Three kids, two toddlers and baby came too

Cunswick Fell, a family friendly walk

My temporarily extended family wants to go for a walk in the Lake District. It fills me with trepidation. We’ve got adventuring with our family down to a fine art. Our three are well used to hiking, biking or canoeing; by now everyone knows what’s involved and with a bit of cajoling, some judicious nagging and a little shouting, we can be out within the hour. But today we’ve got multiple families and one of them is armed with a book of family friendly walks in the Lakes. This is a whole new ball game. When we set up a website to inspire families to get out and get active together, we didn’t mean them to come do it with us!

I expect it to be a little more complicated today since there’s a baby in the house. It’s been a few years since that’s happened and memories come flooding back. I’d forgotten about the gorgeous creases in their legs; the surprisingly loud heartbeat you can hear through their silken skin; the creamy smell of their breath. And the rumpus they make when hungry! I think my crew are demanding when they run in from school and raid the fridge. But my baby niece is another story. If she’s starving she cries. If she’s peckish she cries. If she just fancies a quick slurp before a nap…. yes you guessed it!

When they're as cute as this it's hard not to worship every google and goo

How quickly we forget the demands of early motherhood. Her determination in getting the attention of the milk monitor is only matched in the bath where she kicks harder than an Olympic swimmer. Someone must have told her London 2012 is coming up. But it’s not all kicking and yelling. I’d forgotten how peaceful a house becomes when there’s a baby present. Even my children fall under a silent spell when they’re in the room with her. She’s like the baby Jesus and they the three Kings, dropping to their knees to worship every gurgle and goo.

Other local relatives are keen to worship too, and we consequently have a full house today, with everyone operating on different timetables. Stuart’s brother, his partner and the baby have been up all night feeding and changing, so they are understandably late risers. Stuart’s sister has arrived with her two toddlers who’ve been charging noisily around the house since what seems like dawn. And with it being half term, our kids got up somewhere in between, but are refusing to change out of their pyjamas.

Everybody loves a baby

What this means in practical terms is that the baby has had several breakfasts in the middle of the night but his parents haven’t yet eaten today. The toddlers' breakfasts have long worn off and they’re looking for mid-morning snacks. Stuart and I are trying to have elevenses while our kids are busy making porridge and burning toast. And we’re all supposed to be going out for a family friendly walk. All together. At the same time. Near Kendal, about ten miles away. And between chomping, slurping, burping and nappies, everyone’s talking about picnics and debating whether we should have lunch before we set off.

I’ve long given up caring who’s had what to eat by the time we reach Cunswick Fell. The time for lunch has been and gone and I’m amazed and relieved we actually got out of the house before sunset. I feel quite pleased with myself, not only have I managed to get all three families to the same car park but I’ve brought an emergency pack of boiled eggs and biscuits too.  It’s light, bright and breezy and as soon as I’m out of the car my head clears and I’m ready to walk.

Have stick, ready to go

Our kids spring out of our car and start to shiver. The sun looks like it’s heading home; tired of waiting. Matthew, Cameron and Hannah are as keen as me to get on with the walk. But my niece and nephew have fallen asleep in the car, and need time to recharge their batteries for the 3 mile hike ahead. We hang around the car like sheep in puffa jackets, waiting for them to zing back to life.

“I waked up now,” says my nephew, finally rubbing his eyes. My toddler niece cries for a cuddle, before being hoisted up onto her mum’s shoulders in a back pack. My nephew trips over and wails. Hannah needs the toilet. The boys are fighting with light sabres made out of long sticks. Someone has been drawing on the map and Stuart is on a mission to find out who.

“Can we go now,” I say, exasperated.

At last, the open fell...

We set off, through some woods, down a rocky track, hoisting the children, toddlers, backpacks and light sabres over a narrow stile and finally into the open fields with spectacular views of the Langdale Pikes. The baby wakes from a light snooze in the papoose. She may be the guest star of this walk but the only mountain she’s interested in is a flesh one. She opens her lungs and kicks her feet for England. It’s lunchtime again.

Oh the joys of a simple family walk.

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