Maize (Maze)

4years 306days

We had a FAB day today! My friend came to pick us up and we headed off to the York Maze. The forecast was changeable but mostly good. And it performed as predicted. In mostly glorious sunshine, we enjoyed a wonderful trip out. We started out in the House of Cornfusion. Illusions, confusions, trickeries.... Katie wasn't keen, apart from the Disappearing Corridor and upside down house. I liked it, apart from the slanting room that literally rendered me unable to stand. I had to crawl and struggled not to vomit! Once we were out of the building, we put that aside and the day dramatically improved!! We had a lovely time feeding cows and pigs - AKA prodding large corn stalks through their pens and trying to encourage Katie to let go! We hand fed the goats (who are apparently crazy) and we went to see the pigs that would shortly be racing. We each chose a pig to support, buying its associated badge. Mine won so Katie went to get a medal from Sweetie the giant female sweetcorn. Katie wouldnt stand near her for a photo, so she photobombed the picture that my friend took of Katie and I! We had a go on the jumping pillow. We. I enjoyed that too.

We decided to head for the maze as the sun was out. Apparently it's a map of several well known "no nonsense Yorkshire men" this year. Brian Blessed, Jeremy Clarkson and Geoff Boycott. It was not in the slightest bit discernible as you went round, but it was jolly good fun regardless. Katie went barefoot and had a lot of fun in the slightly muddy paths. She loved finding the number posts and getting the answers.

When we got out the maze, we had a little hello with the reptiles - just a hello to a snake and a hold of a tortoise. I held and Katie stroked a barn owl. She stroked the tiniest wee owl I've ever seen. She then ran off to do the giant wall mural painting, after a quick milk stop. We ate the picnic as she flitted back and forth between food and painting. After lunch, she wanted to go back to the birds and held the owl herself. Very proudly.

We then headed to the inflatable slide. Katie is often a wee bit timid of this kind of thing. The first time, she consider a wobble, but went down. She went very fast as she wore her puddlesuit. She had a bit of a look of terror most of the way, landed and then stood there grinning asking to go straight back on. I think she went about 20 times in all, before moving on to the inflatable obstacle course, which the two of us did twice and had a wonderful time!

We had a good play in the mineshaft maze, crawling round through tunnels. She spent ages on the play area and waterplay. She built a large house in the construction area, which she sat in. And then we saw a GIANT rain cloud. We made it to the car with about two minutes spare before the heavens absolutely opened.

We made an hours stop at the designer outlet, stopping in the chocolate shop, Clarks (unsuccessfully!) and Hamleys (successfully, 2 gift ideas were passed on to family we bumped into in the shop, which Santa has now dealt with!). She fell asleep in the car at 6pm. I thought she would transfer to bed. It did not work! She was awake quite a while, full of the joys of a wonderful day out!!