"But you made a mistake, Robin. It's not easy you know. They've got the power, they've got the weapons. All we've got is a Raster, a Wally and a Bearded Avocado."

I love being able to arrange play dates with our friends throughout the week and we had a blast adventuring around some woodland we'd never been to before with our buddies Emma and Matthew. It was baking hot and we were desperate to get out and do some investigating so we arranged to meet around lunch time for a picnic in the woods and some good old fashioned rambling. I love living in Shropshire we are surrounded by beautiful greenery, some of it right on our doorstep.

The boys were full on entertainment from the get go and using what they could find on the forest floor they quickly formed a high intensity Rock band. First head banging with their stick guitars before grabbing a large piece of bark for a keyboard/mixing desk and smaller sticks for drumming. Opeie's favourite song is Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak and Matthews is Def Leppard - Pour some sugar on me. So as you can imagine being such hardcore rockers they were quite the super group. Matthew even played with one arm behind his back for an authentic Def Leppard feel.

The first thing I had spotted when we had arrived (apart from Emma and Matthew of course) was a rope swing and I was itching for a go. It was two steep a drop for the boys to go on so being the very grown up, safety conscious adult that I am I offered to go on so they could experience it through me haha. Couldn't get Emma on though, maybe next time.

The boys quickly changed from the Rock and roll lifestyle and became a pair of pirate hunters, naturally that meant I became a nasty pirate/human piñata ripe for a good stick beating. Emma was desperately trying to be a princess but was told 'no mommy YOU ARE NOT a princess!!' Harsh!!!

The story unravelled and after being made to walk the plank  and be repeatedly hit with twigs the boys explained that maid Marion had been captured and they had to find her and marry her. As lovely as that sounds it sparked a bit of a woodland dispute over who was actually going to take her hand, serious stuff!

Emma pointed out that i look like "Harry Potter gone rogue!"

The Ercall is steep and there were a few moments where I was sure someone was going down on their bum. I say 'someone' but I actually mean myself, I'm such a clumsy bugger and wearing a pair of grip less boat shoes probably wasn't the best move.

Emma had bought some books along for our adventure so we found a safe spot high up to sit down and listen to some lovely stories...

We've met some great people over the last few years and I feel so lucky to be surrounded by other parents that have similar views to the way me and Mrs M parent the boys. As the boys swung their sticks around and played, me and Emma talked about all those pressing parenting issues, household roles, co-sleeping and breastfeeding it was great to be chatting to another parent on the same page.

We eventually found maid Marian which started some bickering between the boys about over who was going to be taking her down the aisle until a very diplomatic Emma jumped in and explained that maid Marion actually had a sister 'maid Mary Anne'. Order had been restored (well after they had decide who was taking the blonde and who was taking the brunette anyway! kids!!).