How To Tell Spring Is Here

Easter, the clocks changing  and daffodils all signify spring, but nothing screams warmer weather and outdoor fun is back than the emerging of life. Birds singing in the mornings again, rabbits hopping on the sides of country lanes and our favourite - lambs bouncing their way through the fields. We tried to get out as much as we could over winter, but it's never easy and we are looking forward to much more outdoor fun now that that spring is definitely in full flight.

We've even packed away the fleet of pushchairs and strollers and purchased a selection of baby and toddler carriers to give us more freedom and options for a summer of exploring the beautiful outdoors.

We'd seen the lambs in the fields for a few weeks and decided to get a closer look before we missed the lambing season altogether. This past week we drove to Bliss Lane Nursery; a local farm in the Northamptonshire village of Flore. It's a small, family run business that invites you to bottle feed their flock of newborn lambs for a mere £1 a bottle. It was great to get so close to them and explore the area (whcih also had chickens, ducks, goats and horses).  For Clayton, it was a fantastic opportunity to relate to the pictures he has seen, stories he has been read and noises he's perfected. He is really developing in character lately and to see him waving at the animals and trying to talk to them really made my afternoon.

The only frustration we are left battling is his fear of the animals. He was fine when in the carrier and really happy to be there but wouldn't go anywhere near them of his own accord. He was the same at the Sea Life Centre recently too, and that's just fish in tanks. His first ever outing was to the zoo and we've always taken him to see animals and read about animals. He loves animals. He's just fearful of them when he is physically in their presence. Has anyone else experienced something similar? Is it a phase? Is there anything we can be doing to help the situation?