Train.

On the train to Stirling this afternoon with my dear boy and lovely husband on a sunny day. It was a good trial run for the journey we're going to be taking next week to Inverness* on the train - and then in the car for several hours to Thurso - and I'm feeling a lot better about the journey we're going to take after this trial run. He's grown since the last journey we took; emotionally, as well as physically.

Roman loves to have a seat to himself. I hope our train next week won't be packed so he can have this little luxury.

*Bryan thinks if I put 'we're going on the train to Inverness' that people will rob us. Because we won't be home. I quickly reminded him that anyone who doesn't know us doesn't know where we live and those who do know where we live will be on the list of suspects. Plus; in this neighbourhood? I think he has it confused with our previous area.

Briarlands Farm.

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With our feet and public transport as our means of getting about our options can be limited when doing things with Roman. 

When the weather was better I decided to check out some local venues that could be fun and educational to visit but felt a touch disappointed when I realised that Briarlands Farm was completely inaccessible to us. The main thing that drove me towards it was the idea that we could pick our own strawberries - which we ended up not doing at all today! Ha.

Luckily my sister Fi and her boyfriend Neil came to the rescue when they came along with us to the farm - and were able to take us there. It was fairly cheap to get in and while they didn't have many animals on display (which was disappointing) Roman was quite pleased with the animals they did have out. Especially the 'pinks' - his name for pigs. I think if he could have managed to squeeze himself in there with them he definitely would have ;). 

I was glad we went - even if the animals were fewer in numbers than expected and the strawberries were all picked by 4pm - but I think Roman was very tired out when we got home when he had a massive melt down - the melt down to top all melt downs, it was truly horrendous to watch because he was clearly distraught and very, very tired and there isn't an awful lot any parent can do in that circumstance. I'm happy to report that he went off to bed relatively happily - and quickly - and while I'm a big advocate of expressing yourself, whether for better or worse, I don't like the thought of him going to bed with some unresolved sadness lurking at the end of the day.