Thwarted

"Oh dear," said the Boy Wonder. "'S'locked again!"

This, to be fair, is the big children's play area, which is currently being resurfaced, and even a Boy would probably agree that the workmen and their various machines are best left to their own devices. The small children's area, though, is another story. It was finished several weeks ago - and, we're told, briefly re-opened - and yet, once again today, the gates were chained shut.

"Outrageous," I said.

"Ridiculous," said the mother of twins whose combined efforts had failed to break through the lock.

"Birdy!" said B, losing interest. "Two birdy! One two free five birdy! Ja'daw! Ma'pie! Doggy! BIG doggy! Pitty lickle doggy! Woof, woof!"

Bless him. I have to hope that he'll grow less distractable over time, because obviously the older you get the less helpful it is to have a butterfly brain, but I also hope he never loses the ability to find pleasure and wonder in the small and ordinary.