Mothering Sunday

This Sunday I will be thinking especially about women who want children and are not able to have them. It's a hard hard day for some. I sometimes feel guilty for crossing over from one 'camp' to the other and believe me when I say there's not a day goes by that I don't feel intense gratitude that I was able to become a mother. I don't believe that having a family is the only way to truly experience life but I do know that it's horrible to feel that you don't have that choice available to you.

I want to include men who would like to be fathers too.  I just thought of women first because of Mothers' Day. 

 

 

Spring?

It took a long time to warm up today but it sure was sunny.  Maybe I have a touch of SAD because sunny days usually perk me right up and I find myself full of gratitude.

C learnt to clap today which was delightful.  She beams so widely as she demonstrates it, clearly as proud as punch. 

G had another little friend round to play today.  Lessons in sharing were consolidated...somewhat...

Hoping for a better night than last night, and a later morning than this morning's 5am start.  Thank god for Adriano who gave me an extra hour even though he was knackered too.  It made the difference to my state of mind today for sure (along with the sunshine).

G has recently got really into a new CBeebies show: Tree Fu Tom.  I love that she's into it even though it seems to be aimed at slightly older boys. I love seeing her try to copy the actions.  I love seeing her grin when I make any reference to the show.  I love watching her face as she views it.  She's in love, basically.

Friends

Since I first moved to London from Brighton 11 or so years ago (cripes) I only really made friends through work for a long time.  I found a really good friend in my Aussie mate K through work, then later became closer to L from work too.  The rest were utterly lovely but destined to remain firmly in the pigeonhole of work colleagues. 
Then 8 years later I became a mum.  I was lucky enough to bond well with my NCT group (and fortunate to be able to afford it in the first place), and our group of 5 still meet as regularly as we can - but with 10 children between us this is getting less and less often as the new chaos of Life gets in the way.
But recently I have made perhaps the first true friend in all those years, C.  She is a mum at G's preschool and our friendship developed organically over a few months.  All of a sudden we are (I feel) really close and I could say anything to her.  I have made absolutely LOADS of acquaintances through being a friendly type carting a child or two around the place daily in the last 3 years.  Locally I can go to the library and see maybe five families I know.  It's lovely.  But C is that rare thing, a person who I would definitely have gelled with whether we had children or not. 
I feel so lucky and so boosted. 

Shuffling bunny-stealer alert

Still no chicken pox spots.  Holding my breath and praying (as only an atheist can) that we'll be spot-free until the end of our holiday next week.

Hilarious moment near bedtime tonight.  You had to be there but I'm putting it here to jog my memory in the future.  G was just dry from the bath and started to put on her pull-up but got distracted when it was only as far as her ankles. She decided to steal Plush Bunny from C's cot and run off to her own bedroom - except she could only shuffle because of the pull-up round her ankles.  She didn't think I had seen her so when I called her name she jumped about a foot in the air and screamed with delighted terror and shuffled even faster.  So bloody funny, I couldn't stop laughing. 

support

My absolutely wonderful AuntieG came to visit me (and G and C) today.  I always feel boosted by her company.  We can say absolutely anything to each other.  She will challenge me and I will never mind.  She almost always brings food (often homemade) and showers me with compliments which always feel totally genuine.

Everyone should have an AuntieG in their life. 

Oh cr@p C has woken up.