8 February 2017

It’s been a particularly busy week, and in the midst of it, I had a brief chat with a friend about time off for mums. Being a mum is such hard work, whether we do it all the time, or juggle it with other, also demanding work. I’ve really fallen into the trap over the years of not taking time out by myself… but that’s unwise, I think. We give so much as mums, and we need to be able to be topped up, in order to continue giving out. Like a car. So, I now do get a little time out, often on a weekly basis. But I have always managed to work our days so that I get a few moments to myself. Now the children are a little older, they sleep longer and so I can get up before them, and come down for a quiet cup of tea and some time reading my Bible and praying…the lifeline to my day. Then, after lunch we have always had a quiet time. This lasts anything from ten to twenty minutes and involves everyone going to their own rooms and reading or playing quietly. It’s when Rhythm Dude does most of his reading; dyslexia means he needs to really concentrate to read, and that’s hard at the end of the day when he’s tired. So, I think it’s been one of the most crucial times in his day over the years. Then, there are the snatched times. This is a picture of the girls in Rhythm Dudes drum teachers garden. Once a week, while he has a drum lesson, and Lanky Dude has a viola lesson, girls and I hang out in this amazing garden. It’s got a fantastic, wide view, and lots of secret passageways and hideouts, and a horse in the next field for the girls to stroke. So, I take a flask of tea and a biscuit, and let the panorama before me restore my soul! There are also the unexpected times of refreshing. One day this week, a lovely homeschooling friend of mine came for lunch, with her delightful children. Our planned walk had been cancelled, due to relentless rain, so with full tummies after lunch, the children played, and we sat and chatted by the fire, while her contented baby snoozed. I felt it had been soul restoring time, and I hope she did, too.

I always think February is the dreariest month, but one thing I look forward to is making marmalade. It takes a while, and is messy, but the smell of oranges simmering is worth it, and the taste for the rest of the year is always a good start to the morning.