25 May 2009

Emily was awake at 5.30, but how wonderful to hear birdsong - my favourite, a blackbird, I think. We spent a quiet morning pottering and Emily got to know Grannie, Grandad and Auntie Kate a bit better. Florence was very tolerant: Emily pursued her relentlessly and kept trying to poke her in the eye as she kept repeating 'eye' and making a passable attempt at her name.

Needing a few essentials, we popped out to Tesco's. It was like an Aladdin's cave for us (and so cheap too), and we both spent ages in there. It was tempting to go mad, but we have to think of the luggage space.

After lunch we all went to Lyme Park. Emily was ecstatic to have the open hillsides to roam about on, and I think she walked further than ever before, though it finally ended in tears as she grazed her hand falling on some stones near The Cage.

From the folly, we could see right across Manchester, though the cloud was thickening. Back at the estate buildings we stopped for tea and cake and Emily made a friend of an older girl who followed her around and chattered at her. We finished our visit in a play area in the woods, which was swarming with kids. Emily loved it, but it came on to rain and we made for home.

Again, she went down to sleep very easily, even though the room was still very light. I made it to about 10pm before I had to slip into bed. I must have still been quite jetlagged as my head was swimming and my eyes bleary.