17-03-17 British Orchard Nursery Day

Friday 17th March 2017

A splendid winter’s day in Dubai spent doing all the things that are fun for a kiddo. Well not the first couple of hours at home (scrubbing a bathroom and force feeding Kingsley his requisite egg + hamburger + milk + buttery toast+ cheese stick breakfast of champions before he is allowed out of the house, poor love), but from 11 AM till 5 PM it was all about Kingsley’s entertainment as we attended the open day of British Orchard Nursery. Even getting there was a lively affair: catching the metro afew short stops then walking in the glorious conditions of our winter’s day.

First thing we spot after exiting the metro station is a mass of balloons festooning the entire front wall of the Nursery’s building. In fact it is Kingsley who spots the nursery before I do! Next we encounter a pony! Promises to ride the pony are made as we greet the Nursery workers and Kingsley literally leaves me behind at the front steps. He is so very ready for school! (clearly I am not).

Over the course of five plus hours this kid experienced the unbridled joys of toddlerhood: painting a masterpiece (which remains at the Nursery as he used so very much paint on the canvas is needs, according to Miss Ceci the Mexican Art Director, at least 24 hours to dry); bounced up and down on a jumping castle will a teacher ordered him off for a spell due to his exuberance spilling over into wild pushing and shoving of the other kiddies; playing a game of ball throwing where he won a Cars car! I of course turned insane from pride

Of course the soft play area and playground attractions such as slides, rocking bridges and climbing towers kept Kingsley confused as to where he wanted to be right now but what bamboozled him was the pony which was waiting to be a) ridden, b) fed, c) stroked. He did all three for the remaining two hours of our stay, some moments petting the beautiful mount, the next alarmed that the pony is ‘hungry and tired’ and needs carrots. At least ten times did we literally run into the Nursery’s servery for sliced carrots (small mercies: the lunch provided today has a selection of veges) then I had a brainwave: tell Kingsley that ponies like to eat apples. Well, Kingsley raced into the Nursery at least five times hauling back out a total dozen red apples, which the pony dutifully ate. Kingsley ate the carrots and the apples with the pony.

Everybody clapped and cheered. I wept a little at how delightful an animal-loving boy we are rearing. He of course got ice cream this evening for his stellar efforts at being a great kid.