5 things that made my week a little brighter:
- ) Handbagged.
Now my Dad doesn’t usually take up any offers to go to the theatre with me. He fell asleep at both Swan Lake and Wicked. He’s not into musicals or plays. But when I said this particular play was all about Margaret Thatcher and the Queen (basically written for him), and that it was completely sold out with only two seats left, at our local theatre so no travel costs, with amazing reviews, he couldn’t really turn me down. He loved it. We both found it hilarious and really quite professional, it may be called Am-Dram but there was nothing amateur about it, these actors could be professional.
2.) All the Visiting.
Two of Maia’s nursery teachers came to visit us at home last week. It was mainly for Maia to meet them in her own environment and for me to ask any questions. If I had any doubts about my daughter’s confidence, they’ve now disappeared. Maia loves new people. They walked in and she immediately started talking, showing them to our living room –“this is the sitting room!” – then proceeding to show them her toys and sing them several nursery rhymes. She told them about our family and how she was looking forward to meeting her friends. I even left her for a few minutes whilst I made tea and she stayed with them talking. Not a drop of hesitation with these new faces. They said she clearly had good language and was very confident. I was beyond proud.
Maia also had a one hour visit to her nursery this week, with me there to see how she got on. She loved it of course. We arrived during snack time and she sat down with the others, singing her nursery rhymes as the others sat in silence eating. I knew in that moment she’d be just fine at nursery.
3.) Painting Maia’s nursery.
Last week parents of Maia’s nursery were asked – if they could – to lend a hand painting and re-decorating the nursery. Now I love painting, paper or walls, and I knew I ought really to contribute, I didn’t want to be one of those parents that never got involved – so I dug out my old Primark jeans and went over to help. I spent 90 minutes in a little-person’s-three-cubicle-bathroom, chatting to a couple of Dad’s (also painting) and sweating as I rolled up and down and up and down with the same shade of creamy-grey. Rollers are more tiresome than brushes, those things take some muscle power.
4.) BUY THE DAMN ACRYLICS.
This picture alone brings me a lot of joy. New art supplies excite the hell out of me. (I don’t buy them often, they’re far too expensive, but when WHSmiths has a sale you buy the damn acrylics). And I actually had a couple of hours this weekend to use them when Maia spent the afternoon with her Dad.
5.) Run Mummy Run.
Sunday morning I woke bright and early to go for a run outdoors (well sort of early, and I didn’t feel so bright but that all changed..) I ran twice round some nearby lakes and only stopped once for a little break after the first round. Normally outside I stop several times to walk, but this time if I felt like walking I’d just lighten my footing and jog gently, I felt very well paced and in control, almost as if I knew what I was doing... I rarely run outside, I’m so used to the treadmill, but with the sun shining and my need for some fresh air, it made sense to go somewhere where I could enjoy the scenery, rather than be glued to a machine indoors. Plus, I’m trying to do something different/new every week. Friday night I went swimming..( This isn’t new, but I certainly don’t swim often..)
(*Yes, all this exercise is great but I make sure to balance it with hefty sums of sugar. Yesterday I came home so tired, instead of going straight to bed like the average well-balanced-individual, I shoved two small slices of cake into my face. I mean yes it was delicious and I wasn’t even taken over with feelings of regret, but it would be nice to enjoy the fruits of all the running and jumping around without counteracting it with the likes of a heavenly Victoria Sponge..…)
The Colourful Kind 
