Bluebells are a fantastic setting for pictures - primarily found in wooded areas, there are usually other features such as mossy logs, trees, leaves and so on, to add other points of interest to the shot.

So, on a warm sunny afternoon, I thought I would take my two (an adventurous, rather spirited two year old, and a particularly inquisitive ten month old who has discovered crawling and standing) to Banstead Woods in Surrey in search of a nice background to get a decent shot of them together.  With nothing else scheduled for the afternoon, I thought it'd be a lovely, fun, (potentially) relaxing afternoon, sure to lend itself to some photography.

I hadn't visited the area before, but with the baby in a sling and the two year old refusing to sit in the buggy, we eventually huffed our way up the hill and ventured into the woods to a nice looking area with sparse patches of bluebells.

The second I put the baby down, he shoves whatever he can find into his mouth.  Leaves, mud, sticks, the bluebells... Meanwhile, his sister, who decided she didn't want her photo taken (at all), wanders off in search of biscuits and apples...

Having plied the two year old with biscuits and with the baby safely strapped in the buggy where he can't get hold of anything he shouldn't, we move on to find another spot.

There are some beautiful areas full of bluebells with trails already leading through them so there is no need to walk over the bluebells themselves - it was disappointing to see a big patch of bluebells right in the centre flattened, by what I suspect was a mat or rug for people to sit on and have photos taken, funnily enough.  Like all of these spots, we must look after them.

Having realised that it would be impossible to put the little man down without him being within arm's (and therefore mouth's) reach of bluebells, strapped in the buggy he remained.  Instead, we walked along the trails with me trying to subtly take my two year old's picture without her noticing.  It didn't work.  "You not take my picture mummy!'

Point made. Shoot abandoned and we came home for ice cream instead.

The hubby is definitely coming next time...