Iggle Piggle and Upsy Daisy. I look around the playground, thankful that my Cutler & Gross sunglasses hide a multitude of sins and their dark lenses give me the wonderful advantage to stare at others. But then it dawned on me, there's no mums here, instead there's a sea of young, slim, foreign nannies using childcare as a means to live and breathe London. I wonder, with a tad bit of jealousy, where are these children's mothers? Do they work full-time or are they just getting their talons manicured? But those envious seconds quickly pass when I look at my two sons running freely and proudly smiling at each other about their climbing frame achievements. I soon realise, I'm the lucky one standing here, these days fly by far too quickly, with a blink of an eye they'll soon be snogging girls on the park bench nearby. (And mums please note, have your nails groomed by all means, but 1. donkey grey nails is so last season and 2. please pick nannies whose waist circumference is larger than the average British girls thigh.)