Daybooking* in the month of February

Outside my window: It's raining amid signs of spring - lighter mornings, crocii, snowdrops. Yesterday we had bike & scooter out of the garage for the first time in forever. Still wintry though!

Thoughts: We're in repose. It's the first day of the school holidays, and I'm hanging with my girls while Daddy sleeps. No hurry to leave the house, no lunches to make. Time at the pool to look forward to. Seeing grandparents. Things still require planning and organisation, but I've already lost my rush.

Thanksgiving: For my wonderful children, especially as they are learning to be less wakeful and more quiet in the early mornings. For books and reading and sight. For friends and fellowship.

Kitchen goings-on: Well, of course there was cake. But not a lot else. Rebecca has been living off food from the freezer and a few bought jars. But meatballs today and carbonara tomorrow, I'm going to get my Italian mama thing going on. (I have a friend who's an Italian mama, so I know what I'm talking about. Although my cuisine and hospitality cannot hope to rival hers!)

Reading: Not enough Bible, not enough on Matthew for me to get my assignment even started. Lots of blogs and Twitter! Reading to my children and from my children. I'm more than ready for Lent to get me focused on some more spiritual reading. But there is no beating myself up going on. I'm starting to get back into things :-)

Listening: My radio listening has mainly been noisy rock music, with some classical. I've actually been doing a fair bit of listening to others, as well as speaking my mind this week. It's difficult to listen to the kids when they are all speaking at once, which I am working really hard on!

Wearing: Once again I'm posting in pyjamas. But, it should be known, I have been getting my skirts on recently. Short skirts, with long boots, like I wore in my twenties. Must be the 6 months post-partum thing :-)

Around the house: Do you know, we're still in a mess. I've gone from ticking over to wash-and-sterilise-everything-in-sight due to the kids having picked up threadworms again. The washing is piled up in baskets and the machine can't run fast enough. After stripping beds, making beds and so on, there hasn't been time for much else.

A Favourite Thing: Sleep! This month the baby has begun to sleep through without needing a night feed. Hooray! Please note - this is a small jump for joy. Although she's not hungry, she loves to suck her soothers, and when she wakes and can't pop one in her mouth, she needs help, so I'm still not getting lots of sleep. BUT - it's enough for now!

*with thanks to Peggy.

3 Small Successes

1) I made cake! 2 cakes! Nice cakes! Tasty cakes! Blueberry tea loaf AND double ginger cake. One was completed over breakfast, I still don't know how I did that. My elder daughter (6) was soooooo appreciative. I had been wanting to fit baking her a cake in all term and I did it with days to spare. AND I had something to give a friend who came over for coffee. I am so happy I managed to prioritise the gift of cake (without the housework and family suffering too much....)

2) I booked the baptism, and more importantly, a disco for one of the small rooms at the reception venue. As an Anglican interloper, I'm aware that 6 months is a little late for baptism (although my eldest was 1 year old due to myself not having being baptised - or even come fully to faith when she was born). I would have had it a little sooner but Rebecca's Godfather has his own churches to conduct a morning service at so we are having an afternoon service (followed by food, drink and aforementioned disco) with the entire congregation going to be invited. (Panics slightly about catering. And realises I have still not ordered the cake!)

3) I've been speaking out a lot this week. I've been very opinionated. Some of it has been through anger and impatience, but at other times it has been reasonable and discursive. This is a whole new side of me I'm learning about. I have gone through my entire life avoiding conflict and trying to people-please. Now I'm at the place where, when another mother tells me she will hit her child as punishment for hurting mine at a soft play centre, I tell her that I do not want her to do it in my name, or my kids' names. I will feedback on how we struggled with a church service, to the appropriate people (rather than moaning to others.) And so on. (But hopefully not on & on. I hope also to receive the gift of knowing when it's not appropriate to voice my thoughts!)

Happy Thursday people.