Penguin’s Super & A Christmas Wish
There’s one thing I think that we could all agree on? That’s how time has a funny way of slipping through our fingers. One minute, my eldest son is a exploring toddler, chubby cheeks, eyes full of wonder, and the next? He’s a teenager towering over me, borrowing my phone charger and asking for aftershave. It honestly feels like it all happened in a blink of an eye. I know that’s so cliché, however it’s the truth. I guess that’s just real life. That’s why these moments, these little pockets of magic, matter so much. 🌟
This photo takes me right back to a cold winter’s day in London. We were in a short queue to see Santa, bundled up, full of excitement, with festive music drifting through the air. Lights twinkled in the trees outside, and everything about this day, about this moment felt like it was wrapped in magic.
In Chessington, we turned a corner and found ourselves inside what looked like an icy wonderland. The whole room was glowing. The frosted blue walls, crystal-like decorations, and a glittering table full of pretend seafood and silver goblets. This is just one of several scenes for the location.
My son loved the penguin scene the most. It was his favourite animal back then! I’m not too sure if he would admit to that now though. He loved how the penguins were sitting and smiling, looking like they had been waiting especially for him to join them for lunch.
My son, still so little then, was completely enchanted. He didn’t question why there was a penguin in a dinner jacket or why the lobsters looked like Christmas decorations. He just wondered around, wide-eyed, smiling and caught in the wonder of it all.
It was one of those rare moments where time completely slows. Waiting on you to enjoy every second of that enchanted moment. Everything felt softer. Simpler. The kind of moment you don’t realise is a core memory until years later, when you stumble across a photo like this and feel it all rush back to you.
London during the festive season has a way of surprising you. Hidden pockets of joy. Fleeting glimpses of magic. Human creativity exhibited in the most unusual of places. And sometimes, all it takes is a curious little boy, a penguin, and a belief in the magic of Christmas to remind you of everything that really matters.
Now, years later, that tiny boy in the photograph has grown into a young man, who’s taller than me, voice deeper, and dreams all his own. No longer dreaming of swimming with the penguins. But I still see traces of that same wide-eyed wonder in him, and moments like this remind me just how quickly it all goes. That’s the thing about motherhood: you don’t always realise when you’re living the days you’ll one day miss with your entire heart. So I hold onto photos like this, frozen in time, as proof of the magic that once was, and the love that’s never stopped growing.
What’s your favourite Christmas memories?
