Daddy’s photo shoot :)

One sunny summers day,when I was four years old, back in the year 1985. As was a tradition in our Family, here in Dublin, Ireland, me and my three sisters, along with our parents, went into the city centre, the heart of Dublin, to have a family picnic in Saint Stephens Green park. It was a Gloriously sunny day, like many of my childhood, though to me this day will forever stand out out from others. we had fun on the bus journey to the park. All the while singing songs and bopping about with the excitement of the day that lay ahead. The wheels on the bus was always a favourite at these times and of course, ten green bottles too.
Once we arrived at the park, my parents, having survived our young, girlie, high pitched, singing the whole way, mixed with some ''she's looking at me'' and 'I didn't do it's'', set us free to the parks big, bright, playground, which was already a buzz with excited children of all ages, and from all the four corners of the capital City. My parents then set up the Old Grey and red tartan blanket on the soft, freshly mowed grass. The whole place smelled of summer. The grass, The sun-cream, the Ice-cream stand, and the (what seemed to me) thousands of full bloomed flowers in every Colour. Perfect Happiness all rolled up in this one place.
After what seemed like forever ( really an hour most likely ) we came back to our parents, remembering the yummy lunch we had helped to prepare that morning. Nice, cold cups of lemonade, Only ever allowed on special days, and Jam sandwiches were our starter. Followed by Fruit Yogurts and chocolate biscuits. A real treat. A lay on the grass came next. we lay looking upwards, chatting about who could see what in the few fluffy white clouds in the blue blue sky above. There were elephants and cars and all the things of little girls imaginations. Once our food had settles in our tummies, it was time to feed the ducks in the lakes of the park. The many ducks and the swans too. they were so mystifying with the bright sunshine reflecting, glistening even from their lovely white feathers.
When the ducks and swans seemed as full as our little tummies were, dad decided it was time to have some fun with his new camera. me (carol) Audrey, Lisa and Michelle (my three sisters) being the highlight of his photography. I remember well smiling from ear to ear as we posed by the flowerbeds firstly., then the little ponds and lastly by the lakes. It was a gorgeous day, we as 4 yrs, 6 yr, and 7 yr olds were having great fun. My eldest sister (10 years old) was helping out with the camera. thinking up new poses for us all to try out.
That's when our day changed. Me, Lisa and Michelle stood near the lakes edge for our picture to be taken. Dad saying " a little closer'' ''that’s it a little closer girls''. Me, being so young and not watching fully what i was doing, stepped back that little bit closer, like daddy had said, but stepped right of the edge and into the saint Stephen's Green Lake. I quickly heard my 3 sisters scared screams as I struggled to grip onto something, anything. The Swans and Ducks gathered round me as I drew their attention splashing about not knowing how to swim. I remember being so frightened, looking round me at the, (to me) huge swans, and the many families of ducks fluttering about in all the drama. frightened, more frightened than ever before in my young life of four years, but only for a split second, as my dad quickly wrapped his arms round me. Instantly he jumped in and saved me. I immediately felt the complete opposite of my earlier fright. I was safe and I felt it, completely. We spent some time after, waiting for dads money to dry on the grass in the sun, he had jumped right in to rescue me, so quickly that he did not think to remove any of his clothes or anything in his pockets.
I went home that day in bits and pieces of my sisters clothes. We didn't fight on the bus journey home at all. we were too busy cuddling each other to keep warm, from the still damp clothes, or was that really it? This day will always be in my mind, as the day I learnt that nothing matters more than Family, and that without doubt, I knew then and now, that mine would be there for me no matter what. I still don't like swans to this day, but love to feed the ducks with my Husband Patrick and children, Anthony, Michael and katie at that very same, Saint Stephens Green Park in the heart of Dublin's City Centre :)